PREDESTINATION (PROORIDZO)
Acts 4:28
JESUS
l Cor 2:7
Rom 8:28-29
CHURCH
Eph l:5,11
FOREKNOWLEDGE (PROGINOSKO)
Verb Acts 26:5
Rom 8:29
Rom 11:2
1 Pet 1:20
2 Pet 3:17
Noun Acts 2:23
1 Pet 1:2
ELECT (EKLEKTOS)
ALWAYS
ELECT IN
CHRIST
NEVER
ELECT INTO
CHRIST
ELECT (EKLEKTOS)
Matt 20:16; 22:14; 24:22; 24:24; 24:31
Mark 13:20; 13:22; 13:27
Lk 18:7; 23:35
Rom 8:33; 16:13
Col 3:12
1 Tim 5:21
2Tim 2:10
Titus 1:1
1 Pet 1:2; 2:4; 2:6; 2:9
2Jn vi; v 13
Rev 17:14
ELECTION (EKLOGE)
Acts 9:15
Rom 9:11; 11:5; 11:7; 11:28
1 Thess 1:4
2 Pet 1:10
CALLED (KL~TOS)
Matt 20:16; 22:14
Ram 1:1; 1:6; 1:7; 8:28
1 Corl:1;1:2;l:24
Jude 1
Rev 17:14
CALLING (KL~SIS)
Rom 11:29
1 Cor 1:26; 7:20
Eph 1:18; 4:1; 4:4
Phil 3:14
2Thess 1:11
2Tim 1:9
Heb 3:1
2 Pet 1:10
PURPOSE (PROTHESIS)
Matt 12:4; Mark 2:26; Lk 6:4
Acts 11:23; 27:13
Rom 8:28; 9:11
Eph 1:11; 3:11
2Tim 1:9; 3:10
Heb 9:2
(NB. Verb Ram 1:13; 3:25; Eph 1:9; Gal 4:2)
Romans 9:1—11:36 The Strategy of the Gospel in History
INTRODUCTION:
1. Mercy dominates the Chapters
(verb: 7 times; noun: 2 times)
N.B. Love of God in Ch 8 & 12:1
2. The section 9-1 1 is primarily about God’s ancient people Israel (9:1-6;
11:26). The gospel is fully understood only in the light of Israel (1:3, 1:16)
and the apparent denial of Israel’s election in the gospel, 8:33 must be
addressed.
3. The section is not about God’s salvation for eternity but His movement in
time. Compare chapters 1-8 with Ch. 1 1:1; 11:11 if; 11:32. Paul has
already shown God’s way of salvation up to Ch. 8. Chapters 9-11. This is
not a parenthesis, but a necessary development to show how this salvation
is being brought to the world.
4. Paul as he writes, has in view an unreasonable Rabinnic critic (8:39; 9:6;
9:14; 9:19). Paul is not debating with an unbelieving atheist, but Bible-
believing Pharisees, or orthodox Jews. All agree with Scripture as their
authority.
5. The O.T. texts that Paul cites must be understood by their 0.1. context, not
made to mean something quite different. Paul’s argument is in a skeleton
form, for he assumes a comprehensive knowledge of the Scriptures in his
opponents and readers.
6. The movement of thought is from One Man (Abraham) to World (Mercy on
all).
7. Interpretation must be Christological. Christ is Elect Man and the Electing
God, 8:33, 8:39 and 9:5.
ANALYSIS OF CHAPTERS 9—11
Ch.9:1-29:
GOD’S FAVOUR - Election — Elect in
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Pharoah
Oh. 9:30-11:10
MAN’S FAITH — remnant
Law, Psalms, Prophets
Ch.11:11-36
WORLD’S FULNESS — mercy on all
Gentiles’, Israel’s, life from the dead.
9:1-33 God’s strategy is free
1. verse 3 cf. Moses and Paul Ex. 32:32 — both lead God’s people to liberty
2. verse 5 Christ — 6 possible translations
who is over all, God blessed forever (best)
(who is God over all blessed forever
blessed forever is he that is God over all, etc. etc.)
3. Question (1) 8:39, 9:1 cf. Rom 3:1
(2) 9:6 cf. Rom 3:3
Answer to Paul:
a. God chooses whom He will (e.g. Abraham not Meichizedek his
spiritual superior) for the line of the Messiah and blessing the
world with His mercy.
(N.B. Israel = “Preserver with God”)
b. God’s choice gives us a TYPE of the gospel
cf. Gal 4:21 -31
i) Not by Natural Birth verses 7,9
ii) Not by works verses 8,11
(e.g. Abraham and lshmael = Flesh works
Abraham and Isaac = Faith)
N.B. Isaac was equally a child of flesh as Ishmael, but
symbolically of spirit.
iii) God’s choice in world strategy does not determine a man’s
personal destiny
(N.B. Ishmael Gen 16:10-14; 17:20; 21:13; 21:17-21
Esau Heb 12:16
Pharoah? Cyrus Is 45:4)
4. 9:11 The word “children” should not be in verse 11. It is neither in
the Greek nor in the Hebrew where “nations” occurs instead (Gen.
