Bible verses about "cynicism" | Williams

¹⁰ especially those who satisfy their lower nature by indulging in its evil passions which defile them, and who despise authority. Daring, headstrong men! They do not tremble when they abuse persons of majesty,

¹ I say then, God has not disowned His people, has He? Of course not! Why, I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ² No, God has not disowned His people, on whom He set His heart beforehand. Do you know what the Scripture says in Elijah's case, how he pleaded with God against Israel? ³ "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone have been left, and they are trying to kill me." ⁴ But how did God reply to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have never bent their knees to Baal." ⁵ So it is at the present time; a remnant remains, in accordance with God's unmerited favor. ⁶ But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all. ⁷ What are we then to conclude? Israel has failed to obtain what it is still in search for, but His chosen ones have obtained it. The rest have become insensible to it, ⁸ as the Scripture Says, "God has given them over to an attitude of insensibility, so that their eyes cannot see and their ears cannot hear, down to this very day." ⁹ And David said: "Let their food become a snare and a trap to them, their pitfall and retribution; ¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened, so they cannot see, and forever bend their backs beneath the load." ¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall in utter ruin, did they? Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to heathen peoples, to make the Israelites jealous. ¹² But if their stumbling has resulted in the enrichment of the world, and their overthrow becomes the enrichment of heathen peoples, how much richer the result will be when the full quota of Jews comes in! ¹³ Yes, I now am speaking to you who are a part of the heathen peoples. As I am an apostle to the heathen peoples, I am making the most of my ministry to them, to see ¹⁴ if I can make my fellow-countrymen jealous, and so save some of them. ¹⁵ For if the rejection of them has resulted in the reconciling of the world, what will the result be of the final reception of them but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the first handful of dough is consecrated, so is the whole mass; if the tree's root is consecrated, so are the branches. ¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and yet you, although you were wild olive suckers, have been grafted in among the native branches, and been made to share the rich sap of the native olive's root, ¹⁸ you must not be boasting against the natural branches. And if you do, just consider, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, "Branches have been broken off for us to be grafted in." ²⁰ Very well, but it was for lack of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you now stand where you are. Stop your haughty thinking, rather continue to be reverent, ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, certainly He will not spare you. ²² So take a look at the goodness and the severity of God; severity to those who have fallen, but goodness to you, on condition that you continue to live by His goodness; otherwise, you too will be pruned away. ²³ And they too, if they do not continue to live by their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is amply able to graft them in. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from an olive wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted on to a fine olive stock, how much easier will it be for the natural branches to be grafted on to their own olive stock? ²⁵ For to keep you from being self-conceited, brothers, I do not want to have a misunderstanding of this uncovered secret, that only temporary insensibility has come upon Israel until the full quota of the heathen peoples comes in, ²⁶ and so in that way all Israel will be saved, just as the Scripture says: "From Zion the Deliverer will come; He will remove ungodliness from Jacob; ²⁷ And this my covenant I make with them, when I shall take away their sins." ²⁸ As measured by the good news the Jews are God's enemies for your sakes, but as measured by God's choice they are His beloved because of their forefathers, ²⁹ for the gracious gifts and call of God are never taken back. ³⁰ For just as you once disobeyed God, but now have had mercy shown you because of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too are now disobedient because of the mercy shown you, that they too may now have mercy shown them. ³² For God has locked up all mankind in the prison of disobedience so as to have mercy on them all. ³³ How fathomless the depths of God's resources, wisdom, and knowledge! How unsearchable His decisions, and how mysterious His methods! ³⁴ For who has ever understood the thoughts of the Lord, or has ever been His adviser? ³⁵ Or who has ever advanced God anything to have Him pay him back? ³⁶ For from Him everything comes, through Him everything lives, and for Him everything exists. Glory to Him forever! Amen.

²⁰ He answered them, "Because you have so little faith! For I solemnly say to you, if you have the faith that is living like a grain of mustard, you can say to this mountain, 'Move over from here to yonder,' and it will move over, and nothing will be impossible for you to do."

¹³ Then let us stop criticizing one another; instead, do this, determine to stop putting stumbling blocks or hindrances in your brother's way.