asking if I may at last be sped upon my way to you by God's will.

'We know the doom of God falls justly upon those who practise such vices.'

Their throat is an open grave, they are treacherous with their tongues, the venom of an asp lies under their lips.

That is why all turns upon faith; it is to make the promise a matter of favour, to make it secure for all the offspring, not simply for those who are adherents of the Law but also for those who share the faith of Abraham ??of Abraham who is the father of us all

but the gift is very different from the trespass. For while the rest of men died by the trespass of one man, the grace of God and the free gift which comes by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed far more richly upon the rest of men.

and though the children were still unborn and had done nothing either good or bad (to confirm the divine purpose in election which depends upon the call of God, not on anything man does),

For if you have been cut from an olive which is naturally wild, and grafted, contrary to nature, upon a garden olive, how much more will the natural branches be grafted into their proper olive?

For God never goes back upon his gifts and call.

For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.

the magistrate is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do wrong, you may well be alarmed; a magistrate does not wield the power of the sword for nothing, he is God's servant for the infliction of divine vengeance upon evil-doers.

for the same reason as you pay taxes ??since magistrates are God's officers, bent upon the maintenance of order and authority.

let us live decorously as in the open light of day ??no revelry or bouts of drinking, no debauchery or sensuality, no quarrelling or jealousy.

The eater must not look down upon the non-eater, and the non-eater must not criticize the eater, for God has welcomed him.

So why do you criticize your brother? And you, why do you look down upon your brother? All of us have to stand before the tribunal of God ??11 for it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, every tongue shall offer praise to God.

Christ certainly did not please himself, but, as it is written, The reproaches of those who denounced Thee have fallen upon me. ??4 All such words were written of old for our instruction, that by remaining stedfast and drawing encouragement from the scriptures we may cherish hope.