Paul’s Concern for the Jews

1I say ye trueth in Christ, I lye not, my conscience also bearyng me witnesse by the holy ghost, 2That I haue great heauinesse, & continuall sorowe in my heart. 3For I haue wisshed my selfe to be cursed from Christe, for my brethren, my kynsmen as pertaynyng to ye fleshe, 4Which are the Israelites: To whom pertayneth the adoption, and the glory, & the couenauntes, and the lawe that was geuen, and the seruice of God, and the promises. 5Of whom are the fathers, of whom as concernyng the fleshe, Christe came, which is God, in all thynges to be praysed for euer. Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice
(Genesis 25:19–28; Malachi 1:1–5)

6And it can not be, that the worde of God shoulde take none effect. For they are not all Israelites, which are of Israel: 7Neither are they all chyldren that are the seede of Abraham: But in Isaac shall thy seede be called. 8That is to say: They which are the chyldren of the fleshe, are not the chyldren of God: But they which be the childre of promise, are counted the seede. 9For this is a worde of promise: About this tyme wyll I come, and Sara shall haue a sonne. 10Not only this, but also Rebecca was with chylde by one euen by our father Isaac. 11For yer the chyldren were borne, when they had neither done good neither bad, (that the purpose of God by election might stande: not by the reason of workes, but by the caller) 12It was sayde vnto her: The elder shall serue the younger. 13As it is written: Iacob haue I loued, but Esau haue I hated.

14What shall we say then? Is there any vnrighteousnes with God? God forbid. 15For he sayth to Moyses: I wyll shewe mercy to whom I shewe mercy: And wyll haue compassion, on whom I haue compassion. 16So then it is not of the wyller, nor of the runner: but of the mercy of God. 17For the scripture sayth vnto Pharao: Euen for this same purpose haue I stirred thee vp, to shewe my power in thee, & that my name myght be declared throughout all the worlde. 18So hath he mercy on whom he wyll, and whom he wyll, he hardeneth.

19Thou wylt say then vnto me: Why then blameth he vs yet? For who hath ben able to resist his wyll? 20But O man, what art thou which disputest with God? Shall the worke say to the workeman, why hast thou made me on this fashion? 21Hath not the potter power ouer the clay, euen of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour, and another vnto dishonour? 22If then, God wyllyng to shewe his wrath, and to make his power knowe, suffred with long patience, the vessels of wrath, ordayned to destruction, 23To declare the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy, which he had prepared vnto glory: 24Whom also he called, not of ye Iewes only, but also of the Gentiles.

25As he sayth also in Osee: I wyll call them my people, which were not my people: and her beloued, which was not beloued.

26And it shall come to passe, that in the place where it was sayde vnto them: Ye are not my people, there shall they be called ye chyldren of the lyuyng God.

27And Esaias cryeth concerning Israel: Though the number of the children of Israel, be as the sande of the sea, yet but a remnaunt shalbe saued. 28For he finisheth the worde, and maketh it short in ryghteousnesse: For a short worde wyll the Lorde make on earth.

29And as Esaias sayde before: Except the Lorde of Sabboth had lefte vs seede, we had ben made as Sodoma, and had ben lykened to Gomorrha.

Israel’s Unbelief

30What shall we say then? that the gentiles which folowed not ryghteousnes, haue obtayned righteousnesse: euen the ryghteousnesse which cometh of fayth. 31But Israel, which folowed the lawe of ryghteousnesse, hath not attayned to the lawe of ryghteousnesse. 32Wherfore? Because they sought it not by fayth: but as it were by the workes of the lawe. For they haue stumbled at the stumblyng stone,

33As it is written: Beholde, I put in Sion a stumblyng stone, and a rocke of offence: And whosoeuer beleueth on hym, shall not be confounded.