[During this time], while Annas and Caiaphas [Note: This man was Annas' son-in-law. See John 18:13] were head priests, God's message came to John [the Immerser], son of Zacharias, [when he was] in the desert [of Judea].

They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,

made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem those under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

who are Israelites; whom God adopted as sons, whose was the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of the sanctuary, and the promises;

Surely it is written in the Law that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-woman and one by the free-woman;

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

For the law of Moses appoints [morally] weak men to be head priests, but the message of [God's] oath, which came after that law [Note: The quotation from Psa. 110:4 (See verse 21) was written after the law of Moses was given] appointed the Son, who was made perfect [in every way] forever.

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

For as many as have sinned without the law shall perish without the law, and as many as have sinned with the law shall be judged by the law,??13 for not the hearers of the law are righteous with God, but the doers of the law shall be justified;

to men who have no written law, like one without any law, though I am not without God's law but specially under Christ's law, to win the men who have no written law.

Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. The one who speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge [of the law].

This is because no human being can be considered right with God by [obeying] the requirements of a law. [Note: It is difficult to determine the exact sense in which "law" is used in these verses. It may be law generally, or the law of Moses specifically. See Bruce, pages 52-58]. For the knowledge of what sin is comes from the law of Moses.

Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing down, and asking something of him.

neither can they die any more; for they are equal to the angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

And the lord commended the unjust steward for having done wisely; for the sons of this world are wiser toward their generation than the sons of light.

the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom; the tares are the sons of the Wicked One;

He said: Yes. And when he had come into the house, before he had spoken, Jesus said to him: What think you, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect tax or tribute? From their own sons, or from the sons of others?

Peter said to him: From the sons of others. Jesus said to him: Then are their own sons free.

Indeed, when heathen people who have no law instinctively do what the law demands, although they have no law, they are a law to themselves,

To the Jews I have become like a Jew for the winning of Jews; to men under the law, like one under the law, though I am not under the law myself, to win the men under the law;

For when the Gentiles, who have not a law, do, by nature, the things of the law, these who have not a law, are a law to themselves,

but I discover within me a different Law at war with the Law of my understanding, and leading me captive to the Law which is everywhere at work in my body--the Law of sin.

For through the Law I died to the Law and its demands on me [because salvation is provided through the death and resurrection of Christ], so that I might [from now on] live to God.

Or, do you not know, brothers, (I am talking to people who know how law works) that the law has authority over a person only as long as he lives? [Note: It is not clear whether this refers to Roman law or the law of Moses].

The Jewish leaders answered Pilate, "We have a law, and according to that Law he must die because he made himself out to be the Son of God."

my coming will occasion discord between the son and his father, between the daughter and her mother, between the daughter in law and her mother in law:

But, just as it was then --- the son born in the ordinary way [i.e., Ishmael] persecuting the one born according to the Holy Spirit's [leading, i.e., Isaac] --- so it is now [i.e., Jews urging compliance with the requirements of the law of Moses persecuting those who refuse to return to dependance on that law for salvation. See 3:1-3].

know that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law: but by the faith of Jesus Christ - and therefore we have believed on Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the deeds of the law: because that no flesh shall be justified by the deeds of the law.

Is the law, then, against the promise of God? God forbid. Howbeit, if there had been a law given which could have given life: then no doubt righteousness should have come by the law.

My loved ones, I do not give you a new law, but an old law which you had from the first; this old law is the word which came to your ears.

And shall not the heathen man who is physically uncircumcised, and yet observes the law, condemn you who have the letter of the law and are physically circumcised, and yet break the law?

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Then what becomes of boasting? It is shut out. What sort of law forbids it? A law of works? No, but a law of faith.

For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].

For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law.

For all who depend on the Law [seeking justification and salvation by obedience to the Law and the observance of rituals] are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed (condemned to destruction) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, so as to practice them.”

Now the practice of circumcision [i.e., the Jewish rite of identity, signifying the responsibility to observe the law of Moses] is worthwhile, providing you obey [the rest of] the law of Moses. But if you disobey the law, you might as well have never been circumcised.

Now we [all] know that everything the law says applies to those who are under [obligation to obey] that law, [Note: Here "the law" appears to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures generally, since Psalms and Isaiah are quoted. See verses 10-18]. This is so that the mouth of every objector may be stopped [i.e., from making excuses for his sin], and thereby bring the entire world under God's judgment [i.e., both Jews and Gentiles].

But if you have none of that discipline which all sons undergo, you are illegitimate children, and not true sons.

for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.

Zebedee's sons James and his brother John (whom he named Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder),