Chapter XXVII (continued, part 2)
tiie hearts of the missionaries of the cro.ss, and made tiieui "not ashamed of the gospel of Christ!" ajid receiving in tiieikisel ves tiiat recompense of tiieir error wliich was meet—alluding to the many physical aud moral ways in which, under llie rigliteous government of God, vice was made self-avenging. 3S-:J1. gave (item over (or ' up'—see on u. 21) ... to do tliose tilings which
(or 'exchanged') the glory of tlie uncorruptible God tuto (or 'for'; an ikunge . . . like to corruptible man— The allusion here is doubtless to the Greek worship, and the apostle may have had in his eye those exquisite
cliisellings of the human form which lay so profusely beneath and around him as he stood on Mars' Hill, and " beheld their devotions." (See on Acts 1". 29.) But as if that had not been a deep enough degradation of the living God, there was found 'a lower deep' still, and to bii-dii, aud four-footed beasts, and to creeping things—referring now to the Egyptian and Oriental worship. In the face of these plain declarations of the descent of man's religious belief from loftier to ever lower and more debasing conceptions of the Supreme Being, there are expositors of this very Epistle (as Reiche and Jowett), who, believing neither in any fall from primeval innocence, nor
aj-e not convenient—in the old sense of that word, t. e.,
' not becoming,' 'indecorous,' 'sliameful.' haters of God —The word usually signifies 'God-hated,' which some here prefer, in the sense of 'abhorred of the Lord;' expressing the detestableness of their character in His sight (cf. Proverbs 22.14; Psalm 73. 20). But the active sense of the word, adopted in our version and by tlie majority of expositors, though rarer, agrees perhaps better.with the context. 33. Wlio knowing (from the voice of conscience, ch.2. U, 15) the judgment of God (the stern law of Divine procedure), tiiat they wlkicli commit such tilings arc worthy of dejitli—here used in Its widest known sense, as the uttermost of Divine vengeance against sin : see Acts 28. 4. not only do the same— which they might do under tlie pressui-e of temptation and in the heat of passion, but have pleasure in them that do them — deliberately set their seal to such actions by encouraging and applauding the doing of them in others. This is theclimax of our apostle's charges against the heathen; and certainly, if the things are in themselves as black as possible, this settled and unblushing satisfaction at the practice of them, apart from all the blinding efl'eets of present passion, must bo regarded as the darkest feature of human depravity. On this section, tiule (1.) "The wrath of God " against sin lias all the dread reality of a "revelation from heaven ' sounding in the consciences of men, in the self-inflicted miseries of the wicked, and in the vengeance which God's moral government, sooner or later, takes upon all who outrage
Lti tlie noble traces of that innocence which lingered even after the fall, and were only by degrees obliterated by wilful violence to the dictates of conscience, maintain that man's religious history has been all along a struggle to
ri«e, from the lowest forms of nature-worship, suited to the cliildhood of our race, into that which is more I'ational and spiritual. 34:. Wherefore God also (in righteous retribution) gave them ui>—This Divine abandonment of men is here strikingly traced in three successive stages, at eacli of which the same word is used {v. 21 ; i;. 26
and V. 28, where the word is rendered " gave over '). ' As
tliey deserted God, God in turn deserted them ; not giving them Divine (i.e., supernatural) laws, and suffering tliem to corrupt those which were liuman; not sending them prophets, and allowing the philosophers to run into absurdities. He let them do what they pleased, even wliat was in tlie last degree vile, that those who had not honoured God, might dishonour themselves.' [GuoTirs.J as. Who changed the trutli of God in<o a lic-^(i. e., the truth concerning God into idol falsehood ). and worshipped and ser\-ed the creature more than the Creator—Professing merely to worship the Creator b.i/ means of the creature, they soon came to lose sight of the Creator ta the creature. How aggravated is the guilt of the Churcli of Home, which, umler the same liimsy pretext, does slvarueU'S.sly what the heiithen are here coniiemned fordoing, and with light which the heathen never liad! who is blessed for ever! Amen—By this do.xology the apostle instinctively relieves the horror which the penning of such things excited within his lireast; an example to such as are (billed to expose like dishonour done to the blessed God. '-4G, 37. For this cause God ;;ave them up—See on v. 21. for even tiieir women— I hat sex whose priceless jewel and fairest ornament is modesty, and which, when that is once lost, nut only becomes more
