The Word of Faith Brings Salvation

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have ^(A)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. ³ For not knowing about ^(B)God’s righteousness and ^(C)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For ^(D)Christ is the ^[a]end of the Law for righteousness to ^(E)everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes of the righteousness that is ^[b]based on the Law, that the person who performs ^[c]them ^(F)will live by ^[d]them. ⁶ But ^(G)the righteousness ^[e]based on faith speaks as follows: “^(H)Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), ⁷ or ‘Who will descend into the ^(I)abyss?’ (that is, to ^(J)bring Christ up from the dead).” ⁸ But what does it say? “^(K)The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, ^9 [f]that ^(L)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ^(M)believe in your heart that ^(N)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, ^[g]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ^[h]resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “^(O)Whoever believes in Him will not be ^[i]put to shame.” ¹² For ^(P)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is ^(Q)Lord of ^(R)all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; ¹³ for “^(S)Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him ^(T)whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without ^(U)a preacher? ¹⁵ But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “^(V)How beautiful are the feet of those who ^[j](W)bring good news of good things!”

¹⁶ However, they ^(X)did not all heed the ^[k]good news; for Isaiah says, “^(Y)Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from ^(Z)hearing, and hearing by ^(AA)the word ^[l]of Christ.

¹⁸ But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary:

¹⁹ But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,

²⁰ And Isaiah is very bold and says,

²¹ But as for Israel, He says, “^(AF)I have spread out My hands all day long to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Israel Has Not Been Rejected

11 I say then, God has not ^(AG)rejected His people, has He? ^[n](AH)Far from it! For ^(AI)I too am an Israelite, ^[o]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God ^(AJ)has not rejected His people whom He ^(AK)foreknew. ^(AL)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Lord, ^(AM)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴ But what ^[p]is the divine response to him? “^(AN)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time ^(AO)a remnant according to God’s ^[q]gracious choice. ⁶ But ^(AP)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^[r]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

⁷ What then? What ^(AQ)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but ^[s]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were ^(AR)hardened; ⁸ just as it is written:

⁹ And David says,

^11 (AV)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? ^[t](AW)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing ^(AX)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to ^(AY)make them jealous. ¹² Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their ^[u](AZ)fulfillment be! ¹³ But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as ^(BA)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ if somehow I may ^(BB)move ^(BC)my ^[v]own people to jealousy and ^(BD)save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection proves to be the ^(BE)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but ^(BF)life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the ^(BG)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.

¹⁷ But if some of the ^(BH)branches were broken off, and ^(BI)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the ^[w]rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that ^(BJ)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. ^19 (BK)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you ^(BL)stand by your faith. ^(BM)Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s ^(BN)kindness, ^(BO)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too ^(BP)will be cut off. ²³ And they also, ^(BQ)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For ^(BR)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this ^(BS)mystery—so that you will not be ^(BT)wise in your own estimation—that a partial ^(BU)hardening has happened to Israel until the ^(BV)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:

²⁸ In relation to the gospel they are ^(BZ)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved ^(CA)on account of the fathers; ²⁹ for the gifts and the ^(CB)calling of God ^(CC)are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For ^(CD)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.

³³ Oh, the depth of ^(CE)the riches, ^[y]both of the ^(CF)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(CG)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For ^(CH)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or ^(CI)who has first given to Him, ^[z]that it would be paid back to him? ³⁶ For ^(CJ)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. ^(CK)To Him be the glory ^[aa]forever. Amen.

Dedicated Service

12 Therefore ^(CL)I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to ^(CM)present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, ^[ab]acceptable to God, which is your ^[ac]spiritual service of worship. ² And do not ^(CN)be conformed to ^(CO)this ^[ad]world, but be transformed by the ^(CP)renewing of your mind, so that you may ^[ae](CQ)prove what the will of God is, that which is good and ^[af]acceptable and perfect.

³ For through ^(CR)the grace given to me I say to everyone among you ^(CS)not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to ^(CT)each a measure of faith. ⁴ For ^(CU)just as we have many parts in one body and all ^[ag]the body’s parts do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, ^(CV)who are many, are ^(CW)one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. ⁶ However, since we have gifts that ^(CX)differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if ^(CY)prophecy, ^[ah]in proportion to one’s faith; ⁷ if ^[ai](CZ)service, in the act of serving; or the one who ^(DA)teaches, in the act of teaching; ⁸ or the one who ^[aj](DB)exhorts, in the work of ^[ak]exhortation; the one who gives, with ^[al](DC)generosity; ^(DD)the one who ^[am]is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with ^(DE)cheerfulness.

^9 [an](DF)Love must be free of hypocrisy. ^(DG)Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be ^(DH)devoted to one another in brotherly love; ^[ao]give preference to one another ^(DI)in honor, ¹¹ not lagging behind in diligence, ^(DJ)fervent in spirit, ^(DK)serving the Lord; ^12 (DL)rejoicing in hope, ^(DM)persevering in tribulation, ^(DN)devoted to prayer, ^13 (DO)contributing to the needs of the ^[ap]saints, ^[aq](DP)practicing hospitality.

^14 (DQ)Bless those who persecute ^[ar]you; bless and do not curse. ^15 (DR)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ^16 (DS)Be of the same mind toward one another; ^(DT)do not be ^[as]haughty in mind, but ^[at]associate with the lowly. ^(DU)Do not be wise in your own estimation. ^17 (DV)Never repay evil for evil to anyone. ^[au](DW)Respect what is right in the sight of all people. ¹⁸ If possible, ^(DX)so far as it depends on you, ^(DY)be at peace with all people. ^19 (DZ)Never take your own revenge, beloved, but ^[av]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “^(EA)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ “^(EB)But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.