1I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,[1] a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (撒上12:22; 耶31:37; 耶33:24; 林后11:22; 腓3:5)2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? (诗94:14; 羅8:29)3“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” (王上19:10; 王上19:14)4But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (王上19:18)5So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (耶3:14; 亚13:8; 羅9:27)6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. (申9:4; 羅4:4)7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, (羅9:31; 羅11:25)8as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” (申29:4; 赛29:10; 赛43:8; 耶5:21; 结12:2; 太13:14; 弗4:18)9And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; (诗69:22)10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”
Gentiles Grafted In
11So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. (徒28:28)12Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion[2] mean!13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry (徒9:15; 徒26:17; 羅15:16)14in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. (林前7:16; 林前9:22; 提前4:16; 雅5:20)15For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? (羅5:11)16If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (民15:18; 尼10:37; 结44:30)17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root[3] of the olive tree, (诗52:8; 耶11:16; 约15:2; 弗2:12)18do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.19Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”20That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. (箴28:14; 赛66:2; 赛66:5; 耶44:10; 羅12:3; 羅12:16; 林前10:12; 林后1:24; 腓2:12; 提前6:17)21For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.22Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (约15:2; 林前15:2; 來3:6; 來3:14)23And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. (林后3:16)24For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation
25Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:[4] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (路21:24; 羅11:7; 羅12:16; 林后3:14; 启7:9)26And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; (诗14:7; 诗53:6; 赛59:20; 约4:22; 來8:8)27“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (赛27:9; 羅9:4; 來8:12)28As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. (申7:8; 申10:15; 羅9:5)29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (羅8:28)30For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, (弗2:2; 弗2:11; 弗2:13; 西1:21; 西3:7; 多3:3)31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now[5] receive mercy.32For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (羅3:9)33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (申29:29; 诗139:6; 弗3:10; 西2:3)34“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” (伯15:8; 伯36:22; 赛40:13; 林前2:16)35“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” (伯35:7; 伯41:11)36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (羅16:27; 林前8:6; 林前11:12; 弗3:21; 腓4:20; 西1:16; 提前1:17; 來2:10; 彼前4:11; 彼后3:18; 犹1:25; 启1:6; 启5:13)