it; so this " wrath of God " is not confined to higli-handed crimes, or the grosser manifestations of Iiuman depravity, but is " revealed " against all violations of Divine law of whatever nature—" against all ungodliness" as well as "unrighteousness of men," against all disregard of God in the conduct of life as well as against all deviations from moral rectitude; and therefore, since no child of Adam can plead guiltless eitlier of "ungodliness"' or of " unrighteousness," to a greater or less extent, it follows" that every human being is involved in the awlnl sweep of " the wrath of God " (v. 18). The apostle places this terrible trutli in the forefront of his argument on justification by faith, that upon the basis of universal condemnation he might rear the edifice of a free, world-wide salvation; nor can the Gospel be scripturally preached or embraced, save as the good news of salvation to those that are all equally "lost." (2.) We must not magnify the supernatural re'v*
Wliat were ihe Sins of the Gentile World. ROMANS II. IVie Jew under like Coiidemnulion Kith the Gcniile.
elation which God has been pleased to make of Himself, througli Abraham's family to the human race, at tlie expense of that elder, and, in itself, lustrous revelation which He has made to the whole, family of man through the medium of their own nature and the creation around them. Without the latter, the former would have been impossible, and those who liave not been favoured with the former will be without excuse, if they are deaf to the voice and blind to the glory of the latter {v. 19, 20). (3.) Wilful resistance of light has a retributive tendency to
Ver. 1-29. The Jew tjnper like Coxdejixatiojt with THE Gentile. From those without, the apostle now turns to those wilhin the pale of revealed religion, the self-righteous Jews, who looked down upon the uncovenanted heathen as beyond the jiale of God's mercies, within which they deemed themselves secure, however inconsistent their lile maybe. Alas! what multitudes wrap themselves up in like fatal confidence, wlio occupy tho corresponding position in the Christian Church ! 4. the goodntss of God leadetli tltec to repentance— ). e., is designed and adapted to do so. 5. < i'ea$nrei>t np unto thyself wi-aJh against (ratlier ' in ') ilUe day of ivi-ath i e., wrath to come on thee in the day of wrath. Wl'at an awful idea is here expressed—that the sinner liim.scif is amassing, like hoarded treasure, an ever-accumulating stock of Divine wrath, to burst upon him in "the day of the revelation of tlie righteous judgment of Ooil!" And this is said not of the reckless, but of those who boasted of their purity of faith and life. 7-10. To them who, Ac. —The substance of these verses is that the final judgment wiil turn upon ciiaraeloalone, by itatient continuance in well-doing, &c.—Cf. IjUke S. 15:' "That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and gO(Kl heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience ;" denoting the enctnrinty and proi/ressii-e character of tlie new life. But unto theiu that arc contentious, and do Aot obey tlie trujh, Ac.—referring to such keen and determined resistam-e to the Gospel as himself had too painfully witnesseti on the part of liis own countrymen. See Acts 13.11-10; 17. 5, lo; 18. 6, 12; and cf. 1 Thessalonians 2. 15, IG. i«dlfi;na<ioit and wrstth— in the bosom of a sin-avenging God. tribiilation and anguish —the effect of these in tlie sinner himself, to the Jew first—first in perdition if unfaithful; but if obedient to the truth, first in salvation (!,•. 10). 11, 1'4. l^or as many as have sinned—not 'as many as have sinned at all,' but, 'as many as are /ou(id in sin' at the judgment of the great day (as the whole context shows), without law i. c., without the advantage of a positive Revelation, shall also perish without law—exempt from the charge of rejectingordisregardiug it. and as muiiyas hnvesinucd in the law—witliiii the pale of a positive, v/ritten Revelation, shall be judged by tlie law—tried and condemned by the higlier staniinrd of that written Revelation. 13-15, For not the hearers, Ac. q. d., As toiiclling the Jews, in whose ears the written law is continually resounding, the condemnation of as many of them as aro found sinners at the last iiivol.ves no diilicully ; but even as respects the heatlien, who are strangers lo the law in
blunt tlie moral perceptions and weaken the capacity to appreliend and approve of trutli and goodness; and thus
is the soul prepared to surrender itself, to an indefinite extent, to error and sin (r. 21, &c.). (4.) Pride of wisdom, as it is a convincing evidence of the want of it, so it makes the attainment of it impossible (,v. 22 ; and cf. IMatthew 11.
