The reader of Paul might say, You have made an excellent argument regarding God's faithfulness to Hebrews of the past, but what about Hebrews today? Have God's promises for Israel failed? Why are Hebrews today rejecting their Messiah? Paul answers such questions in Romans 9 and beyond.
Contrary to the false interpretation imposed upon the text by Calvinists, Romans 9 has nothing to do with individual salvation! In his First Things, Origen addressed the random isolated verses ripped out of their immediate context used by the Gnostics of his day. The Calvinist uses the same random isolated verses to continue teaching what the early Christians correctly labeled as heresy.
I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. Romans 9:1-5
In this opening passage, we see a glimpse of Paul's heart. Despite the Jews having become his enemies, Paul follows the example of Jesus by sincerely loving them with a sacrificial passion. Paul describes his "great sorrow and unceasing grief" that he feels for his fellow Jews (9:2), expressing such deep love for them that he would be willing to give up his own salvation if they could all be saved (9:3). Paul then lists eight specific blessing bestowed upon Israel by Yahweh, which makes Paul's sorrow over Israel's unbelief even more heart rending because of her unique privileges (9:4-5):
- "to [the Israelites belong] the adoption as sons,"
- "and the glory"
- "and the covenants"
- "and the giving of the Law"
- "and the temple service" (the worship)
- "and the promises"
- "whose are the fathers" (to them belong the patriarchs)
- "from [them] is the Christ" (the Messiah)
In Romans 2 and 3, Paul had asked, "What advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?" (3:1). He then answers by saying, "Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God" (3:2). The eight blessings listed above demonstrate how great that advantage had been.
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON." And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." Romans 9:6-13
In this passage, Paul points out that Yahweh's promise to Israel did not fail. The Jews did not miss the Messiah due to a failure of Yahweh's word (9:6a), but because of a hardening of their hearts (11:25). The Jews neglected the blessings of Yahweh through their unbelief due to their already-calloused hearts. Paul makes it clear that "they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel" (9:6b). In Romans 2:28-29, Paul taught that there have always been two Israels—those who were physically descended from Jacob, and those who were his spiritual offspring. Paul quotes from Genesis 21:12 to emphasize the latter: "Through Isaac your descendants will be named" (9:7). He continues by saying, "it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants" (9:8). This is verified in Galatians where Paul writes, "be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham" (3:7) and "if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise" (3:29).
As an illustration of this, Paul recalls Yahweh's choosing of Abraham's younger son Isaac, rather than his first-born son, Ishmael, as the beneficiary of His promise (9:9). Yahweh overruled the cultural tradition of a father's inheritance flowing to the first-born son. Likewise, Yahweh chose Jacob over Esau (9:10-13). This has nothing to do with individual salvation. In fact, salvation is not even in view here. It must be imposed upon the text by the Calvinist via proof text methodology, eisegesis, and Scripture twisting. Paul refers to Yahweh's sovereign choosing of the patriarchs of the Hebrew faith and demonstrates how His promises did not fail.
What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. Romans 9:14-24
This passage continues on from where Paul left off in the previous passage. Individual salvation is not in view here! Again, it must be imposed dishonestly upon the text via proof text methodology, eisegesis, and Scripture twisting. Let us see how Origen addressed this passage, shall we?
"Let us observe how Paul, too, addresses us as having freedom of the will and as being our- selves the cause of ruin or salvation. He says, "You are treasuring up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God—who will render to everyone according to his works." . . . There are, indeed, innumerable passages in the Scriptures that establish with exceeding clarity the existence of freedom of the will. But, since certain declarations of the Old Testament and of the New lead to the opposite conclusion-namely, that it does not depend on ourselves to keep the commandments and to be saved, or to transgress them and to be lost—let us examine them one by one and see the explanations. . . . The statements regarding Pharaoh have troubled many, respecting whom God declared several times, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." For if he is hardened by God and commits sin because of being hardened, he is not the cause of sin to himself. If so, then Pharaoh does not possess free will. . . . There is also the declaration in Ezekiel, "I will take away their stony hearts and will put in them hearts of flesh so that they may walk in My precepts and keep My commandments." This might lead someone to think that it was God who gave the power to walk in His commandments and to keep His commandments—by His withdrawing the hindrance (the stony heart) and implanting a better heart of flesh. And let us look also at the passage in the Gospel . . . "That seeing they might not see and hearing they may hear and not understand. Lest they would be converted and their sins be forgiven them."
