Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation.

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches.

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Instead, keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.

And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly another.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?

For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory!

For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.

Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress.

Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.

Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”?

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; indeed, sin is lawlessness.

because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”

The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things!

The city’s wall is made of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”