Answering Dr. Leighton Flowers pt. 2

Second he handled Romans 9:6-24:

"6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[a] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?"

His response to this is as follows:

"Paul is answering the question, “Why have most Israelites rejected their own Messiah? Has God’s promise to Israel failed?” Calvinists believe Paul answers this question by saying, “No, God’s promise has not failed, because God’s plan was not to effectually save every Israelite, but only a preselected remnant.” Non-Calvinists believe Paul answers this question by saying, “No, God’s promise has not failed, because God’s plan was not to effectually save anyone on the basis of their nationality, desires or works, but on the basis of their faith (Rom. 9:30-32). And God is fulfilling His promise to bless all the families of the earth through Israel by hardening some Jews and “mercying” others from that same lump of “Israelite” clay (vs. 21).  This may seem unfair to some, but its actually quite just and gracious given that redemption is accomplish through the hardening of Israel and those hardened may eventually be “provoked to envy and saved” (Rom. 11:14)."

My ultimate issue is that he didn't deal with the gentiles mentioned in the text... They are mentioned in two instances:

"6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel..." (Verse 6)

"24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles..." (Verse 24)

And these two texts come at the first and last verses of the text he claims to be dealing with.

Verse 6 says that not all of Israel (God's people) are descended from Israel (Jacob). And if this is true then God has redefined the lines of his people to include the gentiles. So the assumption that the text starts out talking only about the ethnic nation of Israel is false.

Verse 24 is a conclusion to talking about the Potter forming some as vessels of wrath fitted for destruction and mercy fitted for glory.

So his underlying assumption here is faulty because of his belief that this text doesn't apply to the gentiles as well...