There is also the passage in Paul: "It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God who shows mercy." Furthermore, there are declarations in other places that "both to will and to do are of God" and "that God has mercy upon whom He will have mercy; and whom He wishes, He hardens." . . . And also, "But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Does the potter not have power over the clay—from the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonour?" Now, these passages are sufficient of themselves to trouble the multitude—as if man were not possessed of free will, but as if it were God who saves and destroys whom He wills. Let us begin, then, with what is said about Pharaoh—that he was hardened by God so that he would not send the people away. . . . Some of those who hold different opinions [i.e., the Gnostics] misuse these passages. They essentially destroy free will by introducing ruined natures incapable of salvation and by introducing others as being saved in such a way that they cannot be lost. . . . Let us now see what these passages mean. For we will ask them if Pharaoh was of a fleshly nature. And when they answer, we will say that he who is of a fleshly nature is altogether disobedient to God. And if he is disobedient, what need is there for his heart to be hardened—not only once, but frequently? Unless we are to think that . . . God needs him to be disobedient to a greater degree in order that He could manifest His mighty deeds for the salvation of the multitude. Therefore, God hardens his heart. This will be our answer to them in the first place.
Since we consider God to be both good and just, let us see how the good and just God could harden the heart of Pharaoh. Perhaps by an illustration used by the apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews, we may be able to show that, by the same operation, God can show mercy on one man while he hardens another, although not intending to harden. . . . "The earth," he says, "drinks in the rain that often comes upon it and produces crops to those for whom it is farmed, receiving the blessing from God. But that which produces thorns and briers is worthless, and is in danger of being cursed. Its end is to be burned." . . . It may seem profane for the One who produces rain to say, "I produced both the fruit and the thorns that are in the earth." Yet, although seemingly profane, it is true. If the rain had not fallen, there would have been neither fruit nor thorns. . . . The blessing of the rain, therefore, fell even on the unproductive land. But since it was neglected and uncultivated, it yielded thorns and thistles. In the same way, the wonderful acts of God are like the rain. The differing purposes are like the cultivated and the neglected land. . . . If the sun had a voice, it might say, "I both liquefy and dry up." Although liquefying and drying are opposite things, the sun would not speak falsely on this point. For wax is melted and mud is dried up by the same heat. In the same way, the operation performed through the instrumentality of Moses, on the one hand, hardened Pharaoh (because of his own wickedness), and it softened the mixed Egyptian multitude, who departed with the Hebrews. . . . Now, suppose that the words the apostle addressed to sinners had been addressed to Pharaoh. Then, the announcements made to him will be understood to have been made with particular application. It is as to one who—according to his hardness and unrepentant heart—was treasuring up wrath for himself. For his hardness would not have been demonstrated nor made manifest unless miracles had been performed, particularly miracles of such magnitude and importance. . . .
If it is not we who do anything towards the production within ourselves of the heart of flesh—but if it is [all] God's doing—it would not be our own act to live agreeably to virtue. Rather, it would be altogether an act of divine grace. This would be the statements of one who from the mere words annihilates free will. But we will answer, saying that we should understand these passages in this way: It is like a man who happens to be ignorant and uneducated. On perceiving his own defects—either because of an exhortation from his teacher, or in some other way—he spontaneously gives himself up to an instructor whom he believes can educate him and teach him virtue. Now, on his yielding himself up, his instructor promises that he will take away the man's ignorance and implant instruction. Yet, it is not as if the student contributed nothing to his own training. . . . In the same way, the Word of God promises to take away wickedness (which it calls a stony heart) from those who come to Him. But not if they are unwilling to come. It is only if they submit themselves to the Physician of the sick. . . .
