The key strategy to Bible interpretation is seeking authorial intent. Context is our guide. In this regard we are seeking to know what Paul means to say in his epistles and we must first examine them individually, paying close attention to the context and the subject matter.
Do you somehow think I didn't already know this? Of course context is very important and I believe you frequently miss the context in scripture. But, you already knew that, right?
The context and subject matter in Romans 9 is not the same as it is in Galatians 3.
Why are you isolating Romans 9 instead of including it with Romans 10 and 11? Paul wasn't making a point in Romans 9 and then changing the subject in Romans 10. You understand that, don't you? Here is what Paul said in Romans 10 where he was expanding on what he was saying in Romans 9:
Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How is the context of the passage above different from this passage:
Galatians 3:26 So i
n Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for y
ou are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Clearly, the context is the same. So, with that in mind, let's take another look at Romans 9:6-8 in light of this understanding that the context is the same in Romans 9-11 as it is in Galatians 3.
Romans 9:6 It is not as though God’s word had failed.
For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7
Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words,
it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
Look at the similarities between this passage and Galatians 3:26-29. Both speak of who are the children of God and who are Abraham's seed/offspring. In Romans 9:6-8 Paul indicates that those who are the children of God and Abraham's seed/offspring are those who are part of the Israel of which not all of the nation of Israel are part. How can these children of God/Abraham's seed be identified? Galatians 3:26-29 makes that easy for us. They are those who have faith in Christ and belong to Christ and that includes Jews and Gentiles.
Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians answers those who claim that unless Gentiles put themselves under Moses, God will not grant them justification. He makes two arguments against that claim: 1) God did not require conversion to Judaism before he poured out his Spirit on them and 2), God awards justification in view of faith. The sons of Abraham are those who share the same faith as Abraham. (By the way, Paul makes this exact same argument in Romans chapter 4.)
Yes, I agree with this.
We will examine Romans 9, but before we do, we observe that he already argued, in chapter 4, that God is saving those who share the same faith as Abraham. Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised so that he is the father of uncircumcised folks who share the same faith as Abraham; and he is the father of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but share the same faith as Abraham.
Beginning in Romans chapter 9 the subject matter changes.
This is a baseless claim based on your doctrinal bias.
At that point in his epistle, Paul is done making his case for salvation by faith for all those who believe, whether Jew or Greek.
Oh, really? Then explain this:
Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This passage alone proves you wrong. So, try again.
Now he wants to make another point about God's promise to Israel. Bear in mind, Galatians 3 and Romans 4 argue from God's promise to Abraham. When Paul gets to Romans 9, he begins a disquisition concerning God's promise to the OT nation of Israel.
Oh, really? Is that what Romans 10:9-13 is about? Is that what this passage is about:
Romans 9:22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24
even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” 26 and, “In the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.
Like the Romans 10 passage, this passage is talking about Jews and Gentiles being brought together as one as the people of God. That is that Romans 11 is about as well. So, I could not possibly disagree more with you on this.
Two different promises; two different arguments.
Wrong. Did you somehow not read the passages above that I quoted? Clearly, Paul was not just talking about the nation of Israel in Romans 9 as you claim. You are seeing what you want to see instead of what Paul actually said.