Romans 9 with references and commentary

With this commentary, I aim to convey what I've learned in studying this chapter and other people's studies on it. Since Paul is extensively quoting and eluding to OT passages in this chapter, I believe that in order to fully understand what he means, we must also gain some familiarity with the passages he is quoting from and eluding to in order to make his points; therefore I will spend some time working toward that in this study.

As a product of interpretation, this commentary should be subject to scrutiny, and I will continue to scrutinize it with you.

While I am studying Romans 9 with Calvinism in mind, since it was the debate over Calvinism that brought me to study it to this extent, and that frame of reference will influence my commentary on it, I aim more presently to suggest that the ideas in Paul's mind at the time he wrote this chapter are quite different from the ideas in the minds of those who use this chapter to teach of a predetermined fate whereby the recipient of that fate is hopeless and helpless to affect at all the eternal outcome chosen for them from before their birth. Instead, let us consider the cultural and historical moment that Paul is dealing with:
There was a major shift happening in Christianity at this time. Previous to Jesus' crucifixion, God had been focusing His work first in Jews, and particularly in the nation of Israel. But now, while most Jews are rejecting Jesus as Christ, the Gentiles are being drawn into God's plan in a way previously exclusive to Jews: They can be called the children of Abraham, simply by placing their faith in this Christ. With this shift in the locus of God's work, and the makeup of God's people as He defines them, Paul will be addressing Jews who are frustrated that, from their perspective: God has pulled the rug out from under them since they were God's elected people, and followed the law religiously, and now (from their perspective) God is redefining the terms of their salvation in that it is not by being a law-following Jew, but by faith in Christ. They feel: How could it possibly be fair or just for God to change the rules on them, seemingly cancelling out His previous promises to save Israel?

For the religious but faithless among the Jews, it is anathema to say that Gentiles are sanctified by faith alone since they believe that righteousness is intrinsically tied to adhering to the letter of Jewish law given by God, and even the idea of being God's people is tied to being a Jew / of the seed / part of Israel such that we hear those terms used many times in scripture for the purpose of separating out their literal meanings from their idiomatic use, and so we get 'Not all Israel is Israel' and such. Paul has to point out that God isn't just 'God of the Jews' (Romans 3:27-30). The issue comes up many times for example whether or not it's even possible for people to be righteous or blessed by God if they aren't circumcised (Romans 4:9-10, Galatians 5:6, Romans 3:30).

Although this passage spends a great deal of time discussing the history of God's plan and dealings with Israel, it is not just a letter to Jews, but quite relevant to the Gentile audience of the time as well. This, not only for the sake of informing them that they truly can be included, but think of it from the perspective of a Gentile being witnessed to: Didn't God make promises to Israel about how He's going to bless and use them, but now this promise has failed, and your own people don't believe your gospel? Why should we believe the gospel message that's just fizzled out in Israel?

References