25; 1 Corinthians 3.18-20). (5.) As Idolatry, even In its most plausible forms, is the fruit of unworthy views of the Godhead, so its natural effect is to vitiate and debase
still further the religious conceptions; nor is there any depth of degi'adation too low and too revolting for men's ideas of the Godhead to sink to, if only their natural temperament and the circumstances they are placi d in be favourable to their unrestrained development {v. 23, 25). The apostle h.ad Greece and Egypt in his eye when he penned tliis description.. But tlie wjiole Paganisms of the East at this day attest its accuracy, from the more elaborate idolatry of India and the simpler and more stupid idolatry of Cliina down to the childish rudiments of nature-worship prevalent among the savage tribes. Alas! Christendom itself furnishes a melancholy illustration of tills trutli ; the constant use of material images in tlie Church of Rome and the materialistic and sensuous character of its entire service (to say notliing of the
less olfeusive but stnpider service of the Greek Cluirch), debasing the religious ideas of millions of nominal Christians, and lowering tlie whole character and tone of Christianity as represented within their immense pale.
(6.) Moral corruption invariablj' follows religious debasement. The grossness of Pagan idolatry is only equalled by the revolting character and frightful extent of the immoralities which it fostered and consecrated (r. 21, 26, 27). And so strikingly is this to be seen in all its essential features in the East at this day, that (as Hodge says) the missionaries have frequently been accused by tlie natives of having forged the whole of the latter part of this chap-
ter, as' tliey could not believe that so accurate a description of tliemselves could have been written eighteen centuries ago. Tlie kingdoms of Israel and Judah furnish a striking illustration of the inseparable connection between religion and morals. Israel corrupted and debased the worsliip of Jeliovali, and tlie sins with which they were charged were mostly of the grosser kind—intemperanceand sensuality: Judali, remaining faithful to the pure worship, were for a long tiiiie charged mostly with fornirility and hypocrisy; and only as they fell into the i<lolalrios of tlie heathen around them, did they sink intotlieir vices. And may not alike distinction be observed between the two great divisions of Clirlstendom, the Popish and the Protestant? To test this, we must not looli to Popery, surrounded witli,iind more or less .influenced by, tlie presenceand power of Protoslantisiii ; nor to Protestantism under every sort of disadvantage, internal and external. But look at Romanism where it liiis unrestrained liberty to develop its true character, and see whetlicr impurity does not there taint society to its core, viervading alike tlie highest and the lowest classes ; and then look at Protestantism where it enjoys tlie same isdvantiiges, and see whether it be not marked by a comparatively high standard of social virtue. (7.) To take pleasure in wliat is sinful and vicious for its own siilie, and knowing it to be such, is tlie last and lowest stage of liuman recklessness (v. 82). But (8.) tliis knowledge can never be wholly extinguislied in the breast ol man. Ko long as reason remains to tliem, tliere is still a small voice lu tlie worst of men, protesting, in tiifi name of the I'ower that Implanted It, "that they which lo such things are worll y of death " (v. 32;.
