Let us begin the investigation

The issue surrounding how we are to interpret Romans 9 is a matter of methodology, namely hermeneutics. I won't presume to think this will be an easy task, but if we are to be diligent in our pursuit to understand God through His Word, then this difficult task will be worth it.

So how difficult is the study of hermeneutics? Well, let me start asking questions to illustrate the conundrum:

Should our hermeneutic be based on how God wants us to interpret His Word? If so, how do we know how God wants us to interpret His Word? Usually, when we seek after God's Wisdom, we surely look to the Bible, right? But unless we can view Scripture with the correct lens, we won't know how to derive a hermeneutic based on Scripture. That is to say, if we don't have a hermeneutic in place to interpret Scripture rightly, then we won't be able to exegete from Scripture the right hermeneutic.

Or should we just make up a hermeneutic based on history, grammar, and the context of the text? (aka grammatico-historical) If so, then are we not possibly introducing error from the root point of our study of Scripture? After all, our understanding of history is fallible. We could get history wrong and bring that into the interpretive method, thus ruining our understanding of Scripture. Needless to say, it is not a biblically-based hermeneutic...or is it? The only way you could find out is if you can apply the hermeneutic and be able to derive from Scripture that the grammatico-historical hermeneutic is the correct one. Then again, someone who holds to the redemptive-historical hermeneutic may find Scriptural proof of their hermeneutic. The problem here is that whatever hermeneutical lens is in place, it will see in Scripture what it wants to see. That is, if you wear green glasses, you will only see green wherever you look. If you wear red glasses, you will only see red.

So, how do we determine a hermeneutic? What are the rules and how do we apply them when we begin to exegete Scripture? As large as this topic is, I hope to hear from Tony and what he has learned from seminary, as well as Reformed students. We'll cross-examine and rebut each other, but I pray that this will go better than previously. May the peace of Christ be with us all.