Predestination

The church at Rome may have consisted of Jewish as well as Roman believers.

The church there may not have been started by one of the twelve Apostles or by Paul - but possibly by proselytes returned to Rome who had been saved on the Day of Pentecost at Jerusalem; or by believers who were scattered from Jerusalem; or by other leaders who emerged besides the Twelve or Paul.

The Jewish believers at Rome may have mistakenly thought that Gentile believers needed to be circumcized. Conversely, Gentile believers may have mistakenly thought that Jews could scarce be saved, or Gentile believers may have been in danger of taking their own position with God too much for granted.

It is against this backdrop that Paul's apostolic guidance is to be understood.

God's mercy and election towards Abraham's physical descendants were antecedent to their obedience, and were given as a motive to their obedience - and if they obeyed they received the consequence of their obedience, or if they disobeyed they received the threat to their disobedience.

So the terms "election" etc. didn't automatically imply an eternal state of blessing - it implied a merciful offer to be availed-of through obedience or forfeited through disobedience.

God's offer was to Abraham and to his seed. If natural Israel walked in obedience, they shared in the promise. If Gentiles walk in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham, they also receive what was promised. The Law was only a temporary introduction.

The natural seed had privileges, but they were also capable of losing those privileges. The privileges afforded them were never due to their own good works but due to the faith of their forefathers. Obedience was always paramount, as was faith.

The promise made to Abraham was comfirmed through Christ, made available to both Jew and Gentile, by faith. That was God's choice.