30/08/15
– Romans 9:1-13 “The
Choosing of the Nation of God”
This chapter is often used as a weapon to belt non-calvinists who
would dare presume that calvinism is false. They point to certain buzzwords
such as “election” (Vs 11) and the choosing between Jacob and Esau (Vs 13). For
those who tend to take at face value what a so-called (often self-professed)
“expert teacher” says, not enough research is done testing all the things these
alleged “teachers” say. If people did test all things scripturally, they would
certainly find that calvinist teaching, especially in this chapter, cannot be
supported in any way through word meaning, context, nor consistency of
Scripture. So, my message today is to make sure you test all things to your
satisfaction, and do not take the word of any “teacher”, especially if they
say, “Believe me!” because, believe me, that is often the only evidence
of their correctness – their word on it!
In reality, Romans 9 is actually a condemnation of calvinist
doctrines. So why are they so aggressively confident about it? The truth is
that calvinism aggressively pushes this so hard at people that they put them on
the defensive. This is all good to calvinists who would rather not have to
actually defend this chapter, so, as they say, the best defence is an offense. So present it confidently, turn your weaknesses into
weapons, and soon even the calvinists will believe the lies in it.
The first three verses of this chapter set the context of this
passage. Paul is talking about a nation called Israel. Throughout this passage
today we see this context continue. And so, when we arrive at Vs 13, why would
Paul suddenly change from the election of a nation to the election of
individuals when he mentions Jacob and Esau? Yet, the calvinists would claim
that Vs 13 “proves” the election of those to salvation versus the election of
the rest to damnation.
Romans 9:1-3 – 1 I say the
truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy
Ghost, 2 That
I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that
myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
flesh: (Compare with Exodus 32:32 – Moses said similar)
Paul says he is telling
the truth, and then emphasizes it by saying he is not lying. If this isn’t
enough, he also says his conscience is guided by the Holy Spirit. This is
therefore so important that Paul wants to avoid any misunderstanding at all.
And what is he telling the truth about, not lying about, and guided into this
by the Holy Spirit? – that he has great sorrow and continual grief in his heart
(Vs 2). And why is he experiencing such sorrow and grief? Vs 3 tells it all, a
cry from the heart of Paul: “For I could wish that myself were accursed
from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
The truth is that Paul
is wishing he could lose his salvation in Christ just so his fellow Jews can be
saved. Could Paul lose his salvation? The calvinists have to teach that if Paul
were one of the elect, then he cannot lose his salvation. So, according to the
calvinist, how can Paul be in his right mind and also desire to be lost, if he
can’t be lost? However, whether or not Paul could trade his salvation for
another isn’t the point though. Paul is wishing, not with hot air and boasting
words, but with the genuineness of the strength of his feelings (backed up by
the Holy Spirit) for his countrymen.
Firstly, he wouldn’t be
feeling grief and sorrow for those who weren’t lost! So
these fellow countrymen are truly lost souls (or else Paul is giving his
salvation away for those who truly don’t need it!). The calvinists have to
teach that these are either not-yet-saved elect, or never-to-be-saved
non-elect. They prefer the first option, for obvious reasons: if these are the
never-to-be-saved non-elect, why would Paul, with the backing of the Holy
Spirit, desire to be lost for those who could never be saved, ever, according
to calvinists? Remember that the calvinist believes that God, through the kind
intentions of His sovereign will, and without the use of foreknowledge, chose a
small group of people to be His own, thereby condemning a vastly bigger
remainder to eternal condemnation in hell. And not one person can be
transferred from one group to the other, ever, under any circumstances. These
groups are set in permanent eternal concrete, impossible to alter for all time!
For the calvinist, you are either “elect” or “non-elect”, and you have absolutely
no say in it.
Therefore, according to
calvinism, Paul, in desiring to be lost for his fellow non-elect countrymen,
would then be desiring to be lost for no purpose at all, other than that he
would join those lost souls in their condemnation to hell! Calvinism cannot
support any thought of Paul losing his salvation for anyone whom God has
eternally denied heaven! Thus, the calvinists are logically forced to take the
option that these are not-yet-saved elect; there is no further option
available. So why would Paul desire to be lost for the sake of those who would
go to heaven in the end anyway? (Remember, if their names are on that list of the
unconditionally elect, they can never be removed from it, ever!)
In fact, the only
logical (and scriptural) conclusion is that these lost countrymen are all lost,
needing a Saviour to seek and save them who are lost, that they may choose life
instead of death. Paul desires to be accursed from Christ in order to give
those countrymen new life, a life Paul knows they would otherwise be incapable
of experiencing, regardless of whether they are elect or non-elect according to
the calvinist! But how can those who are destined for hell (being non-elect)
become the elect who are destined for heaven? This has to assume the necessity
of a change in the lists of elect and non-elect somewhere; the non-elect can
become the elect! A choice would have to be made somewhere to permit people to
change from one list to the other, yet the calvinist has to teach that no such
thing may occur.
