What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire."

So the law itself is holy, and its specific commands are holy, right, and good.

For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin.

For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

the divine grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. so then, with the mind I my self am devoted to the law of God; tho' my carnal inclinations are enslaved to the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For the interests of the flesh are hostile to God; they do not yield to the law of God (indeed they cannot).

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

But if Christ lives in you, although your bodies must die because of sin, your spirits are now enjoying life because of right standing with God.

But if the Spirit of him who made Jesus come again from the dead is in you, he who made Christ Jesus come again from the dead will in the same way, through his Spirit which is in you, give life to your bodies which now are under the power of death.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

for if you live by such a standard, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put a stop to the doings of your lower nature, you will live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received a spirit of servitude, leading back into fear, but ye have received a spirit of sonship, whereby we are exclaiming - Abba! Oh Father!

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Now if we are children, we are heirs heirs of God and co-heirs with the Messiah if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

because the creatures are subdued to vanity against their will: but for his will which subdueth them in hope.

For we are conscious that all living things are weeping and sorrowing in pain together till now.

And not only that, we ourselves, although we are grasping the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves are inwardly groaning, while we are waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

If, however, what we do not behold we hope for, with endurance, are we ardently awaiting it ; -

And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;

And the Searcher of Hearts knows what the Sprit's meaning is, because his intercessions for the saints are according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

What are we then to say to facts like these? If God is for us, who can be against us?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers,

for I could wish to be as one anathematiz'd from the christian church for my brethren, who are of the same race as my self,

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

nor are they all children of Abraham, because they are his descendants, but the promise was "In the line of Isaac your descendants will I be counted."

That is, it is not Abraham's natural descendants who are God's children, but those who are made children by the promise are counted his true descendants.

For these words are the words of a promise-'About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.'

The words of Scripture are-'I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.'

What are we then to conclude? It is not that there is injustice in God, is it? Of course not!

His words to Moses are. I will have mercy on whom I choose to have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I choose to have compassion.

On the contrary, friend, who are you anyway that you would answer back to God? Can the clay that is molded ask the man who molds it, "Why did you make me like this?"

Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can't he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction?

Now such are we whom he has called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles.

As the Scripture says in Hosea, "Those who are not my people I will call my people, and the one who was not loved I will call my loved one.

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

And Isaiah cries out about Israel, "Although the sons of Israel are as numberless as the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,

What are we then to conclude? That heathen peoples who were not in search for right standing with God have obtained it, and that a right standing conditioned on faith;

For what reason? Because they are not of faith, but as it were of works of the law; for they stumbled at the stone of stumbling,

Brethren! the delight of my own heart and my supplication God-ward in their behalf, are for salvation;

For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but they are not intelligently so.

For they are ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God while they try to establish their own, and they have not submitted to God's means to attain righteousness.

But what does it say? "The message is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart." This is the message about faith that we are proclaiming:

For with their minds men believe and are made upright, and with their lips they make the acknowledgment and are saved.

Jew and Gentile are on precisely the same footing; for the same Lord is Lord over all, and is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him for deliverance.

How then shall thy call upon Him in whom they do not believe? And how are they to believe in One of whom they have never heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

God has not cast off His People whom He knew beforehand. Or are you ignorant of what Scripture says in speaking of Elijah--how he pleaded with God against Israel, saying,

"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone have been left, and they are trying to kill me."

In the same way, there are at this present time some who are marked out by the selection of grace.

What are we then to conclude? Israel has failed to obtain what it is still in search for, but His chosen ones have obtained it. The rest have become insensible to it,

The rest grew callous; as Scripture says--'God has given them a deadness of mind--eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear--and it is so to this very day.'

Now, if their fall is the wealth of the world, and their loss the wealth of the Gentiles, how much greater will be the glory when they are made full?

Yes, I now am speaking to you who are a part of the heathen peoples. As I am an apostle to the heathen peoples, I am making the most of my ministry to them, to see

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

if then, some of the branches are broken off, and thou like a wild olive, were grafted in their place to partake of the root and sap of the olivestock;

Do not be uplifted in pride over the branches: because it is not you who are the support of the root, but it is by the root that you are supported.

Thou wilt say then, "The branches are broken off, that I might be graft in."

Very well, but it was for lack of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you now stand where you are. Stop your haughty thinking, rather continue to be reverent,

for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.

See then that God is good but his rules are fixed: to those who were put away he was hard, but to you he has been good, on the condition that you keep in his mercy; if not, you will be cut off as they were.

for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who are according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree?

For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.

As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

for the gracious gifts and call of God are never taken back.

Once you disobeyed God, and now you enjoy his mercy thanks to their disobedience; in the same way they at present are disobedient,

so they too are now disobedient because of the mercy shown you, that they too may now have mercy shown them.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

[Note: The following are rhetorical questions raised from their reading of the Old Testament]. For who has known [what goes on in] the Lord's mind? Or, who has been His advisor?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.

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

so we, though many, are united in one body through union with Christ, and we are individually parts of one another.

Give blessing and not curses to those who are cruel to you.

Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Cry with those who are crying.

Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.

Stop returning evil for evil to anyone. Always see to it that your affairs are right in the sight of everybody.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

For which reason everyone who puts himself against the authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it will get punishment for themselves.

For civil authorities are not a terror to the man who does right, but they are to the man who does wrong. Do you want to have no dread of the civil authorities? Then practice doing right and you will be commended for it.

For the civil authorities are God's servants to do you good. But if you practice doing wrong, you should dread them, for they do not wield the sword for nothing. Indeed, they are God's servants to inflict punishment upon people who do wrong.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Pay everyone whatever you owe them taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.

For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not have an evil desire," and any other commandment if there is any, are summed up in this command, "You must love your neighbor as you do yourself."

Carry out these injunctions because you know the crisis that we are in, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

Let us live becomingly for people who are in the light of day, not in carousing and drunkenness, nor in sexual immorality and licentiousness, nor in quarreling and jealousy.