ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:1 God’s Righteousness to Israel and to the Gentiles. Paul has made it clear that God’s saving promises have been fulfilled for the Gentiles. He now asks whether the promises God made to ethnic Israel will be fulfilled. If his promises to the Jews remain unfulfilled, how can G... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:4 Israel had great privileges. The ISRAELITES became God’s adopted people when God saved them from Egypt. GLORY here probably refers to the glory of God in the tabernacle and temple. Israel received the COVENANTS in which the Lord promised to save them. God gave his people hi... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:5 The PATRIARCHS (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) come from Israel. Most important, Jesus the Christ is a man from the Jewish people. He is also fully GOD, and to be praised as such. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:6 Though many Jews have failed to believe, God’s promise to them has not failed. It was never true that _all_ of the physical CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM were part of the people of God. Genesis 21:12 teaches that the line of promise is traced THROUGH ISAAC, not Ishmael. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var im... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:9 THE PROMISE (Genesis 18:10, Genesis 18:14) was not given to Hagar (Genesis 16:1), but specifically to Sarah and her offspring. The birth of Esau and Jacob is further evidence that God did not promise that every person of Jewish descent would be saved. They had the same pare... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:11 God did not choose Jacob on the basis of anything in Jacob or Esau’s life. He did so to fulfill his PURPOSE OF ELECTION. For the OT background to “election,” see Genesis 18:10; Exodus 33:19; Malachi 1:2. See also Ephesians 1:3. ⇐... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:14 God is just in choosing one over the other because _no one_ deserves to be saved (see Romans 3:23). The salvation of anyone at all is due to God’s MERCY alone, as the words taken from Exodus 33:19 affirm. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for ... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:17 Paul quotes Exodus 9:16 to show that God is sovereign over evil as well as good. Even the wrath of man praises God (Psalms 76:10). For example, God installed PHARAOH as ruler and hardened his heart so that God’s own saving power and glorious name would be spread throughout... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:19 WHO CAN RESIST HIS WILL? If salvation ultimately depends upon God, and he either has mercy on or hardens whomever he pleases, then how can he charge anyone with guilt? ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:20 Paul does not resolve the problem presented in v. Romans 9:19 on the basis of human free will. Rather, he insists that human beings should not rebelliously question God’s ways. Like a POTTER (see Jeremiah 18:1), God has the right to do what he wishes with his creation. The... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:22 The salvation of any person is due to the marvelous grace and love of God. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:25 Paul quotes Hosea 2:23 and Hosea 1:10 to illustrate God’s amazing grace. Those who ARE NOT MY PEOPLE... WILL BE CALLED “SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.” In calling the Gentiles to salvation, God calls sinful people to himself. He did the same with Israel. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:27 Isaiah 10:22 notes that only some of Israel would be saved. Most of ISRAEL was judged. Only A REMNANT experienced salvation. Indeed, as Isaiah 1:9 says, Israel deserved to be wiped out like Sodom and Gomorrah, but God had mercy and spared some. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:30 God’s sovereignty is compatible with human responsibility. Israel should have believed the gospel and trusted in Christ, but the majority refused to do so. Still, God’s saving promises will be fulfilled. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=... [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:32 Following the law to try to establish righteousness led Israel to stumble over the STONE (Christ). If obeying the law can save them, they see no need to believe in Christ. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
ROMANS—NOTE ON ROMANS 9:33 STUMBLING. See Isaiah 28:16. Those who trust in Christ will not experience SHAME on the day of judgment. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]