John Calvin Commentary Romans 9:20

"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?" — Romans 9:20 (ASV)

But, O man, who are you? etc. As it is a participle in Greek, we may read what follows in the present tense, who disputes, or contends, or strives in opposition to God; for it is expressed in Greek according to this meaning: “Who are you who enters into a dispute with God?” But there is not much difference in the sense. In this first answer, he does nothing else but beat down impious blasphemy with an argument taken from the condition of man; he will shortly add another, by which he will clear the righteousness of God from all blame.

It is indeed evident that no cause is brought forward higher than the will of God. Since there was a ready answer that the difference depends on just reasons, why did Paul not adopt such a brief reply? But he placed the will of God in the highest rank for this reason: that it alone may be sufficient for us for all other causes.

No doubt, if the objection had been false—that God according to His own will rejects those whom He does not honor with His favor, and chooses those whom He gratuitously loves—a refutation would not have been neglected by Paul. The ungodly object and say that men are exempted from blame if the will of God holds the first place in their salvation or in their perdition.

Does Paul deny this? No, by his answer he confirms it: that is, that God determines concerning men as seems good to Him, and that men in vain and madly rise up to contend with God, for He assigns, by His own right, whatever lot He pleases to what He forms.

But those who say that Paul, lacking reason, resorted to reproof, cast a grievous slander on the Holy Spirit: for the things calculated to vindicate God’s justice and ready at hand, he was at first unwilling to bring forward, because they could not have been comprehended. Indeed, he so modifies his second reason that he does not undertake a full defense, but acts in such a manner as to give a sufficient demonstration of God’s justice, if it is considered by us with devout humility and reverence.

He reminds man of what is especially fitting for him to remember: that is, his own condition. It is as though he had said, “Since you are man, you acknowledge yourself to be dust and ashes; why then do you contend with the Lord about that which you are not able to understand?”

In a word, the Apostle did not bring forward what might have been said, but what is suitable to our ignorance.

Proud men clamor because Paul, admitting that men are rejected or chosen by the secret counsel of God, alleges no cause. It is as though the Spirit of God were silent for lack of reason, and not rather that by His silence He reminds us that a mystery which our minds cannot comprehend should be reverently adored, and that He thus checks the wantonness of human curiosity.

Let us then know that God refrains from speaking for no other reason than that He sees that we cannot comprehend His immense wisdom in our limited capacity; and thus, regarding our weakness, He leads us to moderation and sobriety.

Does what is formed...? etc. We see that Paul dwells continually on this: that the will of God, though its reason is hidden from us, is to be considered just. For he shows that He is deprived of His right if He is not at liberty to determine what He sees fit concerning His creatures.

This seems unpleasant to the ears of many. There are also those who pretend that God is exposed to great reproach if such a power were ascribed to Him, as though they in their fastidiousness were better theologians than Paul, who has laid down this as the rule of humility for the faithful: that they should admire the sovereignty of God and not estimate it by their own judgment.

But he represses this arrogance of contending with God by a very fitting analogy, in which he seems to have alluded to Isaiah 45:9 rather than to Jeremiah 18:6. For Jeremiah teaches us nothing else than that Israel was in the hand of the Lord, so that God could for Israel’s sins wholly break him in pieces, as a potter breaks an earthen vessel.

But Isaiah ascends higher. He says, Woe to him who speaks against his Maker; that is, the pot that contends with the former of the clay; shall the clay say to its former, ‘What are you doing?’ etc. (Isaiah 45:9).

And surely there is no reason for a mortal man to think himself better than an earthen vessel when he compares himself with God.

We are not, however, to be over-particular in applying this testimony to our present subject, since Paul only meant to allude to the words of the Prophet, in order that the analogy might have more weight.