(Isaiah 65:1–16)

¹ Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.

² For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.

³ Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

⁴ For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵ For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”¹

1. Leviticus 18:5; see also Ezekiel 20:11, 13, and 21.

⁶ But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’¹ (that is, to bring Christ down)

1. Deuteronomy 30:12

⁷ or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’¹ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

1. See Deuteronomy 30:13.

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”¹ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

1. Deuteronomy 30:14

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰ For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

¹¹ It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”¹

1. Isaiah 28:16 (see also LXX)

¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,

¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”¹

1. Joel 2:32

¹⁴ How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?

¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”¹

1. Literally good news of good things; BYZ and TR How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, who bring good news of good things; Isaiah 52:7

¹⁶ But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”¹

1. Isaiah 53:1

¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”¹

1. Psalm 19:4 (see also LXX)

¹⁹ I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”¹

1. Deuteronomy 32:21 (see also LXX)

²⁰ And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”¹

1. Isaiah 65:1

²¹ But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”¹

1. Isaiah 65:2 (see also LXX)