And they have not known the path of peace.”

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified about by the law and the prophets--

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

Then what are we to say about our forefather Abraham?

If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to brag about—but not before God.

just as David also speaks about the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned -- to us believing on Him who did raise up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

Not only that, but we also continue to boast about God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now been reconciled.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses, and upon them not having sinned upon the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is the type of him about to be.

Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those [things] [is] death.

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.

Did that which is good, then, result in death to me? Of course not! It was sin that did it, so that it might show itself as sin, for by means of that good thing it brought about my death, so that through the command sin might appear surpassingly sinful.

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.

For, if according to flesh ye live, ye are about to die, whereas, if in spirit, the practices of the flesh, ye are putting to death, ye shall attain unto life;

For I reckon that unworthy are the sufferings of the present season to be compared with the glory about to be revealed towards us;

We know that in everything God works with those who love him, whom he has called in accordance with his purpose, to bring about what is good.

What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor beginnings, nor powers, nor things having stood, nor things about to be,

nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of god, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For this is a word of promise, "About this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son."

And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac--

For the Scripture says about Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, to demonstrate my power through you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

And Isaiah cries out about Israel, "Although the sons of Israel are as numberless as the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,

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

I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.

But what does it say? "God's message is close to you, on your very lips and in your heart"; that is, the message about faith which we preach.

But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

But about Israel he says, "The whole day [long] I held out my hands to a disobedient and resistant people."

God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew! Or do you not know, in [the passage about] Elijah, what the scripture says--how he appeals to God against Israel?

Therefore, you should not brag [about your superiority] over the [natural] branches [i.e., the rejected Jews]. But, if you must brag, it should not be over you [Gentiles] nourishing the roots [i.e., the Jews], but over the roots nourishing you.

True, but they [i.e., the Jews] were [really] broken off because they did not believe [in Christ], and you [Gentiles] remain [in God's favor] because you do believe [in Him]. So, do not become arrogant [about it], but be fearful.

For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.

Now in response to the [proclamation of the] good news [about Christ], the Jews became [God's] enemies for the sake of you [Gentiles]. But concerning [God's] select people, these Jews became [God's] dearly loved ones for the sake of their forefathers [i.e, who believed God's promises regarding their descendants].

For God does not change His mind about the gifts He gives and the people He calls [to Him].

Do not [try to] pay back a wrong done to you by doing something wrong to the other person. Think about how to live honorably in front of all people.

Now this [is another reason for observing the law of love]: You should know that it is about time to wake up out of your [spiritual] sleep, because [the day of our final] salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed [in Christ].

The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.

But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about gratifying your physical cravings.

Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues.

So then each of us will give account about himself to God.

Let it not be possible for men to say evil about your good:

keep the persuasion you have, to your own conscience. blessed is he that approves himself to God, without making any difference about meats:

But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.

My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.

Therefore, in the Messiah Jesus I have the right to boast about my work for God.

For I will not dare to speak about anything except [that] which Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

By signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have given all the good news of Christ;

but, as it is written, They will see to whom it was not reported about him, and they will understand who have not heard.

that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea; and that the charitable service which I am employed about, for the converts at Jerusalem, may be acceptable to them:

I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea. [Note: This was a seaport town about seven miles east of Corinth].

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil.

To Him who can make you strong in accordance with the good news I bring and in accordance with the message preached about Jesus Christ, in accordance with the uncovering of the secret which for ages past had not been told,

It is now being made known through the writings of the prophets, as commanded by the eternal God, to [people of] all the nations, in order to bring about their obedience to the faith

I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus;

In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you,

For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe’s household, that there is rivalry among you.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For since, according to God's [true] wisdom, the world did not know about Him through its wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe [in Christ] through the "foolishness" of the message preached.

but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

So, as it is written [Jer. 9:23f], "The person who [wants to] boast, let him boast about the Lord."

And when I came to you, brothers, it was not with eloquent words or [superior] wisdom that I proclaimed to you the testimony [or, mystery] about God.

For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Instead, we speak about God's wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began for our glory.

None of the rulers of this age knew about this [divine] wisdom, for if they had [known it], they would not have crucified the glorious Lord [i.e., Jesus].

For God unveiled them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit by searching discovers everything, even the deepest truths about God.

We don't speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.

But the spiritual person [i.e., one who has the Holy Spirit] is able to discern all things [i.e., has the ability to make right judgments about things], and he himself [i.e., his conduct] cannot be [critically] discerned by any [unbelieving] man.

for ye are yet carnal. For where there are envy and strife among you, are you not carnal, and walking about according to man?

Let no one deceive himself about this; whoever of you imagines he is wise with this world's wisdom must become a 'fool,' if he is really to be wise.

So, no one should boast about [the knowledge or position of] people. For all things belong to you,

whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things about to be -- all are yours,

One should think about us this way -- as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

I for my part care very little about being examined by you or by any human court. I do not even offer myself for investigation.

Brothers, I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what the Scriptures say. Then you will stop boasting about one person at the expense of another.

unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about,

When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

For although you have ten thousand guardians [Note: This word means someone who transported a child to his teacher] in [the fellowship of] Christ, you do not have many [spiritual] fathers. For I [spiritually] conceived you people through [preaching to you] the good news [about Christ]. [Note: Paul here refers to his work in establishing the church at Corinth].

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you seem to think that I am not coming to visit you, and are putting on airs about it.

And you are arrogant [about it] instead [of being ashamed]. Should you not be grieved to the point of removing from your fellowship the person who has done this [terrible] deed?

For I myself, being present in spirit though not in body, have come to a decision about him who has done this thing;

Your ground for boasting about such a case is not good. Are you not aware that a little yeast will change the whole lump of dough?

Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?

Therefore if ye have controversies about the things of this life, do ye set them to judge, who are despised by the church?

I speak shame about you. So there is not among you not even one wise man who will be able to arbitrate between his brother?

Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

Now in response to the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman.”

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;

were you called being a slave? be not perplex'd about it; but if you can obtain your freedom, don't refuse it.

Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.

I want you to be without concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.