Romans
11
- I ask then: Did God reject his people? By
no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe
of Benjamin.
- God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.
Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he
appealed to God against Israel:
- "Lord, they have killed your prophets
and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to
kill me "?
- And what was God's answer to him? "I
have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
- So too, at the present time there is a remnant
chosen by grace.
- And if by grace, then it is no longer by
works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
- What then? What Israel sought so earnestly
it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
- as it is written: "God gave them a
spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could
not hear, to this very day."
- And David says: "May their table become
a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
- May their eyes be darkened so they cannot
see, and their backs be bent forever."
- Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall
beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation
has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
- But if their transgression means riches
for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater
riches will their fullness bring !
- I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as
I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry
- in the hope that I may somehow arouse my
own people to envy and save some of them.
- For if their rejection is the reconciliation
of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead
?
- If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits
is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
- If some of the branches have been broken
off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others
and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
- do not boast over those branches. If you
do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
- You will say then, "Branches were broken
off so that I could be grafted in."
- Granted. But they were broken off because
of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
- For if God did not spare the natural branches,
he will not spare you either.
- Consider therefore the kindness and sternness
of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you
continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
- And if they do not persist in unbelief,
they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
- After all, if you were cut out of an olive
tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated
olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted
into their own olive tree !
- I do not want you to be ignorant of this
mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced
a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
- And so all Israel will be saved, as it is
written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness
away from Jacob.
- And this is my covenant with them when I
take away their sins."
- As far as the gospel is concerned, they
are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are
loved on account of the patriarchs,
- for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
- Just as you who were at one time disobedient
to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
- so they too have now become disobedient
in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to
you.
- For God has bound all men over to disobedience
so that he may have mercy on them all.
- Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom
and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond
tracing out !
- "Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor ?"
- "Who has ever given to God, that God
should repay him ?"
- For from him and through him and to him
are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
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