Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
My Heart Has Great Grief And Pain Over Israel
9 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying— my conscience bearing-witness-with me in the Holy Spirit— 2 that there is great grief in me and unceasing pain in my heart. 3 For I would pray[a] that I myself might be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh— 4 who are Israelites, of whom[b] is the adoption and the glory[c] and the covenants and the Law-giving and the [temple] service and the promises, 5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according-to[d] the flesh, the One being[e] over all, God, blessed forever, amen.
But Not All Abraham’s Physical Children Are Children of God
6 But it is not such as that the word of God has failed— for not all[f] these ones from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor are they all children because they are seed of Abraham, but “In Isaac a seed will be called for you” [Gen 21:12]. 8 That is, these children of the flesh are not children of God, but the children of [g] the promise are counted for seed. 9 For the word of promise is this: “I will come at this time, and there will be a son to Sarah” [Gen 18:10]. 10 And not only this, but there is also Rebekah having bed[h] from one man, Isaac our father. 11 For the twins having not yet been born nor having done anything good or bad— in order that the purpose[i] of God according to His choosing[j] might continue[k], 12 not of works but of the One calling— it was said to her [in Gen 25:23] that “the older will serve the younger”. 13 Just as it has been written [in Mal 1:2-3]: “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau”.
God Has Mercy On Whom He Wants, And He Hardens Whom He Wants
14 Therefore what shall we say? There is not unrighteousness[l] with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses [in Ex 33:19], “I will have-mercy-on whomever I have-mercy, and I will have-compassion-on whomever I have compassion”. 16 So then, mercy is not of [m] the one wanting, nor of the one running, but of the One having-mercy[n]— God. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh [in Ex 9:16] that “I raised you up for this very purpose: so that I might demonstrate My power[o] in you, and so that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth”. 18 So then, He has-mercy-on whom He wants, and He hardens[p] whom He wants.
The Creator Is Making Known His Wrath And His Mercy In Humankind
19 Therefore you will say to me, “Why then does He still find-fault? For who has resisted[q] His will?” 20 O human, on the contrary, who are you, the one answering-back to God? The thing formed will not say to the one having formed it, “Why did you make me like-this?”, will it? 21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 But what if God, wanting[r] to demonstrate His wrath and to make-known His power, bore[s] with much patience vessels of wrath having been prepared[t] for destruction, 23 and did so in order that He might make-known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy which He prepared-beforehand[u] for glory— 24 even us whom He called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?
He Is Making Those Not His People His Own Children
25 As[v] He says also in Hosea: “I will call ‘Not My people’, ‘My people’; and ‘Not having been loved’, ‘Having been loved’” [Hos 2:23]. 26 “And it shall be in the place where it was said to them ‘you are not My people’, there they will be called sons of the living God” [Hos 1:10].
But Only a Remnant of Israel Will Be Saved
27 But[w] Isaiah cries-out concerning Israel: “If the number of the sons of Israel should be like the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. 28 For the Lord will accomplish[x] His word upon the earth, completing[y] and cutting-short[z]” [in Isa 10:22-23]. 29 And just as Isaiah said-before [in Isa 1:9]: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left-behind a seed for us, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been likened[aa] as Gomorrah”.
Israel Pursued a Righteousness Through The Law, And Did Not Attain It
30 Therefore, what shall we say? That Gentiles, the ones not pursuing righteousness, took-hold-of [ab] righteousness— but a righteousness by faith. 31 But Israel, pursuing the Law of righteousness, did not attain to that Law. 32 For what reason? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as-if it was by works. They stumbled on the Stone of stumbling, 33 just as it has been written [in Isa 28:16]: “Behold— I am laying in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of falling. And the one putting-faith upon Him will not be put-to-shame”.
Israel’s Zeal Is Not In Accordance With Knowledge
10 Brothers, my heart’s desire and petition to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify concerning them that they have a zeal for God— but not in-accordance-with knowledge.
For They Are Ignorant of The Source of True Righteousness
3 For being-ignorant-of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For[ac] Christ is the end[ad] of the Law for[ae] righteousness for everyone believing.
The Law Requires Performance; True Righteousness Comes By Faith In Christ
5 For Moses writes [in Lev 18:5] as to the righteousness of the Law that “The person having done them will live by them”. 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks[af] as follows: “Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up into heaven?”, that is, to bring[ag] Christ down, 7 or “who will go down into the abyss?”, that is, to bring[ah] Christ up from the dead. 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”, that is, the word of [ai] faith which we are proclaiming, 9 that[aj] if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is believed with the heart resulting-in righteousness, and it is confessed with the mouth resulting in salvation.
The Scripture Says Faith Leads To Salvation For Both Jew And Greek
11 For the Scripture says [in Isa 28:16] “everyone putting-faith upon Him will not be put-to-shame”. 12 For there is no distinction between both Jew and Greek— for the same Lord is Lord of all, being rich toward all the ones calling-upon Him. 13 For “everyone who calls-upon the name of the Lord will be saved” [Joel 2:32].
This Is Why God Sent Forth His Messengers With The Report About Christ
14 How then[ak] may they[al] call-upon the One in Whom they did not believe? And how may they believe the One Whom[am] they did not hear? And how may they hear without one proclaiming? 15 And how may they proclaim if they are not sent-forth?— just as it has been written[an] [in Isa 52:7]: “How beautiful are the feet of the ones announcing-good-news-of good things!” 16 But[ao] they did not all obey the good-news, for Isaiah says [in Isa 53:1], “Lord, who put-faith-in our report?” 17 So[ap] the faith[aq] comes from a report-hearing[ar], and the report-hearing through a word[as] about[at] Christ.
But It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Hear
18 But I say[au]— it is not that they did not hear[av], is it ? On the contrary: “Their voice went-out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps 19:4].
And It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Know
19 But I say— it is not that Israel did not know[aw], is it ? First, Moses says [in Deut 32:21] “I will provoke you to jealousy over what is not a nation. I will provoke you to anger over a nation without-understanding[ax]”. 20 And Isaiah is very-bold and says [in Isa 65:1] “I was found by the ones not seeking Me. I became visible[ay] to the ones not asking-for Me”. 21 But with-regard-to Israel He says [in Isa 65:2], “I held-out[az] My hands the whole day toward a disobeying[ba] and contradicting[bb] people”.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing