Continuing on with Romans. This is NKJV, comments in >>blue.
Occasional NLT version in red:
1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
>>This is almost an oath that Paul is saying in verse 1, against the direction of Christ in Matthew 5:34-37. Paul is grieved that the Jewish people were blinded, or accursed as Paul says, from Christ and realizing He is their Messiah.
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
>>A list of the benefits the Jewish people had with God. God's chosen people to be adopted, the special connection to God, having been given the law, the honor of service to God, and God's promises to them specifically.
5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
>>The promises given to "the fathers", Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise realized in Jesus Christ born from that lineage. Christ is over all authority and is God, eternally blessed.
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
>>The word of God has taken effect, even though most of Israel had not believed. Those who are of "Israel", meaning the promised lineage of Jacob, who was renamed Israel. This means some Jews did become believers along with Gentiles who also have been adopted by grace through faith.
7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called."
>>In Genesis 22:18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Isaac, not Ishmael, would have the promises of the seed follow in his lineage.
8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
>>Verse 8 and 9 explain what was in the previous verses. This is referring to Abraham's children. When God promised a son to pass on the promises God gave to Abraham, Sarah and Abraham didn't know the plan and decided to take action to have a son through Hagar, Sarah's maidservant. Sarah was getting too old to have a child so she gave Abraham Hagar to have a son with. This is why Ishmael's line is called "children of the flesh", because they used the flesh to produce a son instead of the promise of God to produce a son of inheritance. So only the children of the promise, Isaac, are counted as the seed.
Occasional NLT version in red:
1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
>>This is almost an oath that Paul is saying in verse 1, against the direction of Christ in Matthew 5:34-37. Paul is grieved that the Jewish people were blinded, or accursed as Paul says, from Christ and realizing He is their Messiah.
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
>>A list of the benefits the Jewish people had with God. God's chosen people to be adopted, the special connection to God, having been given the law, the honor of service to God, and God's promises to them specifically.
5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
>>The promises given to "the fathers", Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise realized in Jesus Christ born from that lineage. Christ is over all authority and is God, eternally blessed.
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
>>The word of God has taken effect, even though most of Israel had not believed. Those who are of "Israel", meaning the promised lineage of Jacob, who was renamed Israel. This means some Jews did become believers along with Gentiles who also have been adopted by grace through faith.
7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called."
>>In Genesis 22:18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Isaac, not Ishmael, would have the promises of the seed follow in his lineage.
8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
>>Verse 8 and 9 explain what was in the previous verses. This is referring to Abraham's children. When God promised a son to pass on the promises God gave to Abraham, Sarah and Abraham didn't know the plan and decided to take action to have a son through Hagar, Sarah's maidservant. Sarah was getting too old to have a child so she gave Abraham Hagar to have a son with. This is why Ishmael's line is called "children of the flesh", because they used the flesh to produce a son instead of the promise of God to produce a son of inheritance. So only the children of the promise, Isaac, are counted as the seed.