its positive and writ ten form—sinci; tliey show how deeply
it is engraven on their moral nature, which witnesses within tlu'in lor righteousness and against ini'quily, accusing or eondeninhig them acctirding as they violate or obey its stern diciales—tlu-ir condriunalioii also lor all the sin in wliidi they live and die will wirry its divadlul echw in their own breasts, their thou^lits tlie ineanwlklle aeeuainj; or else excusini;— /. c, perhaps by turns doing ))oth. Itj. In the day, <!cc.—Here the uiitiiiished statement, of i.'. 12 is ri'sumed and closed, shall judge the secrets of iiirn— here spi'cially I'eferiing to the unfatlionied depths of hyp(M-risy in the si'lf-righteons whom
tlie apostle had to deal with. (.See Kcclesiastes 12.11; 1 Corinthians 1.5.) aceordiiij; to my gospel—to niy tfacliing Hs a preaciier of the Gospel. 17-Ml. Behold—' But if"
is, be,\ ()iid doubt, the true rea<ling here. (It <li(J'i'rs but in
a single h'ttf'r from the received reailiiig, and the sense is the same.) aj>provest tK»e thlt»5;» that are excellent
Marfiiii, 'triest the things that dilTer.' lioth senses arH
gooil, and indeed the former is but Ihe ivsult of the latter action, f-iee on I'liilippians 1. ID. hast tlie form ol' ki>owIedi;e and <if the truth in the law—^^Mot being left, as the heathen are, to vagui; conjeeture on lHvlue tl;l'igs, but favoured with deiiiiite and precise information from heaven, thou that abhorrest id<ils{as the J jws did ever after tlieir captivity, though bent on them before)—doxt thou commit saccllrge I—not, as some excelleut inter-
Circumcisiwi, without Obedience, shall not Profit. ROMANS III. The Jew!^ Prerogative, which they have nut Lost,
way ; chiefly, because (rather, ' first, that') unto them were comiiilttetl the oracles of God—This remarkable expression, denoting ' Divine comniunieatious' in general,
pi-eters, ' dost thou rob idol-temples?' but more generally, as we tiike it, 'dost tliou prol'aue holy things?' (as in Matthew 21. 12, 13, and in otlier ways), as It is written—(See Marginal reference.) For circumcisioia— i.e., One's being within the covenant of which circumcision was the outward sign and seal, verily profititli, if tJiou keep the law— if the inward reality correspond to the outward sign but if, &c. (J. d., 'Otherwise, tliou art no better than the unciruumcised heathen.' Tlierefore if tUe tuielrcumcisioit kee]! tlie . . . law, &c. — Two mistaken Interpretations, we think, ai'e given of these words : jFirst, that the case lune supposed is an impossible one, and put merely for illustration [Haldane, Chalmers, Hodge];
is transferred to tlie Scriptures to express their oracular. Divine, authoritative character. 3,4. For what if some did not believe T—It is the unbelief of the great body of the nation which the apostle points at ; but as it sufficed for his argument to put the supposition thus gently, he uses this word "some" to soften prejudice, shall titeir unbeliefmake tJtefaitli (or, faithfulness) of Godof uoue ell'ecti—' nullify,' ' invalidate' it. God forliid—lit., 'Let il not be,' q. d., '.Vway witii sucli a thought'—a favourite expression of our apostle, when he would not only reijudiate a suijposed consequence of his doctrine, but express his abhorrence of it. 'The Scriptures do not authorize such, a use of God's name as must have been common among the English translators of tlie Bible.' [Hodge.] yea, let God be (held)' trtte, and every man a liar i. e., even though it should follow from this that every man is a
lecond, that it is the case of the heathen who may and do please God when they act, as has been and is done, up to the light of nature [Grotiu.s, Ol.shausen, &c.]. The first Interpretation is, in our judgment, unnatural ; the second, opposed to tlie apostle's own teaching. But the case here put is, we think, such as that of Cornelius (Acts 10.), who, though outside tlie eztei-nal pale of God's coveflant, yet having come to tlie knowledge of the truths contained in
liar, wlicii thou art jtuSged-so in Psalm 51. 4, according to the LXX. ; but iu the Jlebrcw and in our •version, 'wiien'thou judgest.' Tlie general sentiment, however, is the same in both—that we are to vindicate the righteousness of God, at wliatever expense to ourselves. 5, G. But if, i!ic.—Another objection : q. d., ' It
it, do manifest the grace of the covenant without the seal of it, and exemplify the character and walk of Abraham's children, though not called by the name of Abraham. Thus, this is but another way of announcing that God was about to show the insufficiency of the mere badge of ihe Abrahamiccovenant, by calling from among the Gen-
