ROMANS NINE REVISITED
Introduction
In 1983, Dr. John Piper first introduced his inspiringly thorough exegetical and theological analysis of Romans 9:1-23 to a theologically diverse audience through his book, The Justification of God. Ten years later, Baker Book House published the second edition of Piper’s book.
Early in his analysis, Dr. Piper introduces a major presupposition that has been an integral part of Reformed Theology since the middle of the 17th century (Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Dispensationalism Today. Chicago: Moody Press, 1965, 179, citing the Westminster Confession). Although relatively late in Church history, Reformed Theology has nevertheless profoundly influenced a wide spectrum of Protestant thought and beliefs.
Quoting Piper’s presupposition: “If the Church enjoys divine sonship, it must remember that it does so by participating in the people of God which is historical Israel . . .” (Piper, John. The Justification of God, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993, 32).
Sadly, this presupposition colors Piper’s exegesis of Romans 9 causing an oversight of Paul’s intended argument in Romans 9-11. The following essay will revisit Romans 9 based on the presupposition that the new covenant Church (capitalization designates the Church universal) does not participate in historical Israel. The Church is, biblically, a new creation having a beginning and end quite separate and distinct from historical Israel (Gal. 6:15). And because Paul was Jesus’ bond-servant and apostle to His Church, Romans 9 relates predominately to the Church—not to the nation Israel.
The Problem Behind Romans 9
A major spiritual problem of immense proportions arose in the apostolic church. The issue developed among Jewish believers who held that observing the Law of Moses was incumbent upon all Church members, both Jews and gentiles.
The apostle Paul, personally, had discovered the problem’s spiritual dimension soon after his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. Perhaps influenced by his Pharisaical training and subsequent lifestyle, Paul determined to obey the tenth commandment: “You (emphasis mine) shall not covet” (Rom. 7:7).
Keep in mind that uppermost on sin’s agenda—sin that dwells in all human bodies—is to replace God with man, often through outright deception: ‘you, man, are responsible for doing God’s work.’ And regenerate people are not exempt from sin’s agenda or tactics.
In his attempt at obedience, the apostle discovered the terrible fact that trying to obey the Law actually triggered the power and control of indwelling sin thereby, astonishingly, compelling him—a believer—to commit sins (Rom. 7:7-25).
Ultimately, those sins severed Paul from Christ resulting in a fall from grace (cf. Gal. 5:4). The apostle recognized his spiritual status, confessing he was a “wretched man” (Rom. 7:24). God responded to Paul’s confession by revealing His Son in Paul (Gal. 1:16)—an experience quite distinct from Jesus revealing Himself to Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:5).
A critically important reality to note from Paul’s testimony: God’s grace did not enable Paul, himself, to obey His commandment. God actually let Paul fail because God intended to teach His child that only by His Spirit’s power through faith can a believer actually be counted on to fulfill His will expressed in the Law.
Instead of helping Paul himself to obey, God’s grace provided that the requirement of the Law would be fulfilled by the Spirit’s power manifesting Christ’s life through him as Paul believed this new revelation from God (Rom. 8:4; cf. Col. 1:27, “Christ in you,”—a mystery, i.e., something not revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures; cf. also 2 Cor. 4:10-11). Paul’s responsibility was to believe God’s new-covenant promises (cf. Ezek. 36:25-27, particularly God’s mechanism for obedience, i.e., Christ in the believer—not fully revealed, but partially alluded to by mention of the Spirit in verse 27).
The problem reared its ugly head among regenerate people in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 11: 2-18; 15:1-21; Gal. 2:1-9) in Antioch (Gal. 2:11-14; Acts 15:22-30) as well as in the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:6-9; 5:11-13). The problem was manifested among those regenerate people by their attempts to establish their own righteousness by works of the Law. However, some of the Law-keeping regenerate Jews became saved to a life of freedom from sin’s control, by faith (e.g., Col. 4:10-11).
Living as a victim to the problem did not mean a believer lost salvation, or that the believer had never been saved in the first place (cf. John 5:24). The condition did mean, however, that the believer became unfruitful, separated from fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (Rom. 7:5; cf. 1 John 1:3-10). This separation from fellowship was sometimes referred to biblically as “death” for the believer (Rom. 8:13; also cf. Rev. 3:1).
