Romans 9:22

What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: WHAT IF GOD, WILLING TO SHOW ('DESIGNING TO MANIFEST') HIS WRATH - His holy displeasure against sin, and to make his power (to punish it) known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath-that is, 'destined to wrath,' just as "vessels of mercy," in the next verse, mean 'vessels destined to mercy:' compare , "children of wrath." FITTED TO DESTRUCTION. It is well remarked by Stuart, that the 'difficulties which such statements involve are not to be gotten rid of by softening the language of one text, while so many others meet us which are of he same tenor; and even if we give up the Bible itself, so long as we acknowledge an omnipotent and omniscient God, we cannot abate in th...

22._And what, etc. _A second answer, by which he briefly shows, that though the counsel of God is in fact incomprehensible, yet his unblamable justice shines forth no less in the perdition of the reprobate than in the salvation of the elect. He does not indeed give a reason for divine election, so as to assign a cause why this man is chosen and that man rejected; for it was not meet that the things contained in the secret counsel of God should be subjected to the judgment of men; and, besides, this mystery is inexplicable. He therefore keeps us from curiously examining those things which exceed human comprehension. He yet shows, that as far as God’s predestination manifests itself, it appears perfectly just. The particles, εἰ δὲ, used by Paul, I take to mean, _And what if? _so that the whole sentence is a question; and thus the sense will be more evident: and there is here an ellipsis, w...

14-24 Whatever God does, must be just. Wherein the holy, happy people of God differ from others, God's grace alone makes them differ. In this preventing, effectual, distinguishing grace, he acts as a benefactor, whose grace is his own. None have deserved it; so that those who are saved, must thank God only; and those who perish, must blame themselves only, Hosea 13:9. God is bound no further than he has been pleased to bind himself by his own covenant and promise, which is his revealed will. And this is, that he will receive, and not cast out, those that come to Christ; but the drawing of souls in order to that coming, is an anticipating, distinguishing favour to whom he will. Why does he yet find fault? This is not an objection to be made by the creature against his Creator, by man against God. The truth, as it is in Jesus, abases man as nothing, as less than nothing, and advances God...

Verse 22. What _IF GOD, WILLING TO SHOW_ his _wrath_] The apostle refers here to the case of _Pharaoh_ and the _Egyptians_, and to which he applies Jeremiah's parable of the potter, and, from them, to the then state of the Jews. Pharaoh and the Egyptians were _vessels of wrath_-persons deeply guilty before God; and by their obstinate refusal of his grace, and abuse of his goodness, they had fitted themselves for that destruction which the _wrath_, the vindictive justice of God, inflicted, after he had _endured_ their obstinate rebellion _with much long-suffering_; which is a most absolute proof that the hardening of their hearts, and their ultimate punishment, were the consequences of their obstinate refusal of his grace and abuse of his goodness; as the history in Exodus sufficiently shows. As the Jews of the apostle's time had sinned after the similitude of the Egyptians, hardening th...

WHAT IF GOD ... - If God does what the apostle supposes, what then? Is it not right? This is the second point in the answer to the objection in Romans 9:19. The answer has respect to the “two classes” of people which actually exist on the earth - the righteous and the wicked. And the question is, whether “in regard to these two classes God does in fact do wrong?” If he does not, then the doctrine of the apostle is established, and the objection is not valid. It is assumed here, as it must be, that the world is “in fact” divided into two classes - saints and sinners. The apostle considers the case of sinners in Romans 9:22. WILLING - Being disposed; having an inclination to. It denotes an inclination of mind toward the thing proposed. If the

EXPOSITION ROMANS 11:1 2. _The present position and prospects of the Jewish nation con-sidereal._ ROMANS 9:1 (1) _Deep regret expressed for the present exclusion of the Jewish nation from inheritance of the promises. _This section is not necessary for the main argument of the Epistle, which would have been complete without it for an exposition of God's righteousness, Romans 12:1. following naturally the conclusion of Romans 8:1., and these intervening chapters having no immediate connection with the preceding or succeeding context. But it was a subject too deeply

WHAT IF GOD, WILLING TO SHOW HIS WRATH,.... The apostle proceeds to clear God from any charge of cruelty and unmercifulness, by observing his conduct in time, both towards those he passes by, and towards those he chooses; for in this and the following verse, nothing is said relating to any act of God before time, everything of that kind being considered already. In this verse, the apostle considers the conduct of God towards the vessels of dishonour; and let it be observed, that these are called VESSELS OF WRATH FITTED FOR DESTRUCTION; they are said to be vessels, and so no longer considered in the clay, in the mass and heap of creatureship, but as creatures formed and made, and brought into being; and so to be used as instruments in God's hands, to subserve his ends and purposes, and therefore called "vessels"; and not only so, but "vessels of wrath", fallen sinful creatures, and so de...

The Jews thought that God must certainly save them. They thought they had a birth claim. Were they not the children of Abraham? Surely they had some right to it. This chapter battles the question of right. No man has any right to the grace of God. The terms are inconsistent. There can be no right to that which is free favor. We are all condemned criminals, and if pardoned, it must be as the result of pure mercy, absolute mercy, for desert there is none in any one of us. Romans 9:1. _I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart._ He never thought about his unbelieving brethren, without the deepest imaginable regret. How far is this from the spirit of those who look upon the ungodly without tears settle it down as a matter that cannot be altered, and take it as a q

II. DISPENSATIONAL. GOD'S DEALINGS WITH ISRAEL. Chapter s 9-11. 1. Israel and God's Sovereignty. CHAPTER 9 _ 1. Paul's Yearning over Israel. (Romans 9:1 .)_ 2. What Israel Possesseth. (Romans 9:4 .) 3. God's Unconditional Election. (Romans 9:6 .) 4. God's Sovereignty. The Vindication of His Justice and Mercy. (Romans 9:14 .) 5. Mercy for the Remnant. (Romans 9:27 .) 6. Israel's Rejection of God's Righteousness. (Romans 9

THE DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY IN JUDGMENT. Romans 9:19 f. The hard saying just enunciated provokes the question, Why does He blame, if the hardening is His doing and none may resist His will? Paul forgoes the obvious retort, that God's hardening is a judgment on hardness of heart (_cf. Romans 2:5,_ etc.), that Pharaoh (and Israel now) _did_ resist God (_cf._ Acts 7:51, etc.); he assails the spirit of contradiction: Nay, surely, O man, who art thou who repliest against God the thing formed saying to its fashioner, Why didst thou make me so? (see Isaiah 45:9). Such questions cast on God the responsibility for our miscarriages: whoever is to blam