A Defense of Calvinism as the Gospel
Prof. David J. Engelsma
Calvin read Augustine and liked what he read and Calvin was well versed in philosophy.
Augustine proposed God's election of the saved but not double predestination.
I wish Calvin had identified the context in the letter to the Romans.
So what is Paul talking about in Romans chapters 7 to chapter 11?
What is the subject of Romans 7-11?
Using the immediate context of Romans 7–11, Paul's focus is not primarily on explaining why some individuals are eternally saved and others are eternally lost. Rather, he is explaining God's purpose in Christ concerning Israel, the Gentiles, and the fulfillment of His promises.
Consider the flow of the argument:
Romans 8
Paul speaks of those who are in Christ:
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..." (Romans 8:29)
"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified..." (Romans 8:30)
The emphasis is on the certainty of God's purpose for those who belong to Christ.
Romans 9
Paul immediately turns to the question of Israel:
"For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." (Romans 9:6)
"That the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." (Romans 9:11)
Paul's concern is why many Israelites have not obtained righteousness while Gentiles are entering into it.
Yet Paul also says:
"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith." (Romans 9:30)
"But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." (Romans 9:31)
And he explains why:
"Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." (Romans 9:32)
The explanation given is faith versus works, not an explicit appeal to an eternal decree of individual salvation.
Romans 10
Paul continues:
"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." (Romans 10:1)
He then repeatedly presents salvation as available through faith:
"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
"There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek." (Romans 10:12)
The chapter emphasizes the universal offer of salvation through faith.
Romans 11
Paul asks:
"Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." (Romans 11:1)
He then introduces the remnant:
"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." (Romans 11:5)
Yet Israel's hardening is described as partial and temporary:
"Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Romans 11:25)
And concerning the unbelieving branches:
"And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again." (Romans 11:23)
Paul grounds exclusion and inclusion in belief and unbelief:
"Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith." (Romans 11:20)
From the context alone
Romans 7–11 repeatedly emphasizes:
- Faith versus works (9:30–32; 10:3–10).
- Salvation offered to "whosoever" believes (10:11–13).
- Israel's stumbling through unbelief (9:32; 11:20).
- The possibility of restoration through faith (11:23).
- God's faithfulness to His promises concerning Israel (11:1–29).
Therefore, the surrounding context does not explicitly teach the later Calvinistic doctrine that God unconditionally predestines particular individuals to salvation and passes over the rest.
At the same time, Romans 9–11 certainly affirms God's sovereignty:
"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." (Romans 9:18)
"O man, who art thou that repliest against God?" (Romans 9:20)
So the context clearly teaches God's sovereign freedom, but it also repeatedly explains human exclusion in terms of unbelief and inclusion in terms of faith.
From Romans 7–11 alone, Paul appears to be defending God's faithfulness to His promises and explaining the place of Israel and the Gentiles in God's redemptive plan, while consistently identifying faith and unbelief as the immediate reasons people stand or fall.