Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews.

The Gentiles do not have the Law of Moses; they sin and are lost apart from the Law. The Jews have the Law; they sin and are judged by the Law.

The Gentiles do not have the Law; but whenever they do by instinct what the Law commands, they are their own law, even though they do not have the Law.

And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all.

you know what God wants you to do, and you have learned from the Law to choose what is right;

Jesus answered, "It is written in your own Law that God said, 'You are gods.'

We know that what the scripture says is true forever; and God called those people gods, the people to whom his message was given.

This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true: 'They hated me for no reason at all.'

While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them.

In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law.

But before the time for faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed.

to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.

Let me ask those of you who want to be subject to the Law: do you not hear what the Law says?

If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.

Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says, "You must be shown to be right when you speak; you must win your case when you are being tried."

Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!

Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.

"He protects the lives of his faithful people, but the wicked disappear in darkness; a man does not triumph by his own strength.

He gives hope to the poor and silences the wicked.

(SEE 9:1)

How can anyone argue with him? He can ask a thousand questions that no one could ever answer.

The righteous see this and are glad, but all the wicked are put to silence.

I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' the king asked him. But the man said nothing.

Then the king told the servants, 'Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.' "

When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there.

This means that no one can boast in God's presence.

Well then, are we Jews in any better condition than the Gentiles? Not at all! I have already shown that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence.

Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.

We know that God is right when he judges the people who do such things as these.

Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, "Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!"

But the scripture says that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those who believe.