Hi Robert,
In Romans 9, Paul was NOT writing about God hating billions of people and predestining them to eternal torment and loving only a special group of people (Calvin’s followers) and predestining them to eternal glory.
Paul was writing about GOD’S ISRAEL in Romans 9.
The prophets had prophesied about the grace of the New Covenant and glory coming for Israel. These would be fulfilled IN CHRIST as Paul and Peter made clear.
Acts 13:32-33,38-39 ”“
And we preach to you THE GOOD NEWS OF THE PROMISE MADE TO THE FATHERS, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’…………Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
Acts 26:19-23 ”“
"So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, STATING NOTHING BUT WHAT THE PROPHETS AND MOSES SAID WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
1 Peter 1:3-5, 10-12 ”“
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time………As to this salvation, THE PROPHETS WHO PROPHESIED OF THE GRACE THAT WOULD COME TO YOU made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST WITHIN THEM was indicating as He PREDICTED THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND THE GLORIES TO FOLLOW. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven””things into which angels long to look.
But almost all Jewish people had rejected Christ and the gospel of glory and so the prophesied grace and glory did not come to them.
They were the Israelites, to whom belonged 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. (Rom. 9:4-5). Were they not those God foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son? Were they not predestined to be justified and glorified? (Rom. 8:29-30). But they were now separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom. 8:39).
Had God’s word failed?
No. Paul explained:
Rom. 9:8-9 ”“
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.”
2 points to note:
(1)
God’s Israel is not made up of children of the flesh but children of the promise. Children of the promise are children of the New Covenant of Grace and NOT children of the Old Covenant of Works of the Law.
Rom.4:13-17 ”“
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants (lit. seed) that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. FOR IF THOSE WHO ARE OF THE LAW ARE HEIRS, FAITH IS MADE VOID AND THE PROMISE IS NULLIFIED; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.
FOR THIS REASON IT IS BY FAITH, IN ORDER THAT IT MAY BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH GRACE, SO THAT THE PROMISE WILL BE GUARANTEED TO ALL THE DESCENDANTS (LIT. SEED), NOT ONLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE LAW, BUT ALSO TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, WHO IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, (as it is written, "A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
Gal. 3:9 ”“
So then those who are OF FAITH are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Gal. 4:21-28 ”“
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, and the son by the free woman THROUGH THE PROMISE. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are TWO COVENANTS: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is MOUNT SINAI in Arabia and corresponds to the PRESENT JERUSALEM, for SHE IS IN SLAVERY WITH HER CHILDREN.
But THE JERUSALEM ABOVE is FREE; she is OUR MOTHER.
For it is written,
"Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”
AND YOU BRETHREN, LIKE ISAAC, ARE CHILDREN OF PROMISE.
Gal. 3:16 ”“
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, "AND TO YOUR SEED,” THAT IS, CHRIST.
Gal. 3:29 ”“
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants (lit. seed), heirs according to promise.
(2)
No one qualifies to be part of God’s Israel by his own will or works. But entry into God’s Israel is by the door of God’s mercy and grace and love.
Eph. 2:8-9 ”“
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The conclusion, by these 2 criteria, is therefore that God’s Israel is made up of only believers in Christ, saved by grace and NOT works of the Law, comprising only the Jewish remnant who believe in Christ AND all Gentile believers.
Rom. 9:25-31 ”“
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.”
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.
So the prophecies did not fail (Rom. 9:6) BECAUSE GOD’S ISRAEL IS THE CHURCH, comprising BOTH Jewish and Gentile believers, and the prophecies were FULFILLED IN CHRIST and APPREHENDED BY THE CHURCH.
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VESSELS OF WRATH PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION AND VESSELS OF MERCY PREPARED FOR GLORY
We are all vessels filled with either God’s wrath or God’s glory.
ALL descendants of fallen Adam are vessels of wrath.
ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
Rom. 3:10 ”“ There is NONE righteous, not even one.
Through Adam’s transgression ALL his descendants are condemned (Rom. 5:18).
When Christ died, ALL descendants of Adam, sinners and vessels of wrath, were destroyed/crucified with Him.
John 1:29 ”“
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of THE WORLD!
1 John 2:2 ”“
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of THE WHOLE WORLD.
2 Cor. 5:14-15 ”“
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEREFORE ALL DIED; and He died for ALL, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
God’s vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, are the members of the body of Christ, the Church, comprising both Gentile and Jewish believers in Christ.
