This is why God has given them up to degrading passions. For their females have exchanged their natural function for one that is unnatural,

But, as you say, if the truthfulness of God has redounded to His glory because of my falsehood, why am I still condemned as a sinner?

Why should we not say, as people abusively say of us, and charge us with actually saying, "Let us do evil that good may come from it"? Their condemnation is just.

So you will ask me, "Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?"

On the contrary, friend, who are you anyway that you would answer back to God? Can the clay that is molded ask the man who molds it, "Why did you make me like this?"

Why? Because they did not try through faith but through what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble,

I say then, God has not disowned His people, has He? Of course not! Why, I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

for this is the reason why you pay your taxes, for the civil authorities are God's official servants faithfully devoting themselves to this very end.

Then why should you criticize your brother? Or, why should you look down on your brother? Surely, we shall all stand before God to be judged,

This is the reason why I have so often been prevented from coming to see you.