And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

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.

No, in all these things we are more than victorious
through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that not even death or life,
angels or rulers,
things present or things to come, hostile powers,

height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart.

For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood.

That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.

And not only that, but also Rebekah received a promise when she became pregnant by one man, our ancestor Isaac.

For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand—

For the Scripture tells Pharaoh:

I raised you up for this reason
so that I may display My power in you
and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

And what if He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory—

What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

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

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

But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down

or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim:

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said:

I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding.

as it is written:

God gave them a spirit of insensitivity,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day.

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.

Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy.

For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.

For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.

Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God.

Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.

(I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.)

For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.

It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.

But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction, and everything that is not from a conviction is sin.

For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.

so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.

For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers,

and so that Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written:

Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles,
and I will sing psalms to Your name.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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.

to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of God’s good news. My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,

That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.

I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that the gift I am bringing to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

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

Greet also the church that meets in their home.
Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

that by Him you were enriched in everything—in all speech and all knowledge.

so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.

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

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

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

I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t know if I baptized anyone else.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize—not with clever words, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something,

so that no one can boast in His presence.

in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.

so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

For

who has known the Lord’s mind,
that he may instruct Him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it.

For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.

Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

No one should deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he can become wise.

and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are meaningless.

In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.

It is of little importance to me that I should be evaluated by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even evaluate myself.

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another.

For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?

You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you!

It is widely reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is living with his father’s wife.

And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief so that he who has committed this act might be removed from your congregation.

turn that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough?

Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch. You are indeed unleavened, for Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases?

Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters?

I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his brothers?

Instead, believer goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers!

Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather be cheated?

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality,

Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not!

Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.

Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift from God, one person in this way and another in that way.

But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.

and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.

But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.