Results 1 - 3 of 3
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What about Pharaoh? | Rom 9:16 | Morant61 | 13811 | ||
Greetings Forum Friends! Let us now turn our attention to Rom. 9:16-18. It is important in every passage of Scripture to remember the context. Paul has been dealing with the question of why Israel has not been accepting Christ, when they are God’s people. Paul’s answer has been that there is a Spiritual Israel, whose membership is not based upon birth, but upon promise. Paul has proven this point by showing that: a) God worked through Isaac, but not Ishmael. b) God worked through Jacob, but not Esau. Both of these choices were based upon God’s sovereign purpose, not according to any value or worth found in these four men. Now, Paul provides us with another example of God’s sovereignty, Pharaoh. Why was Pharaoh raised up? In this passage, Paul begins to turn his attention to those who are rejecting Christ. If not all Israel is Israel, then some (in fact the majority) of Israel is not being saved. What about them? Are they lost? Has God rejected them (v. 11:2)? Paul begins to respond to this objection by showing that God always acts in mercy. The most common explanation of Rom. 9:17 is that God raised Pharaoh to his position in history so that God could sovereignly display His power and glory to the world. This idea is definitely present in this passage. However, there is more. Even in God’s actions toward Pharaoh, His mercy was on display. Rom. 9:16 is a quote from Ex. 9:16 (interesting - Rom. 9:16, Ex. 9:16). Here is the verse in it’s context: Ex. 9:13 Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘‘Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. Notice an additional meaning to "raised up" which is revealed in this passage. God sparred His life. Because of Pharaoh’s disobedience, God could have killed him. However, He sparred Pharaoh’s life for His greater purpose, to demonstrate His glory and power. So, even here, God’s mercy is on display. What does it mean to be Hardened? Up to this point, I think both Calvinists and Arminians would agree. God sovereignly worked through Pharaoh that His purpose might be accomplished. After this point though, we would disagree. Normally, the Calvinistic interpretation of this passage would say that this passage is proof that God reprobates some and elects others to salvation. After all, v. 18 says God has mercy on whom He wants and He hardens whom He wants. There are two major problems with this view. 1) This particular passage never says that God hardened Pharaoh. To be sure, Exodus does. However, it also shows that God is never said to have hardened Pharaoh until after Scripture says that Pharaoh hardened himself. The relevant verses are: God (cf. Ex. 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:27; 14:4, 8; cf. 14:17) and Pharaoh (Ex. 7:13-14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34-35). This is the usual Arminian approach to this passage. I think it is valid, but there is an even more compelling reasons not to see unconditional reprobation here. 2) The word "hardened" occurs again in Rom. 9-11. It is found as a description of the rest of Israel (who were not part of the Spiritual Israel) in Rom. 11:7 and 11:25. I will be looking at this passage in detail later, but in short this passage makes a couple of points. a) God has not rejected His people - Rom. 11:2. b) There is an elect remnant within Israel - Rom. 11:3-6. c) The rest of Israel was hardened - Rom. 11:7-10. d) Their hardening served the purpose of extending God’s mercy to the Gentiles as well - Rom. 11:11-21. e) However, those who were hardened will be brought in again if they do not persist in their unbelief - Rom. 11:22-32. So, in conclusion, there is nothing in Romans 9 that refers to an unconditional reprobation of Pharaoh, nor is there any evidence in Rom. 9-11 that those who are hardened are barred from salvation. The entire argument up to this point, and beyond, does not concern individual salvation, but God’s sovereign right to work though nations and individuals to accomplish His purpose of mercy as revealed in Rom. 11:32. Tomorrow, I will look at Rom. 9:19-29. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
||||||
2 | What about Pharaoh? | Rom 9:16 | retxar | 14076 | ||
"Tomorrow, I will look at Rom. 9:19-29". It's tomorrow already! Stop looking and turn in your homework, it is now due! Just kidding bro! I always enjoy you sharing your knowledge and insight of the WORD, and look forward to your continued study of Romans 9-11. God bless, retxar |
||||||
3 | What about Pharaoh? | Rom 9:16 | Morant61 | 14084 | ||
Greetings Retxar! Sorry! I got a little busy. I'll have it posted by tomorrow at the lastest! I hope! :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
||||||