Why, it is owing to you that the name of God is maligned among the Gentiles, as scripture says!

You say, "If my perfidy serves to make the truthfulness of God redound to his glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?

Why should we not do evil that good may come out of it?" (which is the calumny attributed to me ??the very thing some people declare I say). Such arguments are rightly condemned.

Whatever the Law says, we know, it says to those who are inside the Law, that every mouth may be shut and all the world made answerable to God;

But if so, what can we say about Abraham, our forefather by natural descent?

For what does scripture say? Abraham believed God and this was counted to him as righteousness.

when I say that I am in sore pain. I suffer endless anguish of heart.

God says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I choose to have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I choose to have compassion.

Why, scripture says to Pharaoh, It was for this that I raised you up, to display my power in you, and to spread news of my name over all the earth.

As indeed he says in Hosea, Those who were no people of mine, I will call 'my People,' and her 'beloved' who was not beloved;

But here is what faith-righteousness says: ??Say not in your heart, 'Who will go up to heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down).

No, what it does say is this: ??The word is close to you, in your very mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach).

No one who believes in him, the scripture says, will ever be disappointed. No one ??12 for there is no distinction of Jew and Greek, the same Lord is Lord of them all, with ample for all who invoke him.

But they have not all given in to the gospel of glad news? No, Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what they heard from us?

And then Isaiah dares to say, I have been found by those who never sought me, I have shown myself to those who never inquired of me.

He also says of Israel, All the day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.

God has not repudiated his People, his predestined People! Surely you know what scripture says in the passage called 'Elijah'? You know how he pleads with God against Israel:

And David says, Let their table prove a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution for them;

You will say, "But branches were broken off to let me be grafted in!"

Who are you to criticize the servant of Another? It is for his Master to say whether he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Master has power to make him stand.

or again, as Isaiah says, Then shall the Scion of Jessai live, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; on him shall the Gentiles set their hope.