being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

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.

So then, just as [God's] judgment came, condemning all people [to physical death] because of one sin [i.e., Adam's]; even so the free gift of being made right with God and [resulting in] life may be received by all people because of one man's [i.e., Christ's] act of righteousness. [Note: This "life" may refer to spiritual life now, or to being made alive in the resurrection, which would reverse the curse of physical death caused by Adam's sin].

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

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

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

Therefore, my brothers, ye also became dead to the law through the body of Christ in order for ye to become to another, to him who was raised from the dead, so that we would bear fruit to God.

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead.

Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

You have received no slavish spirit that would make you relapse into fear; you have received the Spirit of sonship. And when we cry, "Abba! Father!",

mankind impatiently desire that the divine being would display himself to his creatures,

that the created world itself would be freed from its slavery to corrupting influences [i.e., produced by the fall] and receive the glorious freedom which belongs to God's children.

And likewise also the Spirit helps our weaknesses, for we know not what we would pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?

Who [i.e., what] can separate us from Christ's love [for us]? [i.e., what unfortunate circumstance of life might suggest that Christ does not love us?] Would [it be] trouble? Or distress? Or persecution? Or inadequate food? Or inadequate clothing? Or danger? Or [even] death?

For I would pray, that I myself might be an offering from Christ; in behalf of my brethren, my kindred according to the flesh:

for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,

that 'the elder would be a servant to the younger.'

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?"

And just as Isaiah predicted:

If the Lord of Hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have become like Sodom,
and we would have been made like Gomorrah.

while Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law that would bring right standing, did not attain to it.

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God about the Jews is that they would be saved.

For they were ignorant of God's way of right standing and were trying to set up one of their own, and so would not surrender to God's way of right standing.

For Moses wrote [Lev. 18:5] about a person being made right with God by obeying the requirements of the law of Moses, that he would gain [never ending] life for doing this.

and if it be by favour, it is not upon the account of merit. for then mercy would not be mercy.

as it has been written [Isa. 19:10], "God gave them a spirit of numbness [i.e., they developed a spiritual insensitivity to God and His word]. [He gave them] eyes to see with [but they would not look], and ears to hear with [but they did not listen]. And they still have this spirit."

I say then, did they stumble so that they would fall? May it not happen! But in their transgression, salvation is to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.

For if their rejection [by God] meant that [the rest of] the world could be restored to favor [with God], what would [God's] receiving the Jews back into fellowship be, except like dead people coming back to life?

For if God spared not the natural branches, neither would He spare thee.

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

for God hath manifested to all the disobedient, that he would have mercy upon all.

Now through the unmerited favor God has shown me I would say to every one of you not to estimate himself above his real value, but to make a sober rating of himself, in accordance with the degree of faith which God has apportioned to him.

For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise;

I would ask the one man 'Why do you judge your Brother?' And I would ask the other 'Why do you despise your Brother?' For we shall all stand before the Bar of God.

Yet I have written to you more boldly in part, my brethren, as if I would put you in remembrance, on account of the grace which is given to me by God,

For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed,

And thus having aspired to proclaim the good-news not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build upon a foundation belonging to another man,

but [instead I would act on this goal] as it is written [in Scripture],

“They who had no news of Him shall see,
And they who have not heard [of Him] shall understand.”

For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye would all say alike, and that there may be no schisms among you, but that ye be perfectly united in the same mind and in the same judgement.

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

For Christ sent me not to immerse, but to preach the good-news, not in wisdom of speech lest the cross of Christ would be emptied.

so that, as the Scripture says, "Let him who would boast, boast of the Lord!"

For I had determined that, while with you, I would know nothing but Jesus Christ-and him crucified!

in order that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Yet there is a wisdom that we impart when we are with people who have a mature faith, but it is not what this world calls wisdom, nor what the authorities of this world, doomed as they are to pass away, would call so.

