RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH ALONE

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning themB is for their salvation. 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God,i but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of Godj and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the endC of the law for righteousnessk to everyone who believes,l 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.D,m 6 But the righteousness that comes from faithn speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?”E,o that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?”F,p that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.q 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.G,r This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”s and believe in your heartt that God raised him from the dead,u you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,H,v 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,w because the same Lordx of ally richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.I,z

ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF THE MESSAGE

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him?aa And how can they hear without a preacher?ab 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautifulJ are the feet of those who bring good news.K,ac 16 But not all obeyed the gospel.ad For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?L,ae 17 So faith comes from what is heard,af and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.M,ag 18 But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did:

Their voice has gone out to the whole earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.N,ah

19 But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said,

I will make you jealous

of those who are not a nation;ai

I will make you angry by a nation

that lacks understanding.O,aj

20 And Isaiah says boldly,

I was found

by those who were not looking for me;

I revealed myself

to those who were not asking for me.A,ak

21 But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.B,al

ISRAEL’S REJECTION NOT TOTAL

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people?am Absolutely not!an For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,ao from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.ap Or don’t you knowaq what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life!C,ar 4 But what was God’s answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal.D,as 5 In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.a 6 Now if by grace,b then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.E

7 What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for,c but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,d 8 as it is written,

God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that cannot see

and ears that cannot hear,

to this day.F,e

9 And David says,

Let their table become a snare and a trap,

a pitfall and a retribution to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,

and their backs be bent continually.G,f

ISRAEL’S REJECTION NOT FINAL

11 I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentilesg to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!h

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,i I magnify my ministry, 14 if I might somehow make my own peopleH,j jealous and save some of them.k 15 For if their rejection brings reconciliationl to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?m 16 Now if the firstfruits are holy,n so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 Now if some of the branches were broken off,o and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among themp and have come to share in the rich rootI of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.q 19 Then you will say,r “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith.s Do not be arrogant, but beware,J,t 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindnessu toward you—if you remain in his kindness.v Otherwise you too will be cut off.w 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief,x will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 I don’t want you to be ignoranty of this mystery,z brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited:aa A partial hardening has come upon Israelab until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.ac 26 And in this way allA Israel will be saved, as it is written,

The Deliverer will come from Zion;

he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

27 And this will be my covenant with themB,ad

when I take away their sins.C,ae

28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage,af but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs,ag 29 since God’s gracious gifts and callingah are irrevocable.D,ai 30 As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may nowE receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedienceaj so that he may have mercy on all.

A HYMN OF PRAISE

33 Oh, the depth of the richesak

and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!al

How unsearchable his judgmentsam

and untraceable his ways!

34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?an

Or who has been his counselor?

35 And who has ever given to God,

that he should be repaid?F,ao

36 For from him and through him

and to him are all things.ap

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

A LIVING SACRIFICE

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge youaq to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,ar holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.G 2 Do not be conformeda to this age,b but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,c so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect willd of God.

MANY GIFTS BUT ONE BODY

3 For by the gracee given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think.f Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faithg to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body,h and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are manyi are one body in Christj and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:k If prophecy,l use it according to the proportion of one’s* faith; 7 if service,m use it in service; if teaching,n in teaching; 8 if exhorting,o in exhortation; giving, with generosity;p leading,q with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.r

CHRISTIAN ETHICS

9 Let love be without hypocrisy.s Detest evil;t cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.u Take the lead in honoring one another.v 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;B,w serve the Lord.x 12 Rejoice in hope;y be patient in affliction;z be persistent in prayer.aa 13 Share with the saints in their needs;ab pursue hospitality.ac 14 Bless those who persecute you;ad bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice;ae weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another.af Do not be proud;ag instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.ah 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.ai Give careful thought to do what is honorableaj in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.ak 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,C,al says the Lord. 20 But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.am

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For in so doing

you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.D,an

21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

A CHRISTIAN’S DUTIES TO THE STATE

13 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities,ao since there is no authority except from God,ap and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terroraq to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avengerar that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience.as 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks.E 7 Pay your obligationsat to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes,au tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect,av and honor to those you owe honor.

LOVE, OUR PRIMARY DUTY

8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.aw 9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal;F do not covet;G,ax and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.H,ay 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

PUT ON CHRIST

11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the houraz for youA to wake up from sleep,ba because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.bb 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near;bc so let us discard the deeds of darknessbd and put on the armor of light.be 13 Let us walk with decency,bf as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness;a not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,b and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.c

THE LAW OF LIBERTY

14 Welcomed anyone who is weak in faith,e but don’t argue about disputed matters. 2 One person believes he may eat anything,f while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,g and one who does not eat must not judge one who does,h because God has accepted him.i 4 Who are you to judgej another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is ableB to make him stand.

5 One person judges one day to be more important than another day.k Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.l 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.C Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;m and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.n 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.o 9 Christ died and returned to lifep for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.q 10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.D,r 11 For it is written,

As I live, says the Lord,

every knee will bow to me,s

and every tongue will give praise to God.E,t

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.u

THE LAW OF LOVE

13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another.v Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister.w 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.x Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.y 15 For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.z Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.aa 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,ab 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,ac but righteousness, peace, and joyad in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christae in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.af

19 So then, let us pursue what promotes peaceag and what builds up one another.ah 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats.ai 21 It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.A 22 Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.aj 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,ak because his eating is not from faith,B and everything that is not from faith is sin.