In fact, this is
exactly what the Bible teaches, that no-one becomes a Christian automatically
without the person firstly desiring it. People must change from “lost” to
“saved” if they are to go to heaven. But the calvinist God has chosen his elect
from the beginning of time, and nothing is to be permitted to change that
choice, ever! Calvinism just cannot satisfactorily explain this passage! It
should remain a mystery to them; most things they cannot explain they just term
“mysteries”!
MacArthur tries to
divert attention in Vs 1 by accusing Paul of having an imperfect conscience. “Only when the Spirit controls the conscience can it
be trusted – but it remains imperfect and its warnings must always be evaluated
against the Word of God.” (MacArthur, notes on Romans). Clearly it’s in MacArthur’s interests if the Holy Spirit’s input into Paul’s
conscience can be reduced! But this teaching borders on blasphemy! However,
note the consistency of the Bible – Jesus apparently felt sorrow for those whom
the calvinists would call non-elect! Why would Jesus, as God, feel sorrow for that
which He (according to the calvinists) ordained to be condemned to hell from
the beginning by the kind intentions of His good will?
Luke 13:34 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest
them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy
children together, as a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings,
and ye would not!
(It is very important
to note that “would” and “would not” are the same word with one of them used in
the negative.)
Romans 9:4-5 – 4 Who are Israelites;
to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the
glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of
God], and the promises; 5 Whose
[are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came],
who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Nevertheless, Israel
still has the promises, the covenants and the law of God, etc. To Israel, also,
Christ was born, a physical descendant of Israel. This is God’s Israel!
Note that the
Israelites who are seemingly lost in Vs 3 are noted as having these promises
and blessings of God pertaining to them?? This is why the calvinists have to
teach that they are the not-yet-saved elect. These Israelites had been given
the promises of God, and such can only be promised to the “elect”. This refers
to the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic law and related promises (Vs 4); they had
been called God’s people, and God had said he was their God. In particular,
they were chosen to be the nation from whom the Messiah would come (Vs 5), and
the nation that would declare His glory and salvation.
Israel had been chosen
to be a priesthood to the nations: Exodus
19:6 – And ye shall be unto me a kingdom
of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the
words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
However, not one person
was guaranteed to go to heaven just because he/she was born a Jew….. Romans
2:28-29 – 28
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is
that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he [is] a
Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in
the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of
men, but of God.
In other words, the
election (or choosing) of the nation of Israel was not necessarily merely for their
salvation but to reach out with that salvation to the rest of the world. The
plan of salvation was laid upon the Israel. They had the responsibility to
reach out as a missionary nation to the world. This is why they were chosen (the
elect). Instead, the Jews thought they themselves were saved and the rest of
the world lost, and considered it their right as Jews
to go to heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth! Let’s change that a
little…..Instead, the calvinists thought they
themselves were saved and the rest of the world lost, and considered it their
right as calvinists to go to heaven…..!!?
Note also that a nation
was chosen, not necessarily individuals within that nation. (Remember the
context!) That is, the nation could carry out the task while some (in fact,
many) of its citizens still went to hell. In fact, if we look at their leaders,
out of 42 kings, only around a quarter appear to have qualified for heaven. And
that includes 8 good kings of Judah, probably Manasseh (who repented in prison)
as well, plus David and maybe Solomon – between 9 and 11 out of 42! Also, if
the prophets’ words are any indication, most of the Levites (priesthood) were
probably corrupt and most prophecies seem to be focused upon the sins of Israel
(and Judah). Therefore, the election of Israel as God’s nation couldn’t have been
for the sole purpose of choosing the members of that nation for heaven! See Vs
6 – “For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel.”
Note that if Israel is
God’s chosen country in the same way that calvinists claim they are God’s people, then how come most individuals of God’s
elect nation are not heading for heaven. If calvinists claim the election of
Israel demonstrates their election as calvinists, then most calvinists must
also be heading for hell!
Note Deuteronomy 7:6 – For thou [art] an holy people
unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen (bachar) thee to
be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the
face of the earth.
And yet many of this
nation would perish in hell? This cannot be the same picture the calvinists are
seeing! The elect of God going to hell? chosen (bachar) = to choose, elect,
decide for.
Note also Matthew 24:22 – And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for
the elect’s (eklektos = elect, chosen) sake those days shall be
shortened.
Romans 9:6-8 – 6 Not as
though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all
Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither,
because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In
Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8
That is, They which are the children
of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of
the promise are counted for the seed.
