---
title: Romans 16:26
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/romans-16-26/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/romans-16-26.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Romans 16:26
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Romans 16:26

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "according to the command of the everlasting God to promote obedience by faith"

## JW Usage

Watchtower commentary takes Romans 16:26 ("the command of the everlasting God to promote obedience by faith") as closing Paul's letter on the same note that opened it (1:5). The verse confirms that obedience is integral to Christian salvation and that the gospel commission requires the response of faithful living — including, on the JW reading, the obedience of joining Jehovah's organisation and participating in the preaching work.

## Protestant Usage

Romans 16:26 closes the inclusio Paul opened in 1:5. Both verses use the identical phrase hupakoē pisteōs — "obedience by faith" or "obedience that is faith." The whole letter, framed by these brackets, makes "obedience by faith" the defining Christian act. Paul has spent sixteen chapters proving it: the obedience that justifies is faith itself (3:22, 4:5, 10:9-13). And Romans 10:16 makes the equivalence explicit — "obeying the good news" and "believing what was heard" are the same act. The Watchtower's reading takes "obedience" and imports a lifetime of organisational compliance; Paul means the initial trusting surrender of the gospel that produces a new life — not the basis of salvation, but its evidence and outflow.

## NWT Issue

The NWT renders aiōniou theou as "the everlasting God" rather than "the eternal God" (consensus ESV/NASB/NIV/KJV). Lexically defensible — aiōnios covers both — but the NWT's consistent preference for "everlasting" over "eternal" mutes the timeless-being sense in favour of duration. The divine nature is rendered as "lasting forever" rather than "outside time." The pattern recurs across the NWT whenever aiōnios appears.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Eternal Salvation to All Who Obey Him](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/hebrews5-9-obey-salvation.md) — Hebrews 5:9 and the obedience of faith [Salvation]