Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 9

Israel's Rejection of Christ

¹ I speak the truth in Christ^(a)—I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit^[a]— ² that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart. ³ For I could almost wish^(b) to be cursed^(c) and cut off^[b] from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood. ⁴ They are Israelites,^(d) and to them belong the adoption,^(e) the glory,^(f) the covenants,^(g) the giving of the law,^(h) the temple service,⁽ⁱ⁾ and the promises.^{(j) 5} The ancestors are theirs,^(k) and from them, by physical descent,^[c] came the Messiah,^(l) who is God^(m) over all,⁽ⁿ⁾ praised forever.^[d](o) Amen.

God's Gracious Election of Israel

⁶ But it is not as though the word of God has failed.^(p) For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{(q) 7} Neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants.^[e](r) On the contrary, your offspring will be traced ^[f] through Isaac. ^{(s)[g] 8} That is, it is not the children by physical descent^[h] who are God's children,^(t) but the children of the promise^(u) are considered to be the offspring. ⁹ For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. ^{(v)[i] 10} And not only that,^(w) but also Rebekah received a promise when she became pregnant^[j](x) by one man, our ancestor Isaac. ¹¹ For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to election might stand—^{(y) 12} not from works but from the One who calls—she was told: The older will serve the younger. ^{(z)[k] 13} As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau. ^(aa)[l]

God's Selection Is Just

¹⁴ What should we say then?^(ab) Is there injustice with God?^(ac) Absolutely not!^{(ad) 15} For He tells Moses:

¹⁶ So then it does not depend on human will or effort^[n](af) but on God who shows mercy.^{(ag) 17} For the Scripture tells Pharaoh:

¹⁸ So then, He shows mercy to those He wants to, and He hardens those He wants to harden.^(ai)

¹⁹ You will say to me,^(aj) therefore, "Why then does He still find fault?^(ak) For who can resist His will?"^{(al) 20} But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God?^(am) Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"^{(an) 21} Or has the potter no right over the clay,^(ao) to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? ²² And what if God, desiring to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience^(ap) objects of wrath ready for destruction?^{(aq) 23} And what if He did this to make known the riches of His glory^(ar) on objects of mercy^(as) that He prepared beforehand for glory^(at)— ²⁴ on us, the ones He also called,^(au) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?^{(av) 25} As He also says in Hosea:

²⁷ But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

²⁹ And just as Isaiah predicted:

Israel's Present State

³⁰ What should we say then?^(bd) Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.^{(be) 31} But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness,^(bf) has not achieved the righteousness of the law.^{[v](bg) 32} Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works.^[w] They stumbled over the stumbling stone.^{(bh) 33} As it is written:

Chapter 10

Righteousness by Faith Alone

¹ Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God concerning them^[a] is for their salvation! ² I can testify about them that they have zeal for God,^(a) but not according to knowledge. ³ Because they disregarded the righteousness from God^(b) and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God's righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end^[b] of the law for righteousness^(c) to everyone who believes.^{(d) 5} For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. ^{(e)[c] 6} But the righteousness that comes from faith^(f) speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up to heaven?" ^(g)[d] that is, to bring Christ down ⁷ or, "Who will go down into the abyss?" ^(h)[e] that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.^{(i) 8} On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. ^(j)[f] This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord,"^(k) and believe in your heart^(l) that God raised Him from the dead,^(m) you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. ¹¹ Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, ^{(n)[g] 12} for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,^(o) since the same Lord^(p) of all^(q) is rich to all who call on Him. ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ^(r)[h]

Israel's Rejection of the Message

¹⁴ But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him?^(s) And how can they hear without a preacher?^{(t) 15} And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful ^[i] are the feet of those ^[j] who announce the gospel of good things! ^{(u)[k] 16} But all did not obey the gospel.^(v) For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? ^{(w)[l] 17} So faith comes from what is heard,^(x) and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.^{[m](y) 18} But I ask, "Did they not hear?" Yes, they did:

¹⁹ But I ask, "Did Israel not understand?" First, Moses said:

²⁰ And Isaiah says boldly:

²¹ But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people. ^(ad)[q]

Chapter 11

Israel's Rejection Not Total

¹ I ask, then, has God rejected His people?^(a) Absolutely not!^(b) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,^(c) from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.^(d) Or don't you know^(e) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?

⁴ But what was God's reply to him? I have left 7,000 men for Myself who have not bowed down to Baal. ^{(g)[b] 5} In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.^{(h) 6} Now if by grace,⁽ⁱ⁾ then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.^[c]

⁷ What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for,^(j) but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,^{(k) 8} as it is written:

⁹ And David says:

Israel's Rejection Not Final

¹¹ I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling,^[h] salvation has come to the Gentiles⁽ⁿ⁾ to make Israel jealous. ¹² Now if their stumbling^[i] brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!^(o)

¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an apostle to the Gentiles,^(p) I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if I can somehow make my own people^[j](q) jealous and save some of them.^{(r) 15} For if their rejection brings reconciliation^(s) to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?^{(t) 16} Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy,^(u) so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken off,^(v) and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them^(w) and have come to share in the rich root^[k] of the cultivated olive tree, ¹⁸ do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.^{(x) 19} Then you will say,^(y) "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." ²⁰ True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith.^(z) Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.^{(aa) 21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. ²² Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God's kindness^(ab) toward you—if you remain in His kindness.^(ac) Otherwise you too will be cut off.^{(ad) 23} And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief,^(ae) will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from your native wild olive and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?