This research paper by Andrew D. Hane, submitted to Dr. Robert Cara for NT516 – Acts–Romans at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, analyzes Paul’s use of Hosea 1:10 and 2:23 in Romans 9:25–26 to demonstrate the theological unity of God’s redemptive plan. Hane argues that Paul interprets Hosea’s promise of restoration for Israel as typologically fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles, showing that both Jews and Gentiles are equally recipients of God’s sovereign grace.
Through close exegesis of the Hebrew and Greek texts, Hane highlights how Paul modifies key terms such as καλέω (“to call”) and ἀγαπάω (“to love”) to emphasize divine initiative in salvation. The substitution of “call” for “say” shifts the focus from mere declaration to effectual calling, while the use of “love” deepens the covenantal character of God’s mercy. Hane traces how these changes express Paul’s theology of election—God sovereignly calling a people who were once “not My people” into covenant fellowship as “children of the living God.”
Hane concludes that Paul’s hermeneutic does not distort Hosea’s meaning but fulfills it, grounded in the unity of divine authorship across Scripture. Hosea’s prophecy anticipates a redemptive pattern wherein God reverses rejection through grace. By applying this to Gentiles, Paul proclaims the universal scope of God’s covenant mercy—transforming the alienated into His beloved and revealing the inclusivity of salvation in Christ.
Course and semester: NT516 Acts–Romans — Spring 2017