Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?

As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations." This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.

For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

But God commends 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, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.

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

Or don't you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

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

But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered.

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

Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit to death.

But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?

Even as it is written, "For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my relatives according to the flesh,

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

Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn't obtain, but the chosen ones 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 root and of the richness of the olive tree;

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

True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don't be conceited, but fear;

For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.