God's Anger against Sin.

18 For God's anger is being revealed from Heaven against all impiety and against the iniquity of men who through iniquity suppress the truth. God is angry: 19 because what may be known about Him is plain to their inmost consciousness; for He Himself has made it plain to them. 20 For, from the very creation of the world, His invisible perfections—namely His eternal power and divine nature—have been rendered intelligible and clearly visible by His works, so that these men are without excuse. 21 For when they had come to know God, they did not give Him glory as God nor render Him thanks, but they became absorbed in useless discussions, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 While boasting of their wisdom they became utter fools, 23 and, instead of worshipping the imperishable God, they worshipped images resembling perishable man or resembling birds or beasts or reptiles. 24 For this reason, in accordance with their own depraved cravings, God gave them up to uncleanness, allowing them to dishonour their bodies among themselves with impurity. 25 For they had bartered the reality of God for what is unreal, and had offered divine honours and religious service to created things, rather than to the Creator—He who is for ever blessed. Amen. 26 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, 27 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. 28 And just as they had refused to continue to have a full knowledge of God, so it was to utterly worthless minds that God gave them up, for them to do things which should not be done. 29 Their hearts overflowed with all sorts of dishonesty, mischief, greed, malice. They were full of envy and murder, and were quarrelsome, crafty, and spiteful. 30 They were secret backbiters, open slanderers; hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful; inventors of new forms of sin, disobedient to parents, destitute of common sense, 31 faithless to their promises, without natural affection, without human pity. 32 In short, though knowing full well the sentence which God pronounces against actions such as theirs, as things which deserve death, they not only practise them, but even encourage and applaud others who do them.

17 And since you claim the name of Jew, and find rest and satisfaction in the Law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know the supreme will, and can test things that differ—being a man who receives instruction from the Law—19 and have persuaded yourself that, as for you, you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a schoolmaster for the dull and ignorant, a teacher of the young, because in the Law you possess an outline of real knowledge and an outline of the truth: 21 you then who teach your fellow man, do you refuse to teach yourself? You who cry out against stealing, are you yourself a thief? 22 You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you plunder their temples? 23 You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentile nations because of you, as Holy Writ declares. 25 Circumcision does indeed profit, if you obey the Law; but if you are a Law-breaker, the fact that you have been circumcised counts for nothing. 26 In the same way if an uncircumcised man pays attention to the just requirements of the Law, shall not his lack of circumcision be overlooked, and, 27 although he is a Gentile by birth, if he scrupulously obeys the Law, shall he not sit in judgement upon you who, possessing, as you do, a written Law and circumcision, are yet a Law-breaker? 28 For the true Jew is not the man who is simply a Jew outwardly, and true circumcision is not that which is outward and bodily. 29 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.

19 But it cannot be denied that all that the Law says is addressed to those who are living under the Law, in order that every mouth may be stopped, and that the whole world may await sentence from God. 20 For on the ground of obedience to Law no man living will be declared righteous before Him. Law simply brings a sure knowledge of sin. 21 But now a righteousness coming from God has been brought to light apart from any Law, both Law and Prophets bearing witness to it—22 a righteousness coming from God, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ and extends to all who believe. No distinction is made; 23 for all alike have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God, 24 gaining acquittal from guilt by His free unpurchased grace through the deliverance which is found in Christ Jesus. 25 He it is whom God put forward as a Mercy-seat, rendered efficacious through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness— because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the sins previously committed—26 with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus. 27 Where then is there room for your boasting? It is for ever shut out. On what principle? On the ground of merit? No, but on the ground of faith. 28 For we maintain that it is as the result of faith that a man is held to be righteous, apart from actions done in obedience to Law. 29 Is God simply the God of the Jews, and not of the Gentiles also? He is certainly the God of the Gentiles also, 30 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. 31 Do we then by means of this faith abolish the Law? No, indeed; we give the Law a firmer footing.

9 This declaration of blessedness, then, does it come simply to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? For Abraham's faith —so we affirm—was placed to his credit as righteousness. 10 What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? 11 Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised—in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit; 12 and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised. 13 Again, the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his posterity conditioned by Law, but by faith-righteousness. 14 For if it is the righteous through Law who are heirs, then faith is useless and the promise counts for nothing. 15 For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law. 16 All depends on faith, and for this reason—that acceptance with God might be an act of pure grace,

17 so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations." 18 Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words "Equally numerous shall your posterity be." 19 And, without growing weak in faith, he could contemplate his own vital powers which had now decayed—for he was nearly 100 years old—and Sarah's barrenness. 20 Nor did he in unbelief stagger at God's promise, but became mighty in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by He is able also to make good. 22 For this reason also his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness.

