³³ They answered Him, “^(A)We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, ^(B)everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ Now ^(C)the slave does not remain in the house forever; ^(D)the son does remain forever.

⁵ For ^(A)if we have become ^[a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[b]in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our ^(B)old ^[c]self was ^(C)crucified with Him, in order that our ^(D)body of sin might be ^[d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for ^(E)the one who has died is ^[e]freed from sin.

¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all ^(A)the ^[a]saints who are with them. ^16 (B)Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and ^[b]hindrances ^(C)contrary to the teaching which you learned, and ^(D)turn away from them. ¹⁸ For such people are ^(E)slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of ^(F)their own ^[c]appetites; and by their ^(G)smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. ¹⁹ For the report of your obedience ^(H)has reached everyone; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but ^(I)I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. ^20 (J)The God of peace will soon crush ^(K)Satan under your feet.

^(L)The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

^21 (M)Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, and so do ^(N)Lucius, ^(O)Jason, and ^(P)Sosipater, my ^(Q)kinsmen.

²² I, Tertius, who have ^(R)written this letter, greet you in the Lord.

¹³ Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? ^[a](A)Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

The Conflict of Serving Two Masters

¹⁴ For we know that the Law is ^(B)spiritual, but I am ^(C)fleshly, ^(D)sold ^[b](E)into bondage to sin. ¹⁵ For ^(F)I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing ^(G)what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate.

⁶ Because you are sons, ^(A)God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “^(B)Abba! ^[a]Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and ^(C)if a son, then an heir ^[b]through God.

⁸ However at that time, ^(D)when you did not know God, you were ^(E)slaves to ^(F)those which by nature are not gods.