Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have aa zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For not knowing about the arighteousness of God and bseeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For aChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to beveryone who believes.
Faith Comes by Hearing
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of law: “aThe man who does these things shall live by them.” 6 But athe righteousness of faith speaks in this way: “bDo not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will go down into the aabyss?’ (that is, to bbring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “aThe word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that aif you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and bbelieve in your heart that cGod raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “aWhoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For athere is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is bLord of call, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, 13 for “aWhoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him awhom they have not heard? And how will they hear without ba preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “aHow beautiful are the feet of those who bproclaim good news of good things!”
16 However, they adid not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, “bLord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from ahearing, and hearing by bthe word of Christ.
18 But I say, have they never heard? On the contrary, they have;
“aTheir voice has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says,
“aI will bmake you jealous by that which is not a nation,
By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”
20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,
“aI was found by those who did not seek Me,
I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
21 But as for Israel He says, “aAll day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”