For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God himself has made it plain to them.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been understood and observed by what he made, so that people are without excuse.

For he will repay everyone according to what that person has done:

For whenever gentiles, who do not possess the Law, do instinctively what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Law.

They show that what the Law requires is written in their hearts, a fact to which their own consciences testify, and their thoughts will either accuse or excuse them

and know his will, and approve of what is best because you have been instructed in the Law;

What advantage, then, does the Jew have, or what value is there in circumcision?

What if some of the Jews were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God's faithfulness, can it?

But if our unrighteousness serves to confirm God's righteousness, what can we say? God is not unrighteous when he vents his wrath on us, is he? (I am talking in human terms.)

What, then, does this mean? Are we Jews any better off? Not at all! For we have already accused everyone, both Jews and Greeks, of being under the power of sin.

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor?

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or uncircumcised? He had not yet been circumcised, but was uncircumcised.

being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised.

Nor can the free gift be compared to what came through the man who sinned. For the sentence that followed one man's offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift brought justification, even after many offenses.

What should we say, then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

What, then, does this mean? Should we go on sinning because we are not under Law but under grace? Of course not!

What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death.

But now we have been released from the Law by dying to what enslaved us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit, not under the old writings.

What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn't have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn't have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."

I don't understand what I am doing. For I don't practice what I want to do, but instead do what I hate.

Now if I practice what I don't want to do, I am admitting that the Law is good.

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but I cannot carry it out.

But if I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me.

So I find this to be a principle: when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is infected by death?

For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the form of humanity, he condemned sin by being incarnate,

For we were saved with this hope in mind. Now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen?

But if we hope for what we do not yet observe, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

What, then, can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not!

A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn't he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay.

What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.

But what does it say? "The message is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart." This is the message about faith that we are proclaiming:

God has not rejected his people whom he chose long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel?

But what was the divine reply to him? "I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal."

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead?

After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.

Your love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people.

so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom the Messiah died by what you eat.

Do not allow what seems good to you to be spoken of as evil.

Do not destroy God's action for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make another person stumble because of what you eat.

As for the faith you do have, have it as your own conviction before God. How blessed is the person who has no reason to condemn himself because of what he approves!

For I am bold enough to tell you only about what the Messiah has accomplished through me in bringing gentiles to obedience. By my words and actions,

For your obedience has become known to everyone, and I am full of joy for you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.