And so God chose his Servant and sent him to you first, to bless you by making every one of you turn away from your wicked ways."

But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles.

The scripture predicted that God would put the Gentiles right with himself through faith. And so the scripture announced the Good News to Abraham: "Through you God will bless all people."

You remember why I preached the gospel to you the first time; it was because I was sick.

God revealed to these prophets that their work was not for their own benefit, but for yours, as they spoke about those things which you have now heard from the messengers who announced the Good News by the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things which even the angels would like to understand.

But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, "Lord, who believed our message?"

So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

If you obey the Law, your circumcision is of value; but if you disobey the Law, you might as well never have been circumcised.

I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned ---but if I have no love, this does me no good.

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.

Those who first heard the Good News did not receive that rest, because they did not believe. There are, then, others who are allowed to receive it.

My friends, be careful that none of you have a heart so evil and unbelieving that you will turn away from the living God.

When God made his solemn promise, "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest"---of whom was he speaking? Of those who rebelled.

We see, then, that they were not able to enter the land, because they did not believe.

No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.

For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good.

And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.

The result is that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in sin, will be condemned.

We must thank God at all times for you, friends, you whom the Lord loves. For God chose you as the first to be saved by the Spirit's power to make you his holy people and by your faith in the truth.

So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.