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Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.(A) God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?(B) “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”(C) So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.[a](D)

What then? Israel has not achieved what it was pursuing. The elect have achieved it, but the rest were hardened,(E) as it is written,

“God gave them a sluggish spirit,
    eyes that would not see
    and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”(F)

And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them;(G)
10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
    and keep their backs forever bent.”

The Salvation of the Gentiles

11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling[b] salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to make Israel[c] jealous.(H) 12 Now if their stumbling[d] means riches for the world and if their loss means riches for gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I celebrate my ministry(I) 14 in order to make my own people[e] jealous and thus save some of them.(J) 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted among the others to share the rich root[f] of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off on account of unbelief,[g] but you stand on account of belief.[h] So do not become arrogant, but be afraid.(K) 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.[i] 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.(L) 23 And even those of Israel,[j] if they do not continue in unbelief,[k] will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.(M) 24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 I want you to understand this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not claim to be wiser than you are: a hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles has come in.(N) 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”(O)
27 “And this is my covenant with them,
    when I take away their sins.”(P)

28 As regards the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors, 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,(Q) 31 so also they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may now[l] receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.(R)

33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!(S)

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”(T)
35 “Or who has given a gift to him,
    to receive a gift in return?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.(U)

The New Life in Christ

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.(V) Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.[m](W)

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.(X) For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function,(Y) so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;(Z) ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;(AA) the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.(AB)

Marks of the True Christian

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer.(AC) 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers.(AD)

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.(AE) 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly;[n] do not claim to be wiser than you are.(AF) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.(AG) 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.(AH) 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God,[o] for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”(AI) 20 Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Being Subject to Authorities

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.(AJ) Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval,(AK) for it is God’s agent for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority[p] does not bear the sword in vain! It is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.(AL) For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s agents, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Love for One Another

Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.(AM) The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(AN) 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.(AO)

An Urgent Appeal

11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;(AP) 12 the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off[q] the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;(AQ) 13 let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.(AR) 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. 11.6 Other ancient authorities add But if it is by works, it is no longer on the basis of grace, otherwise work would no longer be work
  2. 11.11 Or transgression
  3. 11.11 Gk them
  4. 11.12 Or transgression
  5. 11.14 Gk my flesh
  6. 11.17 Other ancient authorities read the root and the richness
  7. 11.20 Or faithlessness or lack of trust
  8. 11.20 Or faithfulness or trust
  9. 11.21 Other ancient authorities read perhaps he will not spare you
  10. 11.23 Gk lacks of Israel
  11. 11.23 Or faithlessness or lack of trust
  12. 11.31 Other ancient authorities lack now
  13. 12.2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
  14. 12.16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks
  15. 12.19 Gk the wrath
  16. 13.4 Gk it
  17. 13.12 Other ancient authorities read lay aside