Rose Murdock's Notes on The Epistles

18: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19: because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21: For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22: Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23: and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24: Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25: For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and w...

26: For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27: and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28: And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29: being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30: slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31: without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32: and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who prac...

1: Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2: And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3: But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4: Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5: But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6: who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8: but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath a...

12: For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13: for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14: For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15: in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16: on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. ***  Paul explained that each person will be judged for their sins whether they are under the Law (a Jew) or not (a Gentile). Justification doesn’t come to those who simply hear the Law of God, but to those who do what it says. When the Gentiles instinctively keep God’s Law, it shows the Law has been written on their hearts, their...

17: But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18: and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19: and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20: a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21: you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22: You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23: You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24: For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written. ***  Paul continued the thought that the Jews were not to rely on just being a Jew to consider themselves right with God. They knew His will because they had learned it from t...

25: For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26: So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27: And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28: For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29: But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. ***  The Old Testament Jews knew that being a Jew was an honorable thing because God had chosen them to be His people, hold His presence, and carry His message and revelations. God gave them a detailed written Law to follow through Moses which included circumcision of all...

1: Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2: Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3: What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4: May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” 5: But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6: May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7: But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8: And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just. ***  Paul asked the question of whether ther...