What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, found righteousness, but it was the righteousness which comes from faith; while Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, did not achieve that law. Why so? Because it was not by faith but by actions, and they stumbled against the stone of stumbling, as is written: Behold, I place on Zion the stone of stumbling and the rock of misdirection; but he who has faith in him shall not be brought to shame.
1 Brothers, the desire in my heart and my prayer to God are for them, that they may be saved. For I bear these brothers witness that they have the longing for God; but not in the way of understanding; for they are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and when they tried to set up their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. Christ is the fulfillment of the law and means righteousness for everyone who has faith. Moses writes that everyone who acts righteously according to the law shall live through that. But the righteousness which comes from faith speaks thus: Do not say in your heart: Who will go up to heaven? This is to bring Christ down. Or say: Who will go down into the bottomless pit? This is to bring Christ up from the dead. Then what does it say? That the word is close to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart. This is the word of the faith which we preach: that if you confess to the word that is in your mouth, that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For faith in the heart means righteousness, and confession by the mouth means salvation; Since scripture says: No one who has faith in him shall be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord is Lord of all, and he is bountiful toward all who call upon him. For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call upon one in whom they do not believe? How shall they believe in one of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without one to preach him? How shall they preach unless they are sent forth? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news, the gospel.
But not all heeded the gospel. For Isaiah says: Lord, who believed in our report? Faith comes from what they hear, and what they hear is of the word of Christ. But do I say, they did not hear? Rather: Their voice went out over all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I say, did Israel not understand? First Moses says: I will make you jealous of what is no nation, against a nation without understanding I will rouse your anger. And Isaiah is bold to say: I was found by those who did not seek me, I was made manifest to those who did not want to know me. And to Israel he says: All day I have stretched out my hands to a people who would not obey and contradicted me.
Then I ask, could God have rejected his people? Never! I myself am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, not those whom he had chosen before. Or do you not know that the scripture says, in Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israeclass="underline" Lord, they killed your prophets, they wrecked your altars, and I alone am left, and they are after my life. But then, what is the divine response to him? I have put aside for myself seven thousand men who did not bend the knee to Baal. So even in the present time there is a remnant by way of election for grace; but if by grace, not because of their actions, since such grace is grace no longer. How then? Israel did not find what Israel sought; but the elect found it. But the rest were made insensitive, as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupidity, and eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, even down to the present day. And David says: Let their table tum into a snare to entrap them, and a stumbling block, so that they will be punished. Let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see, and their backs forever bent double.
I ask then, did they stable in order to fall? Never! But by their transgression came the salvation of the Gentiles, to make the Jews emulate them. But if their transgression meant good fortune for the world, and their defeat meant good fortune for the Gentiles, how much more will their success mean!
But this I say to you, the Gentiles: Insofar as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I enlarge my ministry, to stir up if I can my own flesh and blood and so save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean? Surely, life after death. But if the first fruits are blessed, so is the main mass; and if the root is blessed, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive, have been grafted in their place and share with the root the richness of the olive tree, do not glory over those branches. Though you may glory, it is not you who support the root, the root supports you. You will say: The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted on. Very well. They were broken off for lack of faith and you took their places because of your faith. Do not be too confident; but be full of fear. For if God did not spare the branches that were naturally his, he will not spare you. Behold the goodness, and the severity, of God: his severity toward those who have fallen away, but for you the goodness of God, so long as you endure in that goodness; since you too could be cut off. And those others, unless they persist in their unbelief, will be grafted, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut away from your natural wild olive tree and grafted against your nature onto the good olive tree, how much the sooner will they be grafted onto the olive tree which is naturally their own.
For I would not have you think yourselves wise, brothers, through failure to understand this mystery: that a part of Israel has been made uncomprehending until such time as the number of the Gentiles is full; and thus all Israel shall be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion, and he wiil tum impiety away from Jacob; this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins. In the matter of the gospel they are enemies because of you, but in the matter of being chosen they are beloved because of their fathers; for the favors and the summons of God are not to be reversed. Just as you once disbelieved in God, but now have been granted mercy through their disbelief; so now they have disbelieved, so that, by the mercy given to you, they may also receive mercy; since God has included all in one disbelief so that he may have mercy on all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! For who knows the mind of the Lord? Who was ever his counselor? Who ever advanced him anything, and will be repaid? Since from him and through him and to him come all things; his is the glory forever. Amen.
11 I urge you, brothers, by God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living holy sacrifice pleasing to God. This is your reasonable service. And do not pattern yourselves after this age, but transform yourselves through a renewal of the mind, to study the nature of the will of God, what is good, and pleasing, and perfect.
For through the grace that has been granted me I say to every one among you: Do not think thoughts beyond the thoughts you should have, but think to be moderate, according to the measure of faith God has given to each. As in our bodies we have many parts, but the parts do not all have the same function, so we many are one body in Christ, and individually parts of each other. We have different gifts which vary according to the grace that has been given us. If the gift is for prophecy, it should be based on faith. If one is gifted for service, he should serve; the teacher should teach, the comforter should bring comfort; the contributor should show his generosity, the leader his energy, the charitable man his graciousness. Let love be sincere. Hate the bad, hold fast to the good; love each other as brothers, prize each other more than yourselves; be unflagging in energy, seething with enthusiasm, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, steadfast against oppression, devoted in prayer; contribute to the needs of the saints, cultivate hospitality. Bless your persecutors, bless them, do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Agree with each other in your thoughts, and do not be haughty but accommodate yourselves to modest thoughts. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Return no one evil for evil. Have good intentions in regard to all men. If it is possible, be for your part at peace with all men. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give way to God's anger, since it is written: Mine is the vengeance, mine the retribution, says the Lord. Then if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not let yourselves be overcome by evil, but overcome evil through good.