Romans 9:22-23 Having established the right of the potter to make whatever kind of vessel he wishes from the clay, Paul now asks a "What if?" question. There are three entities in these verses, God, vessels of wrath, and vessels of mercy. In this lesson we take time to consider who and what are the vessels of wrath, and who and what are the vessels of mercy. What is the first most important thing we learn about the vessels of wrath? To what utility does God purpose to use these vessels? To what does the term "vessels of wrath" refer, their purpose or their condition? Who are the vessels of mercy? What is the utility to which God proposes to use such vessels? What is the difference between the preparation of the vessels of wrath and that of the vessels of mercy? Is the condition of being a vessel of wrath an immutable condition, or can such a vessel become a vessel of mercy? In our next lesson we will learn about how God uses these vessels. (61 min)

Keywords Potter, Clay, Vessels, Mercy, Wrath

Romans 9:19-21 In this week’s lesson, beginning in verse nineteen, Paul confronts an objection he anticipates that might be raised to the things he has said about God hardening and having mercy on whomever He wills. Before considering Paul's answer, it is important to understand what the mindset is of the person who would raise such an objection. How can we tell from the context what that mindset is? What is the actual objection that is being raised by this person? Why does Paul not clearly answer the objection, but rather responds to the person in what appears to be a harsh manner? In his response, Paul alludes to some passages from Isaiah. How are these passages relevant to the situation Paul is addressing? Paul introduces at this point an analogy of the potter and the clay. Before grasping Paul's point, it is important to understand how this common analogy is used throughout scripture. What are six important points that should be kept in mind about the scriptural use of the potter/clay analogy before attempting to understand what Paul has in mind in these verses? (63 min)

Keywords Hardening, Sovereignty, Potter, Clay