Israel Needs the Gospel

1Brothers, the good pleasure of my heart and my supplication to God on behalf of Israel, is for their salvation.

2For I testify concerning them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

3For they, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.

5For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “That the man who does those things shall live by them.”

6But the righteousness of faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who shall ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down)

7or, “ ‘Who shall descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring up Christ from the dead).

8But 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):

9that 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.

10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him shall not be put to shame.”

12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him.

13For “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Israel Rejects the Gospel

14How 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?

15And 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!”

16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

18But 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.”

19But 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.”

20But 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.”

21But to Israel he says:
“the whole day long I have stretched out My hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”