Romans

Romans

Chapter 9 Continued
18~~{continued}
{Note: In the first six plagues, Pharaoh was said to have hardened his own heart. God was giving him extra time to repent and believe. But Pharaoh did not change - he remained negative even when he was saying yes - then he would renig on his promise to free the Jews. So God permitted him to live to further His plan. He made the Pharaoh an example for all history. So, when it says God hardened Pharaoh's heart, that means that Pharaoh was given all the opportunity by God to repent and never did and now the possibility to repent was closed down by scar tissue on the mentality of Pharaoh's soul. God removed all restraint on the negative volition of Pharaoh and yet kept him alive. So, Pharaoh was the world record holder for negative volition and was an example to many who believed through his example of what happens to those who continuously and completely resist and reject God.}

{Verse 19-29: Premise Illustrated by the Essence of God}
{Two Debater Questions}
19~~Therefore, you will say to me {Paul},
{based on previous discussion - Paul proposes hypothetical questions},
"{1} Why does He {God} still find fault {memphomai}?
{answered in questions 20-21}
{2} For who has resisted/opposed {anthistemi}
His purpose/intention {boulema}?" {answered in questions 22-23}

{Verses 20-21 - Answer to First Question in Verse 19 - The Essence of God}
20~~On the contrary, {menounge} O mankind {anthropos},
You . . . who are you . . .who 'answers back to' {antapokrinomai} the God?
{impudence and blasphemy means the Integrity of God will judge and
dispense judgment}
{Rhetorical question requiring a negative response - from Isaiah 29:15-16}
Can what is formed/molded {plasma} say to its molder {plasso},
why {impudent question on the part of the molded}
have you made me like this? {No, of course not}.

{Note: No, the molded (mankind) cannot properly question the molder (God). In the case of mankind, it is a case of blasphemy from arrogance to question how God made creatures. What makes believers great has nothing to do with their physical heritage - it is based solely on the imputed righteousness of God at the point of salvation. Why? Because God made it that way. There are good reasons for it, but the point is - God declares it so. Can the molded question the molder?}

{Note: Paul's style in verses 20 and 21 is called debater's finesse. He jumped over everything to a point, we call X, where everyone agrees (his Jewish listeners would clearly agree with him) and then force them forward to have to agree with his conclusion - his logical progression is so perfect.}

{Illustration of Verse 20 Principal - Neutral Point from Jewish Perspective} 21~~Or does not the potter possess authority {exousia}
over the clay {mankind}?
From the same lump {phurama}
{VERY IMPORTANT - the 'lump' refers to human FREE WILL},
on the one hand {men}, to make a vessel
for the purpose of honor {time} {referring to Jewish believers};
and, on the other hand {de},
another for the purpose of dishonor {atimia}
{referring to Jewish unbelievers}?
{Of course, He does (positive answer is required)}

{Note: From verse 20 we see it is 'mankind' that is the clay. God gave all mankind free-will. They can each make individual decisions that either bring the individual honor or dishonor. It is up to each to choose. God wills that all be saved. But His Omniscience has always known some who choose against Him (repeating what Satan and his followers did).}

{Note: See also II Timothy 2:21 for more on vessels of honor and dishonor.}

{Verses 22-24 is a Brilliant Paragraph of the Apostle Paul Syntactically
It is the Protasis of a 1st Class condition with the Apodosis 'So certain it is
Understood'}
{Verses 22-23 - Answer to 2nd Question in Verse 19}
22-24~~Moreover, if - as is the case -
{Debater's 1st class condition - and it is true},
the God . . . willing {thelo} to demonstrate {endeiknumi}
{a divine reaction to evil}
His indignation/wrath/anger {orge} {divine judgment},
and to reveal His power/omnipotence {dunatos},
has endured {phero} with great patience/longsuffering {makrothumia}
vessels {skeuos} of wrath/indignation/anger {orge}
having been equipped {katartizo} . . .
for the purpose of destruction{eis apoleia}
{The free will of the vessel of honor leads to blessings, but here
the free will of the 'vessel of dishonor' or here 'vessel of wrath'
prepares him for the Great White Throne Judgment}; 23~~
and in order that He might 'make known'/reveal {gnorizo}
the riches {ploutos} of His glory {blessing to mature believers}
on vessels of mercy {believers}, which {which vessels of mercy}
He {God} previously prepared {proetoimazo}
for the purpose of glory {eis doxa} . . .
{see verse 22- choices are destruction or glory
(blessing in time and eternity)}24~~
even us {'vessels of mercy'/believers} . . .
whom He has elected/called {kaleo} . . .
absolutely not {ouk} only from among the Jews,
but, in contrast, {alla} also from among the Gentiles
{Paul will document this statement next from Hosea}.

