Romans 9:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore nothing strange is happening at the present time. For according to the usual pattern you have been rejected. Yet if you again wish, you will be called both My people and beloved.

For the Gentiles, who were not My people, are now called My people. But the Apostle also brought forward another testimony concerning his word.

Likewise, can anyone complain when the all-knowing and just God manifests some men as "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction," such as the rejected Jews?

Over others He manifests the riches of His glory, as over "vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory" (Rom 9:22-23). The Apostle adds that this means us, the chosen.

He says of us, "whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles," in accordance with the prophecies of Hosea and Isaiah (Rom 9:24-29).

Yet for this reason the "remnant" among them was all the more worthy. For its sake the others were endured, although, according to Josephus, they were very unworthy of this because of their corruption.

Thus the addition to the "remnant" that was to be accomplished through the calling of the Gentiles became a kind of new ground for the rejection of the Hebrews.

Without them there was found that great "seed," like the sand of the sea, concerning which the promise had been given to Abraham.

Therefore the Apostle's main thought, for which he cites prophetic predictions about the salvation of the believing remnant and the calling of the Gentiles, aims to show something with still greater force.

God's promise cannot be considered unfulfilled merely because some Jews were not vouchsafed the spiritual blessings indicated in the promise to their fathers.

Those blessings were inherited in Christ by believing Jews and by Gentiles who turned to the Lord. According to Blessed Theodoret, "The Apostle brought forward these testimonies to make known that the God of all foresaw from the beginning both those who would approach faith and those sick with unbelief.

Since the Jews, unreasonable and blinded, said that few of them accepted the preaching, while all the rest fled from it as deception, he showed that this had been foretold of old.

Not all would obtain salvation, but only those adorned with faith." The indication of faith is seen in Isaiah's prophetic word: "a shortened word."

"The prophet called faith a shortened word. What the law taught by many commandments and could not grant as perfect salvation, the confession of Christ accomplished. Faith provided this.

Faith is shortened and has no need of lengthy circuits. It is judged by the disposition of the soul and preached by the tongue." "As Saint John Chrysostom says, it contains salvation in few words.

For the Apostle says, 'If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved' (Rom 10:9)."

Why many Jews did not have saving faith, and were therefore rejected, the Apostle explains further on (Rom 9:30-10:21).

So also the apostolic spirit could see in this prediction about the conversion of the first group the general conversion of all who live as Gentiles, whoever they may be according to the flesh.

Mercy and acceptance into the people are foretold for the Israelites not insofar as they are Israelites, but insofar as they abandon pagan ways.

If we generalize this, we obtain the following: what was promised to them may rightly be applied to all who abandon paganism, such as those who believed in the Lord and Savior.

Therefore our interpreters receive the prophetic words as though they were spoken directly about the Gentiles. Saint Chrysostom says, "The Apostle brought Hosea as witness, through whom God cries out and says, 'I will call those who were not My people My people, and her who was not beloved, beloved.'

Who, then, are 'not My people'? Clearly the Gentiles. Who is 'not beloved'? Again, the same. Yet it is said of them that they will be a people, beloved, and sons of God.

'There they shall be called sons of the living God,' the Apostle continues. If they say that this is spoken about those who believed from among the Jews, as Blessed Theodoret says, even then our interpretation stands.

If such a change occurred in a people who, after many benefactions, proved ungrateful, fell away, and even lost what made it a people, what prevents others from being called?

What prevents those who were alienated, not after being received, but because they were strangers from the beginning, from being vouchsafed the same mercies for their obedience?"

Ambrosiaster writes: "It is clear that this was foretold about the Gentiles. They formerly were not the people of God, but afterward, to the reproach of the Jews, they were vouchsafed mercy and called the people of God.

Those who formerly were not dear, after the rejection of the Jews, were vouchsafed adoption and became beloved. Thus, where they formerly were not called the people of God, there they began to be called sons of the living God.

For formerly they were nowhere called sons of God except in Judea or in Jerusalem, where the house of God was, as it is said in Psalm 75: 'God is known in Judah' (Ps 75:2).

Afterward, in the prophecy of Zechariah, God says, 'I will make Jerusalem a stone trampled by all nations' (Zech 12:3). Then there will be sons of God everywhere, and the house of God in every place, which is the Church.

Therefore the Lord said to the Jews, 'Therefore the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation producing its fruits' (Mt 21:43)." Concerning the fact that not all Jews will be accepted into the promised Kingdom of salvation in Christ Jesus, the Apostle cites two prophecies, both from Isaiah the Prophet.