23 Nor was the fact of its being placed to his credit put on record for his sake only; 24 it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, 25 who was surrendered to death because of the offences we had committed, and was raised to life because of the acquittal secured for us.

6 For already, while we were still helpless, Christ at the right moment died for the ungodly. 7 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. 8 But God gives proof of His love to us in Christ's dying for us while we were still sinners. 9 If therefore we have now been pronounced free from guilt through His blood, much more shall we be delivered from God's anger through Him. 10 For if while we were hostile to God we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, it is still more certain that now that we are reconciled, we shall obtain salvation through Christ's life. 11 And not only so, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now obtained that reconciliation. 12 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. 13 For prior to the Law sin was already in the world; only it is not entered in the account against us when no Law exists. 14 Yet Death reigned as king from Adam to Moses even over those who had not sinned, as Adam did, against Law. And in Adam we have a type of Him whose coming was still future. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 It follows then that just as the result of a single transgression is a condemnation which extends to the whole race, so also the result of a single decree of righteousness is a life-giving acquittal which extends to the whole race. 19 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. 20 Now Law was brought in later on, so that transgression might increase. But where sin increased, grace has overflowed; 21 in order that as sin has exercised kingly sway in inflicting death, so grace, too, may exercise kingly sway in bestowing a righteousness which results in the Life of the Ages through Jesus Christ our Lord.

7 What follows? Is the Law itself a sinful thing? No, indeed; on the contrary, unless I had been taught by the Law, I should have known nothing of sin as sin. For instance, I should not have known what covetousness is, if the Law had not repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not covet." 8 Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead. 9 Once, apart from Law, I was alive, but when the Commandment came, sin sprang into life, and I died; 10 and, as it turned out, the very Commandment which was to bring me life, brought me death. 11 For sin seized the advantage, and by means of the Commandment it completely deceived me, and also put me to death. 12 So that the Law itself is holy, and the Commandment is holy, just and good. 13 Did then a thing which is good become death to me? No, indeed, but sin did; so that through its bringing about death by means of what was good, it might be seen in its true light as sin, in order that by means of the Commandment the unspeakable sinfulness of sin might be plainly shown.

14 For we know that the Law is a spiritual thing; but I am unspiritual—the slave, bought and sold, of sin. 15 For what I do, I do not recognize as my own action. What I desire to do is not what I do, but what I am averse to is what I do. 16 But if I do that which I do not desire to do, I admit the excellence of the Law, 17 and now it is no longer I that do these things, but the sin which has its home within me does them. 18 For I know that in me, that is, in my lower self, nothing good has its home; for while the will to do right is present with me, the power to carry it out is not. 19 For what I do is not the good thing that I desire to do; but the evil thing that I desire not to do, is what I constantly do. 20 But if I do that which I desire not to do, it can no longer be said that it is I who do it, but the sin which has its home within me does it. 21 I find therefore the law of my nature to be that when I desire to do what is right, evil is lying in ambush for me. 22 For in my inmost self all my sympathy is with the Law of God; 23 but I discover within me a different Law at war with the Law of my understanding, and leading me captive to the Law which is everywhere at work in my body—the Law of sin. 24 (Unhappy man that I am! who will rescue me from this death-burdened body? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!) To sum up then, with my understanding, I—my true self—am in servitude to the Law of God, but with my lower nature I am in servitude to the Law of sin.