25:23), and in fact, would not be true for Jacob served Esau (Gen
32:4; 32:5; 32:18; 33:5-15. “Lord” eight times, “Servant” four times,
“find grace” three times from Esau).
5. Verse 12 cf. Gen 29:30, 29:31. Matt 10:37 and Luke 14:26. Malachi
speaks over 1000 years after the birth of Jacob and Esau. It is the
nations of Edom and Israel that are severely being originally
favoured, e.g. Mal 1:6; 1:10; 1:11.
6. Question 39:14 cf. Rom 3:5
Answer of Paul: God is concerned about righteousness but will use
both his and his opponents’ chess pieces in his strategy.
a. Moses chosen from all the Israelites to be a vessel of mercy
in Exodus 32:33 (years after serving God faithfully) to reveal His mercy.
b. Pharoah chosen from all Egypt to be a vessel or wrath (after
persistent refusal to obey God) to reveal God’s power and wrath.
N.B. Ex 3:19 — God’s foreknowledge (and intent 4:21)
Ex. 7:3, 12,14,15,19,22; 9:7 do not say God hardened, only
“Pharoah hardened”, or ‘it was hardened”.
Ex. 9:12—God hardens (Cf. 4:21) Ex. 9:34,35. Pharoah hardens,
Ex. 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8,17 God hardens.
7. Question 4 9:19 cf. Rom 3:7
Verse 20 Because the Bible says we can resist His will, so
objectors are arguing with the God they profess to
believe in.
e.g. 1 Sam 15:23, Ps 32:8, Luke 7:30, Matt 23:37
Verse 20b Is 45:9; 29:15,16; Jer. 18:1-10. Cyrus who doesn’t
know God, is used by Him. A nation which repents
God will also use. Both have free will.
Verses 21 -23 So Israel is the one lump in two parts.
Wrath 1 Thess 2:16, Glory John 17:22
Verses 22,23 (i) Willing to demonstrate his wrath and
make his power known
(ii) Endured with much patience vessels of
wrath prepared for destruction
in order: (iii) That he might make known the riches of
His glory on vessel of mercy.
(i) and (ii) serve (iii)
The next two relative clauses serve (iii) and chapters 10 & 11 demonstrate (iii)
8. But why do Gentiles receive glory?
Answer of Paul: Hos. 2:23; Is. 10:22,23; Is 1:9
N.B. Stone Is. 8:14, 28:16, Ps. 118:22; Dan. 2:34; Lk 20:17;
1 Pet. 2:6-8; Rom. 9:32
APPENDIX
ABSOLUTE DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE
The best passages of Scripture that can be found to support this dogma, realising that
the many prophecies are merely revelations of what God has determined to bring to
pass in His guidance of world affairs. (The prophecies are underlined):
Gen. 15:13-15
16:12
17:20
25:23
Num. 23:19
Deut. 31:16-21,29(21,27)
1 Sam 15:29
1 Kings 13:2
(2 Kings 22:1;23:15,16)
Psalms 22:16,18; 69:21
Isaiah 44:28-45:7
46: 9-1 1
Matt: 16:21
20:17-19
21:1-5
24:1 -25:46
26:31 -34
27:9
Mark 9:31
14:13-16
Luke 24:25-27, 44-47
2:7
3:8
1:3-5,11
3:11
2Thess.2:3-4,1 3-14
lTim. 4:1-3
2Tim. 1:9-10
Passages of Scripture requiring a denial of the supposed fact that all the future facts of
God and man are now known to God and have been so from eternal ages past.
2Sam. 7:10-11
12: 22 (14)
24:12-16(1), 25
1Kings 9:3,4-9
Gen. 2:17
(!:5; 5:5)
6:5-7(1:31)
18: 20-21, 22-33
22:1,12
Exodus 16:4
32: 7-14, 30-35
30-35
33:5
Num 11:1
14:11-24, 27-35
16:20-35
Deut. 8:2
9:13-1 4, 18-19,
(20) 25-29 (10:10)
13: 1-3
Judges 2:18,20-22
(3:4)
10:13-16
Ezek. 20:8-9,13-14,
15-17,
21-22
22:30
24:14
8:5
2:12-14
5:14-15
7:1-3, 4-6
Jonah 1:2
3:2, 4-10
4:2
Zech. 8:14-15
Matt 10:2-4
(Mk. 3:13-1 9;
Lk. 6:12-16)
19:28
25:41
13:32
(Mt.24:36;
1Sam 2:30
(3:12-1 4)
13:13-14
15:11,23,26,35
(28:18, 8:4-9,22;
12:13-19)
Isa.5:3-7
38:1-5
(2Kings 20:1-7)
Jer. 3:6-8
18 :7-10
26:2-3,4-6,12-13,
18-19
32:35
Ezek. 12:1-3
Acts 1:7;
1 Cor. 11:3)
15:7
14:2
3:5
17:8
(1 3:8;20:1 2,
15; 21:27)
22:18-19
TIME — A FACTOR IN GOD’S EXISTENCE
The following abundant biblical evidence refutes the common notion that God is an “eternal
now” — living in the past, present and future all at once and having no succession of thoughts,
experiences, or volitions in His existence. On the contrary, God is presented in the Bible as a
living Being who walks or dwells with men, performing definite acts at definite times, who rests,
observes, thinks and is reasoned with, remembers, is grieved, is jealous, is provoked to anger
and then causes His wrath rest, is moved with compassion, who forgives and comforts,
delights and rejoices, hearkens unto men, repents, changes His purposes, makes new
decisions etc. These various acts, states of mind, or experiences obviously conflict and
cannot coexist at the same instant, and this requires the chronological element of time for their
occurrence. God is “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity”, whose “years are
throughout all generations” and which “shall have no end”.
