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

For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.

Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?

What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.)

What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith!

What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?

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

He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.

What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not!

So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.

But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

For I don't understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want -- instead, I do what I hate.

But if I do what I don't want, I agree that the law is good.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.

For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance.

What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

For this is what the promise declared: "About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son."

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

But who indeed are you -- a mere human being -- to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, "Why have you made me like this?"

But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction?

And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory --

What shall we say then? -- that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,

But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we preach),

Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.

God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

But what was the divine response to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal."

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The rest were hardened,

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?

Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God -- what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.

Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

For if your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy by your food someone for whom Christ died.

Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil.

So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. For although all things are clean, it is wrong to cause anyone to stumble by what you eat.

The faith you have, keep to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not judge himself by what he approves.

For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,

Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.