How then can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!"

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; by a foolish nation I will make you angry."

But Isaiah is very bold and says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

But what is God's reply to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

Therefore consider the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

"For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"

"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"

if service, let us use it in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching;

he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Therefore he who resists the authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will have praise from him.

Pay all of them their dues: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

As for the man who is weak in faith, accept him, but not for disputes over opinions.

Let not him who eats despise him who does not, and let not him who does not eat pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will be made to stand, for the Master is able to make him stand.

He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not by your eating destroy the one for whom Christ died.

he who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself for what he approves.

But he who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

For even Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; and he who shall rise to rule over the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope."

but as it is written: "They shall see who have not been told of him, and those who have not heard shall understand."

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,

who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks;

greet also the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert of Asia for Christ.

Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.

Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those workers in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them.

Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

I urge you, brethren, to take note of those who cause divisions and difficulties, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; avoid them.

I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Gaius, who is my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, our brother.

Now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages