A Remnant of Israel Saved
I SAY then, Has God rejected his people? Certainly Not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not cast away his people which he foreknew; or do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah? how he pleaded to God against Israel, saying,
3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, and torn down your altars; and I am the only one left, and they desire to take my life.
4 But what does he say in answer? I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
5 So then, also at this present time there are a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 ¶ What then? That thing desired by all Israel it has not obtained, but rather the elect only has obtained it, and the rest of them hardened.
8 (Just as it is written: God has given them a spirit of incomprehension, eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear;) until this day.
9 And David says: Let their table become a way to snare them, and a trap. Let their prosperity be a stumbling block and their sole reward.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and make their loins continuously shake.
Salvation to the Gentiles through Israel’s Fall
11 ¶ I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But rather through their transgression salvation has come to the nations for the purpose of provoking them to jealousy.
12 Now, if their transgression be the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?
13 For I speak to you nations, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the nations, I magnify my ministry:
14 If by any means I may provoke to jealousy those which are of my race, and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what shall their acceptance be, but life from the dead?
Branches Broken Off and Others Grafted In
16 ¶ For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches are broken off, and you, being of a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and rich sap of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches, nor despise them. But if you boast, you bear not the root, but the root you!
19 You will say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Certainly; because of a lack of faith they were broken off, but you stand by faith. Be not arrogant, but instead fear:
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, take heed lest he does not spare you.
22 See therefore the kindness and the severity of God: to those on the one hand which fell, severity; but towards you kindness, if you continue in his kindness: otherwise you will also be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, shall be grafted back in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree: how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
Israel Blinded until the Fullness of the Gentiles
25 ¶ For I do not desire you to be ignorant brothers of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the full number of the nations be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written: There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is my covenant with them, at the time when I remove their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but in relation to election, they are beloved on account of their forefathers’.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are given without regret.
30 ¶ For just as you in times past have not obeyed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience:
31 In this way, these have now also disobeyed, so that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy.
32 For God has shut them up on every side, in disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the exceedingly great riches, wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who has been able to comprehend the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counsellor?
35 Or who has first given to him, that he should repay?
36 For by him, and through him, and concerning him, are all; to whom be glory in all ages and forever. Amen.
Translation Notes:
V9-10: The M-Text and NU-Text in my opinion seem to be missing some words relating to the quoted text from King David in Psalm 69. When quoting the Old Testament the New Testament often adds some hidden understanding and leaves out some specifics in the original passage which applied to that specific time period. Thus the original Old Testament passages generally have a local meaning in the Old Testament time period and a hidden conceptual meaning or longer term prophetic meaning for the New Testament time period. I have had to make a judgement call and added the word ‘prosperity’ in verse 9 and the part about their ‘loins shaking’ in verse 10. In my option the Greek text does not make much sense without these reference which are in Psalm 69. While it is a very risky thing for a translator to add words to the translation in this way I feel comfortable in doing so, in that if I am wrong all I have done is reinforce what is said in Psalm 69 I have not added any new teaching to the Bible as a whole.