Study Desk

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.

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?

Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life! ^(f)[a]

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]

In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.^(h)

Now if by grace,⁽ⁱ⁾ then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.^[c]

What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for,^(j) but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,^(k)

as it is written: God gave them a spirit of insensitivity, ^[d] eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear, to this day .^(l)[e]

And David says: Let their feasting ^[f] become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution to them.

Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually. ^(m)[g]

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.

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)

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,

if I can somehow make my own people^[j](q) jealous and save some of them.^(r)

For if their rejection brings reconciliation^(s) to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?^(t)

Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy,^(u) so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

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,

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)