Vi'ould appear, then, that the more faithless we are, so much the more iliustri<)U.-j wiil the fidelity of God appear; and in that case, for Him to lake vengeance on us forour unfaithfulness would be (to speak as men profanely do) unrighteousness in tiod.' Armwer: Godforbid; for then how shall God Judge tUe world !— </.,
tiles a seed of Abraham that had never received the seal of circumcision (see on Galatians 5. 6); and tliis interpretation is confirmed by all that follows, he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, &c.—in other words, the name of "Jew" and the rite of "circumcision" were designed but as outwanl symbols of a separation from the Irreligious and ungodly world unto holy devotedness in heart and life to the God of salvation. AVhere this is realized,
' Far from us be such a thought; lor that would strike down all future judgment.' 7, 8. For if tiie truth of God, Ac—A further illustration of tlie same sentiment : q. d., 'Such reasoning amounts to tills—wliich indeed we who preach salvation by free grace are slanderously accused of teaching—that the more evil we do, the more glory will redound to God; a damnable principle.' (Thus the apostle, instead of refuting this priiiciple, thinks it enougii to hold it up to execration, as one that shocks the moral sense.)—Ou this brief section, JS'ote (1.) Mark the place here assigned to the Scriptures. In answer to the question, " What advantage hatli the Jew? or. What profit is there of circumcision?" those holding llomisli views would undoubtedly have laid the stress upon Uie jiriei^lhood, as the glory of the Jewish economy. But in the apostle's esteem, "the oracles of God" were the jewel of the ancient Church (v. 1, 2). (2.) God's eternal purposes and man's free agency, as also the doctrine of salvation by grace and the uncliangiug obligations of God's law, liave ever been subjected to the chaVge of inconsistency by those who will bow to no truth which tlieirown reason cannot fathom. Butamidst
tlie sigiis are full of significance ; but where it is not, they are worse tisan useless. JVoie, (1.) It is a sad mark of depravity when all that is designed and fitted to melt only hardens the heart (v. 1, and cf. 2 Peter 3. 9; Ecclesiastes 8.
11). (2.) Amidst 'all the inequalities of religious opportunity measured out to men, and tile mysterious bearing of this upon their character and destiny for eternity, the same m-eat principles of Judgment, in a form suited to
tlieir respective discipline, will be applied to all, and perfect equity will be seen to reign throughout every stage of tlie Divine administration (v. 11-16). (.1.) "The law written on tlie heart" (v. 14, 15)—or the Ethics of Natural Theology—may be said to be the one deep foundation on which all revealed religion reposes; and see on ch. 1.
19, 20, wliero we have what we may call its other foundation—the Physics and Metaphysics of Natural Theology. The testimony of these two passages is to t)ie theologian Invaluable, while in the breast of every teachable Christian it wakens such deep echoes as are inexpressibly solemn and precious. (4.) High religious professions are a fearful aggravation of the inconsistencies of such as malve them (v. 17-21). See 2 Samuel 12. 14. (.5.) As no external privileges, or badge of discipleship, will shield the unholy from the wrath of God, so neither will the want of them sliut out from the kingdom of heaven such as have experienced without them that change of heart which the seals of God's covenant were designed to mark. In tlie sight of the great Searcher of hearts, the Judge of quick and dead, the renovation of the character in heart and life is all in all. In view of this, have not all baptized, sacramented disc-iples of the Lord Jesus, who "profess that they know God, but in worjcs deny Him," need to trt}ml)le—wlio, under the guise of friends, are " tlie enemies of the crossof Christ?"
all the clouds and darkness which in this present state envelop the Divine administration and many of the truths of the Bible, such broad and deep prini;ip]es as are
liere laid down, and which shine in their own lustre, will be found the sheet-anchor of our faith. "Let God be true, and every man a liar;" and as many advocates of salvation by grace as say, " Let us do evil that good may come," " their damnation is just."
