The Remnant of Israel
1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”11:3 1 Kings 19:10,14? 4And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”11:4 1 Kings 19:18 5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, 8as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”11:8 Deut. 29:4; Isaiah 29:10
9And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”11:10 Psalm 69:22,23
Ingrafted Branches
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
All Israel Will Be Saved
25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26and in this way11:26 Or and so all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27And this is11:27 Or will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”11:27 Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9 (see Septuagint); Jer. 31:33,34
28As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now11:31 Some manuscripts do not have now. receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Doxology
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and11:33 Or riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”11:34 Isaiah 40:13
35“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”11:35 Job 41:11
36For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
上帝不放棄以色列人
1這樣，我要問，難道上帝放棄了祂的子民嗎？當然沒有！因我自己也是以色列人，是亞伯拉罕的後裔，屬於便雅憫支派。 2上帝並沒有放棄祂預先揀選的子民。你們不知道聖經上有關以利亞先知的記載嗎？他在上帝面前控告以色列人，說： 3「主啊！他們殘殺你的先知，拆毀你的祭壇，只剩下我一個人，他們還要殺我。」11·3 列王紀上19·10、14。 4上帝怎樣回答呢？祂說：「我為自己留下七千人，他們都未曾跪拜巴力。」11·4 列王紀上19·18。
5現在的情況也是一樣，上帝按照揀選的恩典留下了少數人。 6既然說是出於恩典，就不再基於行為，不然恩典就不再是恩典了。 7這該怎麼說呢？以色列人努力追求，卻一無所得，只有蒙揀選的人得到了，其他人都變得頑固不化。 8正如聖經上說：
「上帝使他們至今心智昏迷，
眼睛看不見，耳朵聽不到。」11·8 申命記29·4；以賽亞書29·10。
9大衛也說：
「願他們的宴席變為他們的網羅、
陷阱、絆腳石和報應；
10願他們眼目昏暗，
無法看見，
永遠彎腰駝背。」11·10 詩篇69·22、23。
11那麼，我再問，以色列人一失足就再也爬不起來了嗎？當然不是！恰好相反，因為他們的過犯，救恩臨到了外族人，好使他們心生嫉妒。 12如果他們的過犯給世界帶來富足，他們的失敗給外族人帶來富足，那麼，他們完全恢復時又將帶來怎樣的祝福呢！
外族人得救
13現在我有話要對你們外族人說。因為我是外族人的使徒，我尊重自己的職分， 14希望使我的骨肉同胞心生嫉妒，從而拯救他們當中的一些人。 15如果他們的被棄意味著人類與上帝和好，那麼，他們被接納時豈不意味著死而復生嗎？ 16首先用來獻祭的那部分麵團如果聖潔，整團麵也聖潔；樹根如果聖潔，樹枝也聖潔。
17如果橄欖樹上有些枝子被折下來，你這野橄欖枝被接上去，得以汲取橄欖樹根供應的汁漿， 18你就不可向折下來的枝子誇口。你若誇口，就該知道：不是你托住樹根，而是樹根托住你。 19你也許會說：「原來的枝子被折下來，是為了把我接上去。」 20不錯，他們因為不信才被折下來，你因為信才被接上去，但不要自高，要心存敬畏。 21上帝既然沒有寬容原來的枝子，也不會寬容你。 22可見，上帝既慈愛又嚴厲。祂對墮落的人是嚴厲的，但只要你一直活在祂的愛中，祂會以慈愛對待你，不然你也會被砍下來。 23況且，以色列人如果不再頑固不信，必重新被接上去，因為上帝能把他們重新接上。 24你這從野生的橄欖樹上砍下來的枝子，尚且可以違反自然，被接到好橄欖樹上，何況原來的枝子被接回到原來的樹上呢？
全以色列都要得救
25弟兄姊妹，我不願意你們對以下這奧祕一無所知，免得你們自以為聰明。這奧祕就是：雖然有些以色列人的心剛硬，但等到外族人得救的數目滿了以後， 26全以色列都要得救。正如聖經上說：「救主必從錫安出來，祂將除去雅各子孫的罪惡。 27這是我與他們所立的約，那時我要除去他們的罪。」11·27 以賽亞書59·20、21；27·9；耶利米書31·33、34。
28就福音而論，他們為你們的緣故而成為上帝的仇敵；就上帝的揀選而論，他們因祖先的緣故仍被上帝所愛。 29因為上帝的恩賜和呼召絕不會收回。 30你們從前不順服上帝，然而因為他們的不順服，你們現在反蒙了憐憫。 31同樣，他們現在不順服，是為了通過你們所蒙的憐憫，使他們現在也蒙憐憫。 32因為上帝把世人都歸在不順服之列，是為了要憐憫世人。
頌讚上帝
33啊，上帝的智慧和知識多麼博大精深！
祂的判斷多麼難測！
祂的蹤跡多麼難尋！
34誰曾知道主的心意？
誰曾做過祂的謀士？11·34 以賽亞書40·13。
35誰給過祂什麼，
要祂償還呢？11·35 約伯記41·11。
36因為萬物都源於祂，
倚靠祂，歸於祂。
願榮耀歸給祂，
直到永遠。阿們！
