A Non-Calvinistic Interpretation of Romans 9

(With Reference to John Lennox and C.S. Lewis)

Romans 9 addresses key theological issues regarding God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. While some interpret the chapter through a Calvinistic lens, emphasizing predestination in a deterministic sense, theologians like John Lennox and C.S. Lewis offer a perspective that balances God’s sovereignty with human free will. Below is an interpretation of Romans 9 that affirms both God’s sovereign control and human choice, formatted for readability and enhanced for use in WordPress.

Romans 9:1-5: Paul’s Sorrow and Israel’s Privileges

Paul begins the chapter with a heartfelt expression of sorrow over Israel’s rejection of Christ.

Romans 9:1-3 (NKJV):

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.

Paul’s grief demonstrates his deep love for his fellow Jews and his desire for their salvation. This shows that Israel had the opportunity to respond to God, but they largely chose not to accept Jesus as their Messiah.

• Key Point: The passage highlights human responsibility in Israel’s rejection of Christ. It does not imply that God has arbitrarily rejected Israel.

Romans 9:6-13: God’s Purpose in Election

Paul clarifies that God’s promises to Israel have not failed, even though many have rejected Christ.

Romans 9:6-8 (NKJV):

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

God’s election of Isaac over Ishmael, and Jacob over Esau, pertains to His historical plan of redemption rather than unconditional election to salvation. God sovereignly chooses the path through which His promises will be fulfilled.

• Key Point: The focus here is on God’s choice in the unfolding of His redemptive plan, not individual election to salvation apart from human faith or choice.

Romans 9:14-18: God’s Mercy and Hardened Hearts

Paul now addresses whether God’s election is unjust.

Romans 9:14-16 (NKJV):

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

God’s mercy is sovereign and unearned. Yet, this does not imply that God arbitrarily withholds mercy. Mercy is extended to those who respond in faith. Lennox explains that while God’s mercy is sovereign, He offers it in ways that respect human choice.

Romans 9:17-18 (NKJV):

For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is an example of God confirming an individual’s prior choices. C.S. Lewis’s view that “the doors of hell are locked from the inside” is applicable here—Pharaoh consistently hardened his heart, and God allowed him to persist in that rebellion.

• Key Point: God’s hardening of individuals like Pharaoh is a judicial act in response to their rebellion, rather than arbitrary predestination. God respects human free will in the process.

Romans 9:19-24: The Potter and the Clay

Paul anticipates the question, “How can God find fault if His will cannot be resisted?”

Romans 9:20-21 (NKJV):

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

This metaphor emphasizes God’s right to shape history and nations for His purposes. John Lennox points out that the “clay” here refers to nations, not individuals being predestined to salvation or condemnation. God’s shaping of history respects human choices, and people remain responsible for their actions.

• Key Point: God, as the potter, shapes history, but individuals are not passive. They have the ability to respond to God’s grace or resist it.

Romans 9:25-29: God’s Sovereignty and the Gentiles’ Inclusion

Paul shows that God’s redemptive plan includes both Jews and Gentiles.

Romans 9:25-26 (NKJV):

As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.” And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Here, Paul quotes Hosea to demonstrate that God’s sovereignty includes bringing Gentiles into the fold, even though they were not initially part of His covenant. This inclusion is based on faith, not arbitrary choice.

• Key Point: God’s election of individuals and nations is consistent with human response. Gentiles are included in God’s plan by faith, not by predestination apart from free will.

Romans 9:30-33: Israel’s Stumbling Over Faith

Paul concludes by explaining why Israel failed to attain righteousness, while Gentiles, who were not pursuing it, received it.

Romans 9:30-32 (NKJV):

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

Israel’s failure was not due to God’s arbitrary rejection but because they sought righteousness through the works of the law, rather than through faith in Christ. C.S. Lewis’s explanation of free will fits well here: God offers grace, and it is up to individuals to accept or reject it.

Romans 9:33 (NKJV):

As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

• Key Point: The Gentiles received righteousness through faith, while Israel stumbled because they tried to attain it through works. God’s sovereign plan does not negate the need for individual faith and choice.

Conclusion: Harmonizing God’s Sovereignty and Human Choice

Romans 9 can be interpreted in a way that upholds both God’s sovereignty and human free will. God is sovereign in His redemptive plan and works out His purposes through history, but human beings remain responsible for their response to His grace. God’s mercy is available to all, but only those who respond in faith receive it.

Key Scriptures on God’s Sovereignty and Human Choice:

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV):

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV):

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

John 3:16 (NKJV):

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

In this interpretation, God’s sovereignty is understood as compatible with human free will. God orchestrates history and uses nations and individuals for His purposes, but He does so in a way that allows human beings to respond freely to His call.