Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 9:22

Romans 9:22. But what if God. The construction is elliptical: the original is simply: ‘but if.' We may supply, as follows: ‘But what will be said, if,' i.e., How can the objection raised be urged, if, as is the case, God, etc. ‘But' thus introduces an additional thought, which forms the main answer to the objection.

Although willing, etc. The participle ‘willing' may mean either, ‘since He is willing,' or, ‘although He is willing.' We prefer the latter, for (1.) the former view gives to ‘willing' the sense of ‘purposing,' which it does not necessarily have; (2.) it obscures the logical relation between ‘showing wrath' and ‘enduring;' (3.) it relieves somewhat the difficult construction of Romans 9:23. On this view, ‘willing' refers to the spontaneous will of God, growing out of His moral character, not to His fixed purpose. This will would lead Him to show his wrath, etc.

His power. This peculiar expression, meaning ‘what is possible to him,' suits the view we take of ‘willing.'

Endured with much long-suffering. That the Apostle means to assert the fact of such endurance is plain. But how does this stand related to the previous clause? Our view accepts a contrast; ‘yet He endured;' the other interpretation makes this the result of His purpose to show His wrath, etc. This raises a new difficulty, while the former explanation really answers the objection of Romans 9:19, by showing that the sovereign God had withheld the exercise of a power in accordance with His holy will, so that the endurance was really ‘with much long-suffering.' Comp. chap. Romans 3:25.

Vessels of wrath. God's wrath is meant, and these vessels are to be its objects. It is not necessary to carry out the figure and explain a vessel full of wrath. This phrase is suggested by the corresponding one in Romans 9:21 (‘vessel unto dishonor').

Fitted for destruction; everlasting destruction is meant, as the contrasted word (‘glory;' Romans 9:23) plainly shows, as well as the mention of God's enduring with much long-suffering. The participle, ‘fitted,' expresses the permanent present result of past action. It is not said that God has fitted them for destruction, although Meyer thinks this is implied Others think that they are represented as having fitted themselves for destruction, by deserving it. Probably the mediate agency of God is not to be excluded, but the obvious differences between the two phrases (‘fitted for destruction' and ‘which He before prepared for glory,' see below) point unmistakably to such a difference as should guard the passage against fatalistic interpretations. ‘Every development of sin is a network of human offences and divine judgments, that are related to each other.'

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 9:22

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