¹⁶ For I am not ^(A)ashamed of the gospel, for ^(B)it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the ^(C)Jew first and also to ^(D)the Greek.

^9 [a]that ^(A)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ^(B)believe in your heart that ^(C)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

¹³ for “^(A)Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him ^(B)whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without ^(C)a preacher?

¹⁸ Now ^(A)all these things are from God, ^(B)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ^(C)ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that ^(D)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, ^(E)not counting their wrongdoings against them, and ^[a]He has ^[b]committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ^(F)ambassadors for Christ, ^(G)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be ^(H)reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who ^(I)knew no sin to be ^[c](J)sin in our behalf, so that we might become the ^(K)righteousness of God in Him.

¹⁵ but ^[a]sanctify ^(A)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^(B)to make a ^[b]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^(C)hope that is in you, but ^(D)with gentleness and ^(E)respect; ^16 [c]and keep a ^(F)good conscience so that in the thing in which ^(G)you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.