In Romans 9:22-24 the apostle Paul asks a thought-provoking question.
“What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”
What if…? Could it be…? Is it possible…? Instead of making a statement or declaration to make a pronouncement or assertion, all of these phrases are instead meant to get a person to think for oneself and to think differently and independently from ones customary thought process. Here in Romans, the apostle Paul wants his readers to think critically and independently in order to understand the central message of his letter.
Paul’s “What if” question is an intriguing one. He is asking his readers to go beyond the norm and think more broadly about another state of affairs, other options, or a separate set of possibilities to realize God's magnificent plan and ultimately join him in exhalation at the wisdom of God. Paul bursts out in praise to God at the end of this specific section saying...
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33)
“What if” is a scary question for some people, because it opens a previously unopened door and asks someone to go where one has not gone before. That can be scary for some traditional thinkers.
But, as we know, Paul is no longer a traditional thinker. His former limited Judaic worldview based on his staunchly Pharisaical understating of the Old Testament was dramatically deconstructed on the Damascus road, and in his newly reconstructed view of Jesus of Nazareth, because of his resurrection, being the fulfillment of the Old Testament as the long-awaited Messiah, he is now more able to himself think outside the box and challenge others to do the same.
In his discussion here in Romans 9-11, concerning the relationship between the Jewish nation and the rest of the nations (the Gentiles), Paul challenges his readers to think more critically and more broadly in order to come to a broader understanding of how God has intended the Jewish nation to relate to all the rest of the nations on earth (Gentiles) especially in Rome at that point in history.
The trajectory in the relationships of Jewish and Gentile Christians seem to collide in light of contextual issues we see in the letter . As a result, Paul is attempting to prod his readers to think more broadly about why it is, at that point in history, that the Gentiles have gained a more prominent position of favor in God's eyes and access to the gospel as opposed to the Jews who seem to have suffered a loss of both.
In chapters 9-11, Paul, for his readers, is putting together the pieces of the theological worldview puzzle that fell into place for him on the Damascus road as he witnessed the resurrected Jesus face to face. What was once a profound mystery to Paul was profoundly revealed on that dusty road (Eph 3:3). He shares this mystery-revealed with his readers because he does not want them to be ignorant of that mystery; that is, “a hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25).
Because of his Damascus road experience, Paul’s eyes have been opened to a different reading of the prophets. He now sees the entire world differently, especially the Jewish/Gentile salvific world. Paul no longer sits atop a lofty Pharisaical worldview perspective who claims sole ownership of the salvation experience. He now sees the world from God’s perspective, and now understands and obeys the commands of the eternal God, so that he may continue to "lead all nations (Gentiles) to the obedience that comes from faith." It was this revelation on the Damascus road-that Jesus was the Messiah-that he now proclaims to the Romans (Romans 16:25-26). It is a mystery no more and he wanted others to think hard, and have their faith strengthened by that realization.
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—
In light of this background, Paul’s “what if” question sets the stage and opens the door for a broader understanding of what God may be doing throughout human history.
Let's break down Romans 9:22-24 proposition by proposition, asking Paul's "What if...?" question for each proposition.
So…
”what if…” God did prepare vessels of wrath beforehand -for destruction?
and
”what if…” God did prepare vessels of mercy beforehand -for glory?
”what if…” God did desire to show his wrath?
and
”what if…” God did desire to make known his power?
”what if…” God did endure with much patience vessels of wrath?
and
”what if…” God did all this for a specific purpose
in order to make known the riches of his glory?
"What if..." God wanted to make known his glory...
— even (to) us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”
What if…before the world began, God had purposed to demonstrate His glory to the world by writing into the script of world history a merciless backdrop (vessels destined for destruction) from which His mercy would be easily recognizable (vessels destined for mercy)?
What if…those vessels prepared beforehand for wrath and destruction and the vessels prepared beforehand for mercy have all been predestined to know the riches of God’s mercy and His glory?
What if…already written into the script of world history were vessels destined for wrath and destruction, who through time, and God’s enduring patience, at the right time become vessels of mercy?
What if…from time immemorial and by pre-design, it has always been God’s strategy to demonstrate his glory and make His character known by being merciful to ALL mankind, ALL who had already been pre-destined for destruction?
What if…at just the right time, when we were still powerless, God’s wrath was demonstrated when Christ was crucified and his power was made known when He raised him from the dead for the ungodly who deserved God’s wrath? (Romans 5:6)
What if…God’s strategy all along has been to demonstrate his wrath and make known His power via this crucifixion (wrath) and this resurrection of Jesus (power)?
What if…the vessels destined for destruction are the very same vessels who receive God’s mercy?
What if…this has always been the plan of God for ALL people, (the Jewish nation and ALL nations,) since Pauls point throughout Romans is that “ALL have sinned and fall short of God’s glory?” (Romans 3:23)
What if…in like manner of 9:22-24, there will be tribulation and distress for EVERY human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but (through God’s enduring patience, at just the right time when Christ died) glory and honor and peace for EVERYONE who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:9-11)
What if…Romans 2:9-11 is the same point of Romans 9:22-24
What if…the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God? (Romans 8:20-22)
What if…in like manner of 9:22-24, Romans 8:20-22 is a similar linguistic and thematic structure of pre-destining creation beforehand to be subjected to futility with the future hope of freedom later?
What if…Paul considers that the sufferings of this present time (as God’s enduring patience is in effect and the Jewish nation is temporarily cut off) are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (once the times of the Gentiles) is complete? (Luke 21:24; Gal 4:4, Romans 8:18)
What if…Paul’s point of this passage in Romans 9:22-24 is to help his readers understand that God has a marvelous plan, pre-designed and set in place before the world began which includes the Jews and Gentiles, centered in the person of His Son on the cross, announced to man throughout the scriptures beginning in Genesis 3:15-Romans 16:24, kept hidden for ages as a mystery and then rolled out in human history at "just the right time?"
What if… Paul became a minister according to the stewardship from God and is attempting, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. (Col 1:26 )
What if…in Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians, he desires, as he does in his letter to the Ephesians, to bring to light for EVERYONE what is the partnership (Jew & Gentile) of the mystery hidden for ages? (Eph 3:9)
What if…Paul uses these concepts found in Romans 9-11 in his letter to be a culminating declaration of this plan as he administrates the furthering of this mystery-once-hidden-but-now-revealed?
What if…this mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel? (Eph 3:6 )
What if…this mystery is the gospel message that has been hidden for ages and now revealed?
What if…Paul is referring to his point when he says that he is "not ashamed of this gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to EVERYONE who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek/Gentile For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith?" (Romans 1:16-17)
What if...God's intended plan, established before time began, was for this gospel to include ALL of mankind specifically designed in such a way so that His love for man would be on display, to the Jew first and then the Gentile at just the right time through the death and resurrection of Jesus?
What if...God designed that ALL mankind be powerless and destined for His wrath and destruction, in view of His very own son Jesus of Nazareth and long awaited Messiah suffering this wrath and destruction on our behalf to demonstrate God's love and mercy for us?
What if...this gospel is the plan of God prepared beforehand? And now we have come full circle.
In my next blog, we will return to the very first chapter of this gospel when "A War Broke Out in Heaven."