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect – That is, God’s word hasn’t failed for Israel. The
promise of God will not entirely fail, even if not all Israelites are of Israel
(spiritually), not even if all Abraham’s physical descendants are his true
children (spiritually).
In Isaac shall thy seed
be called – (from Genesis 21:12 – And God
said unto Abraham, “…. for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” While
Isaac’s descendants would include God’s people, Israel, Isaac’s descendants
would also include those who were not spiritual (only physical) children
of Abraham. They would, of course, ultimately include Jesus the Messiah, the
Seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as
of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.) Note that the seed here in Vs 8 are the children of the promise, those
who are the children of God through Jesus Christ. They aren’t children of God
because they are born of Abraham but also only if they are children of the
promise as well, that is, through Jesus Christ the Seed.
For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel – Not all physical Israelites belong to
spiritual Israel. Note “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are
they] all children” – Just
because they are physical descendants doesn’t make them God’s children! Just
because you were born of the flesh of Abraham didn’t make you a child of God. Only
children of the promise are counted as seed! Israelites (born of the flesh of
Israel) were part of the elect country of God, yet many went to hell as
unbelievers in Christ. That is, many Israelites were never God’s children.
Jesus told the
pharisees that even though they were descended (in the flesh, that is) from
Abraham, they still weren’t children of Abraham, but children of the devil.
John 8:37; 39-41; 44a – 37 I know
that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no
place in you. ……
39 They
answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of
Abraham. 40 But
now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard
of God: this did not Abraham. 41
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, [even]
God. ….
44 Ye are of
[your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
Righteousness came from
obedience to God, not being born into God’s chosen nation. See Romans 2:28-29
above. Belief overrules physical descent!
The Messiah would come
from Abraham’s seed – this is most important.
Note Genesis 12:2-3
(the Abrahamic covenant), also Romans 4:13 – For the promise, that he should be the heir
of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but
through the righteousness of faith, concerning
the promise of God through Abraham.
Especially note Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to
thy seed, which is Christ. (See Vs 5 above)
If you don’t have
Christ, then you are not children of the promise. And if you don’t have Christ,
you cannot have the Spirit of Christ!
Romans 8:8-9 – 8 So then
they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be
that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
How can a person be
none of His yet still be elect? Yet the calvinist claims that we must be regenerated
(born again) before we are able to believe in Jesus Christ (and then to be
saved? – some calvinists actually make a distinction between being born again
and being saved.) Yet how can we be His until we believe in Him?? Or does God
give us His Spirit before we believe in Christ?
Romans 9:9-13 – 9 For this [is] the word of promise, At this
time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac; 11 (For [the children] being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated.
This passage is one
that the calvinists love to quote as evidence that God does indeed elect one whom
He loved (Jacob) and reject the other whom He hated (Esau). However, understanding
just the meaning of the word “hated” reveals a quite different story. miseo can mean “hate”
and is translated as such 41 times out of 42 occurrences in the New Testament. (The
one other occurrence means “hateful”.) However, the word is a comparative term
and can be translated as “loved less”. Look at where Vs 13 is quoted from, in
the following:-
Malachi 1:2-3a – 2 I have
loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast
thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I
loved Jacob, 3 And I
hated Esau, (sane).
But sane, while it means “hated”, is also a
comparative term, noting the following:
Genesis 29:30-31 – 30 And he
went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served
with him yet seven other years. 31
And when the Lord saw that Leah [was] hated (sane), he
opened her womb: but Rachel [was] barren.
Note that the same word
used for “hate” could also be translated “unloved”. It refers to Jacob loving
Rachel more than Leah, that is, not “hated” as we commonly think of that word!
Thus, the word “hated” also means “loved less”, as in comparison with “loved
more”.
Barnes – This does not mean any positive hatred; but
that he had preferred Jacob, and had withheld from Esau those
privileges and blessings which he had conferred on the posterity of Jacob.
Poole – God loved Jacob, i.e. he gave him the Land of Promise; but hated
Esau, i.e. he gave him a dry and barren country, and made his mountain waste: that
by God’s hating Esau, is only meant he loved him less than Jacob, &c.
Pulpit Commentary – In Malachi
1:2 the prophet's entire drift is to set forth the Divine favour
shown……to the race of Israel as compared with the race of Edom. Hence, as well
as from the purport of the chapter as announced at its beginning, it is evident
that the subject of individual predestination does not really come in, as it
did in ch. 8, but only that of nations or races of
men to a position of privilege as inheritors of promises……The strong
expression, "Esau I hated" (applicable, as shown above, not to the
individual Esau, but to the race of Edom) is capable of being explained as
meaning, "I excluded him from the love I showed to Israel."….
As to the necessary force of the word in the Hebrew (שכא), we may compare Genesis
29:30, 31, where in ver. 30 it is said that Jacob loved Rachel more
than Leah, and in ver. 31, as meaning the same thing, that Leah was hated; and Deuteronomy
21:15, "If a man have two wives, one beloved and another hated."
