Unceasing Sorrow: Romans 9:1-5 and John Piper's The Justification of God

<p>One of my favorite authors for many years was John Piper. His emphasis on the supremacy of God in all things and that &ldquo;God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him,&rdquo; deeply enriched my life. His desire to live a God-glorifying life and his commitment to missions have been exemplary. I am grateful to God for his ministry. But I do not share Piper&rsquo;s Calvinism, especially regarding Unconditional Election. Nor do I share his interpretation of Romans 9.</p> <p>I continue to read and study many works in preparation for my book, <em>Sovereign Story</em>. I read both Calvinist and Arminian perspectives. I have found many books in the Calvinist camp to be tendentious in interpreting verses according to the dogmas of Calvinism rather than from the historical context. However, one author realizes this problem, and he has sought to correct it. It is John Piper and his work, <em>The Justification of God: An Exegetical &amp; Theological Study of Romans 9:1-23</em>. This book stands head and shoulders above every other Calvinistic book. I have read it twice and learned from it. Piper is outstanding in his efforts to give a proper exegetical foundation to the Calvinist doctrines of election and predestination. I admire his devotion to God&rsquo;s Word, but I believe he is wrong.</p> <p>For my Ph.D. in Biblical Studies, I am required to create independent research on a topic of my choosing. I have chosen to interact with Piper&rsquo;s book, <em>The Justification of God</em>. Class requirements limit me to about 22 pages and about 6000 words. Thus, this presentation interacts only with Piper&rsquo;s exegesis of Romans 9:1-5. I know many issues and questions will remain unaddressed. However, this is the first of four where I will interact with Piper&rsquo;s book. If you read and enjoy this analysis of Romans 9:1-5 and my interaction with Piper&rsquo;s work, stay tuned; the rest are coming! In fact, Part 2 is now available. It is called &quot;God&#39;s Word Has Not Failed: Romans 9:6-13 and John Piper&#39;s The Justification of God.&quot; Look for it here on Zenodo.</p>