²¹ To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not outside God’s law but am within Christ’s law) so that I might gain those outside the law.^(A)

¹² All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged in accordance with the law.

² The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?^(A)

¹⁴ When gentiles, who do not possess the law, by nature do^[a] what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves.

¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but obeying the commandments of God is everything.^{(A) 20} Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.^(B)

²¹ Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.^{[a] 22} For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave belonging to Christ.^(C)

The Law and the Prophets

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.^{(A) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,^[a] not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.^{(B) 19} Therefore, whoever breaks^[b] one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.^{(C) 20} For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

² Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

³ Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or enslaved to much wine; they are to teach what is good,^{(A) 4} so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.^(B)

⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled ⁷ in all things, offering yourself as a model of good works and in your teaching offering integrity, gravity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.^(C)

⁹ Urge slaves to be submissive to their masters in everything, to be pleasing, not talking back,^{(D) 10} not stealing, but showing complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the teaching of God our Savior.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,^{[a](E) 12} training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,^(F)

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more.^{(A) 2} For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Children and Parents

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord,^[a] for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise^(A)— ³ “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”