Letters to the Churches

Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.

For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,

so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.

For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.

O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

“Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?”

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,

so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;

if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.