2 Cents

In this series of blog posts we are examining Romans 9 - the chapter in the Bible most often used to prove Calvinism - to show that it does not actually support Calvinism at all.  You can read part one here, part two here, and part three here.

In today's post I'd like to examine Paul's use of Pharaoh as another Old Testament example of God unconditionally electing certain individuals to play special roles of service in his kingdom as opposed to God electing them for salvation or unconditionally condemning them to hell as Calvinism teaches.

Let's look at what Paul says in Romans 9:17-18:

(17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (18) So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

If you remember, in the book of Exodus, when God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and told him to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let God's people go, he also told Moses that he would harden Pharaoh's heart.

But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you.  Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.  The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel form among them.  - Ex. 7:3-5

It will not do to say that Pharaoh only hardened his own heart.  Yes, the Bible mentions this happening, but it also mentions God actively hardening Pharaoh's heart in the passage above as well as in Ex. 9:12, Ex. 10:1, Ex. 11:10, and Ex. 14:8.

And as v. 18 says above, God hardens whomever he wills.

But does this necessitate that God condemned Pharaoh to hell?  Absolutely not.

Did you catch the reason why God hardened Pharaoh's heart?  Ex. 7:5 reveals it is because he wants the Egyptians to know that he is the Lord!  He wants to increase his glory among those people and 10 plagues will increase God's glory in their minds more than simply one and done (or perhaps succeed and proceed? Wink, wink).  The same idea can be seen above in Rom. 9:17.

So God hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he may bring more glory to himself.  This does not necessitate that Pharaoh automatically was condemned to hell because his heart was hardened for a short period of time.

Indeed Paul's entire point in Romans 9 is that God is not unjust in the way he has dealt with Israel because his unconditional election of them had nothing to do with salvation but only special service in his kingdom!

The same is true of Pharaoh.  Pharaoh was unconditionally elected for this very purpose - to serve as the heart-hardened villain in the God-glorifying story of the 10 Plagues and the Exodus.

As Rom. 9:21 clearly states,

Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

While it might seem unfair that Pharaoh got unconditionally chosen to play the dishonorable part, it has nothing to do with Pharaoh's eternal destiny.  It was simply God's desire for him to play this certain part in his plan for history.

Finally, one thing that trips people up in our original passage above is verse 18.  Calvinists like to create an unnecessary dichotomy here placing on the one hand those on whom God has mercy and on the other those whom God hardens.  But this is a false choice and is unnecessary.

Could not these two actions of God (having mercy and hardening) be referring to the same individual or group?  Of course.  God could have mercy on someone and also harden them at different points in their lives.

Indeed this must have been the case with Pharaoh as God, in his mercy, did not strike him down despite his horrible treatment of God's chosen people as slaves.  God had mercy on him and also hardened him.

So the point of verse 18 is not that there are two different groups of people - one who receive unconditional election to salvation and the other who are hardened and condemned to hell.  The point is that God can use whomever he wills!

It does not matter if they have done good or bad.  It does not even matter if they are a believer or not.  God can unconditionally choose anyone he wants to serve in his plan for history.

Check back soon for more posts on why Romans 9 does not support Calvinism.  Special thanks to Dr. Jack Cottrell and his work in the College Press NIV Commentary on Romans.