Romans

Lesson 12

9:1 to 9:33

Romans 9
1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

  1. Why does Paul emphasize that he is not lying and is telling the truth?

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  2. Would we expect a Christian to have great sorrow and unceasing anguish?

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  3. Why would Paul want to be cursed and cut off from Christ?

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  4. Do you think Paul would really want to be cut off from Christ for those of his own race?

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  5. Would you be willing to be cursed and cut off for some particular person or persons?

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  6. How many privileges are mentioned for Israel in verse four?

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  7. Why does it mention the divine glory?

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  8. Why is convenants plural? Which covenants does it refer to?

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  9. How many privileges are mentioned for Israel in verse five?

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  10. Who is Christ according to verse five?

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  11. What does "Israel" mean in both cases in verse six?

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  12. How can a person be a descendent of Abraham and not be a child of Abraham?

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  13. Why is Ishmael not a son of the promise?

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  14. Who was older Ishmael or Isaac?

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  15. Which son normally inherited all the wealth or blessings?

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  16. Was it Ishmael's fault that he did not receive all the promises and blessings?

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  17. In the case of Rebekah's twins does having done something right or wrong have anything to do with divine election?

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  18. Why did God "break" the tradition of the younger serving the older in this case?

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  19. Why did God love Jacob and hate Esau?

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    14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 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 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

    19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

    22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—

  20. Is it not unjust for God to love Jacob and hate Esau before they had done anything?

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  21. Can God choose what he wants to do?

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  22. Does God owe us or anyone mercy? Is God obligated to show mercy to us?

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  23. What is Paul trying to explain according to the first verses in this chapter?

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  24. Does election have anything to do with our efforts?

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  25. Upon what is the election of God dependent?

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  26. Does God use people like the Pharaoh who do not obey Him?

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  27. How did God display his power in the Pharaoh?

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  28. Does God decide whom he wants to have mercy on and who he want to harden?

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  29. Does God not see or foreknow the future at all times?

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  30. If God decides upon whom He is going to have mercy then are we responsible for being under mercy or being hardened?

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  31. Can we tell God how he is supposed to do things?

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  32. Can we complain to God about how he has made us?

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  33. Does God have the right to use those who are objects of wrath for His purposes?

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  34. Did God prepare some people for His glory?

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    24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea:
    "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
    and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," 26 and,
    "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
    'You are not my people,'
    they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "

    27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
    "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
    only the remnant will be saved.
    28 For the Lord will carry out
    his sentence on earth with speed and finality."

    29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:
    "Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us descendants,
    we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah."

    30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." 33 As it is written:
    "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

  35. Did God prepare us ahead of time for His glory?

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  36. Did God prepare Israel ahead of time for mercy or for hardening?

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  37. Have we done something better than Israel?

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  38. If God prepared us ahead of time for His mercy then why didn't he just make us his nation?

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  39. Is God limited to doing things only one certain way?

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  40. Why did God make Israel numerous if only a remnant was going to be saved?

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  41. What did Israel have in common with Sodom and Gomorrah?

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  42. What was the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah?

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  43. Were gentiles generally looking for the righteousness of God?

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  44. What was it that Israel was pursuing to give it righteousness?

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  45. Why didn't Israel find that righteousness?

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  46. Who is the stumbling stone?

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  47. Why would God make the messiah of Israel be a stumbling stone?

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  48. Was God's main objective to save largest possible number of Israelites?

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