¹⁷ But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!

Dying and Rising with Christ

6 What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may increase?^{(A) 2} By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?^(B)

⁸ Everyone who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.^{(A) 9} Those who have been born of God do not sin because God’s seed abides in them;^[a] they cannot sin because they have been born of God.^{(B) 10} The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love a brother or sister.^(C)

⁵ You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.^(A)

Jews and Gentiles Are Saved by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners,

⁷ What then? Israel has not achieved what it was pursuing. The elect have achieved it, but the rest were hardened,^(A)

Israel’s Unbelief

³⁰ What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith,^{(A) 31} but Israel, who did strive for the law of righteousness, did not attain that law.^{(B) 32} Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,^{(C) 33} as it is written,

² a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent^[a] that the Lord, and not any mortal, has set up.^(A)

²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able for all time to save^[a] those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.^(A)

²⁶ For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.^{(B) 27} Unlike the other^[b] high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself.^{(C) 28} For the law appoints as high priests humans, who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.^(D)