Called Not From the Jews Only but Also From the Gentiles (Romans 9:24–27)

Rom. 9:24. Even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

These words are a clarifying application of what was said before about vessels of mercy. There it was said that God prepared them, but here it is said that He has also called them; as it were, an answer to the supposed question: how did God assign these prepared vessels to glory? He assigned them by calling them, calling them to faith, through faith to the glorious Kingdom of grace, and through both to the Kingdom of glory, ineffably great.

But the foregoing discourse was about Jews alone, and here Gentiles are also mentioned; and if God called those He prepared, then Gentiles too were prepared. This compels one to expand the Apostle’s earlier thought and extend the example of the potter to the Gentiles as well. In such case, by the potter’s clay one must understand all mankind as it existed before the coming of Christ. It was in God’s hands as clay, from which He fashioned for Himself vessels of mercy, so as to make them vessels of glory. He fashioned the Jews more closely and directly, besides reason and conscience, through His manifestations, the sending of Angels and Prophets, the giving of the Law, and wonderful providence over them; but the Gentiles—through reason and conscience, through traditions remaining among them from before the division of tongues, and through tidings reaching them of what God wrought among the Jewish people, and through a certain hidden providential guidance. Since God Himself acted in this, one cannot doubt the success and fruits of God’s action. Where then is the proof thereof? In those who believed the Gospel. The preaching called the prepared vessels of mercy; since those who responded to this calling were not only Jews but also Gentiles, it means the prepared were in both places; and though we could not explain how this was done with the Gentiles, yet that it was so should not be doubted. One may only ask: The Apostolic preaching gathered the prepared vessels present; but the preparation went on throughout all preceding time, first all men together, then for more than two thousand years separately, that is, Jews especially and Gentiles especially; how then were the vessels of mercy prepared at that time brought to glory? Also through calling. The Lord, having descended into Hades, preached to the spirits of those who had lived before and departed, and all who had been prepared beforehand as vessels of mercy heard the call and entered the rank of vessels of glory. The holy Forerunner completed their final preparation, having appeared there two or three years before the Lord Saviour.

Such a providential arrangement of God concerning men among the Gentiles raised no perplexity: they simply received it with reverence, grateful hearts offering praise to God and marvelling at the incomprehensible wisdom of God’s providence over men. But some of the Jews, despite the preceding explanations—how the “promise has not made none effect” even though Gentiles were called—still could not easily rid themselves of questions arising in them: how so? We are God’s people, and they are not God’s people? The Apostle finally reassures such by adducing prophecies on this, speaking as it were: this is now revealed, but it was destined to be thus from the beginning and was foretold together with its being prepared. I intended to explain this to you by the preceding reasonings about how it is not foreign to God’s counsels if He separates the unworthy from the inheritance of the promise given to their fathers; but if this is unclear and unconvincing to you, I will adduce for you the prophecies on this. Do you believe the Prophets? Believe then that if now the Gentiles enter the flock of Christ, while many Jews remain outside God’s fold, this is done not by the error of preachers, but by God’s direct will. Thus in the prophetic predictions adduced can be seen a second proof that “the promise has not made none effect” through the calling of the Gentiles and the non-entering of some Jews into the inheritance. The Apostle adduces prophecies in two senses: one about the calling of the Gentiles, and the other about the non-entering of many Jews into the inheritance.

About the calling of the Gentiles, the Apostle cites from the prophet Hosea two passages, but from one prophetic discourse—the first.

Rom. 9:25-26. As he says also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God Hos. 2:23; Hos. 1:10.

Both these words are spoken in the Prophets from the mouth of God Himself, and spoken upon the following occasion. The Israelites, the ten tribes, forsook the true God and began to worship idols, especially Baal. As they turned away from God, so God turned away from them, and said to them: you are not My people, “you are not my people,” and rejected them as one rejects a disliked wife, saying: you are unloved. For such special reproach God raised up the prophet Hosea, among many others who admonished them. God said to Hosea: Take a wife of harlotry and beget children. The prophet took her, and when children began to be born to him, God Himself gave them names. Among them God commanded one daughter to be called: not pitied, not loved, not beloved, and one son: “not my people.” And explaining why thus, He said: You have turned away from Me, and I turn away from you and will no longer have mercy and love you. You do not count Me as your God, and I take from you the precious name of My people, My people: you are not My people.

