(Please note that there are further comments on verse 8, in conjunction with verses 9 and 10 below.)

The contrast between some men (v. 7) and other men (v. 8) may be introduced in some languages with an adversative particle such as “but,” “on the other hand,” or “in contrast with these.”

The word rendered selfish by the Good News Translation (see New English Bible “who are governed by selfish ambition” and An American Translation* “self-seeking people”) originally was a term used to describe persons who sought a political office for selfish purposes. However, it is possible that his word could also have the meaning of “strife” or “contentiousness” (see Jerusalem Bible “unsubmissive” and Moffatt “willful”). This meaning may be rendered as “other men are always fighting with others” or “other men are always arguing against others” or “others only want their own way.” Selfish may be rendered as “who always want to do just what they want to do,” “who are always looking for their own benefit,” or “who want everyone else to serve them.”

In order to indicate that for Paul “truth” is a moral term and not merely an abstract idea, the Good News Translation renders Paul’s phrase “reject the truth” by reject what is right. In many languages what is right is rendered as “what they should do,” thus implying moral obligation. In other languages the contrast with wrong is “that which is good.” In many languages one cannot “follow what is wrong”; it is necessary to say “to do what is wrong” or “to continually do what is wrong.”

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 .