The way of salvation
- 1 Brothers, the delight of my heart and earnest prayer to God on their behalf is indeed for their salvation.
- 2 For I testify about them (that they have zeal for God) but it’s not in accordance with accurate knowledge.
- 3 For not knowing God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own [righteousness], they weren’t submitted to the righteousness of God.
- 4 For the end of the law is the Anointed, for righteousness to every man believing.
- 5 For Moses writes of the righteousness from the law: “The man who does them, he will live by them.”
- 6 But the righteousness from faith speaks this way: “Don’t say in your heart “who will ascend into heaven?” (that is, to bring the Anointed down.)
- 7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?” (That is, to bring the Anointed up from the dead)
- 8 But what does it say? “The spoken word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” That’s the spoken word of faith which we proclaim.
- 9 That if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
- 10 For someone believes with the heart resulting in righteousness, and someone confesses with the mouth resulting in salvation.
- 11 For the scripture says: “Every man believing on Him won’t be put to shame.”
- 12 For there’s no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all the men calling on Him.
- 13 For “Every man who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
- 14 Therefore, how could they call on Him in whom they didn’t believe? And how could they believe on Him whom they didn’t hear? And how could they hear without someone proclaiming?
- 15 And how could they proclaim if they weren’t sent? Just as it is *written: “How beautiful are the feet [of the men proclaiming the good news of peace;] of the men proclaiming the good news of good things.”
Not all Listened
- 16 But not all obediently listened to the good news. For Isaiah says: “Lord, who believed our report?”
- 17 So faith is from hearing, and hearing through a spoken word about the Anointed.
- 18 But I say: “Didn’t they definitely hear?” Indeed: “Their voice went out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.”
- 19 But I say: “Didn’t Israel definitely know?” First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who aren’t a nation, I will anger you by a nation without understanding.”
- 20 Then Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by the men not seeking Me; I became manifest to the men not inquiring after Me.”
- 21 But to Israel he says: “The whole day, I extended My hands to a people disobeying and contradicting Me.”