10 But if Christ is in you, though your body must die because of sin, yet your spirit has Life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead is dwelling in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead will give Life also to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, it is not to our lower natures that we are under obligation that we should live by their rule. 13 For if you so live, death is near; but if, through being under the sway of the spirit, you are putting your old bodily habits to death, you will live. 14 For those who are led by God's Spirit are, all of them, God's sons. 15 You have not for the second time acquired the consciousness of being—a consciousness which fills you with terror. But you have acquired a deep inward conviction of having been adopted as sons—a conviction which prompts us to cry aloud, "Abba! our Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are children of God;

17 and if children, then heirs too—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; if indeed we are sharers in Christ's sufferings, in order that we may also be sharers in His glory. 18 Why, what we now suffer I count as nothing in comparison with the glory which is soon to be manifested in us. 19 For all creation, gazing eagerly as if with outstretched neck, is waiting and longing to see the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the Creation fell into subjection to failure and unreality (not of its own choice, but by the will of Him who so subjected it). 21 Yet there was always the hope that at last the Creation itself would also be set free from the thraldom of decay so as to enjoy the liberty that will attend the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole of Creation is groaning together in the pains of childbirth until this hour. 23 And more than that, we ourselves, though we possess the Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of the glorious future, yet we ourselves inwardly sigh, as we wait and long for open recognition as sons through the deliverance of our bodies. 24 It is *in hope* that we have been saved. But an object of hope is such no longer when it is present to view; for when a man has a thing before his eyes, how can he be said to hope for it? 25 But if we hope for something which we do not see, then we eagerly and patiently wait for it.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what prayers to offer nor in what way to offer them. But the Spirit Himself pleads for us in yearnings that can find no words, 27 and the Searcher of hearts knows what the Spirit's meaning is, because His intercessions for God's people are in harmony with God's will. 28 Now we know that for those who love God all things are working together for good—for those, I mean, whom with deliberate purpose He has called.

29 For those whom He has known beforehand He has also pre-destined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers; 30 and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory.

31 What then shall we say to this? If God is on our side, who is there to appear against us? 32 He who did not withhold even His own Son, but gave Him up for all of us, will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who shall impeach those whom God has chosen? God declares them free from guilt. 34 Who is there to condemn them? Christ Jesus died, or rather has risen to life again. He is also at the right hand of God, and is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from Christ's love? Shall affliction or distress, persecution or hunger, nakedness or danger or the sword? 36 As it stands written in the Scripture, "For Thy sake they are, all day long, trying to kill us. We have been looked upon as sheep destined for slaughter." 37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who has loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither the lower ranks of evil angels nor the higher, neither things present nor things future, nor the forces of nature, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which rests upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

6 Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel, 7 nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity. 9 For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son." 10 Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac—11 and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told, 12 "The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger." 13 This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

14 What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God? 15 No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion." 16 And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh, 17 "It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high—that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth." 18 This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart. 19 "Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?" 20 Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?" 21 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? 22 And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction, 23 in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?

25 So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved. 26 And in the place where it was said to them, `No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God." 27 And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved; 28 for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief." 29 Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."

30 To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it—a righteousness, however, which arises from faith; 31 while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one. 32 And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way; 33 in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."

12 Jew and Gentile are on precisely the same footing; for the same Lord is Lord over all, and is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him for deliverance. 13 For "every one, without exception, who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 14 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? 15 And how are men to preach unless they have been sent to do so? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good!" 16 But, some will say, they have not all hearkened to the Good News. No, for Isaiah asks, "Lord, who has believed the Message they have heard from us?" 17 And this proves that faith comes from a Message heard, and that the Message comes through its having been spoken by Christ. 18 But, I ask, have they not heard? Yes, indeed: "To the whole world the preachers' voices have sounded forth, and their words to the remotest parts of the earth." 19 But again, did Israel fail to understand? Listen to Moses first. He says, "I will fire you with jealousy against a nation which is no nation, and with fury against a nation devoid of understanding." 20 And Isaiah, with strange boldness, exclaims, "I have been found by those who were not looking for Me, I have revealed Myself to those who were not inquiring of Me." 21 While as to Israel he says, "All day long I have stretched out My arms to a self-willed and fault-finding people."

33 Oh, how inexhaustible are God's resources and God's wisdom and God's knowledge! How impossible it is to search into His decrees or trace His footsteps! 34 "Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?" 35 "Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?" 36 For the universe owes its origin to Him, was created by Him, and has its aim and purpose in Him. To Him be the glory throughout the Ages! Amen.

7 Pay promptly to all men what is due to them: taxes to those to whom taxes are due, toll to those to whom toll is due, respect to those to whom respect is due, honour to those to whom honour is due. 8 Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law. 9 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." 10 Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.

