Can you give me a little insight as to what Paul is trying to say in Romans 9:14-26?
I can understand your struggle, and appreciate your attempt to follow the flow of Paul’s argument here.
To begin with, chapters 9-11 deal with the very important matter of the relationship of Jews and Gentiles in the church (in the New Testament age). The Jews tended to assume that they were “elect” as a nation simply because they were Jews, or, as they put it, because they were the children of Abraham (see Luke 3:7-9; also John 8:33ff.). In Romans 9:1-5 Paul begins by affirming his great love for his fellow-Jews.