You, too, are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus the Messiah.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been understood and observed by what he made, so that people are without excuse.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips,

Or are you unaware of his rich kindness, forbearance, and patience, that it is God's kindness that is leading you to repent?

But because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart you are reserving wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

For it is not merely those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight. No, it is those who follow the Law, who will be justified.

For whenever gentiles, who do not possess the Law, do instinctively what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Law.

and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness,

There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God.

Of course not! God is true, even if everyone else is a liar. As it is written, "You are right when you speak, and win your case when you go into court."

What, then, does this mean? Are we Jews any better off? Not at all! For we have already accused everyone, both Jews and Greeks, of being under the power of sin.

Their throats are open graves. With their tongues they deceive. The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips.

Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

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

By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiah Jesus,

What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor?

Now to someone who works, wages are not considered a gift but an obligation.

"How blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered!

He is also the ancestor of the circumcised those who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

For if those who were given the Law are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless,

For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace.

What, then, does this mean? Should we go on sinning because we are not under Law but under grace? Of course not!

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.

Indeed, those who are under the control of human nature cannot please God.

You, however, are not under the control of the human nature but under the control of the Spirit, since God's Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, he does not belong to him.

But if the Messiah is in you, your bodies are dead due to sin, but the spirit is alive due to righteousness.

Consequently, brothers, we are not with respect to human nature, that is under an obligation to live according to human nature.

For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continuously put to death the activities of the body, you will live.

For all who are led by God's Spirit are God's children.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Now if we are children, we are heirs heirs of God and co-heirs with the Messiah if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.

And we know that for those who love God, that is, for those who are called according to his purpose, all things are working together for good.

As it is written, "For your sake we are being put to death all day long. We are thought of as sheep headed for slaughter."

In all these things we are triumphantly victorious due to the one who loved us.

who are Israelis. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises.

and not all of Abraham's descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you."

On the contrary, who are you mere man that you are to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, "Why did you make me like this?"

Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can't he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction?

As the Scripture says in Hosea, "Those who are not my people I will call my people, and the one who was not loved I will call my loved one.

In the very place where it was told them, "You are not my people,' they will be called children of the living God."

Isaiah also calls out concerning Israel, "Although the descendants of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will be saved.

For they are ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God while they try to establish their own, and they have not submitted to God's means to attain righteousness.

But what does it say? "The message is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart." This is the message about faith that we are proclaiming:

And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are those who bring the good news!"

Again I ask, "Did Israel not understand?" Moses was the first to say, "I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that doesn't understand."

"Lord, they have killed your prophets and demolished your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life."

If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

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.

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors.

O how deep are God's riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways!

For all things are from him, by him, and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen.

I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.

In the same way, even though we are many people, we are one body in the Messiah and individual parts connected to each other.

Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Cry with those who are crying.

Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.

For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval.

For they are God's servants, working for your good.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers are God's servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work.

Pay everyone whatever you owe them taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.

For the commandments, "You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not covet," and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: "You must love your neighbor as yourself."

Who are you to criticize someone else's servant? He stands or falls before his own Lord and stand he will, because the Lord makes him stand.

One person decides in favor of one day over another, while another person decides that all days are the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind:

For if your brother is being hurt by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not destroy the person for whom the Messiah died by what you eat.

Now we who are strong ought to be patient with the weaknesses of those who are not strong and must stop pleasing ourselves.

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are filled with goodness and full of all the knowledge you need to be able to instruct each other.

Yes, they were eager to do this, and in fact they are obligated to help them, for if the gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to be of service to them in material things.

and who risked their necks for my life. I am thankful to them, and so are all the churches among the gentiles.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who are in prison with me and are prominent among the apostles. They belonged to the Messiah before I did.

Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.

Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints who are with them.

because such people are not serving the Messiah our Lord, but their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.