Paul’s Concern for the Jews

1I say the truth in Christ, I lye not, (my conscience bearing me witness in the holy Ghost,) 2that I have great grief and continual sorrow in my heart: 3for I could wish that I myself were made a curse after the manner of 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 giving of the law, and the form of divine worship, and the promises: 5whose are the fathers, and of whom, as to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all God blessed for ever. Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

6Not that the word of God hath failed. For they are not all Israel, who are descended from Israel. 7Nor because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children of promise: but "in Isaac shall thy seed be called." 8That is, not the children of the flesh are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed. 9For this is the word of the promise, "According to this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son:" 10and not to her only; but Rebecca also being with child by our father Isaac, 11(when the children were not yet born, nor had done either good or evil, that the purpose of God according to his choice might abide, not on account of works, but of Him that calleth,) it was said to her, the elder shall serve the younger: 12as it is written, 13"I loved Jacob and I hated Esau."

14What shall we say then? Is there injustice in God? 15God forbid! For He saith to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17And the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, for this very purpose have I raised thee up, that I may shew forth my power in thee, and that my name may be declared through all the earth. 18So then He hath mercy on whom He pleaseth, and whom He will, He hardeneth.

19Thou wilt say then, Why doth he yet blame us? who hath resisted his will? 20Nay but, O man, who art thou, that disputest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, out of the same mass to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor? 22And what if God, though resolved to shew his displeasure at last, and to make known his power, yet bore with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? 23and that He might make known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy, which He hath prepared for glory? 24whom He hath also called, even us, not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles.

25As He saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, who were not my people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.

26And in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called the children of the living God.

27And Esaias crieth out concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant shall be saved. 28For in finishing the account and cutting it short in righteousness, the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.

29And as Esaias said before, "Except the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and we had been made like unto Gomorrah."

Israel’s Unbelief

30What shall we say then? that the Gentiles, who sought not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31but Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness: why? 32because they sought it not by faith, but by the works of the law, for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone;

33as it is written, "Behold I lay in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence:" and again, "Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed."