Davo and Eaglesway. Does this mean that like me, you find the overall message really encouraging, but some of the details a bit tricky to follow?
The message has always been encouraging… and the more I’ve come to appreciate the historical life and landscape of the NT times the more the so-called “tricky” stuff has fallen into place. And for me some of that has meant certain sacred cows have likewise fallen along the way.
Just thought I would report in that our home group bible studies have been going really well on Rom 9-11.
People from a Calvinist background are seeing that God’s purpose is really to have mercy on all. Vessels of wrath, hardened ones, are not permanently this way by God’s unalterable decree but instead God is being patient with them so that He may have mercy on them. Hardened vessels of wrath can become vessels of mercy, grafted back into the olive tree.
People are seeing the universalistic implications at the end of Ch 11.
They are seeing that God is good and worthy of praise! 