Not according to Paul. He believed in determinism and he argued that Divine determinism did not render God unjust. Romans 9:14-18
Paul did not teach determinism.
Paul taught free will.
Your verses:
Romans 9:14-18
14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
15For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”
16So then it
does not
depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.”
18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Roger, If God created everything,,,that includes evil too.
But then the reformed like to smooth out the edges and say that God did not create evil.
Very prominent reformed understand that if they say that God created everything...
then by necessity God created evil too.
Paul's IF's would not be necessary IF God made believers persevere of HIS will and not the free will of the person.
You skipped Romans 9:13 thanks. Maybe you realize that it IS speaking about two nations and not two individuals.
God does not hate anyone.....in fact, Jesus taught that God loves the whole world, but that's a different topic.
Romans 9:14
14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
is addressing the problem of Israel not having accepted Jesus as the awaited Messiah.
They felt that God owed all of Israel salvation just due to their being Jewish.
And if God did not save the Jewss,,,then God was considered unrighteous by them.
The jews believed they were all saved through Abraham.
But Paul said othewise:
Romans 2:28-29
28For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Paul is teaching that it is just for God to reject ANY descendant of Isaac...God is not breaking His promise by rejecting those that are hindering the fulfillment of the promise.....the unbelieving Jews.
Romans 9:15
15For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”
Paul is speaking to the JEWS. They know to what Paul was referring...
it was not referring to the idea that God would have mercy on some and not on all.
God loves His creation and gives to each one of us the opportunity to become saved.
1 Tim 2:4 God wishes that all men be saved.
In Romans 9:15 Paul is referring to the time of Moses.
The Israelites had built a golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai.
God had mercy on them and did not kill all of them.
This is not referring to individuals.
I'll just jump to Romans 9:30 which destroys any reformed idea of Romans 9:14-18
Here is
Romans 9:30-32
30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
31but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
We can note that Paul explaines exactly how an individual is saved....
Gentiles were able to attain righteousness BY FAITH (not by predestination)
Israel, OTOH, even though they pursued righteousness did not achieve it because they did not pursue it BY FAITH.
FAITH saves man.
