Romans 11; Romans 12; Romans 13

Romans 11

1 So I ask you, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! I'm an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

2 God hasn't rejected his people, whom he knew in advance. Or don't you know what the scripture says in the case of Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel?

3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. I'm the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.

4 But what is God's reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who haven't bowed their knees to Baal.

5 So also in the present time there is a remaining group by the choice of God's grace.

6 But if it is by grace, it isn't by what's done anymore. If it were, God's grace wouldn't be grace.

7 So what? Israel didn't find what it was looking for. Those who were chosen found it, but the others were resistant.

8 As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day.

9 And David says, Their table should become a pitfall and a trap, a stumbling block and payback to them for what they have done.

10 Their eyes should be darkened so they can't see, and their backs always bent.

11 So I'm asking you: They haven't stumbled so that they've fallen permanently, have they? Absolutely not! But salvation has come to the Gentiles by their failure, in order to make Israel jealous.

12 But if their failure brings riches to the world, and their defeat brings riches to the Gentiles, how much more will come from the completion of their number!

13 I'm speaking to you Gentiles. Considering that I'm an apostle to the Gentiles, I publicize my own ministry

14 in the hope that somehow I might make my own people jealous and save some of them.

15 If their rejection has brought about a close relationship between God and the world, how can their acceptance mean anything less than life from the dead?

16 But if part of a batch of dough is offered to God as holy, the whole batch of dough is holy too. If a root is holy, the branches will be holy too.

17 If some of the branches were broken off, and you were a wild olive branch, and you were grafted in among the other branches and shared the root that produces the rich oil of the olive tree,

18 then don't brag like you're better than the other branches. If you do brag, be careful: it's not you that sustains the root, but it's the root that sustains you.

19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."

20 Fine. They were broken off because they weren't faithful, but you stand only by your faithfulness. So don't think in a proud way; instead be afraid.

21 If God didn't spare the natural branches, he won't spare you either.

22 So look at God's kindness and harshness. It's harshness toward those who fell, but it's God's kindness for you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise, you could be cut off too.

23 And even those who were cut off will be grafted back in if they don't continue to be unfaithful, because God is able to graft them in again.

24 If you were naturally part of a wild olive tree and you were cut off from it, and then, contrary to nature, you were grafted into the cultivated olive tree, won't these natural branches stand an even better chance of being grafted back onto their own olive tree?

25 I don't want you to be unaware of this secret, brothers and sisters. That way you won't think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has become resistant until the full number of the Gentiles comes in.

26 In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodly behavior from Jacob.

27 This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.

28 According to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but according to God's choice, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors.

29 God's gifts and calling can't be taken back.

30 Once you were disobedient to God, but now you have mercy because they were disobedient.

31 In the same way, they have also been disobedient because of the mercy that you received, so now they can receive mercy too.

32 God has locked up all people in disobedience, in order to have mercy on all of them.

33 God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep! They are as mysterious as his judgments, and they are as hard to track as his paths!

34 Who has known the Lord's mind? Or who has been his mentor?

35 Or who has given him a gift and has been paid back by him?

36 All things are from him and through him and for him. May the glory be to him forever. Amen.

Romans 12

1 So, brothers and sisters, because of God's mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service.

2 Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God's will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.

3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you.

4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don't all have the same function.

5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other.

6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God's grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith.

7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching.

8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.

9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good.

10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other.

11 Don't hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord!

12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you're in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer.

13 Contribute to the needs of God's people, and welcome strangers into your home.

14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don't curse them.

15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying.

16 Consider everyone as equal, and don't think that you're better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don't think that you're so smart.

17 Don't pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.

18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.

19 Don't try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord.

20 Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head.

21 Don't be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.

Romans 13

1 Every person should place themselves under the authority of the government. There isn't any authority unless it comes from God, and the authorities that are there have been put in place by God.

2 So anyone who opposes the authority is standing against what God has established. People who take this kind of stand will get punished.

3 The authorities don't frighten people who are doing the right thing. Rather, they frighten people who are doing wrong. Would you rather not be afraid of authority? Do what's right, and you will receive its approval.

4 It is God's servant given for your benefit. But if you do what's wrong, be afraid because it doesn't have weapons to enforce the law for nothing. It is God's servant put in place to carry out his punishment on those who do what is wrong.

5 That is why it is necessary to place yourself under the government's authority, not only to avoid God's punishment but also for the sake of your conscience.

6 You should also pay taxes for the same reason, because the authorities are God's assistants, concerned with this very thing.

7 So pay everyone what you owe them. Pay the taxes you owe, pay the duties you are charged, give respect to those you should respect, and honor those you should honor.

8 Don't be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love each other. Whoever loves another person has fulfilled the Law.

9 The commandments, Don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't desire what others have, and any other commandments, are all summed up in one word: You must love your neighbor as yourself.

10 Love doesn't do anything wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is what fulfills the Law.

11 As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith.

12 The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let's get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light.

13 Let's behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession.

14 Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don't plan to indulge your selfish desires.