This Good News God promised long ago through his Prophets in the sacred Scriptures,

This is so, because what can be known about God is plain to them; for God himself has made it plain.

For God set him before the world, to be, by the shedding of his blood, a means of reconciliation through faith. And this God did to prove his righteousness, and because, in his forbearance, he had passed over the sins that men had previously committed;

Do we, then, use this faith to abolish Law? Heaven forbid! No, we establish Law.

Is this blessing, then, pronounced upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised as well? We say that-'Abraham's faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?

Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision-to attest the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man-in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;

As Scripture says-'I have made thee the Father of many nations.') And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.

And not only that, but we exult in God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have now obtained this reconciliation.

Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.

This being so, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me.

This, then, is the law that I find-When I want to do right, wrong presents itself!

Miserable man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body that is bringing me to this Death?

We know, indeed, that all Nature alike has been groaning in the pains of labor to this very hour.

And those whom God destined for this he also called; and those whom he called he also pronounced righteous; and those whom he pronounced righteous he also brought to Glory.

What are we to say, then, in the light of all this? If God is on our side, who can there be against us?

This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God's Children, but it is the children born in fulfillment of the Promise who are to be regarded as Abraham's descendants.

For these words are the words of a promise-'About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.'

In Scripture, again, it is said to Pharaoh-'It was for this very purpose that I raised thee to the throne, to show my power by my dealings with thee, and to make my name known throughout the world.'

I might rather ask 'Who are you who are arguing with God?' Does a thing which a man has molded say to him who has molded it 'Why did you make me like this?'

This, indeed, is what he says in the Book of Hosea-'I will call those my People who were not my People, and her my beloved who was not beloved.

What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.

The rest grew callous; as Scripture says--'God has given them a deadness of mind--eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear--and it is so to this very day.'

I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship.

Do not conform to the fashion of this world; but be transformed by the complete change that has come over your minds, so that you may discern what God's will is--all that is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Rather--'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink. By doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head.'

This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work.

This I say, because you know the crisis that we have reached, for the time has already come for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; our Salvation is nearer now than when we accepted the Faith.

The very purpose for which Christ died and came back to life was this--that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

Let us, then, cease to judge one another. Rather let this be your resolve--never to place a stumbling-block or an obstacle in a Brother's way.

He who serves the Christ in this way pleases God, and wins the approval of his fellow men.

As for yourself--keep this faith of yours to yourself, as in the presence of God. Happy is he who never has to condemn himself in regard to the very thing which he thinks right!

And may God, the giver of this patience and this encouragement, grant you to be united in sympathy in Christ,

May God, who inspires our hope, grant you perfect happiness and peace in your faith, till you are filled with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But in parts of this letter I have expressed myself somewhat boldly--by way of refreshing your memories--

Yes, they were glad to do so; and indeed it is a duty which they owe to them. For the Gentile converts who have shared their spiritual blessings are in duty bound to minister to them in the things of this world.

When I have settled this matter, and have secured to the poor at Jerusalem the enjoyment of these benefits, I shall go, by way of you, to Spain.

I Tertius, who am writing this letter, send you my Christian greeting.