Romans 9 · a question people ask
"Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?" (9:19). Does the chapter answer it?
The letter puts the question in a hearer's mouth: "You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”" (9:19). What the letter says next, from 9:20 to the end of 9:24, is all questions in the WEB. "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”" (9:20) (tap reply against). "Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?" (9:21) (tap potter). Then one long question begins, "What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (9:22), and runs on to its question mark at the end of 9:24. These notes add no answer of their own, explain none of these questions beyond their words, and identify the "O man" of 9:20 with no one today. Favor's Isaiah 29 sets 9:20-21 beside Isaiah's words on the potter and the clay, and notes that Paul doesn't name Isaiah.
The verses
“You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,”
“us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?”
“You turn things upside down! Should the potter be thought to be like clay, that the thing made should say about him who made it, “He didn’t make me;” or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?”