Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose^(A)

^6 (B)But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For ^(C)they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

²⁸ For ^(A)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew ^(B)who is one inwardly; and ^(C)circumcision is that of the heart, ^(D)in the Spirit, not in the letter; ^(E)whose ^[a]praise is not from men but from God.

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, ^(A)an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

¹⁷ Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to ^(A)the heirs of promise ^(B)the ^[a]immutability of His counsel, ^[b]confirmed it by an oath, ¹⁸ that by two ^[c]immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to ^(C)lie, we ^[d]might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope ^(D)set before us.

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I say then, ^(A)has God cast away His people? ^(B)Certainly not! For ^(C)I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not cast away His people whom ^(D)He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,

¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father ^(A)Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

The Promise Granted Through Faith

¹³ For the promise that he would be the ^(B)heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For ^(C)if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, ¹⁵ because ^(D)the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be ^(E)according to grace, ^(F)so that the promise might be ^[a]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, ^(G)who is the father of us all

³ For what if ^(A)some did not believe? ^(B)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?