Study Desk

But when the Judeans objected, I was forced to appeal to the Emperor — not that I had any charge to make against my own people.

But we do think it would be appropriate to hear your views from you, yourself; for all we know about this sect is that people everywhere speak against it."

‘Go to this people and say, "You will keep on hearing but never understand, and you will keep on seeing but never perceive,

For I am not ashamed of the Good News, since it is God's powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting, to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile.

For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in his sight; and from beginning to end it is through trust — as the Tanakh puts it, "But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust."

They know well enough God's righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die; yet not only do they keep doing them, but they applaud others who do the same.

But by your stubbornness, by your unrepentant heart, you are storing up anger for yourself on the Day of Anger, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed;

But to those who are self-seeking, who disobey the truth and obey evil, he will pay back wrath and anger.

but glory and honor and shalom to everyone who keeps doing what is good, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rest on Torah and boast about God

For circumcision is indeed of value if you do what Torah says. But if you are a transgressor of Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision!

Indeed, the man who is physically uncircumcised but obeys the Torah will stand as a judgment on you who have had a b'rit-milah and have Torah written out but violate it!

On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God.

"But," you say, "if, through my lie, God's truth is enhanced and brings him greater glory, why am I still judged merely for being a sinner?"

But now, quite apart from Torah, God's way of making people righteous in his sight has been made clear — although the Torah and the Prophets give their witness to it as well —

For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by God because of legalistic observances, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before God!

Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him.

However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness.

but what state was he in when it was so credited — circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision!

and at the same time be the father of every circumcised person who not only has had a b'rit-milah, but also follows in the footsteps of the trust which Avraham avinu had when he was still uncircumcised.