For since the creation of the world his invisible nature, even his eternal power and deity, has been clearly seen, being understood by the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;

And since they did not see fit to retain the knowledge of God, God gave them over to a base mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Though they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

But by your hardness and your impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

Why not say as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

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

So also David describes the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

Is this blessedness only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all his descendantsnot only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all

In hope, he believed against hope, so that he became the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So shall your descendants be."

And he did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all men sinned.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man's trespass many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the gift following many trespasses brings justification.

For if, by the one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.)

So then, as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

So you also, consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

I am speaking in human terms, because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for holiness.

So then, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and though she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.

Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit to God.

But now, by dying to what once held us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But it was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, so that through the commandment sin might become sinful beyond measure.

So then, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me.

but I see in my members another law, at war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.

Thanks be to Godthrough Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so;

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

What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our father Isaac,

though the twins were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might stand, not because of works but because of his call,

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

So it depends not upon man's will or exertion, but upon God's mercy.

You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith;

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)

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

For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his mouth and so is saved.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

But what is God's reply to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, down to this very day."

Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."

So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? Certainly not! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.

If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole lump is holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only by faith. So do not be proud, but stand in awe.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.

For by the grace given to me I say to every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him.

so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

No, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."

For he is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is God's servant, an avenger to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.

For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's ministers, attending to this very thing.

He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another anymore, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in our brother's way.

So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised to show God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,

to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

And so I have made it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man's foundation,

but as it is written: "They shall see who have not been told of him, and those who have not heard shall understand."

I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through, and to be helped by you on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

so that by God's will I may come to you with joy, and together with you be refreshed.

For your obedience has become known to all, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you eagerly wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

For I have been informed by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you, my brethren.

so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.

so that no flesh may boast before God.

so that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

But we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and which God destined for our glory before the ages.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit which is in him? Even so no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.