1Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my request to God for them is that they be saved.
2For I can testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3For in their disregarding the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God.
4For Christa is the fulfillment of the law, with the result that now there is righteousness for everyone who believes.
5For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does these commandments will live by them.b
6But the righteousness that is based on trust speaks this way: Do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heavenc (that is, in order to bring Christ down),
7or, Who will descend into the abyssd (that is, in order to bring Christ up from among the dead).
8On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near to you, in your mouth and in your hearte (that is, the message of trust that we are proclaiming),
9because if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from among the dead, you will be saved.
10For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made, resulting in salvation.
11For the Scripture says, Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.f
12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call on him;
13for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.g
14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone to declare it?
15And how are they to declare it unless they are sent out? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news about good things!h
16(But they did not all obey the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what they heard from us?)i
17So then, trust comes from hearing, and hearing by the message of Christ.
18But I say, “Did they not hear?” Indeed, they have: Their voice went out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.j
19But I say, “Did Israel not know?” First, Moses says, I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; by a nation that has no understanding I will make you angry.k
20And Isaiah is so bold as to say, I was found by those who were not seeking me. I have revealed myself to those who were not asking for me.l
21But as for Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a defiant and argumentative people.m
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