Bullet Point Bible

Paul's Deep Sorrow for Israel

¹ I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit-² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.³ For I could wish that I myself were accursed-cut off from Christ-for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,⁴ who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.⁵ To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

Paul begins a new section (Romans 9-11) addressing the difficult question of Israel's place in God's plan, given their general rejection of Jesus.
He expresses profound, genuine grief over the unbelief of his fellow Jews, emphasizing his sincerity with a threefold affirmation (truth in Christ, clear conscience, witness of the Holy Spirit).
Paul's statement in Romans 9:3 echoes Moses' willingness to be blotted out for Israel (Exodus 32:32), showing the depth of his love and anguish. It's a hyperbolic expression of sacrificial desire.
He lists the unique privileges bestowed upon Israel: adoption as God's children, the Shekinah glory, the covenants (Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic), the Law of Moses, the Temple worship system, and the Messianic promises.
The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) are highlighted as their ancestors, establishing their historical connection to God's plan.
The climax of Israel's privileges is the human lineage of the Messiah ("Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever"). This is a strong statement of Christ's deity.
This section establishes both Israel's privileged position and the tragic irony of their current state of unbelief, setting up the problem Paul will address.
Paul's deep emotional connection underscores that the theological arguments to follow are not detached intellectual exercises but matters of profound personal and communal significance.

God's Word Has Not Failed: True Israel

⁶ It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel,⁷ nor are all the children Abraham's true descendants; rather " through Isaac will your descendants be counted ."⁸ This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.⁹ For this is what the promise declared: " About a year from nowI will return and Sarah will have a son ."¹⁰ Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac-¹¹ even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling) -¹² it was said to her, " The older will serve the younger ,"¹³ just as it is written: " Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated ."

Paul tackles the core issue: Has God's promise to Israel failed because many Jews reject Christ? His answer is no.
He distinguishes between physical descent ("descended from Israel") and spiritual identity ("Israel"). Membership in God's true people is not automatic by birthright.
Paul uses Abraham's children as the first example: Ishmael was Abraham's son, but Isaac was the child of promise through whom God's covenant line continued (quoting Genesis 21:12).
"Children of the flesh" vs. "children of the promise" highlights that God's true family is based on His promise and gracious calling, not human lineage or effort.
The second example, Jacob and Esau, makes the point even stronger. They had the same father (Isaac) and mother (Rebekah), yet God chose Jacob over Esau before they were born or had done anything.
This choice demonstrates "God's purpose according to election," showing that His plan is based on His sovereign will ("the one who calls"), not human merit ("works").
The quote "The older will serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23) reverses natural custom, emphasizing God's sovereign prerogative.
The quote from Malachi 1:2-3, "{{Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated}}," refers primarily to God's choice of nations (Israel over Edom) for covenant purposes, not necessarily individual eternal salvation or God's emotional disposition. "Hated" here likely means "rejected" or "loved less" in the context of covenantal selection.
This section establishes that God has always operated by election within Israel, choosing a remnant according to His promise, so the current situation is consistent with His past actions.

God's Sovereign Choice and Justice

¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!¹⁵ For he says to Moses: " I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion ."¹⁶ So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.¹⁷ For the scripture says to Pharaoh: " For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth ."¹⁸ So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden.

Paul anticipates the immediate objection to his argument about election: Is God unjust? He vehemently denies this ("Absolutely not!").
He supports God's freedom by quoting God's own words to Moses from Exodus 33:19: "{{I will have mercy on whom I have mercy...}}". This asserts God's absolute right to dispense mercy according to His own sovereign will.
Paul draws the conclusion (Romans 9:16) that receiving God's mercy is not achieved by human will ("desire") or effort ("exertion"), but depends entirely on God's initiative.
He then uses Pharaoh as a contrasting example of God's sovereignty, quoting Exodus 9:16 where God states His purpose in raising Pharaoh up was to display His power and make His name known.
This demonstrates God's sovereignty not only in showing mercy (like to Moses/Israel) but also in judgment or hardening (like to Pharaoh).
"Hardens whom he chooses to harden" (Romans 9:18) is a difficult concept. It suggests God confirming or solidifying the rebellious direction already chosen by the individual (Pharaoh repeatedly hardened his own heart first in Exodus). It serves God's ultimate purposes, even in judgment.
This section affirms God's absolute sovereignty in both salvation (mercy) and judgment (hardening), grounding it in Scripture.
Paul argues that God's actions, while perhaps inscrutable to humans, are definitionally just because He is God. Justice is defined by His character and actions, not by human standards of fairness.

