You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?

But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?

And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.

What then can we say that Abraham, our physical ancestor, has found?

For what does the Scripture say?

Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him for righteousness.

Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?

What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?”

But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”

As He also says in Hosea:

I will call Not My People, My People,
and she who is Unloved, Beloved.

What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down

On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim:

Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame,

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

And Isaiah says boldly:

I was found
by those who were not looking for Me;
I revealed Myself
to those who were not asking for Me.

But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people.

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?

And David says:

Let their feasting become a snare and a trap,
a pitfall and a retribution to them.

Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.

For it is written:

As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to Me,
and every tongue will give praise to God.

For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers,

Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people!

And again, Isaiah says:

The root of Jesse will appear,
the One who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in Him.

For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed,