For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

For circumcision is valuable if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, your having been circumcised has no more value than if you were uncircumcised.

What if some of the Jews were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God's faithfulness, can it?

For if those who were given the Law are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless,

Therefore, the promise is based on faith, so that it may be a matter of grace and may be guaranteed for all of Abraham's descendants not only for those who were given the Law, but also for those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

Now the words "it was credited to him" were written not only for him

For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, the Messiah died for the ungodly.

But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.

For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life!

For just as through one man's disobedience many people were made sinners, so also through one man's obedience many people will be made righteous.

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiah Jesus were baptized into his death?

Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too may live an entirely new life.

We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin.

But thank God that, though you were once slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching with which you were entrusted!

For when you were slaves of sin, you were "free" as far as righteousness was concerned.

For while we were living according to our human nature, sinful passions were at work in our bodies by means of the Law, to bear fruit resulting in death.

For we were saved with this hope in mind. Now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen?

for I could wish that I myself were condemned and cut off from the Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my own people,

That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God's children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants.

What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.

Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.

And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who were not looking for me; I was revealed to those who were not asking for me."

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

Then you will say, "Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in."

That's right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!

After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

Rather, as it is written, "Those who were never told about him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."

Yes, they were eager to do this, and in fact they are obligated to help them, for if the gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to be of service to them in material things.