- Firstly, I don't know what you quoted, but let's quote the true words of God.
It's not "in order to" in Romans 9:23; it's "and that".
Let's not pick the version that best suits our theology, but let's stick with the God-honoured text of the reformation.
- Secondly, this is a case study in how one's theology unconsciously bends the text to fit the mold.
Please try to understand what I'm saying. Don't agree with it, just understand it:
The problem here is that when you read
vessels of wrath and
vessels of mercy you read that as 2 groups with the vessels of each group
never migrating from one group to the other because they've been set in those groups by an unchangeable decree from eternity past. In your mind
vessels of wrath can never become
vessels of mercy, nor vice-versa.
Now we know that a man that rejects the Son abides under the wrath of God while in that state:
Joh 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Men in a state of rejection, are at that point, by definition,
vessels of wrath.
But if they repent and receive the Son, those same
vessels of wrath become
vessels of mercy:
Rom_11:30
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Even as the
hardened Jews themselves, will, upon faith in Christ one day, go from wrath to mercy:
Rom_11:31
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Paul is asking: “And what if I told you that God,
though willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, nevertheless endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction because he
also wants to make known the riches of his glory in
mercy – as opposed to just his willingness to shew his
wrath – which glory, by his longsuffering, he makes known on vessels of mercy – since the longsuffering (2:4/9:22) of God leadeth…to repentance (Ro.2:4) – which vessels of mercy are the same as the now-former vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; would you still say that there is unrighteousness with God (v.14)?”
I.e. Paul's counter to the objections of vs. 14 & 20 (God is unrighteous, why hath me made me thus?) is: "Yes God can harden you because of your unbelief, irrespective of your good works, but God is also longsuffering and he desires to show mercy so if you repent by believing, then you will become a vessel of mercy instead of of wrath".
The proof that the vessels of mercy are the former vessels of wrath lies in Paul’s
own and immediately following illustration of his
own point:
Rom 9:24
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles [who are in their natural rejected state, as Ishmael and Esau earlier, vessels of wrath]? Rom 9:25
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people [note the change: the Gentiles were not God’s people – vessels of wrath, but have now become God’s people –vessels of mercy]; and her beloved, which was not beloved [once again he mentions a change: the Gentiles were not beloved – vessels of wrath, but have now become beloved – vessels of mercy]. Rom 9:26
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 [a 3rd time: the Gentiles were not children (look back to v.7 now!) – vessels of wrath, but have now become God’s children – vessels of mercy]. The idea is that even though Gentiles are not children of the promise, and not part of God’s election, yet their lot can still change! It’s not final, just as in
Jeremiah 18!
And that's just the illustration in
Jeremiah 18, which Paul is in fact alluding to:
Jer 18:1
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Jer 18:2
Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Jer 18:3
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. Jer 18:4
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Jer 18:5
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jer 18:6
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. Jer 18:7
At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; Jer 18:8
If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. Jer 18:9
And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; Jer 18:10
If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Jer 18:11
Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.
So the longsuffering on the vessels of wrath is so that God may remold them into vessels of mercy.
And of course, that's what Peter says that the longsuffering of God is for:
2Pe 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
You may have skimmed over all this, but please understand that when we non-Cals read
vessels of wrath and
vessels of mercy, they're only potential groups wherein one may be found depending on his belief or lack thereof. Even the hardening
can be temporary. They are permeable groups with a possible transfer from wrath to mercy, they are not categories wherein individuals have been permanently placed (I'm
not denying eternal security in the church age).
You may not agree, and that's fine, but your Calvinistic view of those vessels colours how you read those groups, hence our different interpretations.
There is nothing in text about eternally pre-determined groups, as far as their population.
Rather, for chapters in a row Paul keeps talking about the longsuffering of God transforming vessels of wrath into vessels of mercy - like he did with you and me brother.
That is Bible, it's simple, it's straightforward, and you all believed it at some point before you got all "enlightened".
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