They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

There we found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome.

After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.

Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.

Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,

As He says also in Hosea,
“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’
And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

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

What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

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

Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,

Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

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

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.

For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.

Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.

You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;

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

and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.”

Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

If they were all one member, where would the body be?

Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints),

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ;

The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.

For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;

And they were glorifying God because of me.

It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me.

and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;

having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.