Romans 9

Paul turns to the agonizing question of Israel’s unbelief, expressing his deep grief and even willingness to be cut off for his people’s sake. God’s word has not failed, for “not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel”; God’s purpose stands according to His sovereign choice, as with Jacob and Esau. To the objection that this is unjust, Paul upholds God’s freedom to have mercy on whom He wills, like a potter over the clay, and shows that God has called a people from both Jews and Gentiles, as the prophets foretold.