After this, there is the passage from the Gospel where the Saviour said, . . . "Seeing, they may not see, and hearing, they may not understand. Lest they would be converted and their sins be forgiven them." Now, our opponent [the Gnostics] will say . . . it is not within the power of such ones to be saved. If that were so, we are not possessed of free will as regards salvation and destruction. . . . In the first place, then, we must notice the passage in its bearing on the heretics, who . . . daringly assert the cruelty of the Creator of the world. . . . They say that goodness does not exist in the Creator. . . . Come, then, and let us (to the best of our ability) furnish an answer to the question submitted to us. . . . The Saviour . . . had foreseen them as persons who were not likely to prove steady in their conversion, even if they heard the words that were spoken more clearly. For that reason, they were treated this way by the Saviour. . . . Otherwise, after a rapid conversion and healing through obtaining remission of sins, they would despise the wounds of their wickedness, as being slight and easy to heal. As a result, they would again quickly relapse into them. . . .
"Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me this way?" Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour?" . . . Now we must ask the person who uses these passages whether it is possible to conceive that the apostle contradicts himself. I presume that no one will venture to say it is. If, then, the apostle does not utter contradictions, how can he, according to the person who so understands him, justly find fault with anyone? How could he condemn the individual at Corinth who had committed fornication, or those who had fallen away? . . . And how could he bless those whom he praises as having done well? . . . It is not consistent for the same apostle to blame the sinner as worthy of censure and to praise him who had done well as deserving of approval—but yet, on the other hand, to say (as if nothing depended on ourselves that the cause was in the Creator for the one vessel to be formed to honour and the other to dishonour. . . . The power that is given us to enable us to conquer may be used—in accordance with our faculty of free will—either in a diligent manner (in which case, we prove victorious) or in a slothful manner (in which case, we are defeated). For if such a power were wholly given us in such a way that we would always prove victorious and never be defeated, what further reason would there be for a struggle—for such a one could not be overcome? Or what merit would there be in a victory, if the power of successful resistance is taken away? However, if the possibility of conquering is equally conferred on all of us—and if it is in our own power how to use this possibility (either diligently or slothfully)—then the defeated can be justly censured and the victor can be deservedly praised."
If Paul were teaching as Calvinists like to insist here, then Paul's other writings would be inconsistent and hypocritical as he praises some people for having done well and condemns others for having not done well. If they were only doing what Yahweh had determined for them to do, then this praise and condemnation is nonsensical. The Calvinist is too blind, stubborn, and proud to see this truth, and so they continue to malign and mar the eternal nature of Yahweh's love. The Calvinist's god is not the God of the Bible!
As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.' AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD." Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY." And just as Isaiah foretold, "UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH." Romans 9:25-29
In this passage, Paul points out how the Jewish Scriptures foretold Yahweh's plans for both Jews and Gentiles: "even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles" (9:24). In verses 25-26, Paul quotes two passages from the prophet Hosea to demonstrate Yahweh's pre-existent plan to include the Gentiles in His family. (I refer to this as Expansion Theology. See Romans 11:17-26.) In verses 27-29, Paul quotes two passages from the prophet Isaiah that inform us that Yahweh planned to reduce the number of Jews in His family to a remnant. Jesus had said, "the kingdom of God will be taken away from [the Jews] and given to a people, producing the fruit of it" (Matt. 21:43). This was further addressed when He said, "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness" (Matt. 8:11-12a).
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." Romans 9:30-33
In this passage, Paul summarizes the awkward state of affairs: "Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith" (9:30) and "Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law" (9:31). Paul then explains Israel's failure and attributes it to her carelessness: "they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works" (9:32). Paul then reveals Jesus as "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" (9:33) by applying the words of the prophet Isaiah. We see the same idea expressed in 1 Corinthians 1:22-23.
As you can see, Romans 9 has nothing to do with salvation, let alone individual salvation. Even the Lutheran understands this passage more correctly than the Calvinist. The Calvinist argues for the same heresy that was originally taught by the Gnostics and subsequently rejected by the early Christians of the first three centuries. If it was heresy back then, then it is still heresy today. It does not cease to be heresy simply because it has become common place or even popular.