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But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it<\/em><\/span>, “Why have you made me like this?”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We have no right to tell God who should be saved and who shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n This verse starts of with an unusual Greek word. It is menounge<\/em><\/span>, which is a compound word made up of men<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cindeed,\u201d oun<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cbut, now, or therefore,\u201d and ge<\/em> <\/span>which is an emphatic particle, making this an emphatic exclamation which basically means, \u201cbut indeed!\u201d In today\u2019s vernacular we might say, \u201cNow wait just a minute!\u201d<\/p>\n The Greek word translated \u201creplies<\/span>\u201d is antapokrinomai<\/em><\/span>, which is a compound of anti<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cagainst\u201d and krinomai<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cto reply or to answer.\u201d This word means \u201cto make an argumentative reply against someone\u201d or \u201cto dispute a statement just made.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing formed<\/span>\u201d is translated from plasma<\/em><\/span>, which is the noun form of the verb plass\u014d<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cto shape or form something as with clay or wax.\u201d<\/p>\n What Paul is saying is, \u201cNow wait a minute! Who are you to argue with God?\u201d Do we have the right to tell our maker that He made a mistake? Do we who are imperfect and sinful have the right to tell the perfect, eternal, sinless, all knowing, all powerful God that He is wrong? I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n In this verse Paul is quoting from Isaiah who says,<\/p>\n Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?<\/span> (Isaiah 29:16<\/strong><\/span>)<\/p>\n Isaiah is chastening the Jews for making themselves and their actions more important than God. He says, \u201cYou turn the order of things upside down, putting yourselves in place of God.\u201d That is the same message that Paul is declaring to the Jewish Christians in Rome. They had made their desires and intentions to be of more importance than God\u2019s; they had accepted a little God, big man theology just as many Christians have today.<\/p>\n Similarly, who are we to tell God who is to be saved and who isn\u2019t? It\u2019s His choice, not ours! He chooses us, we don\u2019t choose Him. Wait just a minute! We have no right to tell God that He can\u2019t decide who is to be forgiven their sins and declared righteous and who should suffer the agony of Hell.<\/p>\n As we discussed a few verses back, God is righteous, which means that He always does what is right, and He is holy, which means that He is without sin. Therefore, He always does the right thing without even a hint of sinfulness in it. If He chose to allow most of humankind to go to Hell because of their sinfulness and chose to save some of mankind from that fate by declaring us righteous, then we have no right to question Him in doing so. He is God!<\/p>\n Application<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In the final analysis it really is fair for God to allow most of mankind to go to Hell and save a few from that fate. It is fair for Him to make that choice! After all, God did it that way and He is sinless and He is always right!<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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