I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.

But if we hope for that which we don't see, we wait for it with patience.

He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit's mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Who could bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who justifies.

Neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children. But, "In Isaac will your seed be called."

Not only so, but Rebecca also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!

So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.

So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

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

Isaiah cries concerning Israel, "If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn't follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;

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

For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't 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:

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But I say, didn't they hear? Yes, most certainly, "Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

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

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always."

If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

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

See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

For I don't desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won't be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,

and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, "There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

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

Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord."

Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head."

For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God's service, attending continually on this very thing.

The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let's therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let's put on the armor of light.

Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.

For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's.

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

Therefore let's not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother's way, or an occasion for falling.

So then, let us follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up.

Don't overthrow God's work for food's sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating.

Now I say that Christ has been made a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers,

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God's Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ;

yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another's foundation.

But, as it is written, "They will see, to whom no news of him came. They who haven't heard will understand."

whenever I journey to Spain, I will come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.

But now, I say, I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints.

so that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;

For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.

so that no one should say that I had baptized you into my own name.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News -- not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn't be made void.

For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;

But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,

But as it is written, "Things which an eye didn't see, and an ear didn't hear, which didn't enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him."

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

Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

Now the natural man doesn't receive the things of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can't know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

"For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?" But we have Christ's mind.

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's farming, God's building.

each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is.

If any man's work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.

If any man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

Don't you know that you are a temple of God, and that God's Spirit lives in you?

If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, which you are.

and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

So let a man think of us as Christ's servants, and stewards of God's mysteries.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment. Yes, I don't judge my own self.

We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father's wife.

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

for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.

But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

But if they don't have self-control, let them marry. For it's better to marry than to burn.

But to the rest I -- not the Lord -- say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's bondservant.

But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.

But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn't sin. Let them marry.

So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn't give her in marriage does better.

But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.

For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol's temple, won't his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn't eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn't drink from the flock's milk?

Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn't the law also say the same thing?

or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.

Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

But I have used none of these things, and I don't write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.

But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have fellowship with demons.

Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor's good.