Romans 9 1

Romans 9:1 kjv

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

Romans 9:1 nkjv

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,

Romans 9:1 niv

I speak the truth in Christ?I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit?

Romans 9:1 esv

I am speaking the truth in Christ ? I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit ?

Romans 9:1 nlt

With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it.

Romans 9 verses

Romans 9 1 Meaning

Paul expresses profound sorrow and unending pain in his heart concerning his fellow Israelites. He declares that he wishes he himself were accursed from Christ for the sake of his brothers, his kinsmen by race. This is a declaration of deep love and empathy, placing his own spiritual standing secondary to the salvation of his people.

Romans 9 1 Context

Romans chapter 9 addresses the deeply sensitive issue of God's sovereign purpose and His relationship with Israel in light of the Gospel's acceptance by Gentiles and the rejection by many Jews. Paul is contending with potential Jewish objections that if God's promises were for Israel, why are many Gentiles being saved while many Jews are not? Paul's passionate expression in this verse arises from his heartfelt anguish over the spiritual state of his kinsmen, the Jewish people. He had painstakingly explained in prior chapters that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, not by works of the Law. This truth, while liberating, created a pastoral challenge for Paul as he sought to persuade both Jewish and Gentile believers. The specific context leading into chapter 9 is Paul's demonstration that humanity, both Jew and Gentile, is under sin (Romans 3:9-20) and justification comes solely through faith in Christ, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law. This theological argument necessarily requires addressing the historical covenant promises of God to Israel.

Romans 9 1 Word Analysis

• "Truly" (Alethos / ἀληθῶς): Emphasizes the absolute veracity of Paul's statement, invoking Christ as the guarantor of his truthfulness. It signifies that his words are not a mere pretense but deeply felt and sincere.
• "Christ" (Christos / Χριστῷ): Refers to Jesus, the Anointed One, the Messiah. Paul bases his entire life and ministry, including the truthfulness of his affections, in Christ.
• "I lie not" (Pseudesthai / ψεύσασθαι): A direct denial of falsehood, underscoring the sincerity and conviction behind his words. It reinforces the previous affirmation of truth in Christ.
• "My conscience also bearing witness" (Syneidesis / συνείδησις ... Martyrousei / μαρτυρούσῃ): "Syneidesis" refers to conscience, the inner faculty that judges one's actions against moral standards. Here, Paul's conscience is presented as an impartial witness to the genuineness of his grief. This highlights an internal conviction that supports his external declaration.
• "By the Holy Spirit" (Pneuma Hagiou / Πνεύματος Ἁγίου): Attributes the source of his deep sorrow and the testimony of his conscience to the Holy Spirit. This signifies that his emotions and internal witness are divinely informed and validated, not mere human sentimentality.
• "Great" (Mego / μεγάλην): Denotes significant, immense, or excessive. Paul's sorrow is not a casual or minor grief but a profound and overwhelming emotion.
• "Sorrow" (Lupē / λύπην): Represents grief, distress, or heartache. It speaks to a deep emotional pain.
• "Unceasing" (Adialeipton / ἀδιαλείπτου): Meaning without intermission, constantly, or perpetually. His sorrow is persistent and ongoing, never ceasing. This underscores the depth and enduring nature of his concern.
• "Pain/Anguish" (Odunē / ὀδύνην): Signifies a more acute and piercing form of suffering, possibly physical or deep emotional torment. It goes beyond mere sadness to a sharp and persistent agony.
• "I could wish" (Euches-amen / εὔχεσθαι): Literally "to pray" or "to wish fervently." It expresses a strong desire, a prayer-like longing, that he would even offer himself to be separated from Christ.
• "Accursed" (Anathemа / ἀνάθεμα): A solemn curse or devoting to destruction. In Jewish thought, this could mean being separated from God's people and potentially God Himself. Paul's wish is to bear this ultimate separation if it would result in salvation for his kin. This is akin to the Mosaic concept in Deut 29:10-13, though Paul's expression is about bearing curse for others.
• "From Christ" (Apō tou Christou / ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ): To be separated or alienated from Christ. This is the highest degree of conceivable suffering for a believer like Paul, emphasizing the ultimate nature of his self-sacrifice desire.
• "For the sake of" (Hyper / ὑπὲρ): For the benefit of, on behalf of, in place of.
• "My brethren" (Adelphos / ἀδελφούς): Refers to his fellow Israelites, his spiritual and ethnic family.
• "My kinsmen according to the flesh" (Sugenōn mou ton kata sarka / συγγενῶν μου τῶν κατὰ σάρκα): This clarifies that "brethren" specifically refers to his Jewish relatives, his kinsmen in a literal, biological sense. "Sunga" (συγγενῶν) means related by birth or a fellow countryman. "Sarka" (σάρκα) refers to flesh, highlighting their shared physical heritage and ancestry from Abraham.

Words Group Analysis

• "Great sorrow and unceasing pain/anguish in my heart": This powerful phrase uses a combination of "mega lupen" (great sorrow) and "adialeiptos odunēn" (unceasing pain) to describe an overwhelming and persistent internal suffering. The phrase captures not just sadness but a deep, throbbing ache originating from his core being ("kardias"). This highlights the emotional and spiritual burden Paul carried for his people.
• "I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh": This entire clause demonstrates the peak of Paul's empathic agony. The "euchesthai" (wish/pray) combined with "anathemа" (accursed/devoted to destruction) reveals a hypothetical self-substitution. His willingness to be "apō tou Christou" (separated from Christ) is the ultimate expression of his love, a desire to bear their condemnation, akin to how Christ bore our sins. The final clarification, "adelphois mou, tois suggeosīn mou tōn kata sarka" (my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh), reiterates that this deep yearning is specifically for his own ethnic people, the Jews.

Romans 9 1 Bonus Section

Paul's language of "cursing himself" (anathema) for his people reflects a sacrificial pattern seen throughout Scripture. Moses famously prayed to be blotted out of God's book rather than seeing Israel punished (Exodus 32:32). Prophets also expressed deep sorrow for Israel's sin. Paul's deep affection for his Jewish heritage and his pain over their spiritual condition are not at odds with his theology of salvation by grace through faith; rather, they are a manifestation of it. His willingness to be accursed implies a willingness to bear the condemnation meant for them, drawing a parallel with Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, where He became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21). This verse powerfully illustrates the tension between God's sovereign will and human responsibility, and it highlights the genuine, compassionate heart of the apostle Paul for his fellow Israelites.

Romans 9 1 Commentary

Paul's declaration in Romans 9:1 is a profound statement of selfless love and profound empathy for his Jewish people. He asserts his truthfulness, authenticated by Christ and the Holy Spirit, that his heart is filled with an immense and unending sorrow. This grief stems from the widespread rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by his own kinsmen. His wish to be accursed, to be separated from Christ Himself, demonstrates the depth of his pain and his willingness to bear the ultimate consequence if it meant their salvation. This intense emotion is rooted in his understanding of the covenant promises God made to Israel. His lament mirrors the heart of God and the sorrow of prophets who grieved over Israel's spiritual blindness and rebellion. It underscores that even within God's sovereign plan, there is room for human sorrow and deep pastoral concern for those who have not yet embraced the Gospel. This expression of love and potential self-sacrifice is a reflection of Christ’s own incarnational humility and suffering for humanity. It shows that theological truths do not diminish genuine, heart-wrenching compassion for lost souls, particularly for those to whom one has the closest ties.