Romans 9:14,30 - Compare All Versions

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What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith

Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not!

What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.

What should we say then?  Is there injustice with God?  Absolutely not!

What should we say then?  Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness — namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith

Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” All we’re saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for better or worse.

Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn’t that all right? Either or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people. Hosea put it well: I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved. In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!” they’re calling you “God’s living children.” Isaiah maintained this same emphasis: If each grain of sand on the seashore were numbered and the sum labeled “chosen of God,” They’d be numbers still, not names; salvation comes by personal selection. God doesn’t count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus. Isaiah had looked ahead and spoken the truth: If our powerful God had not provided us a legacy of living children, We would have ended up like ghost towns, like Sodom and Gomorrah. How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together: Careful! I’ve put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can’t get around. But the stone is me! If you’re looking for me, you’ll find me on the way, not in the way.

What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Far from it!

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith

What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Certainly not!

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [who did not seek salvation and a right relationship with God, nevertheless] obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness which is produced by faith

What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

What shall we say then? – that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith