Study Desk

Christ ended the law so that everyone who believes in him is made right with God.

Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.

So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.

So I ask, "Did God force his people to leave him?" Of course not. I myself am an Israelite. I am from the family of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

So this is what has happened: The people of Israel wanted God's blessing, but they did not all get it. The people he chose did get his blessing, but the others became hard and refused to listen to him.

As the Scriptures say, "God caused the people to fall asleep." "God closed their eyes so that they could not see, and he closed their ears so that they could not hear. This continues until now."

Let their eyes be closed so that they cannot see. And let them be troubled forever."

So I ask: When the Jews fell, did that fall destroy them? No! But their mistake brought salvation to those who are not Jews. The purpose of this was to make the Jews jealous.

Their mistake brought rich blessings to the world. And what they lost brought rich blessings to the non-Jewish people. So surely the world will get much richer blessings when enough Jews become the kind of people God wants.

Now I am speaking to you people who are not Jews. I am an apostle to the non-Jewish people. So while I have that work, I will do the best I can.

God turned away from the Jews. When that happened, he became friends with the other people in the world. So when he accepts the Jews, it will be like bringing people to life after death.

You might say, "Branches were broken off so that I could be joined to their tree."

So you see that God is kind, but he can also be very strict. He punishes those who stop following him. But he is kind to you, if you continue trusting in his kindness. If you don't continue depending on him, you will be cut off from the tree.

It is not natural for a wild branch to become part of a good tree. But you non-Jewish people are like a branch cut from a wild olive tree. And you were joined to a good olive tree. But those Jews are like a branch that grew from the good tree. So surely they can be joined to their own tree again.

The Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so they are God's enemies. This has happened to help you who are not Jews. But they are still God's chosen people, and he loves them because of the promises he made to their ancestors.

And now they are the ones who refuse to obey, because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they can also receive mercy from him.

All people have refused to obey God. And he has put them all together as people who don't obey him so that he can show mercy to everyone.

So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way.

So anyone who is against the government is really against something God has commanded. Those who are against the government bring punishment on themselves.

So you must obey the government, not just because you might be punished, but because you know it is the right thing to do.