The problem faced Paul in his missionary work among the gentiles. Regenerate gentiles had been intimidated by Jewish believers who argued aggressively in the local churches that gentile members must be circumcised and follow the Law (Gal. 5:1-3).
Subsequently, the problem was addressed in an unprecedented Jerusalem church meeting by the elders and apostles (Acts 15). The decision taken in Jerusalem resolved the issue for the moment by declaring gentiles did not have to be circumcised and follow the Law. But the decision—although purportedly unanimous—did not persuade those believing Jews who observed the Law, that their esteem for, devoted reliance upon, and obsession with the Law should also be abandoned (cf. Acts 21:20).
This situation provides the background and context in which Paul dictated his letter to the Jews and gentiles beloved of God—the saints of the Roman church.
The Purpose Of Romans 9
Paul’s purpose in writing the gospel to both regenerate Jews and gentiles in Rome was to reveal the specific details of how the righteous shall live by faith (Rom. 1:16-17). The apostle’s purpose is pretty much uncontested among the commentators on the apostle’s epistle.
One party that Paul warned specifically among the saints of Rome was comprised of those believing Jews who boasted in the Law (Rom. 2:23-25). Those of this contingent were none other than Paul’s ecclesiastical brethren (Rom. 9:3). Paul used this specific word, “brethren,” 13 times in this epistle referring always and exclusively to believers. In the opening verses of Romans 9, the apostle also identified members of this party as his ethnic brethren—that is, Jews (Rom. 9:3). Therefore, the subjects Paul discussed in Romans 9 were regenerate Jews.
Confirming the fact that Romans 9 was about believing Jews, Paul listed among their belongings from God “the adoption (emphasis mine) as sons” (Rom. 9:4)—the precise description Paul had just used to refer unquestionably to regenerate people who had received the Spirit (Rom. 8:15). The qualification of adoption is nowhere attached to the nation Israel, either in the Hebrew Scriptures, or the Septuagint. Thus, the believing Jews discussed in Romans 9 were part of the Church.
The regenerate Roman Jews that were keeping the Law (Rom. 9:3) were the very same group members Paul highlighted in Rom. 10:1-4. In Chapter 10, Paul specifically defined the problem (Rom. 10:3, Law righteousness versus God’s righteousness) and its solution (Rom. 10:9, belief in Christ’s Lordship)—the solution that the apostle had briefly touched upon in Rom. 7:4, i.e., union with the resurrected Christ. The solution was to confess personally Jesus as Lord of one’s life, realizing each one was dead to the Law and thus enabled to serve fruitfully the resurrected Christ by faith.
In Romans 11, Paul again referred to regenerate Jews—this time with a metaphor of the “rich root of the olive tree” (Rom. 11:17). The “root” portion of Paul’s metaphor likely referred to Jesus (cf. Eph. 3:14-17 wherein Paul prayed that Christ might dwell in the regenerate hearts of the Ephesian saints through faith, resulting in their being “rooted” and grounded in love—love being the Father). The “olive tree” was biblical metaphor for a prophet (cf. Rev. 11:3-4), certainly an accepted title for Jesus (cf. Deut. 18:18-22 foretelling a Jewish prophet and recognized as that Prophet by His contemporaries in John 6:14). The “branches” were regenerate Jews and gentiles (cf. John 15:1-6 for a similar metaphor of regenerate branches).
Hence, the purpose of Romans 9 is comfortably cradled without contortion into the context of the Romans letter.
Christ’s Lordship over each Law-practicing regenerate Jew was the second phase of Paul’s gospel initially recorded by Luke from Paul’s word of exhortation to the Diasporal Jews at Pisidian Antioch. According to Paul, the first gospel phase was personal forgiveness of sins through belief in God’s promise of same by belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The second phase was freedom from slavery to indwelling sin, which the Law could not provide, by confessing the resurrected Jesus as Lord of one’s already regenerated life (cf. Acts 13:38-39). Thus, Paul’s purpose in Romans 9 was unwaveringly consistent throughout his ministry.
Exposition Of Romans 9
The immediate reaction to the problem from regenerate Jews in Rome, who were living by faith under the Lordship of Christ, might well have been: “. . . the word of God has failed” (Rom. 9:6) with regard to our regenerate brethren—the Jews in Rome who boasted of living life by the Law of Moses.
