What difference then does it make? In one way or another, whether in pretense or in sincerity, Christ is being preached, and that is the thing that makes me glad; yes, more too, I will continue to be glad of it,

Israel

while Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law that would bring right standing, did not attain to it.

For they were ignorant of God's way of right standing and were trying to set up one of their own, and so would not surrender to God's way of right standing.

"You must struggle on to get in through the narrow door, for I tell you, many will try to get in, but will not succeed,

For you know that, when later he wanted to get possession of the blessing, he was rejected, for he could find no opportunity to repent, although with tears he tried to get the blessing.

But the election

So it is at the present time; a remnant remains, in accordance with God's unmerited favor.

Yes, we know that all things go on working together for the good of those who keep on loving God, who are called in accordance with God's purpose.

so as to make known the riches of His glory for the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in ages past to share His glory --

Through Him He picked us out before the creation of the world, to be consecrated and above reproach in His sight in love.

We ought always to be thanking God for you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit's consecration of you and through your faith in the truth,

the people chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: spiritual blessing and peace to you in increasing abundance.

And the rest

So in them the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "'You will listen and listen and not understand, and you will look and look and never see at all,

"He has blinded their eyes and benumbed their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, and turn to me to cure them."

Besides, their minds were made dull; for to this day that same veil remains unlifted, whenever they read the Old Covenant; because it is only through union with Christ that it is removed.

In their case, the god of this world has blinded the eyes of the unbelievers, to keep the glorious light of the good news of Christ, who is the likeness of God, from dawning upon them.

and with a completely wicked deception for men who are on the way to destruction, because they refused to love the truth so as to be saved.

Blinded

So He has mercy on any man that He chooses to, and He hardens any man that He chooses to harden.

General references

They did not understand that He was speaking to them about the Father.