The Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ

Studies in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans

Lesson 23 : “What Counts is Grace, not Race” (9:6-13)

THE SITUATION BEHIND ROMANS 9-11 – OVERVIEW – IS PAUL ADDRESSING NATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS? – THEME VERSE – IT IS NOT AS THOUGH … – THE WORD OF GOD – FAILED – THEY ARE NOT ALL ISRAEL, WHICH ARE OF ISRAEL – PAUL IS NOT DISCOUNTING CORPORATE ISRAEL – INTERESTING THOUGHT: WHO COMPRISES THE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL IN v. 6? – Abraham / Sarah and Isaac / Ishmael (9:7-9) – NOT EVERYONE WHO IS PHYSICALLY DESCENDED FROM ABRAHAM IS OF THE SEED OF ABRAHAM – IN ISAAC SHALL THY SEED BE CALLED – PAUL USED A SIMILAR ARGUMENT IN ROMANS 4 – “SEED” – SINGULAR – PAUL’S COMMENTARY ON v. 7 – BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE ARE COUNTED AS SEED – RECKONED – IS PAUL SPEAKING OF NATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS? – PAUL’S REFERENCES ARE “SALVATION” DESCRIPTIONS: CHILDREN OF GOD … CHILDREN OF PROMISE … SEED … RECKONED – CONNECTIVITY WITH THE PREVIOUS VERSE – THE SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION OF GOD – Isaac / Rebecca and Jacob / Esau (9:10-13) – NOT ONLY THIS … – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO EXAMPLES – PARENTHETICAL EXPLANATION? – PURPOSE OF GOD – ELECTION – MIGHT STAND – PREDESTINATION – NOT OF WORKS – BUT OF HIM WHO CALLS – THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER – DOES GOD ELECT BECAUSE HE FORESEES FAITH? – THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JACOB AND ESAU WERE BASED UPON GOD – SUMMATION: GOD’S WORD HAS NOT FAILED – IS PAUL ADDRESSING NATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS? – LOVING JACOB AND HATING ESAU – SUMMATION – CLOSING THOUGHTS