<p class="bodytext">It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel,<n id="1" />

And again Isaiah says, &#8220;<i><b>The root of Jesse will comeb>, <b>and the one who rises to rule over the Gentilesb>, <b>in him will the Gentiles hopeb>i>.&#8221;<n id="1" />

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" />

Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus the city treasurer and our brother Quartus greet you.p>

<p class="otpoetry"><i><b>and the way of peace they have not knownb>.i>&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift<n id="1" /> to strengthen you,

on the day when God will judge<n id="1" /> the secrets of human hearts,<n id="2" /> according to my gospel<n id="3" /> through Christ Jesus.p>

and know his will<n id="1" /> and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law,<n id="2" />

Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys<n id="1" /> the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

<p class="otpoetry">&#8220;<i><b>Their throats are open gravesb>,i><n id="1" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><i><b>they deceive with their tonguesb>,i>p> <p class="otpoetry"><i><b>the poison of asps is under their lipsb>.i>&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:p>

For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.

And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive

For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died.<n id="1" />

For we know that the law is spiritual &#8211; but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.<n id="1" />

Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Who will bring any charge against God&#8217;s elect?<n id="1" /> It is God who justifies.

So then,<n id="1" /> it does not depend on human desire or exertion,<n id="2" /> but on God who shows mercy.

<i>for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth completely and quicklyi>.&#8221;<n id="1" />

For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness<n id="1" /> and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.<n id="2" />