What then shall we say?This rhetorical question is a common device used by Paul to engage his readers and provoke thought. It invites the audience to consider the implications of the preceding arguments. In the context of
Romans 9, Paul has been discussing God's sovereign choice in election, using examples from Israel's history. This question serves as a transition, prompting readers to reflect on the nature of God's justice and sovereignty.
Is God unjust?
This question addresses a potential objection to the doctrine of election. The idea that God chooses some and not others might seem unfair from a human perspective. In the cultural context of Paul's time, justice was a central theme in both Jewish and Greco-Roman thought. The question challenges the reader to consider the nature of divine justice, which transcends human understanding. Biblically, God's justice is often linked with His righteousness, as seen inDeuteronomy 32:4, where God is described as just and upright.
Certainly not!
Paul's emphatic denial underscores the consistency of God's character. The phrase "Certainly not!" is a strong Greek expression (me genoito) used by Paul to reject any notion that contradicts God's nature. This assurance aligns with the broader biblical narrative that God is inherently just and righteous, as seen in passages likePsalm 89:14, which states that righteousness and justice are the foundation of God's throne. This response reaffirms the trustworthiness of God's decisions and His ultimate wisdom in matters of election and salvation.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the Book of Romans, Paul is addressing the church in Rome, discussing the sovereignty and righteousness of God.
2.
The Church in RomeThe recipients of the letter, consisting of both Jewish and Gentile believers, who are grappling with questions about God's justice and election.
3.
IsraelThe nation chosen by God, central to the discussion in
Romans 9 about God's sovereign choices and promises.
4.
PharaohMentioned later in
Romans 9, Pharaoh serves as an example of God's sovereign will in hardening hearts for His purposes.
5.
MosesReferenced in the broader context of
Romans 9, Moses is a key figure in understanding God's mercy and justice.
Teaching Points
Understanding Divine JusticeGod's justice is perfect and beyond human comprehension. We must trust in His character and His revealed Word.
The Sovereignty of GodGod has the sovereign right to choose and show mercy according to His will. This should lead us to humility and worship.
Human Perspective vs. Divine PerspectiveOur understanding of justice is limited. We must align our perspective with Scripture, recognizing that God's ways are higher than ours.
Trust in God's CharacterEven when circumstances seem unjust, believers are called to trust in God's righteous character and His ultimate plan.
Responding to God's SovereigntyOur response to God's sovereignty should be one of submission and faith, seeking to align our lives with His purposes.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Romans 9:14?
2.How does Romans 9:14 affirm God's righteousness in His sovereign choices?
3.What does "Is God unjust?" reveal about human perceptions of divine justice?
4.How can we trust God's fairness when circumstances seem unfair?
5.Connect Romans 9:14 with Exodus 33:19 on God's mercy and compassion.
6.How should understanding God's sovereignty in Romans 9:14 affect our daily trust in Him?
7.Does Romans 9:14 suggest God is unjust in His choices?
8.How does Romans 9:14 align with the concept of divine justice?
9.What does Romans 9:14 reveal about God's sovereignty?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Romans 9?
11.Romans 9:14–16: If God decides who receives mercy, is there any true free will or responsibility?
12.What does particularism mean?
13.What is the doctrine of Irresistible Grace?
14.How do supralapsarianism, infralapsarianism, and sublapsarianism differ?What Does Romans 9:14 Mean
What then shall we say?“What then shall we say?” (Romans 9:14a) signals Paul pausing to invite honest reflection on everything he has just laid out—God’s choosing of Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau (Romans 9:6-13).
• Paul anticipates the reader’s reaction: “If salvation hinges on God’s sovereign choice, what does that say about fairness?”
• This style mirrorsRomans 3:5-6, where similar objections rise.
• Throughout Scripture, faithful believers wrestle with God’s ways yet end in humble trust—seeJob 40:2 andIsaiah 55:8-9.
• Paul’s question encourages us to examine our assumptions rather than charge God with wrongdoing.
Is God unjust?“Is God unjust?” (Romans 9:14b) puts the unspoken accusation on the table.
