As he so often does in the letter to the Romans, Paul here in Romans 9:14 begins a new section of his argument with the exclamation, What shall we say then?
In light of the aforementioned election of Israel and rejection of Esau the apostle now proceeds to pose the question of whether we therefore now ought to conclude that there is injustice on God’s part?
The answer is very clear: By no means!
So why then raise the question in the first place? In the preceding section he had spoken only about the conclusiveness of God’s calling. It is not descent, but God’s calling that is decisive. This can, however, create the impression that God excludes certain people, such as Ishmael, Esau, and others, for no reason whatsoever, which may seem unjust. Yet how could there possibly be any injustice with God? This question was particularly pertinent during the time of the letter written to the Romans. It was at this point in history where God first called Gentiles in Christ and through his Spirit. Would this calling of the Gentiles not be unjust towards the people of Israel with their patriarchs and worship services? Against this historical background Paul answers the question concerning Isaac and Ishmael’s past.1
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!