rsv Romans:11:1-21 SEEK
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I ask ,
then ,
has God rejected his people ?
By no means !
I myself am an Israelite ,
a descendant of Abraham ,
a member of the tribe of Benjamin .
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God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew .
Do you not know what the scripture says of Eli '
jah ,
how he pleads with God against Israel ?
* "
Lord ,
they have killed thy prophets ,
they have demolished thy altars ,
and I alone am left ,
and they seek my life ."
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But what is God '
s reply to him ? "
I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Ba '
al ."
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So too at the present time there is a remnant ,
chosen by grace .
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But if it is by grace ,
it is no longer on the basis of works ;
otherwise grace would no longer be grace .
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What then ?
Israel failed to obtain what it sought .
The elect obtained it ,
but the rest were hardened ,
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as it is written , "
God gave them a spirit of stupor ,
eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear ,
down to this very day ."
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And David says , "
Let their table become a snare and a trap ,
a pitfall and a retribution for them ;
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let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see ,
and bend their backs for ever ."
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So I ask ,
have they stumbled so as to fall ?
By no means !
But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles ,
so as to make Israel jealous .
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Now if their trespass means riches for the world ,
and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles ,
how much more will their full inclusion mean !
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Now I am speaking to you Gentiles .
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles ,
I magnify my ministry
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in order to make my fellow Jews jealous ,
and thus save some of them .
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For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world ,
what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead ?
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If the dough offered as first fruits is holy ,
so is the whole lump ;
and if the root is holy ,
so are the branches .
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But if some of the branches were broken off ,
and you ,
a wild olive shoot ,
were grafted in their place to share the richness of the olive tree ,
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do not boast over the branches .
If you do boast ,
remember it is not you that support the root ,
but the root that supports you .
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You will say , "
Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in ."
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That is true .
They were broken off because of their unbelief ,
but you stand fast only through faith .
So do not become proud ,
but stand in awe .
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For if God did not spare the natural branches ,
neither will he spare you .