And they have not known the path of peace.”

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified about by the law and the prophets--

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

just as David also speaks about the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned -- to us believing on Him who did raise up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

Not only that, but we also continue to boast about God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, through whom we have now been reconciled.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses, and upon them not having sinned upon the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is the type of him about to be.

Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those [things] [is] death.

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin. For I would not have known [for example] about coveting [what belongs to another, and would have had no sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, “You shall not covet.”

Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.

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.

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.

for if ye live according to flesh, ye are about to die; but if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live:

For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed in us;

We know that in everything God works with those who love him, whom he has called in accordance with his purpose, to bring about what is good.

What then shall we say about these [things]? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor beginnings, nor powers, nor things having stood, nor things about to be,

nor things about to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of god, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For this is what the promise said: “About this time [next year] I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

And not only so, but Rebecca being about to have a child by our father Isaac--

For the Scripture says about Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, to demonstrate my power through you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

And Isaiah says about Israel, Even if the number of the children of Israel is as the sand of the sea, only a small part will get salvation:

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God about the Jews is that they would be saved.

For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

For Moses writes about the righteousness [that is] from the law: "The person who does [this] will live by it."

But what does it say? "The Message is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart;" that is, the Message which we are publishing about the faith--

How then will they call upon [him] in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe [in him] about whom they have not heard? And how will they hear about [him] without one who preaches [to them]?

Consequently, faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing through the word about Christ.

But about Israel he says, "The whole day [long] I held out my hands to a disobedient and resistant people."

God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew! Or do you not know, in [the passage about] Elijah, what the scripture says--how he appeals to God against Israel?

do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

True, but they [i.e., the Jews] were [really] broken off because they did not believe [in Christ], and you [Gentiles] remain [in God's favor] because you do believe [in Him]. So, do not become arrogant [about it], but be fearful.

For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.

Now in response to the [proclamation of the] good news [about Christ], the Jews became [God's] enemies for the sake of you [Gentiles]. But concerning [God's] select people, these Jews became [God's] dearly loved ones for the sake of their forefathers [i.e, who believed God's promises regarding their descendants].

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].

Do not [try to] pay back a wrong done to you by doing something wrong to the other person. Think about how to live honorably in front of all people.

Now this [is another reason for observing the law of love]: You should know that it is about time to wake up out of your [spiritual] sleep, because [the day of our final] salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed [in Christ].

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.

But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.

Now receive the one who is weak in faith, [but] not for quarrels about opinions.

So then each of us will give account about himself to God.

Let it not be possible for men to say evil about your good:

Therefore, whatever you believe about this matter should be held between you and God. That person is happy who does not condemn himself for practicing something he believes is right.

But he who is uncertain [about eating a particular thing] is condemned if he eats, because he is not acting from faith. Whatever is not from faith is sin [whatever is done with doubt is sinful].

Personally I am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another.

Therefore, in the Messiah Jesus I have the right to boast about my work for God.

For I will not dare to speak about anything except [that] which Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

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."

that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea; and that the charitable service which I am employed about, for the converts at Jerusalem, may be acceptable to them:

I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea. [Note: This was a seaport town about seven miles east of Corinth].

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil.

Now to the one who is able to strengthen you with my gospel and the message that I preach about Jesus, the Messiah, by revealing the secret that was kept hidden from long ago

but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith --

I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus;

just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you,

For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe’s household, that there is rivalry among you.

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For since, according to God's [true] wisdom, the world did not know about Him through its wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe [in Christ] through the "foolishness" of the message preached.

but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

So, as it is written [Jer. 9:23f], "The person who [wants to] boast, let him boast about the Lord."

When I came to you, brothers, I didn't come and tell you about God's secret with rhetorical language or wisdom.

For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Instead, we speak about God's wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began for our glory.

None of the rulers of this age knew about this [divine] wisdom, for if they had [known it], they would not have crucified the glorious Lord [i.e., Jesus].

For God unveiled them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit by searching discovers everything, even the deepest truths about God.

We don't speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.

But the spiritual person [i.e., one who has the Holy Spirit] is able to discern all things [i.e., has the ability to make right judgments about things], and he himself [i.e., his conduct] cannot be [critically] discerned by any [unbelieving] man.

for ye are yet carnal. For where there are envy and strife among you, are you not carnal, and walking about according to man?

Let no one deceive himself about this; whoever of you imagines he is wise with this world's wisdom must become a 'fool,' if he is really to be wise.

Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers.

whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things about to be -- all are yours,

One should think about us this way -- as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

I for my part care very little about being examined by you or by any human court. I do not even offer myself for investigation.

Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other.

unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about,

When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.

For although you have ten thousand guardians [Note: This word means someone who transported a child to his teacher] in [the fellowship of] Christ, you do not have many [spiritual] fathers. For I [spiritually] conceived you people through [preaching to you] the good news [about Christ]. [Note: Paul here refers to his work in establishing the church at Corinth].

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Some of you seem to think that I am not coming to visit you, and are putting on airs about it.

And you are arrogant [about it] instead [of being ashamed]. Should you not be grieved to the point of removing from your fellowship the person who has done this [terrible] deed?

For though I am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already decided about the one who has done this thing as though I were present.

Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven ferments the whole batch [of dough, just as a little sin corrupts a person or an entire church]?

Is it not certain that the saints will be the judges of the world? if then the world will be judged by you, are you unable to give a decision about the smallest things?

So if you have disputes about such matters, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?

I speak shame about you. So there is not among you not even one wise man who will be able to arbitrate between his brother?

Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

Now concerning [the things] about which you wrote: "[It is] good for a man not to touch a woman."

But I, not the Lord, say this to the rest of you [Note: Paul now addresses the matter of mixed marriages, a circumstance Jesus never taught about]: If any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she agrees to continue living with him [Note: In these verses Paul addresses a situation where one marriage partner is converted after they are married], he should not divorce her.

Were you called as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity.

About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;