Language
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
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I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
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That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
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For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
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Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
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Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
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Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
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Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
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That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
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For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
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And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
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(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
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It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
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As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
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What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
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For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
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So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
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Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
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Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
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Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
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Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
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What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
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And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
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Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
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As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
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And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
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Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
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For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
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And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
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What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
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But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
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Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
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As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
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Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
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For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
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For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
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For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
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For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
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But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
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Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
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But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
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That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
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For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
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For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
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For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
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For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
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And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
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But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
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So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
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But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
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But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
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But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
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But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
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I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
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God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
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Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
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But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
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Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
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And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
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What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
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(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
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And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
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Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
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I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
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Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
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For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
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If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
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For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
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For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
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And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
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Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
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Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
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Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
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For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
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Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
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And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
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For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
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For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
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And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
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For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
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As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
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For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
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For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
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Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
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For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
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O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
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For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
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Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
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For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
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And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
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For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
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For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
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So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
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Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
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Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
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Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
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Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
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Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
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Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
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Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
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Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
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Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
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Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
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Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
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Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
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If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
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Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
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Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
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Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
