In his letter to the Romans, Paul powerfully describes the human condition, and our need—whether Jew or gentile—for salvation. He explains clearly why we can’t earn our own salvation—whether Jew or gentile—and must be saved by God’s grace, justified by faith. He then explores the wonderful benefits of God’s salvation, building to a crescendo in the eighth chapter. There is no longer any condemnation for us, we’ve been adopted as God’s children, he works everything out for the good of those who love him, and nothing can separate us from his love. But this left a nagging question: What about most of the Jews? What about most of the covenant people of God who had not come to faith in Christ?
So, Paul begins to address this problem in chapter 9. He uses very relevant examples to show that God uses each of us in his plan according to his sovereign will, and that none of us can call him to task for how he does that. If he even hardens people (as John’s Gospel speaks of the Jewish people of Jesus’ day being hardened [John 12:39-40]), then it’s his sovereign choice whom he hardens and to whom he shows mercy.
Then we come to vv. 22-24, where Paul speaks of objects of wrath and objects of mercy. I must first say (with much respect and affection) that I’m surprised how many wonderful, Calvinist exegetes of Scripture base so much theology on two rhetorical questions in Rom 9! Surely we know better than to mistake Paul’s rhetorical questions for conclusions!
It also amazes me how so many assume these two questions must be referring to two completely different groups of people, with all of us categorized as either an object of wrath or an object of mercy. This despite passages such as Eph 2:3-5 that tells us:
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved [emphasis added].
This compares well with the first three chapters of Romans that show we all share in the same sinful condition, the same condemnation, and are subject to the same divine wrath. So—for at least the elect—we were objects of God’s wrath but have become objects of God’s mercy. Couldn’t this be true of us all? Well, it’s poor biblical interpretation to look for answers in Rom 9 because this is where Paul is asking provocative questions. For answers we must go to chapter 11 where Paul himself explains his conclusions.
Paul begins chapter 11 by asking “Did God reject his people?” His answer? “By no means!” He then goes on to make very clear he’s speaking of ethnic Israel. Had God hardened many of the Jewish people, causing them to stumble? Yes, Paul explains, that’s true. But then he also clarifies in v. 11:
Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgressions, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
So, God had a sovereign purpose in the hardening of Israel. Just as he illustrated in chapter 9, he used these Jewish people in his plan according to his will. But their eventual inclusion was also always part of the plan.
See how he continues in v. 12:
But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
He then makes clear, once again, that he’s speaking of unbelieving, ethnic Israel. He uses the well-known illustration of the domesticated olive tree (the covenant nation of Israel), the olive branches that were separated from the tree because of unbelief (the Jews that were hardened), and wild olive branches that were grafted into the tree (believing gentiles). In v. 23—still using this illustration, still speaking unbelieving, ethnic Israel—he insists:
And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
And then in vv. 25-26, in the same context, still speaking of ethnic Israel, he goes even further:
Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.
So, the hardening of some of the Jewish people was always intended to be temporary, it always had a sovereign purpose in the plan of God, and it was always intended to result in “all Israel” being saved, including the very Israel that had experienced God’s hardening. (Compare this with Isa 45:25.) It’s interesting to see to what lengths people will go to try to find a way to make “all Israel” not actually mean “all Israel!” (And we won’t take the time to explore what it means for “the full number of the Gentiles” to come in!)
As Paul has consistently done previously all through Romans, he shows how God is working the same in both Jews and gentiles. What is Paul’s ultimate answer to the questions he’s been addressing for three chapters—not only for lost, hardened Israel but for all of us? We find his conclusion in v. 32:
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all [emphasis added].
Reading Rom 9:22-24 in light of the first three chapters of Romans and of Paul’s own conclusion in 11:32, I find only one possible interpretation: God has made everyone objects of wrath so that he may make us all objects of mercy.
And just as was true of Paul, I’m not only confident of this biblical truth and hope, it fills me with overwhelming praise and worship for our glorious God who—alone—could accomplish this perfect outcome for all his creation! Because of this surpassingly, gloriously perfect ending to God’s perfect plan, I’m driven to the same kind of worship as the apostle Paul in Rom 11, and I can think of no better words to end this book:
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
From (bonus) chapter fourteen, “Calvinism, Arminianism, and Universalism” in Until the Last One’s Found: An Introduction to Universal Reconciliation and Restoration by Curt Parton.
Related posts:
Calvinism, Arminianism and Universalism
Divine Sovereignty and Human Free Will: Comparing 3 Views
Universalism and Unconditional Election