Freed from the Law

7 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law 1has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For athe woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then bif, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become cdead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should dbear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law ewere at work in our members fto bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve gin the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Sin’s Advantage in the Law

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, hI would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, i“You shall not covet.” 8 But jsin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For kapart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, lwhich was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore mthe law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Law Cannot Save from Sin

13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, nsold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. oFor what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that pin me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I qdelight in the law of God according to rthe inward man. 23 But sI see another law in tmy members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me ufrom this body of death? 25 vI thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Sister Phoebe Commended

16 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in aCenchrea, 2 bthat you may receive her in the Lord cin a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Greeting Roman Saints

3 Greet dPriscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet ethe church that is in their house.

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is fthe firstfruits of 1Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the gapostles, who also hwere in Christ before me.

8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my 2countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, ichosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

16 jGreet one another with a holy kiss. 3The churches of Christ greet you.

Avoid Divisive Persons

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those kwho cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and lavoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord 4Jesus Christ, but mtheir own belly, and nby smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For oyour obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be pwise in what is good, and 5simple concerning evil. 20 And qthe God of peace rwill crush Satan under your feet shortly.

sThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Greetings from Paul’s Friends

21 tTimothy, my fellow worker, and uLucius, vJason, and wSosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.

23 xGaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. yErastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 zThe 6grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Benediction

25 7Now ato Him who is able to establish you baccording to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, caccording to the revelation of the mystery dkept secret since the world began 26 but enow made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for fobedience to the faith—27 to gGod, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I say then, ahas God cast away His people? bCertainly not! For cI also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom dHe foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 e“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? f“I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 gEven so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And hif by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. 1But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

7 What then? iIsrael has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were jblinded. 8 Just as it is written:

k“God has given them a spirit of stupor,

lEyes that they should not see

And ears that they should not hear,

To this very day.”

9 And David says:

m“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

A stumbling block and a recompense to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,

And bow down their back always.”

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But nthrough their 2fall, to provoke them to ojealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their 3fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as pI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and qsave some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be rbut life from the dead?

16 For if sthe firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if tsome of the branches were broken off, uand you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and 4fatness of the olive tree, 18 vdo not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of wunbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, 5goodness, xif you continue in His goodness. Otherwise yyou also will be cut off. 23 And they also, zif they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be awise in your own 6opinion, that bblindness in part has happened to Israel cuntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come