Paul's Concern for the Jews

1I speak the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience testifies for me in the Holy Spirit 2that my grief is great, and unceasing sorrow is in my heart. 3For I could wish myself to be a curse, separated from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4who are Israelites, whose is the divine adoption as sons, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises; 5whose are the patriarchs; and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, being God over all, blessed to the ages. Amen.

God's Sovereign Choice
(Genesis 25:19-28; Malachi 1:1-5)

6And it is not as that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel, are these Israel. 7Nor because they are seed of Abraham are all children. Rather, “In Isaac your offspring will be named.”a 8That is, the children of the flesh, these are not children of God; but the children of the promise are regarded as offspring. 9For this is the word of the promise: “At this time I will come, and to Sarah there will be a son.”b

10And not only so, but also Rebecca, having conception by one, Isaac our father, 11for they not yet having been born nor having done anything good or evil, so that the purpose of God according to election might stand, 12not of works, but of the One calling, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”c 13As it has been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”d

14What then shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Never may it be! 15For He says to Moses:

“I will show mercy to whom I may show mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I may have compassion.”e

16So then, it is not of the willing, nor of the running, but of God showing mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I have raised you up, so that I might show My power in you, and that My name should be declared in all the earth.”f 18So then, He shows mercy to whom He wants, and He hardens whom He wants.

The Calling of the Gentiles

19Then you will say to me, “Why then does He still find fault? For who is resisting His purpose?” 20But rather, O man, who are you, answering against God? Shall the thing formed say to the One having formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”g 21Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel unto honor, but one unto dishonor?

22And what if God, desiring to show the wrath and to make known His power, bore with much patience the vessels of wrath, having been fitted for destruction, 23that He might also make known the riches of His glory upon the vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He has called not only out from the Jews, but also out from the Gentiles? 25As He also says in Hosea:

“I will call that which is not My people, My people;

and her not having been loved, having been loved,”h

26and,

“It will happen that in the place where it was said to them,

‘You are not My people,’

there they will be called

‘sons of the living God.’”i

27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea,

only the remnant will be saved.

28For the Lord will perform the sentence

He is concluding and bringing swiftly upon the earth.”j

29And, as Isaiah foretold:

“If the Lord of Hosts had not left us descendants,

we would have become like Sodom,

and we would have been made like Gomorrah.”k

Israel's Unbelief

30What then will we say? That Gentiles, not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, and righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to that law. 32Why? Because it was not by faith, but as by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling, 33as it has been written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense;

and the one believing on Him

will never be put to shame.”l