But for this reason I sent for you, to see and have talk with you: for because of the hope of Israel I am in these chains.

But they said to him, "We neither received letters from Judaea concerning you, nor did any one of the brethren, coming, report or speak any evil concerning you.

But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

And some were persuaded of the things which were said, but some disbelieved.

They disagreed among themselves and they began to leave after Paul had made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, but will not understand,
You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

But Paul continued two entire years in his hired house, and received all who came to him,

but as regards the holiness of His Spirit was decisively proved by His Resurrection to be the Son of God--I mean concerning Jesus Christ our Lord,

but this is the consolation among you through faith in one another, both of you and me.

Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News; it is the power of God which brings Salvation to every one who believes in Christ, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.

For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

But God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the impiety and wickedness of those who hinder the Truth by their wickedness.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

They claimed to be wise, but became fools,

This then is the reason why God gave them up to vile passions. For not only did the women among them exchange the natural use of their bodies for one which is contrary to nature, but the men also,

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

But do you think this, O man who passes judgment on those who do such things, and who does the same [things], that you will escape the judgment of God?

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

to those who by persistence in doing good seek [unseen but certain heavenly] glory, honor, and immortality, [He will give the gift of] eternal life.

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

Will fall upon every human being who persists in wrong-doing- -upon the Jew first, but also upon the Greek.

But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

But whosoever hath sinned without law, shall perish without law. And as many as have sinned under the law, shall be judged by the law.

(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God,

since you teach other people [all of this], why do you not teach yourselves [these things]? You preach that a person should not steal, [but] do you steal?

You say that a person should not commit adultery [i.e., sexual unfaithfulness to their mate], [but] do you commit adultery? You [claim to] hate idols, [but] do you rob [their] temples? [Note: It is difficult to determine how the Jews were doing this. Perhaps they were guilty of the "spirit" of idolatry by devoting their efforts and affections to material things instead of to God].

You boast about having the law of Moses, [but] do you dishonor God by breaking that law?

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps [the spirit of] the Law will judge you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, break the Law.

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Much in every respect; but chiefly that the oracles of God were intrusted to them.

But what if some [of the Jews] were unfaithful? Does their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? Certainly not!

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

But it cannot be denied that all that the Law says is addressed to those who are living under the Law, in order that every mouth may be stopped, and that the whole world may await sentence from God.

For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

but the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ is unto all who believe: for there is no difference,

But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Nay, but by the law of faith. We conclude then, that a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law.

Seeing there is but one God, who will accept the circumcised as righteous by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.

Do we then make void law by faith? Far be the thought: no, but we establish law.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]

For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, then is faith but vain, and the promise of none effect.

for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Now not for his sake alone was it written that it was credited to him,

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, but for a good man some one perhaps would even dare to die;

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so came upon all men because all sinned,??13 for till the law there was sin in the world, but sin is not accounted where there is no law

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

but death reigned from Adam until Moses, even upon those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him to come.

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

For if grown together we have been in the likeness of his death, but also shall we be of the resurrection:

But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

but having been made free from sin, ye became servants unto righteousness.

I can but speak as men do because of the weakness of your earthly nature. Once you offered every part of your bodies to the service of impurity, and of wickedness, which leads to further wickedness. Now, in the same way, offer them to the service of Righteousness, which leads to holiness.

So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death!

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law [i.e., were released from its binding requirements] through the body of Christ [Note: This seems to refer to Christ's death on the cross, but some think it refers to becoming a part of the church], so that you could belong to someone else, [namely] to Christ, who was raised from the dead in order that we might live spiritually productive lives for God.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

But the law is holy, and its orders are holy, upright, and good.

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

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

But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.