Therefore, you have no excuse every one of you who judges. For when you pass judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, practice the very same things.

So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on those who practice these things and then do them yourself, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

But because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart you are reserving wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

on that day when God, through Jesus the Messiah, will judge people's secrets according to my gospel.

Of course not! God is true, even if everyone else is a liar. As it is written, "You are right when you speak, and win your case when you go into court."

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.)

As it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations." Abraham acted in faith when he stood in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't yet exist.

His faith did not weaken when he thought about his own body (which was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old) or about Sarah's inability to have children,

Certainly sin was in the world before the Law was given, but no record of sin is kept when there is no Law.

Nevertheless, death ruled from the time of Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. He is a foreshadowing of the one who would come.

For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God.

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

For when you were slaves of sin, you were "free" as far as righteousness was concerned.

At one time I was alive without any connection to the Law. But when the rule was revealed, sin sprang to life,

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

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?

This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

This is necessary because you know the times it's already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers.

Now that I am on my way to Spain, I hope to see you when I come your way and, after I have enjoyed your company for a while, to be sent on by you.

So when I have completed this task and have put my seal on this contribution of theirs, I will visit you on my way to Spain.

And I know that when I come to you I will come with the full blessing of the Messiah.