S-20. That the Jew is shut up under like Condemnation WITH THE GlCNTILE IS PItOVED BV HIS OWN SCKIPTUKK. 9. are we betier tlian tliey T (' do we excel theiii ?') No, in no Avise—Better otf' the Jews certaiulj' were, for having the oracles of God to teach them better; but a.s they were no liettiu', that only aggravated their guilt. 10Vi. As it is written, &c.—(Psalm 14.1-3; 53.1-3.) These statements of Ih.' Psalmist were indeed suggested by par-
tiiailar man i test iilions of human depravity occurring under his own eye; but as this only showed what man, when unrestrained, is in his present condition, they were quite pertinent to the apostJe's purpose. 13-18. Their, &c.—Ki'om gener-i!s, the aposi le here comes to particulars, culling from diirerent parts of Scripture passages which speak of dispravity as 1 1. air.^cts the different members of tue body ; as if to show more ad'ectingly how "from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness" in uSi Their TURO.\T is a!i ojjen sejxileJire—(Psalm 5. iJ); ?. d., 227
Ver. 1-8. Jewish Ob.iections Answekrd. 1, 2. Wltnt dvantH^c then hath the .Tew I— (/. d., ' If the final judgment will turn solely on the state of the heart, an(i this may be as good in the Gentile lOUhont as in tbe Jew ivUhin the sacred enclosure of God's covenant, wliMt better are
we Jews for all our advantiges? Answer: Much every-
Xo Flesh Justified by the Law, E.OMANS III. but all Justified by Faith only.
lie the wrath of God. and come shoi-t of the glory (oi
'What proceeds out of their heart, and finds vent in speech and action tlirougli tlie tliroat, is like tlie pestilen-
' praise') of God i.e., 'have failed to earn his ai>prol)ation' (cf. John 12.13, Greek). .So the best interpreters. a4. justified freely (withoutanything done on our part todeserve it) by his grace (His free love) through the redemp> tion tJiat is In Christ Jesus— a most important clause; teaching us tliat though justification is quite gratuitous, it
tial breath of an open grave.' with tlicir tongues tUcy liave used deceit—(Psalm 5. 9): q. d., ' That tongue which
Is man's glory (Psalm 16.9; 57.8) is prostituted to the purposes of deception.' tlie poison of asps is under tiieir LIPS—(Psalm 140. 3): q. d., 'Those lips wliicli should "drop as an houey-comb," and "feed many," and "give thanks unto His name" (Canticles 4. 11 ; Proverbs 10. 21 ; Hebrews
is not a mere fiat of the Divine will, but based on a " Redemption," 1. e., ' the payment of a Ransom,' in Christ'« death. That this is tlie sense of the word ' redemption,' when applied to Christ's death, will appear clear to any impartial student of the passages wiiere it occurs. ti5, 26. Whom God Iiath set forth [to be] a propitiation (or 'propitiatory sacrifice") through faitli in his blood Some of the best interpreters, obsei'ving that "faith upon" is the usual phrase in Greek, not "faitli Christ, would place a comma after "faith," and understand the words as if written tlius: "to be a propitiation, in his
13. 15), are employed to secrete and to dart deadly poison.' WlioseMOUTH,<fec.—(PsaltnlO. 7): q.d., 'Thatmouth which should be " most sweet" (Canticles 5. 16), being " set on fire of hell" (James 3. 6), is filled witli burning wratli against those whom it. sliould only bless.' Tiieir feet are swift to sUed blood—(Proverbs 1. 16; Isaiah 59.7): q. d., 'Those
feet, which should "run the way of God's commandments" (Psalm 119. 32),«are employed to conduct men to deeds of darkest crime.' Destrncfioii and misery are in tiieir ways; and tlie way of peace liavc tliey not knoAvn—Tliis is a supplementary statement about men's