As the Prophet lived in the sight of all and all knew the names of his children and their meaning, this was a continual manifest rebuke, reminding them what they forfeited through their falling away from God. The Israelites, however, did not heed this and continued in impiety, to the great grief of the Prophets and of the God-fearing, who sorrowed over the impiety of their brothers and feared God’s wrath. To comfort them, God, together with rebuke and threat, foretold also the turning of the impious, and the mercy that was to be shown upon them from God’s face. Not forever shall it be thus, He said to them: I will turn you to Myself, and you shall turn. I will turn and betroth you to Myself in faith, and you shall know Me, the Lord your God. Then I will call you, who are now not My people, My people, and you, who are now unloved by Me, as a disliked wife, beloved. And where it is now said of you: You are not My people, it shall be said: You are sons of the living God.

Thus the prophetic discourse related not directly to the Gentiles, but to the Israelites who had become heathenized. Nevertheless, it could be applied by the Apostolic spirit to the Gentiles; for before God fleshly distinction means nothing, and only inward dispositions are valued. Heathenized Israelites are to Him the same as actual Gentiles. Wherefore, as the prophetic spirit in the turning of Israelites, as heathenized, could foresee without distinction the turning of all those heathenized in heathendom: so the Apostolic spirit could see in this prediction of the turning of the former the general turning of all heathenized, whoever they be by flesh. To Israelites was promised mercy and acceptance as a people, not insofar as they are Israelites, but insofar as they forsake heathendom. Generalizing this, we get: what was promised to them is just to apply to all who forsake heathendom, such as are the believers in the Lord Saviour. Wherefore our interpreters accept the prophetic words as though they were spoken directly of the Gentiles. Holy Chrysostom says: “The Apostle brings Hosea as a witness, through whom God cries out and says: ‘I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her beloved, which was not beloved.’ Who are ‘not my people’? Clearly the Gentiles. Who is ‘not beloved’? Again they. Yet it is said of them that they shall be a people beloved, sons of God. ‘There shall they be called the children of the living God,’ continues the Apostle. If some say this is said of believers from among the Jews (as Blessed Theodoret), then even so our interpretation will hold. If such a change happened in a people who, after many benefits, showed themselves ungrateful, fell away, and lost even that which made them a people; what obstacle is there for the called and worthy through obedience of the same mercies for those who were separated not after receiving but were alien from the beginning?” Ambrosiaster writes: “It is clear that this was foretold of the Gentiles, who were formerly not God’s people, but afterwards, to the shame of the Jews, obtained mercy, were named God’s people; and those who were formerly unloved, upon the rejection of the Jews, were deemed worthy of adoption, became beloved; so that where they were formerly not called God’s people, there they came to be called sons of the living God. For formerly nowhere were they called sons of God save in Judea or in Jerusalem, where was God’s house, as it is said in Psalm 75: ‘In Judea is God known’ Ps. 75:2. But afterwards in the prophecy of Zechariah God says: ‘I will lay in Jerusalem a stone to be trodden by all nations’ Zech. 12:3. Then everywhere there shall be sons of God, and the house of God in all places, which is the Church. Wherefore the Lord said to the Jews: For this cause shall the kingdom of God be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.’ Matt. 21:43”

And that not all Jews will be received into the promised Kingdom of salvation in Christ Jesus, the Apostle adduces two prophecies, both from the prophet Isaiah.

The first:

Rom. 9:27-28. Esaias also cries concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Isa. 10:22-23.

