Part 1326

I am sure.... That is, I am persuaded; as it is in the Greek, pepeismai.

8:39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans Chapter 9

The apostle’s concern for the Jews. God’s election is free and not confined to their nation.

9:1. I speak the truth in Christ: I lie not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost:

9:2. That I have great sadness and continual sorrow in my heart.

9:3. For I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ, for my brethren: who are my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Anathema; ... A curse. The apostle’s concern and love for his countrymen the Jews was so great, that he was willing to suffer even an anathema, or curse, for their sake; or any evil that could come upon him, without his offending God.

9:4. Who are Israelites: to whom belongeth the adoption as of children and the glory and the testament and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises:

9:5. Whose are the fathers and of whom is Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Amen.

9:6. Not as though the word of God hath miscarried. For all are not Israelites that are of Israel.

All are not Israelites, etc.... Not all, who are the carnal seed of Israel, are true Israelites in God’s account: who, as by his free grace, he heretofore preferred Isaac before Ismael, and Jacob before Esau, so he could, and did by the like free grace, election and mercy, raise up spiritual children by faith to Abraham and Israel, from among the Gentiles, and prefer them before the carnal Jews.

9:7. Neither are all they that are the seed of Abraham, children: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

9:8. That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh are the children of God: but they that are the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.

9:9. For this is the word of promise: According to this time will I come. And Sara shall have a son.

9:10. And not only she. But when Rebecca also had conceived at once of Isaac our father.

9:11. For when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil (that the purpose of God according to election might stand):

Not yet born, etc.... By this example of these twins, and the preference of the younger to the elder, the drift of the apostle is, to shew that God, in his election, mercy and grace, is not tied to any particular nation, as the Jews imagined; nor to any prerogative of birth, or any forgoing merits. For as, antecedently to his grace, he sees no merits in any, but finds all involved in sin, in the common mass of condemnation; and all children of wrath: there is no one whom he might not justly leave in that mass; so that whomsoever he delivers from it, he delivers in his mercy: and whomsoever he leaves in it, he leaves in his justice. As when, of two equally criminal, the king is pleased out of pure mercy to pardon one, whilst he suffers justice to take place in the execution of the other.

9:12. Not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger.

9:13. As it is written: Jacob I have loved: but Esau I have hated.

9:14. What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? God forbid!

9:15. For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy.

9:16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Not of him that willeth, etc.... That is, by any power or strength of his own, abstracting from the grace of God.

9:17. For the scripture saith to Pharao: To this purpose have I raised thee, that I may shew my power in thee and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

To this purpose, etc.... Not that God made him on purpose that he should sin, and so be damned; but foreseeing his obstinacy in sin, and the abuse of his own free will, he raised him up to be a mighty king, to make a more remarkable example of him: and that his power might be better known, and his justice in punishing him, published throughout the earth.

9:18. Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will. And whom he will, he hardeneth.

He hardeneth.... Not by being the cause or author of his sin, but by withholding his grace, and so leaving him in his sin, in punishment of his past demerits.