Rom.9.22

If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure

Rom.9.22

What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction?

Rom.9.22

What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

Rom.9.22

God has every right to exercise his judgment and his power, but he also has the right to be very patient with those who are the objects of his judgment and are fit only for destruction.

Rom.9.23

and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn't that all right?

Rom.9.23

What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--

Rom.9.23

and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

Rom.9.23

He also has the right to pour out the riches of his glory upon those he prepared to be the objects of his mercy--

Rom.9.24

Either or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people.

Rom.9.24

even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Rom.9.24

even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Rom.9.24

even upon us, whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Rom.9.25

Hosea put it well: I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved.

Rom.9.25

As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"

Rom.9.25

As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved."

Rom.9.25

Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, "Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before."

Rom.9.26

In the place where they yelled out, "You're nobody!" they're calling you "God's living children."

Rom.9.26

and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Rom.9.26

"And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, "You are not My people,' There they shall be called sons of the living God."

Rom.9.26

And, "Once they were told, 'You are not my people.' But now he will say, 'You are children of the living God.'"

Rom.9.27

Isaiah maintained this same emphasis: If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered and the sum labeled "chosen of God," They'd be numbers still, not names; salvation comes by personal selection.

Rom.9.27

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

Rom.9.27

Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.

Rom.9.27

Concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, "Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand on the seashore, only a small number will be saved.

Rom.9.28

God doesn't count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus.

Rom.9.28

For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."

Rom.9.28

For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth."

Rom.9.28

For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality."

Rom.9.29

Isaiah had looked ahead and spoken the truth: If our powerful God had not provided us a legacy of living children, We would have ended up like ghost towns, like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Rom.9.29

It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."

Rom.9.29

And as Isaiah said before: "Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah."

Rom.9.29

And Isaiah said in another place, "If the Lord Almighty had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah."

Rom.9.30

How can we sum this up? All those people who didn't seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives.

Rom.9.30

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

Rom.9.30

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;

Rom.9.30

Well then, what shall we say about these things? Just this: The Gentiles have been made right with God by faith, even though they were not seeking him.

Rom.9.31

And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it.

Rom.9.31

but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

Rom.9.31

but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.

Rom.9.31

But the Jews, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.

Rom.9.32

How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their "God projects" that they didn't notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling.

Rom.9.32

Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."

Rom.9.32

Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

Rom.9.32

Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.

Rom.9.33

Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together: Careful! I've put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can't get around. But the stone is me! If you're looking for me, you'll find me on the way, not in the way.

Rom.9.33

As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Rom.9.33

As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Rom.9.33

God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed. "

Rom.10.1

Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what's best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time.

Rom.10.1

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

Rom.10.1

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Rom.10.1

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved.

Rom.10.2

I readily admit that the Jews are impressively energetic regarding God--but they are doing everything exactly backwards.

Rom.10.2

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

Rom.10.2

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Rom.10.2

I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

Rom.10.3

They don't seem to realize that this comprehensive setting-things-right that is salvation is God's business, and a most flourishing business it is. Right across the street they set up their own salvation shops and noisily hawk their wares. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it.

Rom.10.3

Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Rom.10.3

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Rom.10.3

For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Instead, they are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. They won't go along with God's way.

Rom.10.4

The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it.

Rom.10.4

Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Rom.10.4

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Rom.10.4

For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God.