Paul's Concern for the Jews

1Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, 2that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart -- 3for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ -- for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh, 4who are Israelites, whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises, 5whose are the fathers, and of whom is the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.

God's Sovereign Choice

(Genesis 25:19-28; Malachi 1:1-5)

6And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who are of Israel are these Israel; 7nor because they are seed of Abraham are all children, but -- 'in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;' 8that is, the children of the flesh -- these are not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed; 9for the word of promise is this; 'According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.' 10And not only so, but also Rebecca, having conceived by one -- Isaac our father -- 11(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her -- 12'The greater shall serve the less;' 13according as it hath been written, 'Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'

14What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness is with God? let it not be! 15for to Moses He saith, 'I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;' 16so, then -- not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness: 17for the Writing saith to Pharaoh -- 'For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;' 18so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.

The Calling of the Gentiles

19Thou wilt say, then, to me, 'Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?' 20nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form it, Why me didst thou make thus? 21hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour? 22And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, 23and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call -- us -- 24not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,

25as also in Hosea He saith, 'I will call what is not My people -- My people; and her not beloved -- Beloved,

26and it shall be -- in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.'

27And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved; 28for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.

29and according as Isaiah saith before, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.'

Israel's Unbelief

30What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that is of faith, 31and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive; 32wherefore? because -- not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,

33according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'