Brethren, it is not that the word of God is not fulfilled: for not all are those Israelites who are of Israel; and not all the children of Abraham who are of his seed, but it is said, In Isaac thy seed shall be called. That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise who are recognized as the seed. And the word of promise is, "At this very time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son." And this is not the only thing; but so it was with Rebecca, when she conceived two sons at the same time by Isaac our father. For when they were not yet born, and had done nothing good or evil (so that God's will in election should not come from works, but from Him who called), it was said to her, The greater shall be in bondage to the lesser, as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say? Is it really unrighteousness with God? Nohow. For He says to Moses, "Whom I have mercy on, I will have mercy on; I will pity whomever I pity. Thus, mercy does not depend on him who wills and does not on him who strives, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very reason have I appointed thee, that I might shew my power over thee, and that my name might be preached in all the earth. Whomsoever He wills, He has mercy on; but whom he wants, he hardens. You will say to me: "For what else does he accuse? For who can resist His will?"

Romans 9:6–19

Friday 3 weeks

The Epistle to the Romans, conceived 102

Brethren, God has mercy on whom He wills; but whom he wants, he hardens. You will say to me: "For what else does he accuse? For who can resist His will?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, so that from the same mixture he may make one vessel for honorable use, and another for lowly use? What then, if God, desiring to show wrath and show His might, with great patience spared the vessels of wrath that were ready for destruction, that together He might manifest the riches of His glory over the vessels of mercy which He had prepared for glory, over us, whom He had called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles? As in Hosea he says, "I will not call my people my people, nor my beloved beloved." And in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. And Isaiah declares of Israel, though the children of Israel be as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant shall be saved; for the deed is finished, and will soon decide in righteousness, the decisive deed will be done by the Lord on earth. And as Isaiah foretold, if the Lord of hosts had not left us seed, we would have become like Sodom and like Gomorrah. What shall we say? The Gentiles, who did not seek righteousness, received righteousness, righteousness from faith. But Israel, which sought the law of righteousness, did not reach the law of righteousness. Why? for they sought not in faith, but in the works of the law. For they have stumbled against a stumbling block, as it is written, Behold, I have set up in Zion a stumbling block, and a stone of offense; but whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 9:18–33

Monday 4 weeks

The Epistle to the Romans, conceived 103

Brethren, the desire of my heart and prayer to God for Israel for salvation. For I testify to them that they have zeal for God, but not for reasoning. For not understanding the righteousness of God, and striving to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God, because the end of the law is Christ, to the righteousness of everyone who believes. Moses writes of righteousness from the law: "A man who fulfills it shall live by it," and righteousness from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven?" that is, to bring Christ together. Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to raise Christ from the dead. But what does the Scripture say? Near to you is the word in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach. For if you confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, because with the heart they believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth they confess unto salvation.

Romans 10:1–10

Week 5

The Epistle to the Romans, conceived 104

Brethren, the Scriptures say, Whosoever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed. There is no difference between a Jew and a Greek, because there is one Lord for all, rich for all who call on Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how can we call on Him in Whom they did not believe? How can one believe in Him of Whom one has not heard? How can you hear without a preacher? And how can they preach if they are not sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach peace, who preach good tidings! But not everyone listened to the gospel. For Isaiah says: Lord! Who believed what we heard? Thus, faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of God. But I ask: didn't they hear? On the contrary, their voice went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. Again, I ask: Did not Israel know? But the first Moses says: "I will stir up in you jealousy not with a people, I will provoke you to anger with a foolish people." And Isaiah boldly says: "Those who have not sought Me have found Me; I have revealed myself to those who have not inquired about Me. And of Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and stubborn people. Therefore I ask, Has God rejected His people? Nohow. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject His people, whom He knew beforehand. I foresaw it.

Romans 10:11–11:2a