Ijlood, through faith." But "faitli iu Clirisf is used in Galatians 3. 26 and Epliesians 1. 15; and "faitli in His blood'' is the natural and appropriate meaning here, to declare Ills rigllteousncss for tlie remission—rather, 'pretermission' or 'passing by'—of sins (' the sins') tiiat are past—not the sins committed by tlie believer before he embraces Christ, but tlie sins committed under the old economy, before Christ came to "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." tlirough the forbearance of God —God not remitting but only forbearing to punisli them, or passing tliem»by, until an adequate atonement lor them should be made. In thus not imputing them, God reus righteous, but He was not seen to be so; there was no " mauiiestation of His righteousness" in doing so under the.ancieiit economy. But now tiiat God can "set fortli" Cluist as a "propitiation for sin through faith in His blood," the rignteousness of His procedure in passing by the sins of believers before, and in now remitting tliem,
U'cy*s, suL'gested by what had been said about the "feet," and expresses the mischief and misery which men scatter in tiieir path, instead of that peace which, as strangers to
it themselves, they cannot ditluse. Tliere is no fear of God befcre tiieir EYES—(Psalm 3G. 1): q. d., ' Did the ej'es but "see Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11.27), a reverential awe of Him with wlioni we have to do would chasten every joy and lift the soul out of its deepest depressions; but to all this the natural man is a stranger.' How grapliic is this picture of human depravity, finding its way through eacli several organ of tlie body into the liie: but how small a part of tiie "desperate wicliedness" that
Is within (Jeremiah 17. 9) "proceedeth out of the heart of man!" (Mark 7.21-23; Psalm 19.12.) Now we know that wSiat tlie law (i.e., the Scriptures, considered as a law of duty) saitli, it saitU to tlieni tJiat are under tUe iaw—of course, tlierefore, to the Jews, tii.it every tnoutit (opened in self-justification) may be stopped, and all the world may become (i.e., be seen to be, ami own itself) guilty (and so condemned) before God. 20. TSiereforc toy tSie deeds of (obedience to) tlie law there sliall no
is "manifested," declared, brought fully out to tlie view of the whole world. (Our translators have unfortunately missed tliis glorious truth, taking "the sins that are past" to mean tlie past sins of believers—committed before faith—and rendering, by tlie word "remission," what means only a 'passing bj';' thus making it appear that "remission of sins" is "tlirough the forbearance of God," which it certainly is not.) To declare at this time mow
flesli be justifiedi. e., be held and treated as righteous; as is plain from the whole scope and strain of tlie argument, in liis siglit—at His bar (Psalm 113. 2). for by tbe law is tlie knowledge of sin—See on ch. 4. 15; 7. 7; 1 John Z.i),—yote ; How broad and deep does the apostle in this section lay the foundations of his great doctrine ot Justification by free grace—in tliedisorder of man's whole nature, the consequent universality of human guilt, the condemnation, by reason of the breach of Divine iaw, of
lor the first time, under tlie. Gospel) his righteousness: tiiat he might be just, and the justifier of liim tiiat believcfh in Jesus—Glorious paradox! 'Just in punisli-
ing," and ' merciful in pardoning,' men can understand; but 'just in justifying tlie guilty,' startles them. But the propitiation througli faith in Clirist's blood resolves tlie paradox and liarmonizes the discordant elements. For in I hat " Goil hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin," justice lias full satisfaction ; and in tliat "we are made the righteousness of God in Him," ?)i<;)-c,y lias her heart's delight !—iVo/(? (1.) Oneway of a sinn(>r's justification is taught in the Old Testament and in the New
tlie wliole world, and tlie impossibility of justification before God by obedience to that violated law ! Only when these liuniiliating conclusions are accepted and felt, are we in a conditi(m to appreciate and embrace the grace of the Gospel, next to be opened up.