Paul’s response to such a reaction was immediate. God’s word had not failed. But a God-designed bifurcation did exist within the Church. The apostle pointed out proverbially that they—the Church Jews who were boasting in the Law—were “not all Israel who are from (the nation) Israel” (Rom. 9:6). To explain the Church division, Paul called attention to two of the Jewish fathers, Abraham and Jacob, as examples of God-designated divisions.
Paul had argued earlier in his epistle that Abraham had been justified by believing God’s promise that Sarah, who was dead reproductively, would give birth to a son by Abraham within a year (Rom. 4:16-25). As the apostle had made clear in this previous example of Abraham, God’s promise of life out of death (illustrated by Isaac’s birth from Sarah’s ‘dead’ womb) had functioned successfully in dividing Isaac’s line—those of faith in the promise—from that of Ishmael’s—those of the flesh (cf. also Gal. 4:21-23).
Revisiting (in Rom. 9:7-9) his former example of Abraham, Paul observed God’s promise of life by faith in Jesus divided all (Jews and gentiles) from the unregenerate. So it followed logically that the children of God’s promise of life—including those in the Church who were of the Law—were indeed regarded by God as His children (Rom. 9:8).
However, Paul added an explosive qualifying caveat about the life of service for regenerate Jews under the Law. The caveat was derived illustratively from God’s covenant with Rebecca regarding her twins—Jacob and Esau (Rom. 9:10-13). Before either twin was born—and had done nothing good or bad—God chose Esau’s offspring to become servants to Jacob’s—another God-designated division.
The chilling implication of this caveat was that some of the regenerate Church Jews who lived under Law may have been chosen by God to do so throughout life.
Church Jews who lived by faith—the apostle Paul being a credible example—would react negatively to the implication, labeling God as unjust in making such a choice (Rom. 9:14). His choice seems arbitrary and capricious. In our day, we might say that God is just not fair.
So the apostle responded to this spurious label by citing an Old Testament example of God’s nature from Moses and his experience with God’s favoring him (Rom. 9:15-18). Paul quoted God’s revelation to Moses about Himself—namely, that God’s mercy and compassion stem from His own intrinsic nature and had nothing whatsoever to do with Moses’ own intrinsic nature, actions, or will.
As an example of God’s will versus man’s will, Paul cited Pharaoh’s decision to refuse release of the Jews from bondage in his kingdom. Fourteen times God hardened Pharaoh’s will against release so that God’s own nature might be universally revealed (Rom. 9:17). God had mercy upon the Jews—quite independent of any Jewish actions or desires—while simultaneously hardening Pharaoh’s resolve to sustain his enslavement. Paul’s conclusion: God’s mercy for the Jews in the Church who lived by faith stemmed from His own nature independent of man’s actions or desires, as does His choice and ability to control any man’s will (Rom. 9:18).
But, what about the possibility of God controlling believers—even hardening their hearts? Although Paul didn’t address this issue explicitly in Romans 9, he did so in Rom. 11:5-7 (cf. Phil. 2:13). Perhaps an example of God hardening His own took place in the apostle Paul himself in his undeterred determination to go to Jerusalem despite what was awaiting him there (cf. Acts 20:22-23).
The obvious question at this point: how, then, can God find fault with His creature under these conditions for which He Himself is responsible (Rom. 9:19)? In modern parlance: “Man seems nothing more than a robot!”
The apostle’s answer to this question took an interesting turn. Paul argued from the example of a pot maker and his raw material, clay (Rom. 9:20-23). The interesting turn: the example focused on vessels—the very figure Paul used elsewhere for regenerate people (e.g., 2 Tim. 2:20)—and the artisan’s absolute sovereignty over his raw material. Of course, in Paul’s illustration the artisan pointed to God, and the vessels to all regenerate people.
Regenerate people included gentiles (Rom. 9:24). Church Jews had received an indication about gentiles being included in God’s “vessel” crafting from Hosea’s prophecy which Paul used by applying the prophet’s words to gentiles (Rom. 9:25-26).
Regenerate Jews also got another indication through application of Isaiah’s prophecies (applied by Paul to the Church) that some of nation Israel’s vessels will, by God’s choice, be fashioned to honor Him—while at the same time, God will create other Israelites that would dishonor Him (Rom. 9:27-29). Paul’s application of Isaiah’s prophecies about nation Israel meant that a Jewish remnant, living by faith and not by works, existed in the Church (cf. Rom. 11:5-6 wherein Paul qualified the remnant by the phrase, “at the present time,” referring to his experience within the Church, and not the nation Israel).
