Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading, we continue with
the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, chapters
11 through 15. Chapter 11. I say then, has God
cast away his people? Certainly not. For I also
am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the
tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his
people whom he foreknew. Or do you not know what
the scripture says of Elijah? how he pleads with
god against israel saying lord they have killed
your prophets and torn down your altars and i
alone am left and they seek my life but what
does the divine response say to him i have reserved
for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed
the knee to baal even so then at this present
time there is a remnant according to the election
of grace and if by grace then it is no longer
of works Otherwise grace is no longer grace.
But if it is of works, it is no longer grace.
Otherwise work is no longer work. What then?
Israel has not obtained what it seeks, but the
elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Just as it is written, God has given them a spirit
of stupor, eyes that they should not see and
ears that they should not hear to this very day.
And David says, Let their table become a snare
and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense
to them. let their eyes be darkened so that they
do not see and bow down their back always i say
then have they stumbled that they should fall
certainly not but through their fall to provoke
them to jealousy salvation has come to the gentiles
now if their fall is riches for the world and
their failure riches for the gentiles how much
more their fullness For I speak to you Gentiles,
inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,
I magnify my ministry. If by any means I may
provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and
save some of them. For if their being cast away
is the reconciling of the world, what will their
acceptance be but life from the dead? For if
the first fruit is holy, The lump is also holy,
and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
And if some of the branches were broken off,
and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted
in among them, and with them became a partaker
of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do
not boast against the branches. But if you do
boast, remember that you do not support the root,
but the root supports you. You will say then,
branches were broken off that I might be grafted
in. well said because of unbelief they were broken
off and you stand by faith do not be haughty
but fear for if god did not spare the natural
branches he may not spare you either therefore
consider the goodness and severity of god on
those who fell severity but toward you goodness
if you continue in his goodness otherwise you
also will be cut off and they also if they do
not continue in unbelief will be grafted in for
god is able to graft them in again for if you
were cut out of the olive tree which is wild
by nature and were grafted contrary to nature
into a cultivated olive tree how much more will
these who are natural branches be grafted into
their own olive tree for i do not desire brethren
that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest
you should be wise in your own opinion that blindness
in part has happened to israel until the fulness
of the gentiles has come in and so all israel
will be saved as it is written the deliverer
will come out of zion and he will turn away ungodliness
from jacob for this is my covenant with them
when i take away their sins concerning the gospel
they are enemies for your sake But concerning
the election, they are beloved for the sake of
the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of
God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient
to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their
disobedience, even so these also have now been
disobedient, that through the mercy shown you
they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed
them all to disobedience, that he might have
mercy on all. O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are his judgments and his ways past finding out!
For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who
has become his counselor? Or who has first given
to him, and it shall be repaid to him? For of
him and through him and to him are all things,
to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Chapter 12 I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy acceptable to god which is your
reasonable service and do not be conformed to
this world but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind that you may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of god for
i say through the grace given to me to everyone
who is among you not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think but to think soberly
as god has dealt to each one a measure of faith
For as we have many members in one body, but
all the members do not have the same function,
so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members of one another. Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let
us prophesy, in proportion to our faith. Or ministry,
let us use it in our ministering. He who teaches
in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he
who gives with liberality, he who leads with
diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.
Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is
evil, cling to what is good, be kindly affectionate
to one another with brotherly love, in honor
giving preference to one another, not lagging
in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the
Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer. distributing
to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not
curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep
with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward
one another. Do not set your mind on high things,
but associate with the humble. Do not be wise
in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil.
