Paul faces the mystery of the Gospel being rejected by most of his people. The Apostle swears to be honest, and he is, even though what he is about to say is painful and scandalous to reason and human justice. He does not speak as a philosopher, but as a Christian. He starts by affirming that God has not forsaken his people. Now, who are the true “Israelites”? The “chosen people,” or “the true Israel,” is much smaller than the “Jewish people”; they are not the same. It is only a “remnant,” in biblical terms. The Apostle concludes this problematic section of his letter by reiterating that the only rule for belonging to the true people of God is faith (30-33). Most Jews wanted to reach salvation through their own efforts, and they failed; they did not want to accept it as a gift, and they were left without it, “they stumbled over the stumbling stone” (32): Jesus, the Messiah. The pagans offered their faith to accept the gift, and they did not fail, “for whoever relies on it will not fail” (33). All the mysteries, all the conflicts between God’s freedom and human freedom, between the gift and its rejection through sin, between an angry God and a saving God, are considered by the Apostle on the horizon of salvation. This horizon gives meaning and unity to the whole Letter. God’s mercy is the great arc that spans human history.