• The worry: Selective mercy might look like partiality. Yet God explicitly forbids partiality rooted in sin (Deuteronomy 10:17).
• Scripture portrays His justice as flawless: “All His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4); “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne” (Psalm 89:14).
•Genesis 18:25 reminds us, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
• The question therefore tests our perception, not God’s character. Divine election operates on mercy, not merit—removing any claim that God owes salvation to all or to none (Romans 9:16).
Certainly not!“Certainly not!” (Romans 9:14c) is Paul’s strongest possible denial.
• The phrase echoes earlier rebuttals: “Absolutely not!” inRomans 3:4 andRomans 6:2.
• God remains perfectly righteous while exercising sovereign mercy: “The LORD is righteous in all His ways” (Psalm 145:17).
• Coming verses prove the point: God told Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy” (Romans 9:15, citingExodus 33:19). Pharaoh’s hardening (Romans 9:17-18) served God’s purpose of magnifying His name, yet Scripture still calls God “just and true” (Revelation 15:3-4).
• Far from undermining fairness, sovereign grace exalts it—no one deserves mercy, so no one can claim injustice when God freely bestows it.
summaryRomans 9:14 confronts the instinct to measure God by human standards. Paul’s rapid-fire dialogue moves from the reflective “What then shall we say?” to the pointed “Is God unjust?” and ends with the decisive “Certainly not!” Cross-scriptural testimony affirms that God’s sovereign freedom flows from a nature that is perfectly righteous. Rather than challenging His justice, divine election showcases His mercy and secures our confidence: the Judge of all the earth always does right.
(14-18) These verses contain the second part of the vindication. This power of choosing one and refusing another has always been reserved to Himself by God; as is seen by the examples of Moses and Pharaoh.
(14)Is there unrighteousness?--Again, as inRomans 3:5, the Apostle anticipates a possible objection. Does not this apparently arbitrary choice of one and rejection of another imply injustice in Him who exercises it? The thought is not to be entertained.
Verses 14-24. - (
b) In the next section
injustice on the part of God, in thus electing the objects of his mercy according to the good pleasure of his will, is repudiated. As in
Romans 6:1 and Romans 7:7, a false inference from what has been said is introduced by
τί οῦν ἐροῦμεν, and indignantly rejected by
μὴ γένοιτο, followed by reasons against the inference.
Verses 14-16. -
What shall we say then? Unrighteousness with God? ("Is there" supplied in the Authorized Version somewhat weakens the force of the expression.)
God forbid! For to Moses he saith, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. The argument (thus introduced by
γὰρ) requires two understood premisses - that God cannot possibly be unrighteous, and that what he himself said to Moses must be true. These premisses assumed, the apostle reasons thus: "What I have said of God's way of dealing with men does not imply unrighteousness in him; for it agrees with what he said of himself to Moses." The quotation is from
Exodus 33:19. Moses had besought the LORD to show him his glory, as a token that he and the people had found grace in his sight (vers. 16, 18). The LORD, in answer to his prayer, makes "all his goodness pass before him," in token that such grace had been found; but declares, in the words quoted, that all such grace accorded was not due to any claim on the part of man, but to his own good pleasure. In the verses that follow (17, 18) it is further shown, by the same kind of argument, that, as God declares himself to accept whom he will, so he also declares himself to reject whom he will; and hence, as his power is absolute, so is his justice unimpeachable, in himself determining the objects of his reprobation no less than the objects of his mercy. This appears from what he is recorded (
Exodus 9:16) to have said through Moses to Pharaoh.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
WhatΤί(Ti)Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.thenοὖν(oun)Conjunction
Strong's 3767:Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.shall we say?ἐροῦμεν(eroumen)Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2046:Probably a fuller form of rheo; an alternate for epo in certain tenses; to utter, i.e. Speak or say.[Is]μὴ(mē)Adverb
Strong's 3361:Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.Godθεῷ(theō)Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.unjust?ἀδικία(adikia)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 93:Injustice, unrighteousness, hurt. From adikos; injustice; morally, wrongfulness.Absolutely not!γένοιτο(genoito)Verb - Aorist Optative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096:A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.
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NT Letters: Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there (Rom. Ro) 
