Study Desk

^(C1)I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,

that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.

For ^(C1)I could ^(F1)wish that I myself were ^(C2)accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen ^(C3)according to the flesh,

who are ^(C1)Israelites, to whom belongs ^(C2)the adoption as sons and daughters, ^(C3)the glory, ^(C4)the covenants, ^(C5)the giving of the Law, ^(C6)the temple service, and ^(C7)the promises;

whose are ^(C1)the fathers, and ^(C2)from whom is the ^(F1)Christ according to the flesh, ^(C3)who is over all, ^(C4)God ^(C5)blessed ^(F2)forever. Amen.

But it is not as though ^(C1)the word of God has failed. ^(C2)For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;

nor are they all children ^(C1)because they are Abraham's ^(F1)(C2)descendants, but: "^(F2)(C3)THROUGH ISAAC YOUR ^(F1)DESCENDANTS SHALL BE NAMED."

That is, it is not the children of the flesh ^(F1)who are ^(C1)children of God, but the ^(C2)children of the promise are regarded as ^(F2)(C3)descendants.

For this is the word of promise: "^(C1)AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH WILL HAVE A SON."

^(C1)And not only that, but there was also ^(C2)Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that ^(C1)God's purpose according to His choice would ^(F1)stand, not ^(F2)because of works but ^(F2)because of Him who calls,

it was said to her, "^(C1)THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."

Just as it is written: "^(C1)JACOB I HAVE LOVED, BUT ESAU I HAVE HATED."

^(C1)What shall we say then? ^(C2)There is no injustice with God, is there? ^(F1)(C3)Far from it!

For He says to Moses, "^(C1)I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOMEVER I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL SHOW COMPASSION TO WHOMEVER I SHOW COMPASSION."

So then, it does not depend on the person who ^(F1)wants it nor the one who ^(F2)(C1)runs, but on ^(C2)God who has mercy.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "^(C1)FOR THIS VERY REASON I RAISED YOU UP, IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED ^(F1)THROUGHOUT THE EARTH."

So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He ^(C1)hardens whom He desires.

^(C1)You will say to me then, "^(C2)Why does He still find fault? For ^(C3)who has resisted His will?"

On the contrary, who are you, ^(F1)(C1)you foolish person, who ^(C2)answers back to God? ^(C3)The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?

Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object ^(F1)for honorable use, and another ^(F2)for common use?

^(F1)What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great ^(C1)patience objects of wrath ^(C2)prepared for destruction?

And He did so to make known ^(C1)the riches of His glory upon ^(C2)objects of mercy, which He ^(C3)prepared beforehand for glory,

namely us, whom He also ^(C1)called, ^(C2)not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles,

as He also says in Hosea: "^(C1)I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"

"^(C1)AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF ^(C2)THE LIVING GOD."

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "^(C1)THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL MAY BE ^(C2)LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, ONLY ^(C3)THE REMNANT WILL BE SAVED;

^(C1)FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, ^(F1)THOROUGHLY AND ^(F2)QUICKLY."

And just as Isaiah foretold: "^(C1)IF ^(C2)THE LORD ^(F1)OF ARMIES HAD NOT LEFT US ^(F2)(C3)DESCENDANTS, ^(C4)WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE ^(F3)BEEN LIKE GOMORRAH."

^(C1)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but ^(C2)the righteousness that is ^(F1)by faith;

however, Israel, ^(C1)pursuing a law of righteousness, did not ^(C2)arrive at that law.

Why? Because they did not pursue it ^(F1)by faith, but as though they could ^(F1)by works. They stumbled over ^(C1)the stumbling stone,

just as it is written: "^(C1)BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION ^(C2)A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, ^(C3)AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM ^(C4)WILL NOT BE ^(F1)PUT TO SHAME."

Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

For I testify about them that they have ^(C1)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

For not knowing about ^(C1)God's righteousness and ^(C2)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

For ^(C1)Christ is the ^(F1)end of the Law for righteousness to ^(C2)everyone who believes.

