fCited from Isa. 49:6; [Isa. 45:22]
alCited from Gen. 18:10, 14; [Gen. 17:21]
aoCited from Gen. 25:23
apCited from Mal. 1:2, 3
arCited from Ex. 33:19
atCited from Ex. 9:16
bfCited from Hos. 2:23; [1 Pet. 2:10]
bgCited from Hos. 1:10
blCited from Isa. 1:9
ceCited from Lev. 18:5
ckCited from Deut. 30:14
daCited from Ps. 19:4; [1 Thess. 1:8]
dcCited from Deut. 32:21
dfCited from Isa. 65:1; [ch. 9:30]
dgCited from Isa. 65:2
dmCited from 1 Kgs. 19:10, 14
dnCited from 1 Kgs. 19:18
duCited from Ps. 69:22, 23
fgCited from Deut. 32:43
fhCited from Ps. 117:1
fiCited from Isa. 11:10

Acts 13:46-48

46And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God abe spoken first to you. bSince you thrust it aside and judge yourselves cunworthy of eternal life, behold, we dare turning to the Gentiles. 47 eFor so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

f“‘I have made you ga light for the Gentiles,
that you may hbring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
48And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and iglorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts 15:7

7And after there had been much jdebate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, kthat by my mouth the Gentiles should hear lthe word of mthe gospel and believe.

Acts 18:6

6And when they opposed and reviled him, nhe shook out his garments and said to them, oYour blood be on your own heads! pI am innocent. qFrom now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Acts 28:8

8It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and rprayed, and sputting his hands on him, healed him.

Romans 9

God’s Sovereign Choice

1 tI am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For uI could wish that I myself were vaccursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,
Or  brothers and sisters
my kinsmen xaccording to the flesh.
4They are yIsraelites, and to them belong zthe adoption, aathe glory, abthe covenants, acthe giving of the law, adthe worship, and aethe promises. 5To them belong afthe patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, agwho is God over all, ahblessed forever. Amen.

6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7and not all are children of Abraham aibecause they are his offspring, but ajThrough Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but akthe children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9For this is what the promise said: alAbout this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10And not only so, but amalso when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of anhim who calls 12she was told, ao“The older will serve the younger.” 13As it is written, apJacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14What shall we say then? aqIs there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15For he says to Moses, ar“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16So then it depends not on human will or exertion,
Greek  not of him who wills or runs
but on God, who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, atFor this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For auwho can resist his will?” 20But who are you, O man, avto answer back to God? awWill what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 axHas the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump ayone vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience azvessels of wrath baprepared for destruction, 23in order to make known bbthe riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he bchas prepared beforehand for glory 24even us whom he bdhas called, benot from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25As indeed he says in Hosea,

bf“Those who were not my people I will callmy people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 bgAnd in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called bhsons of the living God.’”
27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: biThough the number of the sons of Israel
Or children of Israel
be as the sand of the sea, bkonly a remnant of them will be saved,
28for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29And as Isaiah predicted,

bl, bmIf the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
bnwe would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”

Israel’s Unbelief

30What shall we say, then? boThat Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, bpa righteousness that is by faith; 31but that Israel bqwho pursued a law that would lead to righteousness
Greek  a law of righteousness
bsdid not succeed in reaching that law.
32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the btstumbling stone, 33as it is written,

buBehold, I am laying in Zion bva stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
bwand whoever believes in him will not be bxput to shame.”

Romans 10

1Brothers,
Or Brothers and sisters
my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
2For I bear them witness that bzthey have a zeal for God, cabut not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of cbthe righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For ccChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Or  end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified


The Message of Salvation to All

5For ceMoses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that cfthe person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But cgthe righteousness based on faith says, ch“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7orWho will descend into the ciabyss?’” (that is, cjto bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? ck“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if clyou confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and cmbelieve in your heart cnthat God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, coEveryone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 cpFor there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; cqfor the same Lord is Lord of all, crbestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For cseveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ctof whom they have never heard?
Or  him whom they have never heard
And how are they to hear cvwithout someone preaching?
15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, cwHow beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16But cxthey have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, cyLord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So czfaith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

18But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

daTheir voice has gone out dbto all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
19But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

dcI will ddmake you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a defoolish nation I will make you angry.”
20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

df“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21But of Israel he says, dgAll day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Romans 11

The Remnant of Israel

1I ask, then, dhhas God rejected his people? By no means! For diI myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,
Or one of the offspring of Abraham
a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 dkGod has not rejected his people whom he dlforeknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 dmLord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4But what is God’s reply to him? dn“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5So too at the present time there is doa remnant, chosen by grace. 6 dpBut if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

7What then? dqIsrael failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest drwere hardened, 8as it is written,

dsGod gave them a spirit of stupor,
dteyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9And David says,

du“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.”

Gentiles Grafted In

11So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass dvsalvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion
Greek  their fullness
mean!

13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as dxI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and dythus save some of them. 15For if their rejection means dzthe reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 eaIf the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17But if ebsome of the branches were broken off, and you, ecalthough a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root
Greek root of richness; some manuscripts richness
of the olive tree,
18do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you eestand fast through faith. So efdo not become proud, but egfear. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, ehprovided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise eiyou too will be cut off. 23And ejeven they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation

25 ekLest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:
Or  brothers and sisters
ema partial hardening has come upon Israel, enuntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

eo“The Deliverer will come epfrom Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27and this will be my eqcovenant with them
erwhen I take away their sins.”
28As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are esbeloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29For the gifts and etthe calling of God are irrevocable. 30For just as euyou were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now
Some manuscripts omit  now
receive mercy.
32For God ewhas consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33Oh, the depth of the riches and exwisdom and knowledge of God! eyHow unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 For ezwho has known the mind of the Lord,
or fawho has been his counselor?”
35Or fbwho has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
36For fcfrom him and through him and to him are all things. fdTo him be glory forever. Amen.

Romans 15:9-18

9and in order fethat the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

ffTherefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
10And again it is said,

fgRejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11And again,

fhPraise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”
12And again Isaiah says,

fi, fj“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
fkin him will the Gentiles hope.”
13May the God of hope fill you with all fljoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 fmI myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,
Or  brothers and sisters; also verse 30
that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with foall knowledge and able to instruct one another.
15But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, fpbecause of the grace given me by God 16to be fqa minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles frin the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that fsthe offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17In Christ Jesus, then, I have ftreason to be proud of fumy work for God. 18For I will not venture to speak of anything except fvwhat Christ has accomplished through me fwto bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
Copyright information for ESV