Paul’s Concern for the Jews
1I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,+ 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.+ 3For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren’s sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh:+ 4who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;+ 5whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.+God’s Sovereign Choice
Genesis 25:19–28; Malachi 1:1–5
6But [it is] not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel:+ 7neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.+ 8That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.+ 9For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.+ 10And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac—+ 11for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth,+ 12it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.+ 13Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.+ 14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.+ 15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.+ 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.+ 17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.+ 18So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.+ 19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?+ 20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?+ 21Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?+ 22What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:+ 23and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,+ 24[even] us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?+ 25As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved.+ 26And it shall be, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God.+ 27And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:+ 28for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.+ 29And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah.+