⁴ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of ^(A)debauchery, and ^(B)they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready ^(C)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why ^(D)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence ^(A)earth and sky fled away, and ^(B)no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and ^(C)books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is ^(D)the book of life. And ^(E)the dead were judged by what was written in the books, ^(F)according to what they had done. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, ^(G)Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, ^(H)according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then ^(I)Death and Hades ^(J)were thrown into the lake of fire. This is ^(K)the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, ^(L)he was thrown into the lake of fire.

⁸ Now ^(A)if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that ^(B)Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; ^(C)death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, ^(D)once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves ^(E)dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For ^(A)the trumpet will sound, and ^(B)the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

²⁰ But ^(A)our citizenship is in heaven, and ^(B)from it we ^(C)await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform ^(D)our lowly body ^(E)to be like his glorious body, ^(F)by the power that enables him even ^(G)to subject all things to himself.

²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for ^(A)an hour is coming when ^(B)all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, ^(C)those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(A)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(B)we who are alive, who are left until ^(C)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(D)the Lord himself will descend ^(E)from heaven ^(F)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(G)an archangel, and ^(H)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(I)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(J)caught up together with them ^(K)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(L)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(A)the righteousness of God ^(B)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(C)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God ^(D)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(E)For there is no distinction: ²³ for ^(F)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ^24 (G)and are justified ^(H)by his grace as a gift, ^(I)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God ^(J)put forward as ^(K)a propitiation ^(L)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(M)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(N)former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

^25 (A)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(B)gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(C)the washing of water ^(D)with the word, ²⁷ so ^(E)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(F)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^[a]