God’s Love for His People

11 So I ask, “God has not rejected his people, has he?” Of course not! I am an Israeli myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected his people whom he chose^[a] long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah,^[b] when he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and demolished your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.”^{[c] 4} But what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal.”^{[d] 5} So it is at the present time: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. ⁶ But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What, then, does this mean?^[e] It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened. ⁸ As it is written,

⁹ And David says,

The Salvation of the Gentiles

¹¹ And so I ask, “They have not stumbled so as to fall, have they?” Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to the gentiles to make the Jews^[i] jealous. ¹² Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their fall means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full participation mean!

¹³ I am speaking to you gentiles. Because I am an apostle to the gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I can make my people^[j] jealous and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast about being better than^[k] the other^[l] branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ That’s right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!^{[m] 21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly will not spare you, either.

²² Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you—if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. ²³ If the Jews^[n] do not persist in their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, because God is able to graft them in. ²⁴ After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

The Restoration of Israel

²⁵ For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.^{[o] 26} In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors. ²⁹ For God’s gifts and calling never change. ³⁰ For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so they, too, have now disobeyed. As a result, they may^[q] receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you. ³² For God has locked all people in the prison of their own disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

In Praise of God’s Ways