(14-18) These verses contain the second part of the vindication. This power of choosing one and refusing another has always been reserved to Himself by God; as is seen by the examples of Moses and Pharaoh. read more
(16) Of him that runneth.—A metaphor taken from the foot-races as St. Paul may very possibly have seen them practised at Corinth. (Comp. Romans 9:16; Galatians 2:2; Galatians 5:7; Philippians 2:16.) The meaning is that the prize does not depend on human will or human effort, but on the grace of God. read more
I Caught Myself Wishing Romans 9:3 'I caught myself wishing praying that I were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.' Nothing brings us nearer the heart of St. Paul than that. His wish, it has been finely said, was a spark from the fire of Christ's substitutionary love. Moses was willing to perish with his people. 'If not I pray Thee blot me out of Thy book.' The Apostle caught himself wishing that he might die for them, if need were, the eternal death. I.... read more
Chapter 20THE SORROWFUL PROBLEM: JEWISH UNBELIEF; DIVINE SOVEREIGNTYRomans 9:1-33WE may well think that again there was silence awhile in that Corinthian chamber, when Tertius had duly inscribed the last words we have studied. A "silence in heaven" follows, in the Apocalypse, {Revelation 8:1} the vision of the white hosts of the redeemed, gathered at last, in their eternal jubilation, before the throne of the Lamb. A silence in the soul is the fittest immediate sequel to such a revelation of... read more
II. DISPENSATIONAL. GOD’S DEALINGS WITH ISRAEL. Chapters 9-11. 1. Israel and God’s Sovereignty. CHAPTER 9 1. Paul’s Yearning over Israel. (Romans 9:1-3 .) 2. What Israel Possesseth. (Romans 9:4-5 .) 3. God’s Unconditional Election. (Romans 9:6-13 .) 4. God’s Sovereignty. The Vindication of His Justice and Mercy. (Romans 9:14-26 .) 5. Mercy for the Remnant. (Romans 9:27-29 .) 6. Israel’s Rejection of God’s Righteousness. (Romans 9:30-33 .) This second division brings before us Israel... read more
9:16 {12} So then [it is] not of him that {q} willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.(12) The conclusion of the answer: therefore God is not unjust in choosing and saving from his free goodness, such as it pleases him: as he also answered Moses when he prayed for all of the people.(q) By "will" he means the thought and endeavour of heart, and by "running", good works, to neither of which he gives the praise, but only to the mercy of God. read more
What of God's Promises to Israel? Now, such being the case - that God had purposed in eternal counsel the blessing of Gentiles on an equal basis with Jews, as it is this day - what is to become of the special promises to Israel? Did the apostle utterly ignore these in his zeal for the conversion of Gentiles? Far be the thought! Such accusations which were bound to be hurled against him, are utterly denied and proven false in his most admirable discussion, in chapters 9, 10 and 11, of Israel's... read more
PARENTHESIS CONCERNING ISRAEL These chapters carry us back to chapter 3, where Paul proved the lost condition of the Jew as well as the Gentiles. But if this were so it might be charged that the Old Testament promises to Israel had failed, which he now shows is not the case. This line of argument is threefold: first, some of Israel were already saved (chap. 9); secondly, all of Israel might be saved but for unbelief (chap. 10); thirdly, all of Israel would be saved ultimately (chap. 11).... read more
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. (17) For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (18)... read more
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John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 9:1-36
It was obvious that the Church of Christ was coming to be almost entirely a Gentile Church, and that the Jews as a whole were refusing to accept Jesus as their Messiah. The Jew argued from this fact that Christianity could not be true. For if the Christian Church were really the fulfilment of the promised Messianic kingdom, and if the Jews were shut out from it, then God’s promises to the Jews in the OT. would have been broken, which could not be imagined.In Romans 9-11, St. Paul grapples with... read more