When I first began the debate with my Calvinist opponent it was frustrating to me how much he used Romans 9 to support the idea of God’s monergistic predestination of individuals in eternity past to salvation or reprobation. He was constantly citing Romans 9, Jacob and Esau, Pharaoh, etc. I just couldn’t see past the problems I had had for the previous 25 years with interpreting it in the Calvinist manner. Furthermore, at the beginning of our dialog, neither could I offer a coherent interpretation to counter his position because I had given up trying to understand it roughly 15 years previously.
NOW, however, as a result of the afore-mentioned dialog with my beloved Calvinist opponent and seriously revisiting Romans 9 through 11 after at least 15 years of neglect, I have resolved these issues to my own satisfaction.
I will emphasize the points of conflict first, those things that I couldn’t get to “fit” with the Reformed interpretation, then resolve those conflicts by giving my interpretation towards the end, all of which I hope will adequately illustrate WHY I do not accept the Reformed position on this text.
Note: The system of thought known as Reformed Theology has its most complete and systematic expression in Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Because of this, the term “Calvinism” is a catch phrase for “Reformed Theology” in general. This is not entirely accurate, as there ARE differences in the Lutheran as opposed to the Calvinist camps of Reformation thought and there have been developments since the time of Calvin, of course. Nevertheless, I use the terms, "Calvinism" and "Reformed Theology" interchangeably.
The best way to read this material is click on the first link, "Jacob and Esau" and follow the link at the bottom of each page.
Jacob and Esau
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