For Moses writes of the righteousness that is ^(F1)based on the Law, that the person who performs ^(F2)them ^(C1)will live by ^(F2)them.

But ^(C1)the righteousness ^(F1)based on faith speaks as follows: "^(C2)DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL GO UP INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down),

or 'Who will descend into the ^(C1)abyss?' (that is, to ^(C2)bring Christ up from the dead)."

But what does it say? "^(C1)THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

^(F1)that ^(C1)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ^(C2)believe in your heart that ^(C3)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

for with the heart a person believes, ^(F1)resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ^(F2)resulting in salvation.

For the Scripture says, "^(C1)WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE ^(F1)PUT TO SHAME."

For ^(C1)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is ^(C2)Lord of ^(C3)all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;

for "^(C1)EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him ^(C1)whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without ^(C2)a preacher?

But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: "^(C1)HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO ^(F1)(C2)BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

However, they ^(C1)did not all heed the ^(F1)good news; for Isaiah says, "^(C2)LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"

So faith comes from ^(C1)hearing, and hearing by ^(C2)the word ^(F1)of Christ.

But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary: "^(C1)THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE ^(F1)WORLD."

But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, "^(C1)I WILL ^(C2)MAKE YOU JEALOUS WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT A NATION, WITH A FOOLISH NATION I WILL ANGER YOU."

And Isaiah is very bold and says, "^(C1)I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I REVEALED MYSELF TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME."

But as for Israel, He says, "^(C1)I HAVE SPREAD OUT MY HANDS ALL DAY LONG TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE."

I say then, God has not ^(C1)rejected His people, has He? ^(F1)(C2)Far from it! For ^(C3)I too am an Israelite, ^(F2)a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God ^(C1)has not rejected His people whom He ^(C2)foreknew. ^(C3)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

"Lord, ^(C1)THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."

But what ^(F1)is the divine response to him? "^(C1)I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."

In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time ^(C1)a remnant according to God's ^(F1)gracious choice.

But ^(C1)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^(F1)on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

What then? What ^(C1)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but ^(F1)those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were ^(C2)hardened;

just as it is written: "^(C1)GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."

And David says, "^(C1)MAY THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.

-"^(C1)MAY THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS CONTINUALLY."

^(C1)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? ^(F1)(C2)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing ^(C3)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to ^(C4)make them jealous.

Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their ^(F1)(C1)fulfillment be!

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as ^(C1)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry

if somehow I may ^(C1)move ^(C2)my ^(F1)own people to jealousy and ^(C3)save some of them.

For if their rejection proves to be the ^(C1)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but ^(C2)life from the dead?

If the ^(C1)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.

But if some of the ^(C1)branches were broken off, and ^(C2)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the ^(F1)rich root of the olive tree,

do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that ^(C1)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

^(C1)You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you ^(C1)stand by your faith. ^(C2)Do not be conceited, but fear;

for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's ^(C1)kindness, ^(C2)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too ^(C3)will be cut off.

And they also, ^(C1)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

For ^(C1)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this ^(C2)mystery—so that you will not be ^(C3)wise in your own estimation—that a partial ^(C4)hardening has happened to Israel until the ^(C5)fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written: "^(C1)THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."

"^(C1)THIS IS ^(F1)MY COVENANT WITH THEM, ^(C2)WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."

In relation to the gospel they are ^(C1)enemies on your account, but in relation to God's choice they are beloved ^(C2)on account of the fathers;

for the gifts and the ^(C1)calling of God ^(C2)are irrevocable.

For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,

so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.

For ^(C1)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.

Oh, the depth of ^(C1)the riches, ^(F1)both of the ^(C2)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(C3)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

For ^(C1)WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?

Or ^(C1)WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM, ^(F1)THAT IT WOULD BE PAID BACK TO HIM?

For ^(C1)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. ^(C2)To Him be the glory ^(F1)forever. Amen.

Therefore ^(C1)I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to ^(C2)present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, ^(F1)acceptable to God, which is your ^(F2)spiritual service of worship.