Verses 22-24 are one sentence in Greek. They present a number of exegetical problems. In fact, as far as the grammatical construction is concerned, they are perhaps the most difficult verses in the entire book of Romans. These verses are in the form of an “if” clause (“if such and such is true…”), but no conclusion follows. However, this is not an impossible construction to deal with, and similar constructions exist elsewhere in the Greek New Testament (see Luke 19.41, 42; John 6.61, 62; and Acts 23.9). The Good News Translation understands this “if” clause to have the force of introducing a condition which is true to fact. On that basis, the Good News Translation attempts to relate this clause to the context by the words and the same is true of what God has done. In some languages an appropriate equivalent may be “this illustration applies to what God has done” or “what God has done is similar to this,” in which case a new paragraph may not be required or may not even be helpful.

A second problem is presented by a participle, which may have either a causal force (“because he wanted…”) or the force of concession (“although he wanted…”). Some translators believe that Paul is trying to soften the force of what he has said, and so they follow the second alternative: “then what if God, though he wanted to display his anger and show his power, has shown great patience…?” (An American Translation*; see also Moffatt, Jerusalem Bible, and the alternative rendering of the New English Bible). On the other hand, the causal force seems to fit the context better. That is, the entire passage would then he brought into line with the meaning of verse 17, and verses 22-23 would present two parallel reasons for God’s patience in enduring those who were the objects of his wrath. The Good News Translation (though changing the participle to a finite verb) follows this interpretation: he wanted to show his wrath and to make his power known. So … (similarly Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible).

Objects of his wrath is literally “vessels of wrath.” Paul uses the word “vessel” in this verse because it is the same word that he uses in the previous verse (rendered pot in the Good News Translation), and he is simply trying to maintain the connection between the two verses. The objects of his wrath are “those whom he was going to judge in his anger.”

The participle translated ready is rendered “ripe” by An American Translation* (see Moffatt “ripe and ready”), and in the present context may have the force of “deserve” (Jerusalem Bible). To be destroyed is actually a noun phrase (literally “for destruction”). A number of commentators understand the force in the present context to be “eternal destruction,” but such a conclusion does not seem necessary. The passive construction to be destroyed may need to be transformed into an active one. This will also require some shift in the relation of ready—for example, “whom God was ready to destroy.” In the translation of ready it is important to avoid the implication that these objects of his wrath were prepared to be destroyed. It is a matter of temporal proximity to destruction and not preparation which is in focus at this point.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .