Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 9:19-23

"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? 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? Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory," — Romans 9:19-23 (ASV)

1. Having answered the proposed question, the Apostle raises an objection to the solution, particularly to the last part, which states that God has mercy on whom he wills, and hardens whom he wills (Romans 9:18).

   First, he presents the objection; second, he presents the solution, beginning with O man, who are you.

2. First, therefore, he says: we have said that God has mercy on whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills. You will say therefore to me: why does he still find fault? That is, why inquire any further into the cause of the good and evil done here, since all things are attributed to the divine will? This is a sufficient cause, since no one can resist Him. Hence he continues: for who resists his will? I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

   Alternatively, the phrase why does he still find fault? could mean: why does God complain about people when they sin, as in Isaiah: some have I raised and brought up, but they have rebelled against me (Isaiah 1:2)? Therefore, He does not seem to have a just complaint, because it all proceeds from His will, which no one can resist. Hence he adds: who resists his will?

   In yet another way: why does he still find fault, that is, why is a person still required to do good and avoid evil? He has showed you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love mercy and walk with your God? (Micah 6:8). For it is useless to require something of someone that is not in their power. But nothing seems to lie in a person’s power, according to the previous point, where all things seem to be ascribed to the divine will, which cannot be resisted. He adds: for who resists his will? It is as if to say: no one. There is none that can resist your will (Esther 13:11). And this seems to be the Apostle’s meaning.

3. Then he answers the question, beginning with the phrase O man, who are you.

   To understand his answer, it should be noted that two questions can arise concerning the election of the good and the rejection of the wicked. One is general: why does God will to harden some and be merciful to others? The other is particular: why does He will to be merciful to this person and harden that one?

   Although a reason other than God’s will can be given for the first question, the only reason that can be given for the second is God’s absolute will. An example can be found among humans. If a builder has many similar stones, the reason he puts some at the top and others at the bottom can be understood from his purpose, because the perfection of the house he intends to build requires both a foundation with stones at the bottom and walls of a certain height with stones at the top. But the reason he put these particular stones on top and those others at the bottom seems to be simply because the builder willed it.

   Therefore, the Apostle first answers the problem in the second question, namely, why He has mercy on this person and hardens that one. Second, he answers the problem in the first question, namely, why He is merciful to some and hardens others, beginning with the phrase what if God.

   In regard to the first problem, he does three things:

   1. He censures the questioner’s presumption.
   2. He cites an authority that solves the question, with the words shall the thing formed say to him who formed it.
   3. He explains the authority, with the words or has not the potter power.

4. First, therefore, he says: O man, who are you, fragile and unknowing, who replies against God? How would you answer Him, if He were to contend with you in judgment? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times (Job 9:3). Again, as it says in Job: he who argues with God, let him answer him (Job 40:2).

   From this, we are to understand that a person should not scrutinize the reason for God’s judgments with the intent of fully comprehending them, for they exceed human reason: seek not the things that are too high for you ; he who is a searcher of majesty will be overwhelmed by glory (Proverbs 25:27).

5. Then, when he says shall the thing formed, he quotes the authority of Isaiah: shall the thing made say of its maker, he did not make me? (Isaiah 29:16).

   Here it should be noted that if an artisan uses base material to make a beautiful vessel for noble uses, it is all credited to the artisan's goodness; for example, if from clay he fashions pitchers and serving dishes suited to a banquet table. If, on the other hand, from such a base material like clay, he produced a vessel adapted for common uses, such as for cooking, the vessel, if it could think, would have no reason to complain. But it could complain if, from precious metals such as gold and precious stones, the artisan were to make a vessel reserved for base uses.

   But human nature has a baseness to it from its material origin, because as Genesis says: God formed man of dust from the ground (Genesis 2:7), and even more baseness after being corrupted by sin, which entered this world through one man. This is why humanity is compared to dirt, in Job: I am compared to dirt and I am likened to dust and ashes (Job 30:19). Hence, any good that a person possesses is due to God’s goodness as its ultimate source: O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, and you are the potter, we are all the work of your hands (Isaiah 64:8). Furthermore, if God does not advance a person to better things but leaves them in their weakness and reserves them for the lowliest use, He does them no injury for which they could justly complain against God.

