Study Desk

What a miserable person I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death?

I thank God for his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord! So in my mind I am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin.

Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am in Christ and I am telling you the truth. I am not lying. And my conscience, ruled by the Holy Spirit, agrees that what I say now is true.

So I ask, "Did God force his people to leave him?" Of course not. I myself am an Israelite. I am from the family of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

"Lord, they have killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only prophet still living, and they are trying to kill me now."

Now I am speaking to you people who are not Jews. I am an apostle to the non-Jewish people. So while I have that work, I will do the best I can.

My friends, don't try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. In the Scriptures the Lord says, "I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back."

Yes, the Scriptures say, "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord, ‘Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.'"

So I will visit you when I go to Spain. Yes, I hope to visit you while I am traveling to Spain, and I will stay and enjoy being with you. Then you can help me continue on my trip.

Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God's people there.

I am going to Jerusalem to make sure the poor get this money that has been given for them. After I finish that, I will leave for Spain and stop to visit you on the way.

Pray that I will be saved from those in Judea who refuse to accept our message. And pray that this help I am bringing to Jerusalem will please God's people there.

They risked their own lives to save mine. I am thankful to them, and all the non-Jewish churches are thankful to them.

Everyone has heard that you do what you were taught, and I am very happy about that. But I want you to be wise about what is good and to know nothing about what is evil.

I am Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul. I send you my own greetings as one who belongs to the Lord.

I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius.

I am thankful because now no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

I am not trying to make you feel ashamed, but I am writing this to counsel you as my own dear children.

That is why I am sending Timothy to you. He is my son in the Lord. I love him and trust him. He will help you remember the way I live in Christ Jesus—a way of life that I teach in every meeting of the church wherever I am.