third time) to lead up to the reconciliation. Let us trace the path a little more carefully. Let us not imagine that the

apostle made such a profane statement as the Authorized Version puts into his mouth at 9:3. The truer rendering is:

`I have continual sorrow in my heart for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. For I myself used to

wish myself accursed from Christ' (9:2,3).

The apostle could deeply sympathize with the Jews, for he himself had despised and hated Him who is the true

Messiah. He then gives in fuller detail than he could in chapter 3 the advantages of the circumcision.

A According to the flesh. Brethren.

B Who are Israelites.

C To whom the adoption.

D The glory.

E The covenants.

E The giving of the law.

D The service.

C The promises.

B Whose are the fathers.

A According to the flesh. The Messiah.

The first position taken up is that of a remnant:

`... For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel' (9:6).

The closing portion is the other extreme:

`... all Israel shall be saved' (11:26).

but this cannot take place until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, that being the conclusion of the reconciliation.

The argument leads on to the question of `the purpose of God according to election' and speaks of Isaac and

Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and Pharaoh, demonstrating the apostle's point -`not of works' (9:11). The vessels of

mercy are not found exclusively among Israel, for the apostle says:

`Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?' (9:24).

Here, and also in 3:29 and 4:16, the Gentileward tendency is manifested. Up till Acts 11:19 we have the words,

`preaching the Word to none but Jews only'. Now, in view of the coming rejection, the apostle three times uses the

negative, `not Jews only'. The remnant is very specially emphasized in the succeeding verses:

`Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved (sothesetai)

The whole nation is emphasized at the close:

`... all Israel shall be saved' (sothesetai) (11:26).

The apostle now brings in the subject of justification; the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, have

attained to the righteousness of faith, whereas Israel who did seek it failed, because they sought it, as it were, by

works of law. That was their stumbling stone. Once more the great goal of the apostle comes into view. That

stumbling stone shall never be placed in the path of the Gentiles. Israel had a zeal, it is true, but they were ignorant

of the righteousness of God, `For Christ is the end of the law ... to every one that believeth' (9:30 to 10:4). Paul's

gospel could allow no difference between Jew and Gentile, for both were justified alike apart from the law (10:12).

Moses describes the righteousness of the law by using the word `Do' (10:5). Paul describes the righteousness of

faith by the word `Believe' - `Believeth unto righteousness' (10:10).