Brethren, my heart's
desire
and my prayer
to God
for them is for their salvation
.
For I testify about them that they have
aa zeal
for God
, but not in accordance
with knowledge
.
For not knowing about aGod's
righteousness
and bseeking
to establish
their own
, they did not subject
themselves to the righteousness
of God
.
For aChrist is the 1end
of the law
for righteousness
to beveryone
who believes
.
For Moses writes
that the man
who practices
the righteousness
which is 1based
on law
ashall live
2by that righteousness
.
But athe righteousness 1based
on faith
speaks
as follows
: " bDO NOT SAY
IN YOUR HEART
, `WHO
WILL ASCEND
INTO HEAVEN
?' (that is, to bring
Christ
down
),
or `WHO
WILL DESCEND
INTO THE aABYSS
?' (that is, to bbring
Christ
up from the dead
)."
But what does it say
? " aTHE WORD
IS NEAR
YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH
AND IN YOUR HEART
"--that is, the word
of faith
which
we are preaching
,
1that aif you confess
with your mouth
Jesus
as Lord
, and bbelieve
in your heart
that cGod
raised
Him from the dead
, you will be saved
;
for with the heart a person believes
, 1resulting
in righteousness
, and with the mouth
he confesses
, 2resulting
in salvation
.
For the Scripture says
, " aWHOEVER
BELIEVES
IN HIM WILL NOT BE 1DISAPPOINTED
."
For athere is no distinction
between Jew
and Greek
; for the same
Lord is bLord
of call
, abounding
in riches
for all
who call
on Him;
for " aWHOEVER WILL CALL
ON THE NAME
OF THE LORD
WILL BE SAVED
."
How then
will they call
on Him in whom
they have not believed
? How
will they believe
in Him awhom
they have not heard
? And how
will they hear
without
ba preacher
?
How will they preach
unless
they are sent
? Just
as it is written
, " aHOW
BEAUTIFUL
ARE THE FEET
OF THOSE
WHO 1 bBRING
GOOD
NEWS
OF GOOD
THINGS
!"
However, they adid not all
heed
the 1good
news
; for Isaiah
says
, " bLORD
, WHO
HAS BELIEVED
OUR REPORT
?"
So faith
comes from ahearing
, and hearing
by bthe word
1of Christ
.
But I say, surely
they have never
heard
, have they? Indeed
they have; " aTHEIR VOICE
HAS GONE
OUT INTO ALL
THE EARTH
, AND THEIR WORDS
TO THE ENDS
OF THE 1WORLD
."
But I say, surely
Israel
did not know
, did they? First
Moses
says
, " aI WILL bMAKE
YOU JEALOUS
BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION
, BY A NATION
WITHOUT
UNDERSTANDING
WILL I ANGER
YOU."
And Isaiah is very
bold
and says
, " aI WAS FOUND
BY THOSE
WHO DID NOT SEEK
ME, I BECAME
MANIFEST
TO THOSE
WHO DID NOT ASK
FOR ME."
But as for Israel He says
, " aALL
THE DAY
LONG I HAVE STRETCHED
OUT MY HANDS
TO A DISOBEDIENT
AND OBSTINATE
PEOPLE
."