in other words that while I am among you we may be mutually encouraged by one another's faith, yours and mine.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News. It is God's power which is at work for the salvation of every one who believes--the Jew first, and then the Gentile.

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,

in just the same way--neglecting that for which nature intends women--burned with passion towards one another, men practising shameful vice with men, and receiving in their own selves the reward which necessarily followed their misconduct.

to those on the one hand who, by lives of persistent right-doing, are striving for glory, honour and immortality, the Life of the Ages;

whereas glory, honour and peace will be given to every one who does what is good and right--to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

But the true Jew is one inwardly, and true circumcision is heart-circumcision--not literal, but spiritual; and such people receive praise not from men, but from God.

Thus it stands written, "There is not one righteous man.

There is not one who is really wise, nor one who is a diligent seeker after God.

All have turned aside from the right path; they have every one of them become corrupt. There is no one who does what is right--no, not so much as one."

unless you can deny that it is one and the same God who will pronounce the circumcised to be acquitted on the ground of faith, and the uncircumcised to be acquitted through the same faith.

Why, it is scarcely conceivable that any one would die for a simply just man, although for a good and lovable man perhaps some one, here and there, will have the courage even to lay down his life.

What follows? This comparison. Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and so death passed to all mankind in turn, in that all sinned.

But God's free gift immeasurably outweighs the transgression. For if through the transgression of the one individual the mass of mankind have died, infinitely greater is the generosity with which God's grace, and the gift given in His grace which found expression in the one man Jesus Christ, have been bestowed on the mass of mankind.

And it is not with the gift as it was with the results of one individual's sin; for the judgement which one individual provoked resulted in condemnation, whereas the free gift after a multitude of transgressions results in acquittal.

For if, through the transgression of the one individual, Death made use of the one individual to seize the sovereignty, all the more shall those who receive God's overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in Life through the one individual, Jesus Christ.

For as through the disobedience of the one individual the mass of mankind were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the mass of mankind will be constituted righteous.

For since we have become one with Him by sharing in His death, we shall also be one with Him by sharing in His resurrection.

Do you not know that if you surrender yourselves as bondservants to obey any one, you become the bondservants of him whom you obey, whether the bondservants of Sin (with death as the result)

You, however, are not devoted to earthly, but to spiritual things, if the Spirit of God is really dwelling in you; whereas if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, such a one does not belong to Him.

Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?

while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.

The Scripture says, "No one who believes in Him shall have reason to feel ashamed."

For "every one, without exception, who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

But how are they to call on One in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in One whose voice they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

For through the authority graciously given to me I warn every individual among you not to value himself unduly, but to cultivate sobriety of judgement in accordance with the amount of faith which God has allotted to each one.

For just as there are in the one human body many parts, and these parts have not all the same function;

so collectively we form one body in Christ, while individually we are linked to one another as its members.

As for brotherly love, be affectionate to one another; in matters of worldly honour, yield to one another.

Have full sympathy with one another. Do not give your mind to high things, but let humble ways content you. Do not be wise in your own conceits.

Let every individual be obedient to those who rule over him; for no one is a ruler except by God's permission, and our present rulers have had their rank and power assigned to them by Him.

Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.

For the precepts, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt do no murder," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not covet," and all other precepts, are summed up in this one command, "Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thou lovest thyself."

One man's faith allows him to eat anything, while a man of weaker faith eats nothing but vegetables.

One man esteems one day more highly than another; another esteems all days alike. Let every one be thoroughly convinced in his own mind.

For not one of us lives to himself, and not one dies to himself.

So we see that every one of us will give account of himself to God.

Therefore let us no longer judge one another; but, instead of that, you should come to this judgement--that we must not put a stumbling-block in our brother's path, nor anything to trip him up.

As one who lives in union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am certain that in its own nature no food is 'impure'; but if people regard any food as impure, to them it is.

And may God, the giver of power of endurance and of that encouragement, grant you to be in full sympathy with one another in accordance with the example of Christ Jesus,

Habitually therefore give one another a friendly reception, just as Christ also has received you, and thus promote the glory of God.

And again Isaiah says, "There shall be the Root of Jesse and One who rises up to rule the Gentiles. On Him shall the Gentiles build their hopes."

But as to you, brethren, I am convinced-- yes, I Paul am convinced--that, even apart from my teaching, you are already full of goodness of heart, and enriched with complete Christian knowledge, and are also competent to instruct one another.

Greetings to Rufus, who is one of the Lord's chosen people; and to his mother, who has also been a mother to me.

Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the Churches of Christ send greetings to you.