Epistle of Paul to the Romans
Compiled by WD Kemner July 2024
Chapter 9 Overview
Concordance: Blessings through the Jews
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
The heritage of the Israelite. All the covenants and promises were received by the Jews. What a blessing they received to be the ones to directly receive the gifts of God.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
Being counted as being of the promise to Abraham does not make one a Jew. Only under the lineage of Isaac will the Jew be called. But even a child of the promise does not qualify one to be a child of God.
Verse 9: promise from story in Genesis 18:10.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Even being of the lineage of Isaac and Rebecca is not enough to be a Jew. The Jew is of the lineage of Jacob.
Verse 12: from story in Genesis 25:23.
Verse 13: Malachi 1:1-3.
Romans Chapter 9 verses 15-17
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Verse 15: quoting Exodus 33:19.
Verse 17: quoting Exodus 9:16.
Concordance: God the Creator
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Who is man, to argue with the Creator? Whether it is over health, design, creation, gender, anything.
Romans Chapter 9 verses 22-24
Concordance: God the Creator; God’s Calling
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
God withheld His wrath, was longsuffering to His creation which was due for destruction.
He made man aware of His mercy and His Glory.
Verse 23: The “…riches of his glory…” were prepared in advance. God’s foreknowledge.
Verse 24: For whom he has called, both Jews and Gentiles.
Romans Chapter 9 verses 25-26
Concordance: God's People the Jews
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
“Osee” = Hosea
Verse 25: quoting Hosea 2:23.
Verse 26: quoting Hosea 1:10.
Verse 27: Isaiah 10:22.
Verse 29: Isaiah 1:9.
Romans Chapter 9 verses 30-33
Concordance: Law is a stumbling stone
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Gentiles entered simply by faith. The Jews had the law and all the blessings as discussed in previous verses. The Jews could not simply accept the message. The works that they believed were needed, became nothing more than a stone to stumble over.