Have regard for good things in the sight of all
men. If it is possible, as much as depends on
you, Chapter 13 let every soul be subject to
the governing authorities for there is no authority
except from god and authorities that exist are
appointed by god therefore whoever resists the
authority resists the ordinance of god and those
who resist will bring judgment on themselves
for rulers are not a terror to good works but
to evil do you want to be unafraid of the authority
do what is good and you will have praise from
the same for he is god's minister to you for
good But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does
not bear the sword in vain, for he is God's minister,
an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices
evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only
because of wrath, but also for conscience's sake.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for they
are God's ministers, attending continually to
this very thing. Render therefore to all their
due, taxes to whom taxes are due, customs, to
whom customs, fear, to whom fear, honor, to whom
honor. Owe no one anything except to love one
another, for he who loves another has fulfilled
the law. For the commandments, you shall not
commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall
not steal, you shall not bear false witness,
you shall not covet. And if there is any other
commandment, all are summed up in this saying,
namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love
is the fulfillment of the law and do this knowing
the time that now it is high time to awake out
of sleep for now our salvation is nearer than
when we first believed the night is far spent
the day is at hand therefore let us cast off
the works of darkness and let us put on the armor
of light let us walk properly as in the day not
in revelry and drunkenness not in lewdness and
lust not in strife and envy but put on the Lord
Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh
to fulfill its lusts. Who are you to judge another's
servant? To his own master he stands or falls.
Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is
able to make him stand. One person esteems one
day above another. Another esteems every day
alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own
mind. He who observes the day, observes it to
the Lord. And he who does not observe the day,
to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats,
eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. And
he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not
eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives
to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if
we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die,
we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live
or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ
died, and rose and lived again, that he might
be Lord of both the dead and the living. But
why do you judge your brother? Or why do you
show contempt for your brother? for we shall
all stand before the judgment seat of christ
for it is written as i live says the lord every
knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess
to god so then each of us shall give account
of himself to god therefore let us not judge
one another any more but rather resolve this
not to put a stumbling -block or a cause to fall
in our brother's way I know and am convinced
by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean
of itself. But to him who considers anything
to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your
brother is grieved because of your food, you
are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy
with your food the one for whom Christ died.
Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as
evil, for the kingdom of God is not eating and
drinking. but righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ
in these things is acceptable to God and approved
by men. Therefore, let us pursue the things which
make for peace, and the things by which one may
edify another. Do not destroy the work of God
for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure,
but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
Chapter 15 We then who are strong ought to bear
with the scruples of the weak, and not to please
ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor
for his good, leading to edification. For even
Christ did not please himself, but as it is written,
The reproaches of those who reproached you fell
on me. For whatever things were written before
were written for our learning, that we, through
the patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might
have hope. now may the god of patience and comfort
grant you to be like -minded toward one another
according to christ jesus that you may with one
mind and one mouth glorify the god and father
of our lord jesus christ therefore receive one
another just as Christ also received us, to the
glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ has
become a servant to the circumcision for the
truth of God, to confirm the promises made to
the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify
God for his mercy, as it is written, For this
reason I will confess to you among the Gentiles
and sing to your name. And again he says, Rejoice,
O Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise
the Lord, all you Gentiles. laud him all you
peoples and again Isaiah says there shall be
a root of Jesse and he who shall rise to reign
over the Gentiles in him the Gentiles shall hope
now may the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing that you may abound in
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit now I myself
am confident concerning you my brethren that
you also are full of goodness filled with all
knowledge able also to admonish one another Nevertheless,
brethren, I have written more boldly to you on
some points as reminding you, because of the
grace given to me by God, that I might be a minister
of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering
the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles
might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus
in the things which pertain to God. For I will
not dare to speak of any of those things which
Christ has not accomplished through me, in word
and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient, in mighty
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit
of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about
to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel
of Christ. And so I have made it my aim to preach
the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest
I should build on another man's foundation, but
as it is written, To whom he was not announced,
they shall see. and those who have not heard
shall understand. For this reason I also have
been much hindered from coming to you, but now
no longer, having a place in these parts, and
having a great desire these many years to come
to you. Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall
come to you, for I hope to see you on my journey,
and to be helped on my way there by you, if first
I may enjoy your company for a while. but now
i am going to jerusalem to minister to the saints
for it pleased those from macedonia and achaia
to make a certain contribution for the poor among
the saints who are in jerusalem it pleased them
indeed and they are their debtors for if the
gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual
things their duty is also to minister to them
in material things therefore when i have performed
this and have sealed to them this fruit i shall
go by way of you to spain But I know that when
I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of
the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Now I beg
you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ
and through the love of the Spirit, that you
strive together with me in prayers to God for
me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea
who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem
may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come
to you with joy by the will of God, and may be
refreshed together with you. Now the God of peace
be with you all. Ameen. I hope you enjoyed today's
reading as much as I did and I look forward to
seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.