Determined the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the rising up of the dead of Jesus Christ our Lord:

Brothers, I would like you to understand that I have often purposed to come to you (though up till now I have been prevented) so as to have some results among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

And in the same way the men gave up the natural use of the woman and were burning in their desire for one another, men doing shame with men, and getting in their bodies the right reward of their evil-doing.

And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

slanderers, hateful toward God, arrogant, proud and boastful. They think up evil things to do; they disobey their parents;

Therefore you have nothing to say in your own defense, whoever you are who set yourself up as a judge. In judging others you condemn yourself, for you who set yourself up as a judge do the very same things.

Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart?

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

It is not those that merely hear the Law read who are righteous in the sight of God, but it is those that obey the Law who will be pronounced righteous.

For when Gentiles who have no Law obey by natural instinct the commands of the Law, they, without having a Law, are a Law to themselves;

Circumcision does indeed profit, if you obey the Law; but if you are a Law-breaker, the fact that you have been circumcised counts for nothing.

So, will not those physically uncircumcised people [i.e., the Gentiles], who obey the law, condemn you [Jews] for breaking the law, even though you have the written code and [practice] circumcision?

Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: "so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged."

Now we [all] know that everything the law says applies to those who are under [obligation to obey] that law, [Note: Here "the law" appears to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures generally, since Psalms and Isaiah are quoted. See verses 10-18]. This is so that the mouth of every objector may be stopped [i.e., from making excuses for his sin], and thereby bring the entire world under God's judgment [i.e., both Jews and Gentiles].

“Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried.

For the law brings [God's] wrath [i.e., because of man's failure to obey it perfectly], but where there is no law, there is no [responsibility for] sin.

Still, he did not give up faith in the undertaking of God, but was made strong by faith, giving glory to God,

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

knowing that Christ having been raised up from among the dead dies no more: death has dominion over him no more.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

nor yield up your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but yield up yourselves to God, as being alive from the dead, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

and thanks to God, that ye were servants of the sin, and -- were obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which ye were delivered up;

I use these familiar human terms because of the limitations of your nature. For just as you before gave up the parts of your bodies in slavery to vice and greater and greater license, you must now give them up in slavery to uprightness, which leads to consecration.

So that, my brethren, ye also have been made dead to the law by the body of the Christ, to be to another, who has been raised up from among the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

When we were living in the flesh [trapped by sin], the sinful passions, which were awakened by [that which] the Law [identifies as sin], were at work in our body to bear fruit for death [since the willingness to sin led to death and separation from God].

Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead.

And, I, was alive, apart from law, at one time, but, the commandment coming, sin sprang up to life,

Did that which is good [the Law], then become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, in order that it might be revealed as sin, was producing death in me by [using] this good thing [as a weapon], so that through the commandment sin would become exceedingly sinful.

For what the law was not able to do [for mankind], since it was [too] weak [to deliver them from condemnation] because fleshly people [were unable to obey it perfectly], God condemned sin in the flesh [i.e., sin was declared evil and its power over man broken]. God did this by sending His own Son in a body like sinful man's, and to destroy sin,

That the justification of the law be filled up in us, not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death; but for it to be given up to spiritual things means Life and peace.

This is because the one whose mind is [controlled] by the flesh is an enemy of God; for he is not obedient to God's law, and in fact, cannot obey it.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]—

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

For nature did not of its own accord give up to failure; it was for the sake of Him who let it thus be given up, in the hope

For we know that all the rest of creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.

Not only that but this too, we ourselves who enjoy the Spirit as a foretaste of the future, even we ourselves, keep up our inner groanings while we wait to enter upon our adoption as God's sons at the redemption of our bodies.

In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words.

And we know that to them loving God, all things work together for good, to them being called according to the setting up.

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

who is he that condemns? It is Christ who has died, but rather has been also raised up; who is also at the right hand of God; who also intercedes for us.

