Romans 9

Paulʼs Concern for the Jewsⓘ

Paul's anguish over Israel¹I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit. ²I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood, ⁴the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. ⁵Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise!^a Amen.

Godʼs Sovereign Choiceⓘ

Promise, not only descent, defines God's children⁶It is not as though Godʼs word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. ⁷Nor because they are Abrahamʼs descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”^{b 8}So it is not the children of the flesh who are Godʼs children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. ⁹For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”^c

¹⁰✦Not only that, but Rebeccaʼs children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. ¹¹✦Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that Godʼs plan of election might stand, ¹²✦not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^{d 13}✦So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^e

God's mercy and the case of Pharaoh¹⁴✦What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not! ¹⁵✦For He says to Moses:

¹⁶✦So then, it does not depend on manʼs desire or effort, but on Godʼs mercy. ¹⁷✦For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^{g 18}✦Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

The potter and the clay¹⁹One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?” ²⁰But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”^{h 21}Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?

²²What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction? ²³What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— ²⁴✦including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles? Hosea and Isaiah on Gentiles and a remnant²⁵✦As He says in Hosea:

²⁶✦and,

²⁷✦Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

²⁹✦It is just as Isaiah foretold:

Israelʼs Unbeliefⓘ

Israel stumbled over faith³⁰What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. ³²Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³✦as it is written: