For indeedwe have had good news preachedto us, justas they also;but the wordthey hearddid not profitthem, because it was not unitedby faithin thosewhoheard.
Pauland Barnabasspoke out boldlyand said,"It was necessarythat the wordof Godbe spokento you first;sinceyou repudiateit and judgeyourselvesunworthyof eternallife,behold,we are turningto the Gentiles.
"For you first,Godraisedup His Servantand sentHim to blessyou by turningevery one[of you] from your wicked ways."
For indeedcircumcisionis of valueifyou practicethe Law;but ifyou are a transgressorof the Law,your circumcisionhas becomeuncircumcision.
Whatthen?Ifsomedid not believe,their unbeliefwill not nullifythe faithfulnessof God,will it?
And ifI giveallmy possessionsto feed[the poor], and ifI surrendermy bodyto be burned,but do not havelove,it profitsme nothing.
Thisis the only thingI wantto findout from you: did you receivethe Spiritby the worksof the Law,orby hearingwith faith?
The Scripture,foreseeingthat Godwould justifythe Gentilesby faith,preached the gospel beforehandto Abraham,[saying], "ALLTHE NATIONSWILL BE BLESSEDIN YOU."
but you knowthat it was becauseof a bodilyillnessthat I preached the gospelto you the first time;
"But for all this,you did not trustthe LORDyour God,
for our gospeldid not cometo you in wordonly,but alsoin powerand in the HolySpiritand with fullconviction;justas you knowwhat kind of menwe provedto be amongyou for your sake.
For thisreasonwe alsoconstantlythankGodthat when you receivedthe wordof Godwhichyou heardfrom us, you accepted[it] not [as] the wordof men,but [for] whatit reallyis, the wordof God,whichalsoperforms its workin you who believe.
for bodilydisciplineis only of littleprofit,but godlinessis profitablefor all things,since it holdspromisefor the presentlifeand [also] for the [life] to come.
And withoutfaithit is impossibleto please[Him], for he who comesto Godmustbelievethat He is and [that] He is a rewarderof thosewho seekHim.
Take care,brethren,that there not be in any oneof you an evil,unbelievingheartthat falls awayfrom the livingGod.
Therefore,sinceit remainsfor someto enterit, and thosewhoformerlyhad good news preachedto them failedto enterbecauseof disobedience,
Therefore,putting asideallfilthinessand [all] that remainsof wickedness,in humilityreceivethe wordimplanted,which is ableto saveyour souls.
It was revealedto them that they were not servingthemselves,but you, in these thingswhichnowhave been announcedto you throughthosewho preached the gospelto you by the HolySpiritsentfrom heaven--things into whichangelslongto look.
