It was no ordinary desire that the apostle felt. Constantly he was petitioning God to work in behalf of the Israelites who had failed to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. "I say the truth in Christ," he assured the believers at Rome, "my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever."

Det var ikke noget almindeligt ønske, apostlen nærede. Bestandig tryglede han Gud om at virke til frelse for israelitterne, der ikke havde kunnet erkende Jesus fra Nazaret som den forjættede Messias. "Sandhed taler jeg i Kristus," forsikrede han de troende i Rom. "Jeg lyver ikke, min samvittighed vidner med mig i Helligånden, at jeg har en stor sorg og en uafladelig kummer i mit hjerte. Thi jeg kunne ønske selv at være bandlyst fra Kristus, om det kunne gavne mine brødre, mine kødelige stammefrænder. De er jo israelitter, dem tilhører barnekårene og herligheden og pagterne og lovgivningen og tempeltjenesten og forjættelserne, dem tilhører fædrene og fra dem stammer ifølge sin kødelige herkomst Kristus, som er over alle ting, Gud højlovet i evighed!" Rom. 9,1-5.