Rom. 9:23-24 ”“
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.
We become vessels of glory by being born again in the power of Christ’s resurrection and are indwelt by Christ by the Holy Spirit. Vessels of glory bear the glorious image of Christ and are filled with the love and the fullness of God.
Heb. 1:3 ”“
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature………
2 Cor. 3:18 ”“
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Eph. 3:14-19 ”“
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS THROUGH FAITH; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, AND TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH SURPASSES KNOWLEDGE, THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED UP TO ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD.
God did not predestine only some to salvation and all the rest to eternal torment.
Christ calls ALL.
Matt. 11:28 ”“
Come to Me, ALL who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Salvation is for ALL and ALL are called to be vessels of glory through the preaching of the gospel.
2 Thess. 2:14 --
…………He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom. 10:11-15 ”“
For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is LORD OF ALL, abounding in riches for ALL who call on Him; for "WHOEVER will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?
Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
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"JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”
Paul quoted this OT scripture (Mal. 1:2) to show that God’s Israel who are not children of the flesh but children of the promise ARE ALSO NOT children by works but children by God’s love.
Rom. 9:6-13 ”“
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 (lit. seed) 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 (lit. seed). 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.”
Comment:
Without God’s love for Jacob, there would be no difference between Jacob and Esau,
Both were descendants of Adam, and like ALL descendants of Adam, were condemned (Rom. 5:18), unrighteous (Rom. 3:9), sinners (Rom. 3:23), hostile to God and cannot obey God’s laws and cannot please God (Rom.8:7-8). And God hates sin and evil.
But God loves the world and in the fullness of time God would send His Son to take away the sins of the world and reconcile the world to Himself. (John 3:16, 1:29, 2 Cor. 5:14-15, 18-19).
But in OT time the grace of the Lord Jesus had not yet come.
The love of God had not yet been poured out on ALL.
But God chose the human line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through whom our Saviour would come, and it was to them only, in OT time, that God showed his mercy, grace and love and gave them knowledge of Him. All other nations, including Edom, were without God and His love and had no hope IN OT TIME.
It is interesting that God loved Jacob and Jacob loved the birthright and did everything he could to get it. And it is interesting that Paul quoted the scripture that God loved Jacob in connection with God’s Israel.
The true birthright is the right to be the sons and the heirs of God in Christ, and this is by the will and the love of God.
John 1:11-13 ”“
He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Rom. 8:14-17 ”“
For all who are being LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, these are SONS OF GOD. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are CHILDREN OF GOD, and if children, heirs also, HEIRS OF GOD AND FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
1 John 3:1 ”“
See HOW GREAT A LOVE THE FATHER HAS BESTOWED ON US, THAT WE WOULD BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD; and such we are.
We were all hopeless in sin and death, but God loves us and sent His Son to save us and give us a future and a hope. When Christ died, we all died with Him, and all our sinful selves were destroyed in His death. Then Christ rose from the dead and we all rose in Him and in Him in the resurrection we become sons of God and heirs of God in Christ. How great a love the Father has bestowed on us!
Gal. 3:26, 29 ”“
For you are ALL SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS……… AND IF YOU BELONG TO CHRIST, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S DESCENDANTS (LIT. SEED), HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE.
Comment:
God’s Israel comprises all who, because of God’s great love and by their faith in Christ, have received the right to become the sons of God and heirs of God in Christ.
Isa. 66:22-23 ”“
"For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
"So your offspring and your name will endure.
"And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
That "All mankind” in v.23 means ALL mankind is backed by Phil. 2:9-11 which is not figurative but clear scripture.
Phil. 2:9-11 ”“
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Isa. 66:24 ”“
"Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
Firstly, these are "corpses”. Corpses are DEAD people, not people alive and being eternally tormented.
Secondly these are God’s transgressors. ALL descendants of Adam are God’s transgressors.
Thirdly, ALL are crucified with Christ (2 Cor. 14-15).
Therefore, these corpses could well be the corpses of EVERY descendant of Adam who were crucified with Christ.
Paul wrote that the last enemy to be abolished is death (1 Cor. 15:26). Therefore, all who died in Christ would not remain dead.
In Christ all are made alive (1 Cor. 15:22, Rom. 5:18).
Acts 19:10 ”“
This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
"Asia” here refers to proconsular Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city.
In the two years there, Paul certainly could have preached to ALL who lived there.
(Note: All CAPS are just for emphasis.)
