Study Desk

But others are selfish and refuse to follow truth. They follow evil. God will show his anger and punish them.

But he will give glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does good—to the Jews first and also to those who are not Jews.

Those who are not Jews don't have the law. But when they naturally do what the law commands without even knowing the law, then they are their own law. This is true even though they don't have the written law.

You teach others, so why don't you teach yourself? You tell them not to steal, but you yourself steal.

You say they must not commit adultery, but you yourself are guilty of that sin. You hate idols, but you steal them from their temples.

You are so proud that you have God's law, but you bring shame to God by breaking his law.

If you follow the law, then your circumcision has meaning. But if you break the law, then it is as if you were never circumcised.

Those who are not Jews are not circumcised. But if they do what the law says, it is as if they were circumcised.

You have the written law and circumcision, but you break the law. So those who are not circumcised in their bodies, but still obey the law, will show that you are guilty.

It is true that some Jews were not faithful to God. But will that stop God from doing what he promised?

But God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about.

If Abraham was made right by the things he did, he had a reason to boast about himself. But God knew different.

But people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him. Then he accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. He is the one who makes even evil people right.

Abraham was circumcised later to show that God accepted him. His circumcision was proof that he was right with God through faith before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all those who believe but are not circumcised. They believe and are accepted as people who are right with God.

And Abraham is also the father of those who have been circumcised. But it is not their circumcision that makes him their father. He is their father only if they live following the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith.

because the law can only bring God's anger on those who disobey it. But if there is no law, then there is nothing to disobey.

There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, "You will have many descendants."

Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak.

Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us.