Let's Talk Romans: Jacob & Esau, Ishmael & Isaac

[Jeffrey]

"it is the election of privilege that is in mind, not eternal salvation." Morris

Advocates of the corporate interpretation of these verses make a strong case. In the OT God's election is primarily his "calling out" of a people "for his own name": Israel. And, as the OT itself makes clear, this election of a people does not in itself guarantee eternal life for every Israelite. Perhaps Paul is using election in the same terms here.

Moo: "I do not think that a corporate or salvation-historical satisfy the data of the text:

1) Paul suggests that he is thinking of Jacob and Esau as individuals in vv10-11 when he mentions their conception and birth, and "works" -- language that is not easily applied to nations.

2) Several of Paul's key words and phrases in this passage are words he generally uses elsewhere with reference to attaining of salvation; and significantly, they occur with this sense in texts closely related to this one. (election, call, not of works, etc) These words are difficult to apply to nations or peoples, for Paul clearly does not believe that peoples or nations -- not even Israel -- are chosen and called by God for salvation apart from their works.

3) paraphrase: Paul's aim of the chapter is to show that not all who belong to physical Israel also belong to spiritual Israel -- he must show that the OT justifies a discrimination w/in physical Israel in terms of the enjoyment of salvation.