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

What if God, desiring to let his wrath and his power be seen, for a long time put up with the vessels of wrath which were ready for destruction:

while Israel, straining after a law that should bring uprightness, did not come up to it.

Why? Because they were not searching for it by faith, but by works. They came up against the stone which was in the way;

Even as it is written [Ex. 28:16], "Look, I am placing a stone in the city of Zion that people will stumble over and a rock on which they will trip and fall. But the person who believes in Him will not be put to shame [i.e., he will never have unforgiven sin brought up against him]."

For not knowing about God’s righteousness [which is based on faith], and seeking to establish their own [righteousness based on works], they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].

and the righteousness of faith doth thus speak: 'Thou mayest not say in thine heart, Who shall go up to the heaven,' that is, Christ to bring down?

Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

bring up Christ from the dead)" but what saith it? "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart." This is the word of faith which we preach: that if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,

For if thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and shalt believe with thine heart that God raised him up from death, thou shalt be safe.

For the Scripture says [Isa. 28:16], "Whoever believes in Him [i.e., Christ] will not be put to shame." [i.e., he will never have unforgiven sin brought up against him]

But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?

but all do not obey the gospel. for Esaias saith, "Lord, who hath believed our report?"

But I ask [again], "Did not the Israelites understand [the message]?" In the first place, Moses said [Deut. 32:21], "I [i.e., God] will stir up you [Jews] to become jealous, by [favoring] a nation [i.e., the Gentiles] that is unworthy [of your approval]. [I will do it] by using a nation of fools to make you people angry."

as it is written, "God hath given them up to a state of insensibility, so that their eyes could not see, and their ears could not hear."

in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous [by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth] and perhaps save some of them.

Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;

Do not be puffed up with pride. Tremble rather--for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.

For I will not ye should not know, brethren, this mystery, lest ye be wise with yourselves; for hardness from part has been to Israel, till the filling up of the nations come in.

as you in times past did not obey God, yet have now obtained mercy upon the occasion of their disobedience:

For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men.

Do not take revenge on someone who has wronged you, but leave it up to God's wrath [to take care of it], for it is written [Deut. 22:35], "The Lord says, I will pay people back [for doing wrong] because taking revenge belongs to me."

But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him [something] to drink; for [by] doing this, you will heap up coals of fire upon his head."

Let every soul be subject to the authorities that are above him. For there is no authority except from God; and those that exist are set up by God.

Therefore whoever resists [governmental] authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who have resisted it will bring judgment (civil penalty) on themselves.

We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ].

Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires.

Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

As long as we have life we are living to the Lord; or if we give up our life it is to the Lord; so if we are living, or if our life comes to an end, we are the Lord's.

Therefore let us no longer judge one another; but, instead of that, you should come to this judgement--that we must not put a stumbling-block in our brother's path, nor anything to trip him up.

So then let us pursue the things which tend to peace, and things whereby one shall build up another.

The faith which you have [that gives you freedom of choice], have as your own conviction before God [just keep it between yourself and God, seeking His will]. Happy is he who has no reason to condemn himself for what he approves.

Now those of us who are strong [spiritually] should put up with [or, help] the failings of [spiritually] weak people, and not [simply] do what pleases ourselves.

Let each one of us [make it a practice to] please his neighbor for his good, to build him up spiritually.

And again Isaiah says, "There shall be the Root of Jesse and One who rises up to rule the Gentiles. On Him shall the Gentiles build their hopes."

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

For [the Christians in] Macedonia and Achaia [Note: These were provinces in Greece] thought it was a good idea to take up an offering for the poor saints at Jerusalem.

that I may be delivered from those that obey not in Judea, and that my service which is for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

Brothers, I beg of you to keep your eye on those who stir up dissensions and put hindrances in your way, contrary to the doctrine which you have been taught. Avoid them.

but now is opened at this time and declared opened by the scriptures of prophecy, at the commandment of the everlasting God, to stir up obedience to the faith published among all nations:

[i.e., so they will believe and obey the truth]. May it be so.