but there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does right, the Jew first, and the Greek also,

What advantage is there then in being a Jew, and what is the use of circumcision?

As the Scripture says, "There is not a single man who is upright,

There is no reverence for God before their eyes!"

there is but one God, and he will make the circumcised upright on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised upright because of theirs."

For the Law only brings down God's wrath; where there is no law, there is no violation of it.

It is true sin was in the world before the Law was given, and men are not charged with sin where there is no law.

But there is no comparison between God's gift and that offense. For if one man's offense made the mass of mankind die, God's mercy and his gift given through the favor of the one man Jesus Christ have far more powerfully affected mankind.

Nor is there any comparison between the gift and the effects of that one man's sin. That sentence arose from the act of one man, and was for condemnation; but God's gift arose out of many offenses and results in acquittal.

So there is no condemnation any more for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.

And that is not all, for there was Rebecca too, when she was about to bear twin sons to our forefather Isaac.

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek for they all have the same Lord, and he is generous to all who call upon him.

So too at the present time there is a remnant selected by God's mercy.

For just as there are many parts united in our human bodies, and the parts do not all have the same function,

For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery, You must not murder, You must not steal, You must not covet," and any other commandments there are, are all summed up in one saying, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself."

But now there is no more work for me in this part of the world, and as I have had a great desire for many years to come to see you,

when I go to Spain I hope to see you on my way there, and to have you see me off on my journey, after I have enjoyed being with you for a while.