in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

But now there is nothing more to keep me<n id="1" /> in these regions, and I have for many years desired<n id="2" /> to come to you

Also greet the church in their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus,<n id="1" /> who was the first convert<n id="2" /> to Christ in the province of Asia.<n id="3" />

<n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages,

and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women<n id="1" /> and were inflamed in their passions<n id="2" /> for one another. Men<n id="3" /> committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.p>

I do not want you to be unaware,<n id="1" /> brothers and sisters,<n id="2" /> that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles.<n id="3" />

They<n id="1" /> exchanged the truth of God for a lie<n id="2" /> and worshiped and served the creation<n id="3" /> rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.p>

Although they fully know<n id="1" /> God&#8217;s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,<n id="2" /> they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.<n id="3" />p>

They<n id="1" /> show that the work of the law is written<n id="2" /> in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend<n id="3" /> them,<n id="4" />

This was<n id="1" /> also to demonstrate<n id="2" /> his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just<n id="3" /> and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus&#8217; faithfulness.<n id="4" />p>

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised,<n id="1" /> so that he would become<n id="2" /> the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised,<n id="3" /> that they too could have righteousness credited to them.

Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.<n id="1" />p>

and do not present your members to sin as instruments<n id="1" /> to be used for unrighteousness,<n id="2" /> but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments<n id="3" /> to be used for righteousness.

But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members.

For God achieved what the law could not do because<n id="1" /> it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

<p class="bodytext">In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray,<n id="1" /> but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

For the scripture says to Pharaoh:<n id="1" /> &#8220;<i><b>For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in youb>, <b>and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earthb>i>.&#8221;<n id="2" />

because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord<n id="1" /> and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

<p class="bodytext">But I ask, have they<n id="1" /> not heard?<n id="2" /> Yes, they have:<n id="3" /> <i><b>Their voice has gone out to all the earthb>, <b>and their words to the ends of the worldb>i>.<n id="4" />

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?p>