“Esaias also cries concerning Israel.” The prophecies set forth above relate to the receiving of the Gentiles. As for the Jews, who are called Israel, though not all are Israel, thus “cries Esaias” concerning them. “Cries,” that is, boldly and without concealment proclaims (Holy Chrysostom), showing that he speaks a truth certain, decisive, and of extreme importance to all. What then cries Esaias? “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” Looking directly upon these words, anyone perceives that no more definite prophecy can be than one declaring that not all Israelites shall enter the saving inheritance of the promise. “A remnant”—signifies: few, as we ourselves often say: these are remnants, that is, a small part of the whole. Wherefore Holy Chrysostom, turning to his listeners, says with feeling: “See, by the words of Esaias also, not all are saved, but the worthy to be saved. Fear not the multitude, says God, does not such an increase of the race terrify Me; I save only those who prove themselves worthy of salvation. Why then are you troubled, calling the promise broken, when the Prophets declare that not all shall be saved?”

“But if one looks upon this prediction both where it was uttered by Esaias and consider it in context, it presents not another thought. Holy Esaias speaks in his 10th chapter concerning the Assyrian people, that they are appointed to be God’s scourge upon the impious and lawless, and shall indeed smite them, and take countries above Babylon, Arabia, Damascus (Syria), Samaria, Jerusalem (Palestine). But when they fulfill this work of God, then they themselves shall be punished for becoming proud of their successes, attributing them to their own wisdom and might. For this the Lord shall bring upon his ‘honour dishonour, and upon his glory a fire burning shall be kindled:’ all shall be taken from him. Then the remaining sons of Jacob from his smiting shall not hope in him, that is, shall not turn their eyes to him, hoping thereby to be delivered from final destruction, but shall hope in God, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. ‘And the remnant of Jacob shall return to the mighty God.’ Isa. 10:21. After these words follow the words cited by the Apostle Isa. 10:22-23, that namely only a ‘remnant’ shall be saved. At first glance it may appear that in the Prophet these words relate to the return of the Israelites from captivity. Indeed, not all returned, and those who returned, returned having turned to the mighty God, from whom they no longer fell away to strange gods. But even if one understand the prophetic words thus, still one could adduce them in confirmation that not all shall be saved also in the Lord Saviour—and adduce them precisely in the sense of a prediction of this latter event. For the return of the Israelites from captivity was a type of the return of men from spiritual captivity, accomplished by Christ the Lord. And types had a predictive significance. Wherefore all that was said of the first can be referred to the latter, as a prophetic prediction. But, looking more closely at the course of the Prophet’s discourse, we come to the thought that he is directly pointing here at what was fulfilled upon Israel in Christ Jesus. Consider what need the Prophet had to again repeat the word about salvation of only the remnant, when he had just said: ‘the remnant of Jacob shall return to God?’ No other than this: to use this occasion to turn the thoughts of his listeners to the distant future, when not in type but in reality a ‘remnant’ shall be saved. Wherefore, instead of: ‘the remnant shall return,’ he said: ‘shall be saved,’ reminding of the awaited Saviour and Deliverer. The structure of the Prophet’s discourse is such that it directly suggests that he wished to say something special here, and especially do the words suggest this: ‘for he will finish the work, and cut it short’ and so forth Isa. 10:23. Here we see the same as often is encountered in the Psalms, where holy prophet David, singing songs to God on the occasion of current events, is often caught up by the prophetic Spirit to the contemplation of what was to be in the awaited Saviour and suddenly spoke words that can only be understood if referred to the Saviour. The same is here: the Prophet mentioned the return to God of the remnant of Jacob after his sons were smitten by the Assyrians, and was carried by the prophetic spirit to the dispensation of salvation in the person of the awaited Deliverer, and, foreseeing that then also not all, but only some, shall enter the inheritance of salvation, said: ‘and though the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall be saved.’ Isa. 10:22. As it were: there shall be again a time when something like this is repeated.”

Those who heard the word of the Prophet could not at once understand when this would be, what the Prophet wished to suggest; but afterwards this ought to have become clear to them, especially after the “remnant of Jacob” Isa. 10:21 actually returned to the mighty God, in the period of return from captivity. The return from captivity, as has been noted, was the clearest type of that deliverance from captivity which the awaited Deliverer was to accomplish; so that in the sight of true Israelites in the first the latter was always beheld, and consequently that only a “remnant” shall be saved. And the Apostle, having adduced this place, said nothing that could trouble an intelligent Israelite. Blessed Theodoret writes: “The Apostle quite opportunely adduced this testimony, giving to understand that God Almighty foresaw from the beginning both those advancing to faith and those ailing with unbelief. Since the Jews (the unwise—the blinded) said that few of them received the preaching, and all the others fled from it as a deception; he showed that this was foretold of old, that not all would obtain salvation, but only those adorned with faith.”

