Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation; by a nation that has no understanding I will provoke you to anger.”
Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
Now concerning virgins, I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has been shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy.
even though I was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent man. But I received mercy because I had ignorantly acted in unbelief,
Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.