An editorial aside: in the Church, God intended that Jesus inhabit some of His vessels (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7).
Next, Paul summarized the twin realities of gentiles in the Church as well as God-dishonoring regenerate Jews (Rom. 9:30-31). God gave already regenerate gentiles the righteousness of faith. But some of the already regenerate Israelites did not receive the righteousness of faith because they lived by the works of the Law rather than the Lordship of Jesus.
Here, then, is the confirmation of Paul’s earlier declaration: “For they are not all Israel who are from Israel” (Rom. 9:6). The declared designation is among Israelites within the Church and not within the nation Israel. Indeed, Paul had called some of those “from Israel” the “Israel of God” (cf. Gal. 6:16 wherein Paul made a distinction between regenerate Jews who kept the Law—the “circumcision”—and regenerate Jews who lived by faith—the “Israel of God”).
Finally, Paul explained the reason why some regenerate Jews in the Church were “not all Israel.” They had “stumbled” over Jesus by making the Law their lord (Rom. 9:32-33a). But hope for regenerate Jews who were boasting in the Law still existed through a mind change (aka, repentance) from Law dependence to dependence on Jesus through faith (Rom. 9:33b).
The Biblical Aftermath Of Romans 9
Paul did not know exactly the ones among the regenerate Israelites living under Law that God had chosen to receive the righteousness of faith. But he did know some of these were eligible for being saved from the control by indwelling sin activated by the Law. That is why he prayed to God for this group of regenerate Jews living under Law (Rom. 10:1) that he might be granted the privilege of being used by God to introduce some, in God’s time, to the Lordship of Christ and God’s promise of freedom from control by indwelling sin through faith. This explains why Paul was eager to preach the second phase of the gospel to regenerate Jews and gentiles who comprised the church in Rome (cf. Rom. 1:15). Paul desired the timely opportunity of presenting the gospel so that those with ears to hear (by God’s choice, of course) within the church would understand and respond.
The apostle’s gospel for regenerate Jews’ salvation from control by indwelling sin—the subject of Paul’s prayer for them—was further elaborated upon in Rom. 10:2-13. These were from the same category of believing Jews under the Law that Paul mentioned in 1 Cor. 9:20.
It is worthy of note that the remnant Paul identified in Rom. 11:5 was within the Church, not the nation Israel as is the more popular present-day interpretation.
As a final point, in Romans 11:25-32 Paul did reveal that, in the future, all of the nation Israel will be saved from their sins as well as from control of indwelling sin, recognizing God is Lord, and not the Law of Moses (cf. Jer. 31:34). Therefore, God will be faithful to all His promises regarding the nation Israel as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Conclusion
From the foregoing biblical analysis of Romans 9, it can be concluded that an individual’s spiritual status is made functional by both God’s promise and God’s choice. God’s promise becomes reality by His sovereign work of regeneration. Subsequently, the believer—who now enjoys God’s righteousness credited to his account by faith—is chosen by God to live out the remainder of his life by faith in Jesus’ Lordship, or to live by his own works. In the Church, both the faith group and the works group coexist side-by-side.
Salvation from the control of indwelling sin in a believer’s life is a legitimate object of prayer, even considering that such a prayer’s fulfillment relies upon both God’s choice and timing. So insidious was the problem that Paul even ‘prayed’ for himself regarding the problem (Phil. 3:8-9).
Romans 9 highlights a half-dozen examples from the historical record of the nation Israel (i.e., the Law and the Prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures) that relate to the nation’s spiritual experiences—past and future—with God. Paul used the highlighted examples to illustrate similarities between Israel’s experiences and those of the Church, thereby validating and explaining the existence of Church Jews who live by works. However, the similarity between God’s saving work with Israel is only an historical example for the Church (1 Cor. 10:11)—a distinction Piper fails to recognize.
The similarities between historical Israel and the Church do not make the Church Israel, nor Israel the Church, consistent with the presupposition that the Church does not participate in historical Israel.
Romans 9 also encourages Jew and gentile Church members who live by faith that they do so rightly in spite of opposition from those brethren who live by works.