10
Israel Needs the Gospel
1 Brothers, the good pleasure of my heart and my supplication to God on behalf of Israel, is for their salvation. 2 For I testify concerning them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “That the man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who shall ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or, “ ‘Who shall descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring up Christ from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we proclaim): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him shall not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Israel Rejects the Gospel
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear apart from a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
of those preaching the gospel of good things!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes, indeed they have:
“Their voice went out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:
“I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation,
by a foolish nation I will anger you.”
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:
“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
21 But to Israel he says:
“the whole day long I have stretched out My hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”