Gen 1:26-27
2:3 (1 :5,8,13,
19,23,31;
Ex.20:1 1;
31:17);
6:5,12-13
8:21
9:16
11:5-8
17:1,22
18:1,10,14,21,
33
19:22,24,29
35 :9, 13
Deut. 32:21,39
Josh. 5:9;7:1,26
10:1 4;23:1 6
24:20
Judges 2:20-22
10:7,16
iSam. 2:35
3:8,10
9:16
15:11,35
2Sam. 11:27
24:1,16
1 Kings 8:34-35,36,
37-40,46-
50,59
11:9; 22:19
2Kings 13:3-4,23
14:26; 17:18;
19:16,20,28
20:5(1)
22:13,17
23:26; 24:20
28:9
1:7
7:12-16
16:9
29:8,10
30:8,9
1:6,11
9:16,17,32
1:6; 2:1;
7:17
Ex. 2:23-25
3:4, 7-9
4:14
6:2-5
9:5-6,18
12:23,29
14:24
19:3,10-11,20 lChr.
24:16 2Chr.
31:18 (32:16)
32:9-1 4,32-34
33:11,17-23
34:1-2,5
Num. 1:1 Neh.
11:1,33
12:2,4-9 Job
14:8,20-24,27-28
Psalm 102:19,24-27
103:13
106:23,40
139:17
149:4
Prov. 15:3
Isa. 1:18
2:9
10:25
12:1
13:9,13
30:27-28
40:28
43:10
45:18
46:9-11
49:15-16
55:8,9
57:15
60:10
65:19
Jer. 4:4
8:18
15:1
16:17
17:10
23:24,25
29:11
32:1 7-19,
30-32
44:2 1 ,22
Ez. 5:13
Micah 1:3
3:4
4:12
7:18-19
Nahum 1:2-3,
6,7
Zeph. 1:18
2:8-9
3:5,8,
17
Hag.1:8
Zech. 1:12-16
4:10
7:12-13
8:14-15
10:6
Malac. 2:17
3:16
2:5-11
1:1,2
1:4,8
8:1
Num.25:3-4,10-li
32:13
35:34
Deut. 1 :30-33,34,37
2:25
5:24,28-29
9:7-8,10-11,19,
20,22,25
10:2,4
11:12
13:17-18
23:14
26:6-9
28:63
29:20,27-28
Job. 28:23,24
31:4;
36:26
38:4
Psalm 7:11
18:6
25:6-7,10
30:5
33:11,13-15
35:23
40:17
78:21,38,
58-59
80:14
90:2,4
95:10,11
Ez. 6:9
8:18
16:42
20:33
21:17
22:20,31
34:11,12
35:10-15
38:18-19
39:23,24,29
43:7
Dan. 9:14,16,17-19
Hos. 5:15
6:1 ;7:2;
11:1,3-4,8-9
13:1 1;14:4
Joel 2:12-14,18
Amos 9:4,8
Jon. 1:2,6;3:10
“REPENT” USED OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT
(Always the same word in the Hebrew)
(to be penitent, comforted, eased)
Gen. 6:6,7 “The Lord was sorry” “For I am sorry”
Exod. 32:12,14 “Change your mind” “so the Lord changed His mind”
Num. 23:19 “nor a son of man that He should repent”
Deut. 32:36 “and will have compassion on His servants”
Jud. 2:18 “the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning”
1Sam.15:11,29,35“I regret that I have made Saul king”
“will not change His mind”
“the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king”
2 Sam.24:1 6 “the Lord relented from the calamity”
1Chr. 21:15 “the Lord was sorry over the calamity”
Psalm 90:13 “and be sorry for thy servants”
Psalm 110:4 “the Lord will not change His mind” (concerning Christ being priest
after the order of Meichizedek)
Psalm 135:14 “the Lord will have compassion on His servants”
Jer. 4:28 “I will not change My mind” (about prophesied destruction)
(cf. Jeremiah 18:8,10)
Jer. 15:6 “I am tired of relenting”
Jer. 18:8,10 “I will relent concerning the calamity”
“I will think better of the good”
Jer. 20:16 “the Lord overthrew without relenting”
Jer. 26:3,13,19 “that I may repent of the calamity”
“the Lord will change His mind”
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