Romans 5:2

Romans 5:2 @th|/ pi,stei# {C}

It is doubtful whether the words th|/ pi,stei belong to the text or not, for the weight of external evidence is almost evenly balanced between their inclusion (a A C K P Y 33 1739 Byz Lect it^{dc, 61} vg syr^{p, h, pal}) and their omission (B D G 0220 it^{d*, g} cop^sa). Furthermore, the sense is not materially changed by their presence or their absence, for Paul has previously declared that faith is necessary for justification, and therefore it may be that copyists dropped the words as redundant and superfluous after evk pi,stewj of ver. Romans 5:1. In order to represent the balance of evidence, a majority of the Committee preferred to retain the words in the text but to enclose the phrase within square brackets. (The reading evn th|/ pi,stei seems to have arisen by dittography after evsch,kamen.)