My Explanatory Notes on Romans 9

...in response to the controversy between Calvinists and Armenians.

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

4 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;

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

God's promises had not failed. The Church is the Israel of God.

7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

From the beginning it was God's plan that inclusion in His eternal purposes would not be on the basis of physical descendancy from Abraham.

9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

Not only did the word spoken to Sarah prove that inclusion in the family of God was to be based on something other than physical descendancy from Abraham, but the things spoken concerning Rebekah's children also proved that neither would the works [of the Law] be the ultimate criteria for inclusion in the family of God either, as follows:

11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

The future supremacy of Jacob over Esau was stated before the birth of the twins - before either of their works had been performed.

Paul used this fact to illustrate that God would ultimately give His love and mercy to a people, not on the basis of any physical descendancy from Abraham, nor on the basis of the works of the Law, but on another basis of His own choosing - on a different basis about which He spoke even before the Law was introduced - and that basis, as Paul had explained in previous chapters, is faith.

God chose to make certain privileges available to Jacob and to Jacob's descendants (Jacob, refers also to the nation of Israel). Those privileges were offered to the nation of Israel - but it was still Israel's responsibility to respond to theh offer through the obedience of faith. If they did not respond to the privileges, there would still be consequences for Israel.

God hated Esau in comparison. Similarly, Jesus stated that anyone who does not hate his father and mother is unworthy of Him. It means, in comparison. Esau and his descendants (Edom) were not given the same privileges as the nation of Israel.

Paul was illustrating that it was quite in-keeping with Scriptural principle that God excluded the physical descendants of Abraham who sought righteousness through the works of the Law, in contrast to accepting into His grace a people who would enter through the door of His choosing, and that door is the door of faith.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

Almost as if anticipating the types of misunderstandings about his above statements which have ensued throughout history, Paul qualifies that this is not to be taken to mean that there is unrighteousness or inequality in God's dealings with man.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

It is righteous of God to show mercy and compassion upon His own righteous terms. And those terms will always be consistent with His Word and with His own character.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

The election of God, the experience of God's mercy and compassion, is received on God's own terms - not by man's insistance that it must be on the basis of attempted obedience to the Law. And God's terms, as previously shown by Paul, is faith.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

He shows mercy on whim He will. Upon whom does He will to show mercy? He wills to show mercy on those who meet the criteria of His own choosing, which is faith. His mercy could not be claimed on the basis of physical descendancy alone (as illustrated by Sarah in regard to Isaac) nor on the basis of the works of the Law (as illustrated by Rebekah in regard to Jacob) - but on the basis of His will, which is faith.

And the rest, He hardens. Or, He allows to continue in their ever-hardening state. He is said to be the hardener in the sense that it was His will to show mercy to those of faith alone.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Paul again anticipates a potential misunderstanding of his statements, and now proceeds to remove such potential:

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

It was quite okay for God to choose to set faith as the prerequisite.

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Seeing it is not unrighteous of God to choose to show mercy on the basis of faith (rather than on the basis of nationality or the works of the Law), it cannot therefore be said that God is being unequal in His treatments of men.

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

What should be amazing, is not that God finally chose to show the higher regard that He shows towards faith - what is amazing is that He for so long was willing to put-up with the behaviours of the natural seed, of those who were under the Law.

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

His vessels of mercy were those who met the criteria which He Himself set as the prerequisite for becoming objects of His mercy, which is faith.

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

His called, His chosen, are those who would come via the doorway of faith.

25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

Gentiles would be included.

26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Only a remnant, like the remains of a flock ravaged by a predator.

28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

It was a righteous act of God - not an unequal act of God, but a Scripturally precedented and foreseen act of God - that would cause an elect Church, inclusive of Gentiles, to emerge on the basis of faith alone, out of the rubble of the physical nation of Israel who were under the Law.

29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.