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Romans 5:7
ESV For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die —
NIV Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
NASB For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.
CSB For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.
NLT Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
KJV For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
NKJV For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

What does Romans 5:7 mean?

The theme of Paul's letter to the Romans is that God offers salvation to mankind on the basis of grace, not our own good deeds or merits. In fact, if salvation were based on works, all of humanity would be doomed, since nobody can live up to the moral standards of a perfectly holy God (Romans 3:10, 23).

Here, Paul describes a human perspective of sacrificing one's life for the sake of others. It's no small thing to suffer pain and death, intentionally and voluntarily, for the sake of someone else. Paul makes a common-sense point that some people, maybe, would be willing to give our lives for the sake of some other good and righteous person, though even that is rare. Paul's point is that we'd be hesitant to die for the sake of someone we found morally lacking.

And yet Christ—God in human form—died for us, the ungodly, weak people who deserved judgment for our sin (Romans 5:6). Why would God do such a thing? The point Paul is making will be stated explicitly in the following verse: God loves us and He has proved it through Christ's death in our place on the cross.
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