{Note: Katartizo - was the word in a Greek play for the equipment to lower the 'god' down on the stage for great affect. It was used for mending a fisherman's net. And, was a military term for equipping an army. And, was used for mending a broken bone.}

{Note: The structure of this sentence is so unique, it is hard to explain without a course in Greek. RBT's 458 series Lesson 606 has the information on it. Paul is using his brilliance in the structure of this sentence. This is what RBT calls an ap-o-pho-eosis (sp), which takes a conditional sentence - but because the protasis is so clear, the apodosis is not needed so is not offered by Paul. The debater's opposition is forced to provide the apodosis without the need of it being written down. The whole thing is also an anacoluthon - where the second part of the sentence purposely does not match the first with rhetorical effect. And, it is hyperbaton where Paul places classical Greek words artificially out of order which again has dramatic effect.}

{Note: God knew every decision you would ever make so He entered those into the Divine Decrees. He then provided logistical support to sustain you in your decisions. If your decisions are good ones, He has prepared in eternity past, blessings for you in time and eternity.}

{Inversion - Gentiles Replace Jews as Client Nations to God}
25~~As He {God} has also communicated in Hosea {Hosea 2:23},
"I will call/elect {kaleo - used for election}
those who are absolutely not {ouk} My people - My people
{the Jews are said to be the people of God - so this means
gentile nations will become Client Nations to God}.
And those who have absolutely not {ouk} been loved {agapao}
{Jewish nations in times of Gentiles - out under 5th cycle of discipline},
as those who have been loved {agapao}
{Jewish Nation to God will be restored at the 2nd Advent}.

{Paul Quotes from Hosea 1:10 and 'Flows' the Concept Forward}
26~~And it shall be in the place
{Northern Kingdom - used for all Israel}
where 'the thought was flowed to them'/it was said to them' {rheo},
"You are not My people.
In that same place,
they shall be called the children/sons {huios}
of the living {zao} God {Theos}."

{Note: The normal word for 'said' is lego. We have rheo here instead which has the connotation of a flowing out. So it was used by Paul for a 'flowing out of a concept and he will carry what Hosea said to the Northern Kingdom of Israel to all Israel.}

27-28~~In fact, Isaiah, - 'speaking/'crying out' {in an emergency} {krazo}
with reference to Israel {Isaiah 10:22-23} -
if {ean} the number {arithmos}
of the children {huios - Jewish believers}
of Israel {name means Prince of God}
be/'keep on being' as the sand of the sea
-maybe they will be, maybe they will not be -
the remnant {Jewish mature believers in Tribulation} {kataleimma}
shall be delivered/saved {sozo} . . . 28~~
for the Lord {Kurios} will execute/accomplish/do {poieo}
His Word {logos} on the earth . . .
{2nd Advent - termination of Jewish troubles and restored to Client
Nation of God}
completing {sunteleo - a complementary participle
- means this compliments 'executing His Word'}
what He also decreed
{suntemno - this is modal participle- meaning it expresses
the manner the action of the verb will be accomplished}..

{Note: Huios is often used for a 'baby' or 'small children'. In a spiritual context it normally means believers with no or little spiritual growth.}

{Note: Why the 3rd class condition when the Old Testament tells us it WILL be? Paul put it into a conditional clause because Satan is attempting to destroy the Jew and if his power is greater than God's power, then he will succeed. As we know it is a possibility (not much of one) but the potential needs to be recognized.}

{Subtle Syntactical Point by Paul}
29~~And so, just as Isaiah has prophesied {proereo} {Isaiah 1:9},
"'Except that'/'if not'
{ei me - 2nd class condition - maybe yes, maybe no except this
is followed by 'an' which means the possibility is there but it
will never happen.}
the Lord of the armies {sabaoth - referring to Jesus Christ}
had left {egkataleipo}
to us a seed {spiritual seed of Abraham i.e. believing Jew},
we {Jews} would have become {ginomai}
like Sodom {only three survivors},
- but we {Jews} will never be {like Sodom - reduced to only three} {an} -
and, we would have been made like {homoioo}
unto Gomorrah {no survivors}
- but we {Jews} will never be {like Gomorrah - all wiped out} {an}."

{Note: Sabaoth is a transliteration of the Hebrew word for 'armies'.}

{Note: This is an idiomatic sentence. There is a 2nd class conditional if - ei me - which says 'maybe yes, maybe no' - and in this case says that there may always be a remnant of racial Jews, maybe there will not be - BUT it is followed by an 'an' - which is an article of 'unreality'. This therefore that means though the possibility is there, it will NEVER happen. This is very strong. There will always be a remnant of Jews in the world and this ticks off Satan. So, he constantly attempts to wipe out the Jews. If anyone gets involved in anti-Semitism in any fashion whatsoever, they are acting as agents of Satan.}

{Verse 30-33: Premise Illustrated by the Salvation of the Gentiles}
30~~Therefore, to what conclusion are we forced?
{tis ereo oun - idiom: literally: 'what shall we say?'}
That the Gentiles who did not 'strive for'/pursue {dioko}
righteousness {dikaiosune}
have attained {katalambano} {divine} righteousness {dikaiosune} . . .
that is, the righteousness {dikaiosune}
which is from the source of faith {pistis}?

