the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Romans 11
Israel Is Not Cast Away
1 I say then, has God (C1)rejected and disowned His people? (C2)Certainly not! For (C3)I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (VR1)2 God (C1)has not rejected His chosen people whom He (C2)foreknew. (C3)Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? (VR1)3 "Lord, (C1)THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT of the prophets, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."4 But what is God's response to him? "(C1)I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL." (VR1)5 So too then, at the present time there has come to be (C1)a remnant a small believing minority according to God's gracious choice.6 But (C1)if it is by grace God's unmerited favor, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace it would not be a gift but a reward for works.
7 What then? (C1)Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking that is, God's favor by obedience to the Law, but the elect those chosen few obtained it, while the rest of them became (C2)hardened and callously indifferent;8 just as it is written in Scripture,
"(C1)GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES THAT DO NOT SEE AND EARS THAT DO NOT HEAR,
a spiritual apathy that has continued TO THIS VERY DAY." (VR1)
"(C1)LET THEIR TABLE (abundance) BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. (VR1)
10 "(C1)LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED SO THAT THEY DO NOT SEE,
AND MAKE THEIR BACKS BEND under their burden FOREVER." (VR1)
11 (C1)So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall to spiritual ruin? (C2)Certainly not! But by their transgression their rejection of the Messiah (C3)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to (C4)make Israel jealous when they realize what they have forfeited.12 Now if Israel's transgression means riches for the world at large and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their (C1)fulfillment and reinstatement be!13 But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as (C1)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,14 in the hope of somehow (C1)making (C2)my fellow countrymen jealous by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth and perhaps (C3)save some of them.15 For if their present rejection of salvation is for the (C1)reconciliation of the world to God, what will their acceptance of salvation be but nothing less than (C2)life from the dead?16 If (C1)the first portion of dough offered as the first fruits is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites). (VR1)
17 But if some of the (C1)branches were broken off, and (C2)you Gentiles, being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,18 do not boast over the broken branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that (C1)it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.19 (C1)You will say then, "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 (C1)stand by your faith as believers understanding the truth of Christ's deity. (C2)Do not be conceited, but rather stand in great awe of God and fear Him;21 for if God did not spare the natural branches because of unbelief, He will not spare you either.22 Then appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: to those who fell into spiritual ruin, severity, but to you, God's gracious (C1)kindness—(C2)if you continue in His kindness by faith and obedience to Him; otherwise you too (C3)will be cut off.23 And even they the unbelieving Jews, (C1)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 off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these who are the natural branches back into the original parent stock of their own olive tree?
25 (C1)I do not want you, believers, to be unaware of this (C2)mystery God's previously hidden plan—so that you will not be (C3)wise in your own opinion—that a partial (C4)hardening has temporarily happened to Israel to last until the (C5)full number of the Gentiles has come in;26 and so at that time all Israel that is, all Jews who have a personal faith in Jesus as Messiah will be saved; just as it is written in Scripture,
"(C1)THE DELIVERER (Messiah) WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." (VR1)
27 "(C1)THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,
(C2)WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." (VR1)
33 Oh, the depth of (C1)the riches and (C2)wisdom and knowledge of God! (C3)How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!34 For (C1)WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO HAS BEEN HIS COUNSELOR? (VR1)35 Or (C1)WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT WOULD BE PAID BACK TO HIM?36 For (C1)from Him all things originate and through Him all things live and exist and to Him are all things directed. (C2)To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.
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