11 Carry out these injunctions because you know the critical period at which we are living, and that it is now high time, to rouse yourselves from sleep; for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first became believers. 12 The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light. 13 Living as we do in broad daylight, let us conduct ourselves becomingly, not indulging in revelry and drunkenness, nor in lust and debauchery, nor in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.

5 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, 6 so that with oneness both of heart and voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Habitually therefore give one another a friendly reception, just as Christ also has received you, and thus promote the glory of God. 8 My meaning is that Christ has become a servant to the people of Israel in vindication of God's truthfulness— in showing how sure are the promises made to our forefathers—9 and that the Gentiles also have glorified God in acknowledgment of His mercy. So it is written, "For this reason I will praise Thee among the Gentiles, and sing psalms in honour of Thy name." 10 And again the Psalmist says, "Be glad, ye Gentiles, in company with His People." 11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and let all the people extol Him." 12 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."

13 May God, the giver of hope, fill you with continual joy and peace because you trust in Him—so that you may have abundant hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

14 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. 15 But I write to you the more boldly—partly as reminding you of what you already know—because of the authority graciously entrusted to me by God, 16 that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles, doing priestly duties in connexion with God's Good News so that the sacrifice—namely the Gentiles—may be acceptable to Him, being (as it is) an offering which the Holy Spirit has made holy.

17 I can therefore glory in Christ Jesus concerning the work for God in which I am engaged. 18 For I will not presume to mention any of the results that Christ has brought about by other agency than mine in securing the obedience of the Gentiles by word or deed, 19 with power manifested in signs and marvels, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. But—to speak simply of my own labours—beginning in Jerusalem and the outlying districts, I have proclaimed without reserve, even as far as Illyricum, the Good News of the Christ; 20 making it my ambition, however, not to tell the Good News where Christ's name was already known, for fear I should be building on another man's foundation. 21 But, as Scripture says, "Those shall see, to whom no report about Him has hitherto come, and those who until now have not heard shall understand."

22 And it is really this which has again and again prevented my coming to you. 23 But now, as there is no more unoccupied ground in this part of the world, and I have for years past been eager to pay you a visit, 24 I hope, as soon as ever I extend my travels into Spain, to see you on my way and be helped forward by you on my journey, when I have first enjoyed being with you for a time. 25 But at present I am going to Jerusalem to serve God's people, 26 for Macedonia and Greece have kindly contributed a certain sum in relief of the poor among God's people, in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they have kindly done this, and, in fact, it was a debt they owed them. For seeing that the Gentiles have been admitted in to partnership with the Jews in their spiritual blessings, they in turn are under an obligation to render sacred service to the Jews in temporal things. 28 So after discharging this duty, and making sure that these kind gifts reach those for whom they are intended, I shall start for Spain, passing through Rome on my way there; 29 and I know that when I come to you it will be with a vast amount of blessing from Christ.

30 But I entreat you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love which His Spirit inspires, to help me by wrestling in prayer to God on my behalf, 31 asking that I may escape unhurt from those in Judaea who are disobedient, and that the service which I am going to Jerusalem to render may be well received by the Church there, 32 in order that if God be willing I may come to you with a glad heart, and may enjoy a time of rest with you. 33 May God, who gives peace be with you all! Amen.

17 But I beseech you, brethren, to keep a watch on those who are causing the divisions among you, and are leading others into sin, in defiance of the instruction which you have received; and habitually to shun them. 18 For men of that stamp are not bondservants of Christ our Lord, but are slaves to their own appetites; and by their plausible words and their flattery they utterly deceive the minds of the simple. 19 Your fidelity to the truth is everywhere known. I rejoice over you, therefore, but I wish you to be wise as to what is good, and simple-minded as to what is evil. 20 And before long, God the giver of peace will crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, and so do my countrymen Lucius, Jason and Sosipater. 22 I, Tertius, who write this letter, send you Christian greetings. 23 Gaius, my host, who is also the host of the whole Church, greets you. So do Erastus, the treasurer of the city, and Quartus our brother. 24 

25 To Him who has it in His power to make you strong, as declared in the Good News which I am spreading, and the proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, in harmony with the unveiling of the Truth which in the periods of past Ages remained unuttered, 26 but has now been brought fully to light, and by the command of the God of the Ages has been made known by the writings of the Prophets among all the Gentiles to win them to obedience to the faith—27 to God, the only wise, through Jesus Christ, even to Him be the glory through all the Ages! Amen.