Romans 9–11: The Sovereignty of God and the Status of Israel

Abstract

Romans 9–11 is of great importance for understanding Paul's letter to Rome. Here Paul tackles the problem of the lack of Jewish response to the gospel—a problem not just of personal anguish, but also of God's faithfulness: If God's chosen people are not participating in the gospel, how confident can Gentiles be in the hope which they have placed in God's promises? Paul's response occurs in stages: Election always implies that some are chosen, and some are not; God's sovereign election cannot be questioned; the Jewish people have stumbled in disbelief; God has retained a remnant of faithful Jews; God uses the disobedience of all people to bring all to faith; God's ways are beyond human understanding. In the process, Paul raises a number of troubling problems for modern readers: Predestination versus free will; the fairness of God; the role of the Law in salvation; and Paul's handling of scripture. This brief article sketches out the stages of Paul's argument and the problems it raises, and offers brief summaries of some possible solutions to those problems.