In both these passages the same verb is used as in Malachi, and need not, in
either case, mean more than disregarding one in comparison with another who is
loved.
In the New Testament, note the use of miseo (= hate) as a comparative
term.
Luke 14:26 – If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Compare with Matthew 10:37 – He that loveth father or mother more
than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me. Clearly, “hate not” can also mean “loveth more, and
thus “hate” can also mean “love less”.
So all it is saying is that God loved Jacob more than He
loved Esau (Edom).
Note also that because
of the context of this passage, it is clearly discussing nations rather
than individual people, and thus cannot be applied to individual people
within those nations when many of Israel would be considered lost, while some
individuals of Edom might have found salvation, especially after Edom more or
less merged with Israel in the period between Malachi and the coming of Jesus.
After a massive defeat, the Edomites were given the choice: to become good Jews, or die! Many of them became good Jews! (Note that
Herod was an Idumean, or an Edomite.) As a nation, Israel was chosen (elect)
for the purposes of God’s plan of salvation being presented to the world. Only
one nation could be chosen for this purpose, thus only one was
chosen. Choosing one nation logically excludes all other nations,
yet choosing one individual person for election cannot exclude all
others from being also elected! Jacob’s nation was chosen to bear the seed,
that is, the children of the promise, and how are they children but through the
ultimate Seed of Abraham, Jesus the Messiah! (Galatians 3:16)
that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth – That
is, through the One who died on the cross to provide the ultimate gift (the unspeakable
gift – 2 Corinthians 9:15) of justification for all mankind, a gift that could
be accepted or rejected, resulting in either a debt of works, or being
accounted as righteous (Romans 4:4-5). And of the two that were to be born,
Jacob and Esau, one would be chosen (as the rightful spiritual heir of Abraham)
to bear the line from which would come the Messiah. Only one could be
chosen for this purpose! That nation which was to bear the Messiah would also
be the nation chosen to proclaim His salvation to the rest of the world. One
nation (Jacob) would be accepted, because only one nation could
be accepted. The other nation (Esau), therefore, had to be rejected from God’s
covenant, but not necessarily the individuals within that nation. The physical
seed (from Jacob’s nation) would eventually bear the Messiah, and the spiritual
seed would be the Messiah (Galatians 3:16) and the children of God who believe
in that Messiah and His promises of salvation (Vs 8 above).
Note Romans 8:9 – But ye
are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell
in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.
We cannot be the
children of the promise, the seed of God (Vs 8), unless we have the Spirit of
Christ, which automatically cancels out all who are elect if they haven’t
received Jesus as Saviour. And it is hard to see how someone can be saved (they
prefer the term “regenerated”) before he believes (as many calvinists
claim)! One would have to be saved without Christ, and then receive the Spirit
of Christ later on.
MacArthur claims (along
with Piper) that the justification following regeneration is more or less
instantaneous, but nevertheless he believes that you have to be saved (regenerated)
before you can be justified through belief in Christ (for how may you be justified without believing in Christ?).
So how can you be saved and yet not have the Spirit of Christ? Thus the calvinist claims that you are saved (or
regenerated) yet you are not one of Christ’s until you then hear and believe
the gospel! This presents some serious problems of logic, so serious, in fact,
that one would have to be spiritually blind to believe that the Bible teaches that
you can be saved (regenerated) while not yet being one of Christ’s! For how can
you receive the Spirit of Christ before you receive Christ Himself?
Thus the purpose of God here according to election has to
do with the nation that would be chosen to bear the Messiah and His message of
reconciliation. Vs 13 then supports this fully: Jacob (with his descendant
nation Israel) was loved enough in order to bear the Messiah and His message,
while Esau (with his descendant nation Edom) was loved less (= “hated”) in that
God could only choose one nation, and that one nation was going to be Jacob
(Israel). This election (choice) is of a nation! And that is the nation for the
sake of which Paul desires to be accursed from Christ! This is what makes sense
of what Paul is writing without twisting, adding or taking away meanings from
the Bible. The election here is of a nation, not individuals, for how may a
nation be chosen, yet most of that nation be condemned to hell? Does this mean
that being the calvinist elect of God may be detrimental to your existence in
eternity?
Note, though, that the election
of God does exist; however, it is not unconditional, but conditional
instead upon the foreknowledge of God, which is exactly what the Bible states
all so clearly: 1 Peter 1:2a – Elect according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father. It’s amazing that people just can’t see the clarity in that
statement (or other ones like 1 John 2:2 where the propitiation was for the
whole world, yet calvinists like MacArthur are forced to teach that the whole
world is only those who believe).
There are none so blind as those who will not see!
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