與上帝和好
1我們既然因信而被稱為義人,就藉著我們的主耶穌基督與上帝和好了。 2我們又靠著祂,藉著信進入現在所站的這恩典中,歡歡喜喜地盼望分享上帝的榮耀。 3不但如此,我們在苦難中也歡喜,因為知道苦難使人生忍耐, 4忍耐生品格,品格生盼望。 5這種盼望不會落空,因為上帝的愛藉著所賜給我們的聖靈已傾注在我們心中。
6當我們還軟弱無助的時候,基督就在所定的日期為罪人死了。 7為義人死,是罕見的;為好人死,也許有敢做的; 8但基督卻在我們還做罪人的時候為我們死!上帝的愛就這樣顯明了。
9現在,我們既然因祂所流的血而被稱為義人,豈不更要靠著祂免受上帝的烈怒嗎? 10如果我們還與上帝爲敵的時候,尚且可以藉著上帝兒子的死亡與上帝和好,和好後的我們豈不更要藉著祂兒子的生命得到拯救嗎? 11不但如此,我們藉著主耶穌基督與上帝和好之後,還要藉著祂在上帝面前歡喜。
亞當與基督
12因此,罪怎樣從一個人進入世界並帶來了死亡,死亡也怎樣臨到了全人類,因為全人類都犯了罪。 13沒有律法之前,罪已經在世上了;但沒有律法,罪也不算為罪。 14事實上,從亞當到摩西的時代,死亡一直辖制著人類,甚至連那些不與亞當犯同樣罪的人也不能倖免。亞當是將要來的那位的預表。
15然而,上帝的洪恩遠超過亞當的過犯。若因一人的過犯,眾人都要死亡,那麼上帝的恩典,也就是通過耶穌基督一人所賜的恩典,豈不要更豐富地臨到眾人嗎? 16再者,上帝的恩賜不同於一人犯罪的後果。一人犯罪便帶來審判和定罪,恩賜卻使眾人罪惡得赦、被稱為義人。 17如果因一人的過犯,死亡就藉著那人作了王,那麼接受上帝洪恩又得到祂所賜之義的人,豈不更要藉著耶穌基督一人在生命中作王嗎?
18如此說來,因為一人的過犯,眾人都被定罪;照樣,因為一人的義行,眾人都被稱為義人,得到生命。 19因為一人的悖逆,眾人成為罪人;照樣,因為一人的順服,眾人將被稱為義人。 20律法是後來頒佈的,使過犯更多地顯出來,只是哪裡的罪越多,哪裡的恩典就顯得越豐富。 21罪怎樣掌權帶來死亡5·21 「罪怎樣掌權帶來死亡」或譯「罪怎樣藉著死亡掌權」。,恩典也照樣藉著義掌權,為要藉著我們主耶穌基督帶來永生。
Peace and Hope
1We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through faith in Jesus we have received God’s grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God’s glory. 3And that’s not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. 4The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. 5And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6At just the right time Christ died for ungodly people. He died for us when we had no power of our own. 7It is unusual for anyone to die for a godly person. Maybe someone would be willing to die for a good person. 8But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9The blood of Christ has made us right with God. So we are even more sure that Jesus will save us from God’s anger. 10Once we were God’s enemies. But we have been brought back to him because his Son has died for us. Now that God has brought us back, we are even more secure. We know that we will be saved because Christ lives. 11And that is not all. We are full of joy in God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of him, God has brought us back to himself.
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.
13Before the law was given, sin was in the world. This is certainly true. But people are not judged for sin when there is no law. 14Death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did. He broke God’s command. But Adam also became a pattern of the Messiah. The Messiah was the one who was going to come.
15God’s gift can’t be compared with Adam’s sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God’s grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God’s gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world. 16The result of God’s gift is different from the result of Adam’s sin. That one sin brought God’s judgment. But after many sins, God’s gift made people right with him. 17One man sinned, and death ruled over all people because of his sin. What will happen is even more sure than this. Those who receive the rich supply of God’s grace will rule with Christ. They will rule in his kingdom. They have received God’s gift and have been made right with him. This will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done.
18So one man’s sin brought guilt to all people. In the same way, one right act made people right with God. That one right act gave life to all people. 19Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.
20The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more. 21Sin ruled and brought death. But grace rules in the lives of those who are right with God. The grace of God brings eternal life. That’s because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done.