6. Then the Apostle explains the prophet's words, when he says or has not the potter power.

   It is as if to say that what is molded, that is, the vessel, should not say to the potter: why have you made me thus? because the potter is free to make anything he wishes out of the clay. Hence he says: or has not the potter power over the clay, to make, without any injury to it, of the same lump of base matter one vessel unto honor, that is, for honorable use, and another unto dishonor, that is, for common uses. In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earthenware, and some for noble use, some for ignoble (2 Timothy 2:20).

   In the same way, God has free power to make from the same corrupted material of the human race, as from clay, and without any injustice, some people prepared for glory and others abandoned to wretchedness: behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel (Jeremiah 18:6).

7. Then, when he says what if God, willing, he answers the first question: why God wills to be merciful to some and leave others in wretchedness—that is, to choose some and reject others.

   Here it should be noted that the purpose of all divine works is the manifestation of divine goodness: the Lord has made all things for himself (Proverbs 16:4). Hence, it was stated above that the invisible things of God have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).

   But the excellence of the divine goodness is so great that it cannot be manifested in only one way or through a single creature. Consequently, He created diverse creatures in which He is manifested in diverse ways. This is particularly true for rational creatures, in whom His justice is manifested toward those He punishes according to what they deserve, and His mercy is manifested in those He delivers by His grace. Therefore, to manifest both of these in humanity, He mercifully delivers some, but not all.

   First, therefore, he gives an account of the rejection of the wicked; second, he addresses the election of the good, beginning with the phrase that he might show the riches.

8. In both cases, three distinctions should be considered: first, regarding the purpose; second, regarding the use; and third, regarding the divine act.

   Now, the purpose of the rejection or hardening of the wicked is the manifestation of divine justice and power. Referring to this he says: what (meaning, but) if God, willing to show his wrath, that is, His retributive justice. For wrath is spoken of in relation to God not as an emotion but as the effect of His retribution: the wrath of God is revealed from heaven (Romans 1:18). Then he adds: and to make his power known, because God not only uses wrath, that is, retribution, by punishing those subject to Him, but also by subjecting them to Himself by His power: according to his work by which he can subject all things to himself (Philippians 3:21); and they saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore, and the mighty hand that the Lord had used against them (Exodus 14:31).

   The use God makes of the wicked is for wrath, that is, punishment. This is why he calls them vessels of wrath, meaning instruments of justice that God uses to show wrath, or retributive justice: we were by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

   But God’s action toward them is not that He disposes them to evil, since they themselves have a disposition toward evil from the corruption of the first sin. Hence he says fitted for destruction, that is, having in themselves a disposition toward eternal condemnation: God saw that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times (Genesis 6:5). The only thing God does concerning them is that He allows them to do what they want. Therefore, it is not without meaning that he says endured. And the fact that He does not exact retribution immediately shows His patience; so he adds with much patience: the Most High is a patient rewarder .

9. Then, concerning the good, he likewise sets out three points.

   First, the purpose, when he says that he might show the riches of his glory. For the purpose of the election and mercy shown to the good is for God to manifest in them the abundance of His goodness by calling them back from evil, drawing them to justice, and finally leading them into glory. This is the meaning of that he might show the riches of his glory, the riches about which he spoke earlier: or do you despise the riches of his goodness? (Romans 2:4). God who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4).

   And it is significant that he says that he might show the riches of his glory, because the very condemnation and rejection of the wicked, carried out in accordance with God's justice, reveals and highlights the glory of the saints, who were freed from such misery.

   Second, he describes their purpose, when he says on the vessels of mercy. He names them vessels of mercy because God uses them as instruments to display His mercy: these were men of mercy .

   Third, he sets out God's action toward them. For God does not merely endure them, as if they were naturally disposed to good, but rather He prepares and disposes them by calling them to glory. Hence he says which he has prepared unto glory: preparing the mountains by your power (Psalms 65:6).

10. Up to this point, the Apostle uses an incomplete and suspended sentence structure, so that the meaning is: If God wants to do this—to have mercy on some and harden others—what can justly be said against it? The implied answer is: nothing. For He does not will to harden them in a way that compels them to sin; rather, He endures them as they tend toward evil by their own inclination.