Rom Romans, chapter Epistle to the Romans, chapter 9
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren’s sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Exo 32:32who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Exo 4:22; Exo 20:1; 1Sa 4:21whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.Mat 1:1; Luk 3:23
But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: Num 23:19; Rom 3:3neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Gen 21:12; Heb 11:18That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed. Gal 4:28For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. Gen 18:10And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac— Gen 25:21for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. Gen 25:23Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.Mal 1:2
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Deu 32:4For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Exo 33:19So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. Exo 9:16; Exo 14:4So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? Isa 46:10; Jer 49:19Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? Isa 29:16; Isa 45:9Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Jer 18:4; Jer 18:6; 2Ti 2:20What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: Rom 2:4and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory, Rom 8:28even us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? Rom 3:29As he saith also in Hosea,
I will call that my people, which was not my people;
And her beloved, that was not beloved.Hos 2:23; 1Pe 2:10
And it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people,
There shall they be called sons of the living God.Hos 1:10
And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved: for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short. Isa 10:22And, as Isaiah hath said before,
Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed,
We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah.Isa 1:9; Gen 19:24
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: Rom 10:20but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Rom 11:7Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling; even as it is written,
Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence:
And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.Isa 8:14; Isa 28:16; Psa 118:22; Mat 21:44; Mrk 12:10; Luk 2:34; Luk 20:17