The Potter and the Clay: Answering Objections

¹⁹ You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?"²⁰ But who indeed are you-a mere human being -to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder , " Why have you made me like this? "²¹ Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use?²² But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction?²³ And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory-²⁴ even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Paul anticipates a further objection: If God's will is irresistible (as implied by His sovereignty in election and hardening), how can He hold people responsible for their actions?
Paul's response doesn't fully resolve the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility but rebukes the objector for questioning God. He uses the analogy of the potter and the clay (drawing from Isaiah 29:16, 45:9; Jeremiah 18:1-11).
The analogy emphasizes the Creator's absolute right over His creation. The clay has no right to question the potter's design or purpose.
Paul suggests God has the right to create different "vessels" for different purposes: some for "honorable use" (vessels of mercy) and others for "dishonorable use" (vessels of wrath).
"Vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Romans 9:22) raises questions about predestination to condemnation. Scholarly debate exists on whether God actively prepares them or if they prepare themselves through their sin, which God then incorporates into His plan. Note the passive voice "prepared".
God's patience ("endured with much patience") towards the vessels of wrath serves a dual purpose: demonstrating His wrath and power eventually, and highlighting the "riches of his glory" bestowed upon the "vessels of mercy."
"Vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:23) uses an active voice, indicating God's proactive role in preparing believers for glory.
Crucially, Paul identifies these vessels of mercy as encompassing both Jews and Gentiles ("even us, whom he also called..."), connecting the doctrine of election directly to the inclusion of the Gentiles in God's plan.

Gentile Inclusion Foretold in Scripture

²⁵ As he also says in Hosea:²⁵ " I will call those who were not my people , ' My people ,' and I will call her who was unloved, ' My beloved .'"²⁶ " And in the very place where it was said to them , ' You are not my people ,'²⁶ there they will be called ' sons of the living God .'"²⁷ And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, " Though the number of the childrenof Israel are as the sand of the sea , only the remnant will be saved ,²⁸ forthe Lord will execute his sentence on the earth completely and quickly ."²⁹ Just as Isaiah predicted,²⁹ "If the Lord of Heaven's Armies had not left us descendants,²⁹ we would have become like Sodom,²⁹ and we would have resembled Gomorrah."

Paul now provides Old Testament support for the surprising inclusion of Gentiles and the concept of a faithful remnant within Israel.
He quotes Hosea 2:23 and 1:10, originally referring to the restoration of unfaithful Israel (Lo-Ammi, "not my people"), and applies them to the Gentiles being brought into God's family. This shows God's unexpected grace extending beyond ethnic Israel.
The phrase "sons of the living God" signifies intimate relationship and inheritance.
Paul then quotes Isaiah 10:22-23, emphasizing that even within ethnic Israel, salvation was always selective ("only the remnant will be saved"), not universal based on descent. This counters the idea that God's promises failed if not all Jews believed.
The "remnant" concept is crucial: God always preserves a faithful core group through whom His purposes advance.
He further quotes Isaiah 1:9, stating that Israel's survival, even as a remnant, is solely due to God's mercy ("If the Lord of Hosts had not left us descendants"). Without God's preserving grace, Israel would have faced total destruction like Sodom and Gomorrah.
These quotations demonstrate that both the inclusion of Gentiles and the salvation of only a remnant of Israel were foreshadowed in Israel's own scriptures, validating Paul's argument.
This section shows God's plan unfolding consistently with His prophetic word, even if it looks different from what some might have expected.

Israel's Stumbling and Righteousness by Faith

³⁰ What shall we say then?-that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,³¹ but Israel even though pursuing a law of righteousness did not attain it.³² Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,³³ just as it is written,³³ " Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble³³ and a rock that will make them fall,³³ yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame. "

Paul summarizes the paradoxical situation: Gentiles, who weren't actively seeking God's righteousness through the Law, attained it through faith in Christ.
Conversely, Israel, who diligently pursued righteousness through adherence to the Law ("pursuing the law of righteousness"), failed to attain it.
The reason for Israel's failure was the *method* of their pursuit: they sought righteousness through works of the Law rather than through faith.
This pursuit led them to stumble over the "stumbling stone," which Paul identifies as Christ.
He combines quotes from Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah 8:14, applying them to Jesus. Christ, intended by God to be the cornerstone of salvation ("Look, I am laying in Zion a stone..."), became an obstacle ("a stone that will cause people to stumble") for those who rejected faith in Him.
The final clause, "{{yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame}}," offers hope and underscores the necessity of faith. Trusting in this "stone" (Christ) leads to vindication and salvation, not shame.
This section shifts from divine sovereignty (vv. 6-29) towards human responsibility, highlighting Israel's failure to respond appropriately by faith to God's provision in Christ.
It sets the stage for Chapter 10, which will further explore the nature of righteousness by faith and Israel's responsibility.

The Bullet Point Bible

Romans 9