The Remnant of Israel
1 I ask, then, 1 Sam. 12:22;Jer. 31:37;33:24has God rejected his people? By no means! For 2 Cor. 11:22;Phil. 3:5I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,11:1 Or one of the offspring of Abraham a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 Ps. 94:14God has not rejected his people whom he ch. 8:29foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 Cited from 1 Kgs. 19:10,14"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." 4 But what is God’s reply to him? Cited from 1 Kgs. 19:18"I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 So too at the present time there is ch. 9:27;[Jer. 3:14;Zech. 13:8]a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 [ch. 4:4;Deut. 9:4,5]But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 What then? See ch. 9:31Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest [ver. 25]were hardened, 8 as it is written,
Isa. 29:10"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Deut. 29:4;[Isa. 43:8;Jer. 5:21;Ezek. 12:2;Eph. 4:18]; See Matt. 13:14eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day."
9 And David says,
Cited from Ps. 69:22,23"Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever."
Gentiles Grafted In
11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass [Acts 28:28]salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion11:12 Greek their fullness mean!
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as ch. 15:16;[Acts 26:17]; See Acts 9:15I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and 1 Cor. 7:16;9:22;1 Tim. 4:16;James 5:20thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means ch. 5:11the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 Num. 15:18-21;Neh. 10:37;Ezek. 44:30If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 But if Jer. 11:16;[Ps. 52:8;John 15:2] some of the branches were broken off, and you, [Eph. 2:12]although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root11:17 Greek root of richness; some manuscripts richness of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you 1 Cor. 10:12;2 Cor. 1:24stand fast through faith. So ch. 12:3,16;1 Tim. 6:17do not become proud, but Prov. 28:14;Isa. 66:2,5;Jer. 44:10;Phil. 2:12fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, 1 Cor. 15:2;Heb. 3:6,14provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise [John 15:2]you too will be cut off. 23 And 2 Cor. 3:16even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were 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, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation
25 ch. 12:16Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:11:25 Or brothers and sisters2 Cor. 3:14;[ver. 7] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, [Rev. 7:9]; See Luke 21:24until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
Cited from Isa. 59:20,21;[John 4:22;Heb. 8:8-12] "The Deliverer will come Ps. 14:7;53:6from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
27 "and this will be my See ch. 9:4covenant with them
Isa. 27:9;[Heb. 8:12]when I take away their sins."
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are ch. 9:5;Deut. 7:8;10:15beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and See ch. 8:28the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as Eph. 2:2,3,11,13;Col. 1:21;3:7;Titus 3:3you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now11:31 Some manuscripts omit now receive mercy. 32 For God See ch. 3:9has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and Col. 2:3;[Ps. 139:6;Eph. 3:10] wisdom and knowledge of God! Deut. 29:29How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 "For Isa. 40:13;1 Cor. 2:16;[Job 15:8] who has known the mind of the Lord,
or Job 36:22,23who has been his counselor?"
35 "Or Job 35:7;41:11who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?"
36 For 1 Cor. 8:6;11:12;Col. 1:16;[Heb. 2:10] from him and through him and to him are all things. ch. 16:27;Eph. 3:21;Phil. 4:20;1 Tim. 1:17;1 Pet. 4:11;2 Pet. 3:18;Jude 25;Rev. 1:6;5:13To him be glory forever. Amen.
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