Of which not one of the rulers of this world had knowledge: for if they had, they would not have put the Lord of glory on the cross:

And I could not speak to you, brothers, as I would to spiritual people, but [I have to speak to you] as I would to worldly people, for you are immature children in [the fellowship of] Christ.

God will destroy anyone who would destroy God's temple, for God's temple is sacred ??and that is what you are.

For even now you are full, even now you have wealth, you have been made kings without us: truly, I would be glad if you were kings, so that we might be kings with you.

For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

Which would you chuse, that I should come to you arm'd with resentment? or, in a mild and benevolent temper?

And you are inflated with pride, and should you not rather have mourned, so that the one who has done this deed would be removed from your midst?

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people??10 not that you are to have nothing whatever to do with the immoral people of the world, any more than with its greedy and grasping people or idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world altogether.

I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

I say this to move you to shame. Is not there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?

With reference to the subjects about which you wrote to me: It would be well for a man to remain single.

But I say this by way of advice, not by way of precept. For I would that all men were even as myself:

For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

To unmarried people and to widows I would say this: It would be a fine thing for them to remain single, as I am.

To the rest of the people I myself would say -- though the Lord Himself has said nothing about it -- if a Christian has a wife that is not a believer and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her;

For the husband who has not faith is made holy through his Christian wife, and the wife who is not a Christian is made holy through the brother: if not, your children would be unholy, but now are they holy.

Well, what I think is this: that, considering the imminent distress in these days, it would be an excellent plan for you to remain just as you are.

not that it is a sin for you to marry; nor is it so if a virgin marry; but they that do, will be troubled for their relations, and that I would prevent.

and they that possess this world, as those that can't make an ill use of it. for the scene of this world is continually shifting. I would have you free from anxiety.

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

I speak this for your own profit; not that I would entangle you, but that you may decorously and devotedly wait upon the Lord, without distraction.

if any man thinks it would be a reflexion upon his manhood to be a stale batchelor, and so ought to marry; let him follow his bent, he is at liberty, let such marry.

For if any one should see you, the possessor of "knowledge," reclining at table in an idol's temple, would not his conscience, if he were weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

This is my defense to those who would examine me:

If other people have the right to receive a share of what you have, should we not have even more [right to it]? Yet we did not make use of this right, but instead we put up with whatever we had to so we would not become a hindrance to [the spread of] the good news [about Christ].

But I have not made use of any of these things: and I am not writing this in the hope that it may be so for me: for it would be better for me to undergo death, than for any man to make this pride of mine of no effect.

[But] I do not have anything to boast about if I preach the good news because I am compelled to do it. For it would be too bad for me if I did not preach the good news.

For if I preached because [I personally decided] I wanted to, I could claim a reward. But if I did not preach from a personal decision to do so, then it would be because I was entrusted with the task [by God].

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

I am speaking to you as [I would] to sensible people, [so] judge for yourselves what I am saying.

But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

And I would not have you partakers with demons. Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.

What! would we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Eat whatever is sold in the [public] meat markets, without asking any questions [about it] for [your] conscience' sake [i.e., do not inquire about the previous use of the food you buy, because you might discover something about it that would make you feel guilty of wrongdoing if you ate it].

that is, for the sake of the other person's conscience, not your own. For why should my freedom [to eat what I want] be judged [as wrong] by another person's conscience? [Note: The questions in this and the following verse may mean, "it is not worth eating questionable things, if doing so would bring criticism from a weak brother"].

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

For if the woman be not veiled, let her hair be clipped: but if it would be scandalous for a woman to appear clipped or shaved, let her be veiled.

For it is to be expected [i.e., it is inevitable] that there would be dissensions among you, so that those who are approved [by God] can become known among you.

But if we were true judges of ourselves, punishment would not come on us.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

You know that when you were heathen you would stray off, as impulse directed, to idols that could not speak.

For this reason I would have you understand that no one speaking under the influence of The Spirit of God ever says, "Jesus is accursed," and that no one is able to say, "Jesus is Lord," except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.