This is seen even more clearly—namely, that the Prophet, while speaking of the matters of that time, foresaw what was to be in the distant future, namely in the work of salvation that was to be arranged by the awaited Deliverer—from the words that follow: “for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” These words clearly point to something completing or final. They very much recall another Prophet’s utterance, also cited by Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews, namely: “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace.” Hag. 2:7-8; Heb. 12:26. Holy prophet Haggai clarifies holy Esaias, saying more definitely what this completing and final work is, concerning which Esaias had foretold centuries before. This is: how all nations, not excepting the Jews, shall be shaken by the coming of Christ the Lord and by the preaching of the Apostles, and the chosen from them, not all, a “remnant,” shall come into the Holy Church in the Lord—to which beginning was laid in the second temple of Jerusalem and which was to constitute its glory, as foretold by holy Haggai. What in prophet Haggai is called shaking “yet once more” of nations, is denoted in Esaias by the word cut short. Cut short, συντετμημένον, from τέμνω—to cut. In our ordinary speech, when someone utters a final decisive word, we say: he cut it off, spoke the final word, there is nothing more to seek from him. Such a thought is conveyed by the prophetic utterance: “a short work”—that is, a final word, decisive, last, after which expect no other. By the word: “word”—one must understand not only the word but also the deed, and the decisive determination, and its fulfillment, the final ordinance of God on earth, or as in the Prophet, throughout the universe. This can be referred to nothing else than the coming of Christ the Saviour and the establishment of faith in Him on earth. There was a word or ordinance of God about salvation before the Law; there was a second in the Law and Prophets; the final word about this, ordinance and ordinance, the Prophet predicts, shall be given in the Only-Begotten Son of God; and after this other word expect no more. This last word, the Prophet says, the Lord shall not merely speak, but shall perform. And it has been performed—all is fulfilled and ordained, and so shall remain to the end of the age.

Such is the meaning of the words: “a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” But what thought is in the preceding words: “for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness?” The same thought is here. The expression is incomplete; a ruling verb is lacking. It must be completed. It is completed by: is. We get: The Lord “is finishing the work and cutting short” His word,—“finishing and cutting short.” He will not continually introduce new and new ordinances and arrangements. He has a final “word and work, which He shall at last perform.” The word: “in righteousness”—means: not in types and shadows, but in the actual substance of the work.

In what connection do these words stand to the former: “a remnant shall be saved?” In them can be seen a pointer to the time when this shall be fulfilled, namely that: “a remnant shall be saved”—in present reality and substance. When is this? When the Lord, who shall not continually multiply words with you, shall at last “perform” the “short work upon the earth.”

“Our interpreters, understanding by the short work the dispensation of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, understand by short not merely as final, but as brief in its essence, in contrast to the complex Law. But this does not contradict what was said, but only points to another aspect of the same decisive word and work of God. Blessed Theodoret writes: By ‘short word’ the Prophet called faith. For what the Law taught through many commandments and could not bring about perfect salvation, in that the confession of Christ succeeded, faith accomplished. Faith is short and has no need of long circuitous paths, is judged by the disposition of soul and is proclaimed by the tongue. Holy Chrysostom says: This, namely: ‘a short work will the Lord make,’ means: there is no need to go far, to labour, and to tire oneself with works of the Law; on the contrary, salvation shall be accomplished in a very brief manner. For such is faith; it contains salvation in brief words. ‘If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,’ says the Apostle, ‘and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved’ Rom. 10:9. Understand you now what is meant by: ‘a short work will the Lord make upon the earth?’ It is worthy of wonder that this brief word not only brought salvation, but also righteousness.”