for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, depravity. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,

But the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,

When we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

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

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,

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

While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

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

though the twins were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might stand, not because of works but because of his call,

As indeed he says in Hosea: "I will call them who were not my people 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'my beloved.'"

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

What then? Israel did not obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,

And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the rest to share the root of the olive tree,

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

That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only by faith. So do not be proud, but stand in awe.

For if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree!

Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,

They were pleased to do it, and indeed they are in debt to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.