Paul’s Concern for the Jews
1 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh 4 who are Israelites, whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, the Lord, blessed forever. Amen.
God’s Sovereign Choice
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are from Israel are descendants of Israel. 7 Nor, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.” a 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs. 9 For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” b 10 And not only this, but also Rebekah received a promise when she conceived by one man, by our father Isaac, 11 For being not yet born, nor having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” c 13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” d
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! 15 For he said to Moses:
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” e
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” f 18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
The Calling of the Gentiles
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience, vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, 24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says also in Hosea,
“I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people,
and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.” g
26 “It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ” h
27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel,
“If the number of the Israelites are as the sand of the sea,
it is the remnant who will be saved,
28 for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” i
29 As Isaiah has said before,
“Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us a seed,
we would have become like Sodom,
and would have been made like Gomorrah.” j
Israel’s Unbelief
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, the righteousness which is of faith; 31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at the law of righteousness.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
“I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense k,
and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.” l
a Genesis 21:12
b Genesis 18:14
c Genesis 25:23
d Malachi 1:2-3
e Exodus 33:19
f Exodus 9:16
g Hosea 2:23
h Hosea 1:10
i Isaiah 10:22-23
j Isaiah 1:9
k Isaiah 8:14
l Isaiah 28:16