The Word Brings Salvation
(Isaiah 65:1–16)

1Brothers, indeed the good pleasure of my heart and my supplication to God on behalf of them is for salvation. 2For I testify about them that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own righteousness,† they did not submit to the righteousness of God. 4For the end of law is Christ, unto righteousness to everyone believing.

5For Moses writes of the righteousness that is of the law, that, “The man having done these things will live in them.”† 6But the righteousness of faith speaks thus: “You should not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’† (that is, to bring down Christ), 7or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’† (that is, to bring up Christ out from the dead).”

8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,”† that is, the word of faith that we proclaim, 9that if you confess† with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation.

11For the Scripture says, “Everyone believing on Him will not be put to shame.”† 12For there is no difference between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord of all is rich to all those calling upon Him, 13for, “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”†

14How then can they call upon One in whom they did not believe? And how can they believe in One of whom they did not hear? And how can they hear apart from one preaching? 15And how can they preach unless they can be sent? As it has been written: “How beautiful are the feet of those proclaiming good news of good things!”†

16But not all heeded the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”† 17So faith is by hearing, and hearing is through the word of Christ.†

18But I say, did they not hear? Indeed:

“Their voice went out into all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.Ӡ

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

“I will provoke you⁺ to jealousy by those not a nation;

I will provoke you⁺ to anger by a nation without understanding.”†

20And Isaiah is very bold and says:

“I was found by those not seeking Me;

I made Myself manifest to those not inquiring after Me.Ӡ

21But to Israel he says:

“All the day I stretched out My hands

to a disobeying and contradicting people.Ӡ

Footnotes:

3 SBL and WH to establish their own
5 Leviticus 18:5; see also Ezekiel 20:11, 13, and 21.
6 Deuteronomy 30:12
7 See Deuteronomy 30:13.
8 Deuteronomy 30:14
9 WH confess the word
11 Isaiah 28:16 (see also LXX)
13 Joel 2:32
15 BYZ and TR How beautiful are the feet of those proclaiming good news of peace, proclaiming good news of good things; Isaiah 52:7
16 Isaiah 53:1
17 BYZ and TR the word of God
18 Psalm 19:4 (see also LXX)
19 Deuteronomy 32:21 (see also LXX)
20 Isaiah 65:1
21 Isaiah 65:2 (see also LXX)