Exegetically and translationally this verse presents no serious difficulties, though it is important to understand it in the light of Paul’s total argument. The impact of Paul’s argument is not to indicate that a man may be put into a right relationship with God through the keeping of the Law; rather he is arguing that the mere possession of the Law does not guarantee that a man is in a right relationship with God. Put right with God is literally “righteous beside God,” but for the English speaker “righteous” indicates a moral quality, while Paul is speaking of a relationship with God.

The logical relations of the parts of verse 13 are difficult to express in some languages, especially in those in which one cannot speak about hearing the Law without specifically indicating who does the hearing. Moreover, a passive expression such as are put right may need to be changed into an active one. This means that the total form of verse 13 may require considerable recasting—for example, “God does not put people right with himself just because they have listened to the Law. Rather, he does this when they do what the Law says they should do.” In some languages the passive expression may be retained but the expression of means by hearing the Law must be inverted—for example, “men are not put right with God merely by listening to the Law, but this does happen by their doing what the Law says they ought to do.” In a number of languages, however, one cannot render literally what the Law commands, since only people can “command.” One may need to translate the last part of this verse as “do what God has commanded in the Law.”

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 .

In Greek verses 23-26 are all one sentence. This has been broken into several parts by the Good News Translation for the sake of clarity.

There is a definite contrast in the tenses of the two verbs used in verse 23, have sinned and are far away. The expression which the Good News Translation translates are far away from God’s saving presence (literally “are falling short of the glory of God”) may possibly be understood in another sense. “Glory” in this passage may refer not to God’s saving presence, but to the likeness of God that each man is intended to bear but which has been forfeited because of sin. Most translations simply render this literally. Of the three modern translations that attempt to give meaning to this phrase, Phillips seems to have missed the meaning completely (“everyone falls short of the beauty of God’s plan”), while the Jerusalem Bible (see note in the Jerusalem Bible) seems to go in the same direction as the Good News Translation; the New English Bible (“are deprived of the divine splendor”) seems to support the alternative interpretation explained here.

There are considerable difficulties involved in translating the expression far away from God’s saving presence. One can, of course, say “far away from God who saves” and in essence this is the meaning of God’s saving presence. “To fall short of the glory of God” may be rendered as “not to attain to the glory which comes from God” or “not to reach the glory which God gives.”

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 .

The word rendered God’s approval is a relatively rare term and is used in the New Testament in only three other places (2 Corinthians 2.9; 9.13; Philippians 2.22). This word is related to the verb used in 2.18, and it describes something that is put to the test and then is approved if it passes the test (see New English Bible “proof that we have stood the test”). In the present context both testing and approval are involved, and it is God who makes the judgment. For that reason it is proper to make the meaning of the term explicit, as God’s approval. It is also possible to take this word in the sense of that which receives approval, in this context one’s character (so Revised Standard Version, An American Translation*, Moffatt). On the meaning of hope, see Rom 5.2.

The relation between endurance and God’s approval is likewise one of cause and effect. It may be rendered in some languages as “because we are better in enduring, God approves of us” or “God approves of us because we have learned how to endure.” The same relation of cause and effect is to be found in the connection between his approval and hope. Therefore one may translate: “because he approves of us, we have hope.” In some cases, however, one must make explicit certain components of approval—for example, “because God has tested us and seen that we are fit.”

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 .

In Greek this verse begins with a participial phrase which is equivalent to a subordinate clause (see Revised Standard Version “having been set free from sin”), but the Good News Translation makes this into a coordinate clause: you were set free from sin.

You were set free from sin may be translated: “you were released from the power of sin” or “God set you free from the power of sin.” Became the slaves of righteousness may be translated as “became slaves to do what is right.” However, such an expression can be badly misunderstood, and it may be appropriate to introduce God at this point in parallelism with verse 22 (namely, slaves of God) and therefore read: “became the slaves of God in order to do what is right.”

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 .

Verse 5 takes up the thought begun in verse 4 and expands it. Exegetically the verse is not difficult; Paul is simply saying that the way in which one lives is determined by that on which one focuses one’s thoughts. He is speaking of the contrast between a life which is controlled by one’s own human nature and the life which is controlled by God’s Spirit. The New English Bible implies that the contrast is between one’s “lower nature” and one’s “spiritual nature,” but this does not seem to be what Paul means. In this verse, as in the following verses, the word mind(s) is used as a comprehensive term to refer to one’s will and affections as well as one’s reason.

In this verse, in the rest of the chapter, and in a number of other contexts, it may be necessary to translate Spirit (with initial capital letter) as “the Spirit of God” or “the Holy Spirit.” Capitalization alone is usually not sufficient to indicate clearly to the hearer that the reference is to the Holy Spirit. This is especially true if the term for Spirit may be either completely neutral in connotation or possibly have the implication of an evil spirit when the context does not mark it otherwise.

For many languages the equivalent of human nature in this context is “the body”—for example, “those who live as their body commands have their minds controlled by what their body wants,” “… what their body wants controls their thinking,” “or … causes them only to think of that.” Similarly, the second sentence of verse 5 may be rendered as “those who live as the Spirit tells them to live think only about what the Spirit wants,” “what the Spirit wants controls what they think,” or “… occupies all their attention.”

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 .

In Greek verses 1 and 2 form one sentence. It is agreed that “in Christ” has the force of “in union with Christ” (Jerusalem Bible), and so the Good News Translation renders this phrase as a finite statement: I belong to Christ. It is possible either to connect this phrase with what precedes, what I say is true, as most translations do, or to connect it with what follows as the Good News Translation does (see also Jerusalem Bible).

It is necessary to avoid the implication that what Paul declares as being true is merely the fact that he belongs to Christ. The content of what is true begins with verse 2. In order to avoid a wrong relation of ideas, it is possible to translate the first sentence of verse 1 as “what I say is true; I do not lie, because I belong to Christ.”

The Good News Translation attempts to make clear the meaning of Paul’s phrase “in the Holy Spirit” and so translates as ruled by the Holy Spirit. The New English Bible renders this phrase “enlightened by the Holy Spirit” and An American Translation* “under the holy Spirit’s influence.”

Paul is here appealing to three witnesses (his own conscience, his union with Jesus Christ, and his union with the Holy Spirit) which assure him that he is not lying. The Good News Translation (so also New English Bible and Jerusalem Bible) makes this information clear, but a translation such as the Revised Standard Version (“my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow…”) suggests that Christ is a witness to the fact that Paul is not lying, while his conscience and the Holy Spirit are witnesses to the fact that he has great sorrow in his heart. This does not seem to be what Paul is saying. Verse 2 actually introduces the content of the assertion in verse 1, to which Christ, his conscience, and the Holy Spirit bear witness that he is not lying.

The phrase ruled by the Holy Spirit may be translated as “which the Holy Spirit ruled” or “which the Holy Spirit controlled.”

Assures may be rendered as “tells me with confidence,” “says strongly,” or even “says that it is surely true that I am not lying.”

Conscience may be variously translated, depending upon the particular set of associations connected with certain terms or phrases—for example, “my heart,” “my innermost,” “that which speaks within me,” or “the voice in my heart.”

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 .