{Note: Pistis is the word for faith and it also means 'that which is believed' so it is often used for faith. Dioko is a verb of action. It means to actively pursue or to 'strive after'. It is a word which has merit to the one doing it. Pistis is a passive word. There is no merit in the person having the faith. The merit is in the object of faith. Therefore, you do not earn salvation or deserve salvation because you believe, it is a gift of God, not of your 'works' - 'striving after' in this case. In context here, the Jews are trying to be saved by 'keeping the Law'. And, no one is ever saved by keeping the law, walking an isle, feeling sorry for your sins, on and on. Salvation is strictly by faith.}

{Note: Dikaiosune - which is often translated righteousness - is more than just righteousness. It is the 'total fulfillment of spiritual maturity'. In this verse, Paul is using dikaisune to differentiate between that righteousness which originates in the flesh (energy of the flesh) which we call 'self-righteousness' and what it produces is worthless (wood, hay and stubble) and divine righteousness which originates in the filling of the Holy Spirit and produces 'good of intrinsic value' which is of great value (gold, silver and precious stones) because it is how you allow God to work through you. He does the work (it is his divine viewpoint you are applying to experiences in life) therefore He gets the credit/glory in time.}

{Judgment By Inversion - Jews Now As a Vessel of Wrath}
31~~But Israel, who 'strived after'/pursued {dioko}
after the law {with human self-righteousness}
by means of righteousness {dikaiosune}
{referring to trying to be saved by keeping the Mosaic Law}
has not accomplished {phthano} {the purpose of} the law
{the law says if you violate only ONE law -i.e. commit ONE sin - you are subject to death - this demonstrates the inability of humans to save themselves - they must have to have a a Champion - One Who is without sin who can be judged for them as a substitute}.

{Note: Positive vessel have honor and are vessels of mercy. Negative vessels are vessels of dishonor and vessels of wrath. God made Jews His people and they were 'People of God' and vessels of His mercy. But they became negative and gave up their position as vessels of mercy and became, in arrogance, vessels of Wrath (cursed by God in time) - they only have their own self-righteousness - not divine righteousness.}

32~~Why {why did they fail}?
Because they absolutely did not {pursue salvation} . . .
by means of faith,
but as by means of works
{for example: 'keeping the law' is all it takes for salvation - wrong - it
takes faith}.

{Explanation and Another Reference to the Big Blot-Out}
They have 'tripped/stumbled over' {proskopto}
that 'Stumbling Stone/'Rock of the stumbling' {lithos proskomma}
{they have rejected Christ}.

{Note: The importance here is that they 'see' the 'precious stone', but say yuck and reject it - therefore stumble over it. In the Age of the Gentiles, the Church recognizes the value of the stone and pick it up and carry it - and will until the Rapture of the Church. RBT says this means that the Jews 'see' Jesus Christ, but still reject His Omega Glory. They accept His Alpha Glory - as Jehovah/Elohiym. But Jesus is unique from the other members of the Godhead in that He is now true Deity and true Humanity in one forever. See also Deuteronomy 6:4.}

{Paul quotes from Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16}
33~~Just as it stands written
- in the past with results that last forever -
"Behold/'listen carefully - what follows is important' {idou},
I 'lay {a foundation}' {tithemi} in Zion
a 'Stumbling Stone/'Rock of the stumbling' {lithos proskomma},
even a 'huge rock'/mountain {petra}
which arouses opposition {skandalon}.
Nevertheless, he who believes {pisteuo} on/over {epi} Him {Jesus Christ}
will absolutely not {ouk}
be disappointed/humiliated/disgraced {kataischuno}."

{Note: Jesus Christ is called 'Petra' which means a huge bolder/rock. Petros which Jesus named Peter in means 'little chip'. The Church was built on the Petra - Jesus Christ, not the 'petros' - little chip. See also Matthew 16:18. Zion is mentioned because it was David's castle and Paul is relating David's rule with the 1st Advent of Christ - the prophecy was that David's greater Son (Jesus Christ) would rule forever.}

{Note: Epi also means 'over'. So the Jew has stumbled over the Stumbling Stone, but now if they believe over (on) Him is a 'play on words' - and they will not be disgraced/disappointed.}

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