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保罗忧愁以色列人不信

我在基督里说真话,并不谎言,有我良心被圣灵感动给我作见证。 我是大有忧愁,心里时常伤痛。 为我弟兄,我骨肉之亲,就是自己被咒诅,与基督分离,我也愿意。 他们是以色列人,那儿子的名分、荣耀、诸约、律法、礼仪、应许都是他们的; 列祖就是他们的祖宗;按肉体说,基督也是从他们出来的——他是在万有之上永远可称颂的神!阿门。 这不是说神的话落了空。因为从以色列生的,不都是以色列人; 也不因为是亚伯拉罕的后裔,就都做他的儿女,唯独“从以撒生的,才要称为你的后裔”。 这就是说,肉身所生的儿女不是神的儿女,唯独那应许的儿女才算是后裔。 因为所应许的话是这样说:“到明年这时候我要来,撒拉必生一个儿子。” 10 不但如此,还有利百加,既从一个人,就是从我们的祖宗以撒怀了孕, 11 双子还没有生下来,善恶还没有做出来——只因要显明神拣选人的旨意,不在乎人的行为,乃在乎召人的主—— 12 神就对利百加说:“将来大的要服侍小的。” 13 正如经上所记:“雅各是我所爱的,以扫是我所恶的。”

随意怜悯慈悲

14 这样,我们可说什么呢?难道神有什么不公平吗?断乎没有! 15 因他对摩西说:“我要怜悯谁就怜悯谁,要恩待谁就恩待谁。” 16 据此看来,这不在乎那定意的,也不在乎那奔跑的,只在乎发怜悯的神。 17 因为经上有话向法老说:“我将你兴起来,特要在你身上彰显我的权能,并要使我的名传遍天下。” 18 如此看来,神要怜悯谁就怜悯谁,要叫谁刚硬就叫谁刚硬。

预言外邦人蒙爱

19 这样,你必对我说:“他为什么还指责人呢?有谁抗拒他的旨意呢?” 20 你这个人哪,你是谁,竟敢向神强嘴呢?受造之物岂能对造他的说:“你为什么这样造我呢?” 21 窑匠难道没有权柄从一团泥里拿一块做成贵重的器皿,又拿一块做成卑贱的器皿吗? 22 倘若神要显明他的愤怒,彰显他的权能,就多多忍耐宽容那可怒、预备遭毁灭的器皿, 23 又要将他丰盛的荣耀彰显在那蒙怜悯、早预备得荣耀的器皿上—— 24 这器皿就是我们被神所召的,不但是从犹太人中,也是从外邦人中——这有什么不可呢? 25 就像神在何西阿书上说:“那本来不是我子民的,我要称为我的子民;本来不是蒙爱的,我要称为蒙爱的。 26 从前在什么地方对他们说‘你们不是我的子民’,将来就在那里称他们为‘永生神的儿子’。” 27 以赛亚指着以色列人喊着说:“以色列人虽多如海沙,得救的不过是剩下的余数。 28 因为主要在世上施行他的话,叫他的话都成全,速速地完结。” 29 又如以赛亚先前说过:“若不是万军之主给我们存留余种,我们早已像所多玛蛾摩拉的样子了。”

律法的义和信心的义相比

30 这样,我们可说什么呢?那本来不追求义的外邦人反得了义,就是因信而得的义; 31 以色列人追求律法的义,反得不着律法的义。 32 这是什么缘故呢?是因为他们不凭着信心求,只凭着行为求,他们正跌在那绊脚石上。 33 就如经上所记:“我在锡安放一块绊脚的石头、跌人的磐石,信靠他的人必不至于羞愧。”

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(A) my conscience confirms(B) it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself(C) were cursed(D) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(E) those of my own race,(F) the people of Israel.(G) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;(H) theirs the divine glory,(I) the covenants,(J) the receiving of the law,(K) the temple worship(L) and the promises.(M) Theirs are the patriarchs,(N) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,(O) who is God over all,(P) forever praised![a](Q) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word(R) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(S) Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[b](T) In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(U) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(V) For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[c](W)

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.(X) 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(Y)—in order that God’s purpose(Z) in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[d](AA) 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[e](AB)

14 What then shall we say?(AC) Is God unjust? Not at all!(AD) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[f](AE)

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(AF) 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[g](AG) 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(AH)

19 One of you will say to me:(AI) “Then why does God still blame us?(AJ) For who is able to resist his will?”(AK) 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(AL) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,(AM) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[h](AN) 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?(AO)

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(AP) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(AQ) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(AR) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(AS) 24 even us, whom he also called,(AT) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(AU) 25 As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
    and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”[i](AV)

26 and,

“In the very place where it was said to them,
    ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”[j](AW)

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,(AX)
    only the remnant will be saved.(AY)
28 For the Lord will carry out
    his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”[k](AZ)

29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:

“Unless the Lord Almighty(BA)
    had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.”[l](BB)

Israel’s Unbelief

30 What then shall we say?(BC) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;(BD) 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,(BE) have not attained their goal.(BF) 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(BG) 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[m](BH)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:5 Or Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised!
  2. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12
  3. Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14
  4. Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23
  5. Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3
  6. Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19
  7. Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16
  8. Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9
  9. Romans 9:25 Hosea 2:23
  10. Romans 9:26 Hosea 1:10
  11. Romans 9:28 Isaiah 10:22,23 (see Septuagint)
  12. Romans 9:29 Isaiah 1:9
  13. Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.