Part 12

011:025 For there is a truth, brethren, not revealed hitherto, of which I do not wish to leave you in ignorance, for fear you should attribute superior wisdom to yourselves--the truth, I mean, that partial blindness has fallen upon Israel until the great mass of the Gentiles have come in;

011:026 and so all Israel will be saved. As is declared in Scripture, "From Mount Zion a Deliverer will come: He will remove all ungodliness from Jacob;

011:027 and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken away their sins."

011:028 In relation to the Good News, the Jews are God's enemies for your sakes; but in relation to God's choice they are dearly loved for the sake of their forefathers.

011:029 For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;

011:030 but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,

011:031 so now they also have been disobedient at a time when you are receiving mercy; so that to them too there may now be mercy.

011:032 For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy.

011:033 Oh, how inexhaustible are God's resources and God's wisdom and God's knowledge! How impossible it is to search into His decrees or trace His footsteps!

011:034 "Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"

011:035 "Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"

011:036 For the universe owes its origin to Him, was created by Him, and has its aim and purpose in Him. To Him be the glory throughout the Ages! Amen.

012:001 I plead with you therefore, brethren, by the compassionsof God, to present all your faculties to Him as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him. This with you will be an act of reasonable worship.

012:002 And do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God's will is-- that will which is good and beautiful and perfect.

012:003 For through the authority graciously given to me I warn every individual among you not to value himself unduly, but to cultivate sobriety of judgement in accordance with the amount of faith which God has allotted to each one.

012:004 For just as there are in the one human body many parts, and these parts have not all the same function;

012:005 so collectively we form one body in Christ, while individually we are linked to one another as its members.

012:006 But since we have special gifts which differ in accordance with the diversified work graciously entrusted to us, if it is prophecy, let the prophet speak in exact proportion to his faith;

012:007 if it is the gift of administration, let the administrator exercise a sound judgement in his duties.

012:008 The teacher must do the same in his teaching; and he who exhorts others, in his exhortation. He who gives should be liberal; he who is in authority should be energetic and alert; and he who succours the afflicted should do it cheerfully.

012:009 Let your love be perfectly sincere. Regard with horror what is evil; cling to what is right.

012:010 As for brotherly love, be affectionate to one another; in matters of worldly honour, yield to one another.

012:011 Do not be indolent when zeal is required. Be thoroughly warm-hearted, the Lord's own servants,

012:012 full of joyful hope, patient under persecution, earnest and persistent in prayer.

012:013 Relieve the necessities of God's people; always practise hospitality.

012:014 Invoke blessings on your persecutors--blessings, not curses.

012:015 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

012:016 Have full sympathy with one another. Do not give your mind to high things, but let humble ways content you. Do not be wise in your own conceits.