Глава 9

(Rom.9:1-2) After he spoke about the entry (into the Church of Christ) of the pagans, he returns back and begins to grieve over the removal of the people of Israel, saying this: “the sadness... for me... is great.” (Rom.9:3-4) “For I desired... I myself... to be cut off from Christ for my brethren,” the very same “whom I am the sons of Israel.” The one who previously said: no torment of the Antichrist who is about to come will be able to separate me from Christ, now he himself, of his own free will, says: I would like to die for Christ, so that my brothers would live in Christ. (Rom.9:4-5) But in order to show that before God they are not rejected and forsaken, he says: they are called to adoption as sons, like the pagans, since they also became partakers of the promises of the fathers. They are those from whom Christ was appointed (to come), and from them came He who is God over all. (Rom.9:6-7) “Not that... the word of God was not fulfilled,” that is, although it was not done with everyone, it was still done by them. “For not all who are of Israel... are Israelites... - and not all who are the seed of Abraham are all children.” The sons of Keturah and Ishmael serve as witnesses (Gen. 25:1-16). “But in Isaac,” it is said, “your seed will be called” (Gen. 21:12). (Rom.9:8) In order to show and explain that “they are not the children of the flesh, and these and the children of God, but the children of the promise,” who are not from his loins, “are recognized as seed.” (Rom.9:9-13) So, although Isaac was born according to the promise, and sons were given to Rebekah according to the promise, but “while they had not yet ... done anything good or evil,” he first revealed the purpose of God’s election in the fact that “he said to her: ... the older will serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23). But this calling is “not from works, but from the Caller,” that is, from the Blessing One Himself. (Rom.9:14-15) So, shall we dare to say that “it is not righteousness with God? No way. For... To Moses... He said this: I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” But although this has been done before, i.e. that he chose and rejected without works - and also loved you, but hated the pagans, while you were hardly distinguished from the pagans by your evil deeds - however, what was done among the pagans was not anything new. Before the entry of the pagans (into the Church of Christ) was outlined and designated in your writings in the one whom you chose and whom you rejected from the womb without sin, and loved and hated at will under Moses, your rejection, which was determined for the sake of your atrocities, was already accomplished in the - which was without crime - rejection of Esau and the pagans. (Rom.9:16) So, according to the above testimonies, the “work” of pardon “does not at all... depend on the one who wishes, nor on the one who strives, but on... the merciful... God.” After all, before the will appeared and personal exploits began, the choice of God’s Providence was already revealed. If you begin to grumble, saying: why is this being done this way, then grumble about why Isaac was chosen; and also: why, of the brothers born together, Jacob was loved, and Esau was hated? (Rom.9:17) And therefore I could say to Pharaoh: “I have raised you up to show in you My power and My glory, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout all the earth” (Exodus 9:16). (Rom.9:18) So, from these examples it was obvious that he uses His power: “Whoever He wants, He has mercy on, and whomever He wants, He hardens.” (Rom.9:19) But before they said to him (Apostle Paul): “You lay the blame for this on God,” he himself (the Apostle) hastened to tell them: “But you,” he says, “perhaps you will say this: why does he lay blame on another, when here His will is done?” (Rom.9:20–22) He answers their question with the words of Scripture: “Who can resist him? Oh man! Who (are you) that you object to God about this?” (Isa.45:9, 29:16). Just as a piece (of clay) does not have the ability to reproach the potter, so you cannot take upon yourself the insolence of reproaching the dignity of the Creator’s power. After all, if “the potter has power over his clay: from the same mixture to make himself one vessel - for honor (for honorable use), and another - not for honor” (for dishonorable use), then God in his long-suffering brought wrath not on a good and beautiful vessel - when he could have done this - but did not at all transgress the limit of righteousness, if “in great patience and brought wrath on the vessels of wrath, suitable to destruction." (Rom.9:23-24) But as He brought wrath, He poured out “the riches of His glory on vessels qualified for mercy (pardon), which He had already prepared for His glory,” that is, from the very days of Abraham. And they are “not... from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles.” (Rom.9:26) Just as Hosea says: “I am not called a people... My people are unto me” (Hosea 2:23). (Rom.9:26-28) And another Prophet says: “in... the place where it was said to them: You are not a people... You are mine, they will be called the sons of the Living God” (Hos.1:10). He also cites evidence from Isaiah to clearly show that from the very days of the Prophets their rejection was foreshadowed when he said: “Even if... the number... of the sons of Israel, I am as the sand on the shore of the sea, but few of them will be saved” (Is. 10:22-23). (Rom.9:29-33) But again he said: “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, then... we would have become like Sodom and... Gomorrah... would have been likened” (Is.1:9). “What shall we say? “That the pagans, who did not seek the righteousness of Moses, received the righteousness ... of faith.” The sons of Israel, who sought the law, since they had not acquired faith, could not acquire it (righteousness from faith) from the very works of the law, but “stumbled over a stumbling block,” as Isaiah, who was one of them, said about them (Is. 28:16, 8:14). You might be interested in: