the election of individuals, but of the common adoption of the whole nation, which might seem for
a time, according to the outward appearance, to have failed, but had not been cut up by the roots.
As the Jews had fallen from their privilege and the salvation promised them, that some hope might
remain to the remnant, Paul maintains that the purpose of God stands firm and immovable, by
which he had once deigned to choose them for himself as a peculiar nation. Since then it cannot
possibly be, that the Lord will depart from that covenant which he made with Abraham,
“I will be the God of thy seed,” (Genesis 17:7,)
it is evident that he has not wholly turned away his kindness from the Jewish nation.
He does not oppose the gospel to election, as though they were contrary the one to the other,
for whom God has chosen he calls; but inasmuch as the gospel had been proclaimed to the Gentiles
beyond the expectation of the world, he justly compares this favor with the ancient election of the
Jews, which had been manifested so many ages before: and so election derives its name from
antiquity; for God had in past ages of the world chosen one people for himself.
On account of the Fathers, he says not, because they gave any cause for love, but because God’s
favor had descended from them to their posterity, according to the tenor of the covenant, “Thy God
and the God of thy seed.” How the Gentiles had obtained mercy through the unbelief of the Jews,
has been before stated, namely, that God, being angry with the Jews for their unbelief, turned his
kindness to them. What immediately follows, that they became unbelievers through the mercy
manifested to the Gentiles, seems rather strange; and yet there is in it nothing unreasonable; for
Paul assigns not the cause of blindness, but only declares, that what God transferred to the Gentiles
had been taken away from the Jews. But lest what they had lost through unbelief, should be thought
by the Gentiles to have been gained by them through the merit of faith, mention is made only of
mercy. What is substantially said then is, — that as God purposed to show mercy to the Gentiles,
the Jews were on this account deprived of the light of faith.
32.For God has shut up, etc. A remarkable conclusion, by which he shows that there is no
reason why they who have a hope of salvation should despair of others; for whatever they may now
be, they have been like all the rest. If they have emerged from unbelief through God’s mercy alone,
they ought to leave place for it as to others also. For he makes the Jews equal in guilt with the
Gentiles, that both might understand that the avenue to salvation is no less open to others than to
them. For it is the mercy of God alone which saves; and this offers itself to both. This sentence
then corresponds with the testimony of Hosea, which he had before quoted, “I will call those my
people who were not my people.” But he does not mean, that God so blinds all men that their
unbelief is to be imputed to him; but that he hath so arranged by his providence, that all should be
guilty of unbelief, in order that he might have them subject to his judgment, and for this end, —
that all merits being buried, salvation might proceed from his goodness alone.^371
Paul then intends here to teach two things — that there is nothing in any man why he should
be preferred to others, apart from the mere favor of God; and that God in the dispensation of his
grace, is under no restraint that he should not grant it to whom he pleases. There is an emphasis in
(^371) The verb which Calvin renders conclusi, means to shut up together. The paraphrase of Chrysostom is, that “God has
proved ( ) all to be unbelieving.” Wolfius considers the meaning the same with Romans 3:9, and with Galatians 3:22. God
has in his providence, as well as in his word, proved and demonstrated, that all mankind are by nature in a state of unbelief and
of sin and of condemnation.
God has shut up together, etc., “how?” asks Pareus; then he answers, “by manifesting, accusing, and condemning unbelief,
but not by effecting or approving it.” — Ed.