A Remnant Chosen by Grace

1I say then, did God thrust away His people? Never may it be! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not thrust away His people, whom He foreknew. Or do you⁺ not know what the Scripture says in Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel:† 3“Lord, they killed Your prophets, they tore down Your altars, and I alone was left, and they seek my life”†?

4But what does the divine answer say to him? “I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow the knee to Baal.”†

5So then also in the present time, there has been a remnant according to the election of grace, 6and if by grace, no longer out of works; otherwise grace no longer is grace.†

7What then? What Israel seeks after, this it did not obtain, but the elect obtained it. And the rest were hardened, 8as it has been written:

God gave “them a spirit of stupor,

eyes not to see,

and ears not to hear,

unto this very day.Ӡ

9And David says:

May their table “become for a snare and for a trap,

and for a stumbling block and for a retribution to them.

10May their eyes be darkened not to see,

and their backs bent over through all time.Ӡ

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

11I say then, did they stumble so that they might fall?† Never may it be! But in their trespass is salvation to the Gentiles, so as to provoke them to jealousy. 12But if their trespass is the riches of the world, and their failure is the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13Now I speak to you⁺, the Gentiles. Therefore indeed inasmuch I am an apostle of the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, 14if somehow I will provoke my own flesh to jealousy and will save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will be the acceptance if not life out from the dead? 16Now if the firstfruit is holy, also is the lump; and if the root is holy, also are the branches.

17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a fellow partaker of the fatness of the root of the olive tree, 18do not boast over the branches. But if you boast over them, you do not support the root, but the root you.

19You will say, then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Rightly so: They were broken off by unbelief, but you have stood by faith. Do not be high-minded, but be afraid. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps He will not spare you.†

22Behold, therefore, the kindness and severity of God: severity indeed upon those having fallen, but kindness of God upon you, if you continue in the kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And even those, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut off out of the naturally wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

25For I do not want you⁺ to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you⁺ may not be wise in yourselves: A hardening in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles may come in. 26And thus all Israel will be saved, as it has been written:

“The Delivering One will come out of Zion;

He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

27And this is the covenant from Me to them,

when I may take away their sins.Ӡ

28For regarding the gospel, they are enemies on account of you⁺; but as regards election, beloved on account of the fathers. 29For the gracious gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

30For as you⁺† once disobeyed God, but now received mercy by the disobedience of these, 31so these also now disobeyed so that through your⁺ mercy they also may now receive mercy.† 32For God closed up all in disobedience so that He may have mercy on all.

A Hymn of Praise
(Isaiah 40:9–31)

33O, the depth of riches,

both of wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable His judgments,

and untraceable His ways!

34“For who knew the mind of the Lord,

or who became His counselor?Ӡ

35Or “who first gave to Him,

and it will be given back to him?Ӡ

36For from Him and through Him and unto Him are all things.

To Him be the glory to the ages! Amen.

Footnotes:

2 BYZ and TR include saying.
3 1 Kings 19:10, 14
4 1 Kings 19:18
6 BYZ and TR include But if it is by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
8 See Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.
10 Psalm 69:22–23 (see also LXX)
11 Or did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?
21 SBL, NE, TH, and WH neither will He spare you
27 Isaiah 27:9 and Isaiah 59:20–21; see also LXX
30 BYZ and TR include also.
31 BYZ and TR they also may receive mercy
34 Isaiah 40:13 (see also LXX)
35 Job 41:11