Lesson 119
Romans Chapter Nine
The Faithfulness of God to
Intro
overview:
Romans 9 is a major focus of the discussion between Calvinists and others, since
it is a lynchpin in their case for God's sovereignty manifest in the
unconditional election of individuals.
Most commentators recognize that the issue in this section is the
vindication of God's righteousness in setting
The major theological issue which must be decided in this passage is
whether Paul is discussing the unconditional election of individuals or God's
dealings with
In surveying God's just dealings with
Then in 9:6-13 he shows how in God's separating out the nation
Then he gives two examples of this. The lineage would be through
Isaac, the miracle child procreated in harmony with God's order for the family.
The focus is upon the lineage of the nation, not the salvation of
individuals.
Since I mentioned earlier unconditional election we need to put that into
context.
So we need to take a quick overview of the basis or foundation of
Calvinism
Classic Calvinism:
or T U L I P Often referred to as Sovereign grace
- John Calvin lived from 1509 -
1564;
- In 1618-19 at the Synod of Dort these
principles of TULIP were first codified.
- all
logically follow one another, are linked together
T = Total
Depravity:
- Because of sin's corruption from the fall
there is nothing that man can do to merit saving favor with God.
- Therefore man is hopelessly ruined by the fall
and cannot choose God.
- All humanity is dead in trespasses and sin.
- When you examine what they are really saying
is that because of the fall man has no ability to believe, to initiate
salvation by faith.
- So its not total depravity but total inability
and as a result they teach that God has to give you the faith, some even go so
far as to say that God must regenerate before one can believe in Christ.
U =
Unconditional election:
- In E-P God
has elected certain individuals to salvation.
- Divine
choice irrespective of man's merit or demerit;
- Man's
choice is not a factor!
- God has elected some to eternal life and
others are condemned to eternal death.
** No statement of such in Scripture
anywhere.
Charles Hodge:
Election is that eternal act of God by which in His
sovereign pleasure and because of no foreseen merit chooses certain of sinful
men to be the recipient's of the special grace of the spirit and to be made
voluntary partakers of Christ's salvation.
Council of
"For this was the Sovereign counsel and most
gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving
efficacy of the most precious death of His Son should extend to all the elect
for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring
them infallibly to salvation."
L = Limited
Atonement:
- Christ only died for the elect. Whole purpose of the atonement, the cross was
to secure the salvation of the elect.
- Say that
all whom God elected and Christ died for will be saved.
- Sometimes
is called "particular atonement."
- Some critics of this position say that they're
teaching that Christ's death is not sufficient to save all. Not really what they are saying.
- In response: Some Calvinists have modified
their position to say this: Christ's
salvation is sufficient for all but is not effective for all. [what makes it
effective would be the next question?]
I =
Irresistible Grace:
- Those whom God elected, and Christ died for will
not resist the call of God to salvation.
- J.I. Packer: "Grace proves irresistible
just because it destroys the disposition to resist."
- Louis Berkoff: "By changing the heart it
makes man perfectly willing to accept Jesus Christ unto salvation and to yield
obedience to the will of God."
- All this they say does not remove man's
responsibility to believe in Christ, but that it is God through irresistible
grace who enables him to believe.
P =
Perseverance of the Saints:
- None of the elect will be lost;
- Title seems to suggest that the continuance in
the faith depends on the believer; not really what they are saying;
- Continuance in the faith is dependent on God.
- The elect through the H/S will persevere in
the faith.
- This is usually related to eternal security;
being sealed by the H/S. Most often
called, "Once saved always saved"
- John 10:27-29 states it most
clearly; Whose
power guarantees the result, man's or God's??
- This last of the 5 points of Calvinism,
logically is connected with the previous points; This
is how they put it all together:
If man is totally depraved
then he cannot respond to God;
God must unconditionally elect
man to salvation.
For those who are elected,
Christ has died to secure their salvation.
God then irresistibly draws
them to effect their salvation and also keeps them
secure in that salvation to the end.
Now to the details of the passage:
3. 9:6-13 God's faithfulness to
#1 not based on
their genealogy;
physical descent 9:6-10
Apparently, some
were already questioning whether God had failed to keep His Word to the
Israelites.
"But it is not as though God's word
had failed." (Romans 9:6a)
Don't conclude that there has been a change
in the promise to
- The word for failed
= ekpiptw
lit. to fall from/away;
used of shackles/chains falling off Acts 12:7;
also for a ship to drift off course, hit the rocks;
Acts 27:17
Here is a
figurative use; to fall from a standard; therefore to not fulfill a stated
promise;
-
Next Paul gives us a principle as part of the explanation;
"For [gar] they are not all
What's Paul saying??
Just because they are physical descendants of Abe, Isaac and Jacob that does not make you true
He continues in vs:7 "neither
are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: 'through
Isaac your descendants will be named.'"
-
Paul makes it clear here though that it was not enough to be of the seed of
Abraham, his descendant after the flesh, something more involved!
Was Isaac the only son of
Abe?? Not at all!
-
This was the common belief and teaching of Judaism of the day; that all that
was important was that you be of the lineage of Abe, and a sign of that was
circumcision;
Clearly the Jews
believed and taught that all circumcised Israelites who have died are in
paradise and that there are no circumcised in Gehenna.
-
Paul makes it clear here though that it was not enough to be of the seed of
Abraham, his descendant after the flesh, something more involved!