21-26. God's ju.stifyino Hightkousness, through Faith in Jesus Christ, alike adai'ted to ouit Necessities AND WOUTUY OF IIlMSELF. lil-^S. But now tlic righteousness of God (see on ch. 1. 17) witbont tiie law —i e., a righteousness to wliich our obedience to the law contributes nothing whatever (n. 2S; (Jalatians 2. l(i). is manifested, being witnessed (attested) by the I^aw aiad the Prophets—tlie Old Testiiment Scriptures. Thus this justifying righteousness, though new, as only now fully disclosed, is an old righteousness, predicted and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, by faith of {i.e., in) Jesus Christ unto all and upon all (hem that belici e —i.e., perhaps, brought nigli "unto all" men the tiiosciel, and actually " upon all" believing men, as theirs in possession. [Luthkij, itc.l; but most interpreters understand both statements of believers a.s only a more emjihatic way of saying that all believers, without distinction or exception, are put in possession of this gratuitous justification, purely by faith in Christ Jesus, for there is no dincrcnce ; for all have slmsed—Though nieii dill'er greatly in the nature and extent of their sinfulness, there is absolutely no ditt'erence between the best and the worst of men. In the /act that "all have sinned," and so under-
alilte: only nuu-e dimly during the twilight of Revelation ; in unclouded light under its perfect day {v. 21). (2.) As tlu;re is no (.lifl'iu'ence in the need, so is there none in the liberty to appropriate the provided salvation. The best need to be saved by faith in Jesus Clirist; and the worst only need that. On this common ground all saved sinners meet here, and will stand for ever (v. 22-21). (3.)
It is on the atoning blood of Christ, as the one propitiatory sacrifice wliich God hatli set forth to the eye of the guilty, that the faith of the convinced and trembling sinner fastens for delivei'ance from wrath. Though he knows that he is "justified freely, by God's grace," it Is only because it is "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" tliat he is able to find peace and rest even in this (i'. 2^i). (1.) The strictly accurate view of l)elievera under the Old Testament is not that ot a company of pardon,ed men, but of men whose sins, put up with and passed liy in the mean time, awaited a future expiation in the fulness of limo (t-. "25, 26 ; see on Lulce 9. 31 ; and on Hebrews 9. 15; and 11. 39, 10).
27-31. iNFEliENCKS FltOM THE FOUKGOING DoCTlilNES, AND AN (JBJECTION AN.SWKHEIJ. lufcfenco II (St,- lioast-
Tlie Law ia nol Abolished. ROJIANS IV. Abraham Jaslified by FaitJi.
forts or legal obedience.' For if Abralinm were jiistttied by works, he hath whereof to glory ; but not before God ij. d., 'If woilis were the ground of Abraham's justitication, he would have matter for boasting; but as it Is perfectly certain that he hath none in the sight of God, it follows that Abraham could not have been justified by works.' And to this agree the words of Scripture. For what snitli the Scripture I Abraham believed God, and it (his faith) was counted to him for righteousness —(Genesis lo. 6.) Roinisli expositors and Arininian I'rotcstants make this to mean that God aftcepted Abraham's act of believing as a substitute for complete obedience. But this is at variance with the whole spirit and letter of the apostle's teaching. Throughout this whole argument.
ing is excluded by thi.t, and no other zuay of jns/ificalion. 'iT,
as. AVUere is boasting tlioi I . . . excludeil. Bj wSiat law? (ou wlitit priiK-iple or scheme?) of works I Nay 5 biU by tike law of faitli. Tliercforc we coiiclurte, Ac. —It is the unavoidable temleiicy ol dupendence upon our own works, less or more, tor acceptance witli God, to be-
S«itaspirilof "boastius." BattlialGod sliould encourage
«ucli a spirit in sinners, bjany procedure of His, is in-
credible. Tliis tlierelbre stamps falseliood upon every form
of 'justification by works," whereas the doctrine tliat
" Our faitli recn'ves a riitlitnonsiiPss
Tliat niivliea tlie sinruT just,"
manifestly and entirely excludes "boasting;" and this
faith is set in direct opposition to works, in the matter of juslirtcation—and even in the next two verses. The meaning, therefore, cannot possibly be tliat the mere act
is the Ijost evidence of its truth. Inference second: TJiis and no other wtiii of xalralion is adapted alike to Jew and
Getilile. Is l»e f l»e God of tlie .Tews only i etc.—Tfie way
of believing—wliich is as much a work as any other piece ofcommanded duty (John U. 2'J ; 1 John 3. 23)—was counted
of salvation must be one equally suited to the whole family of fallen man : but the doctrine of justilication by
to Abraham for all obedience. The meaning plainly is, that Abraham believed in the promises which embraced
faiih is the only one tliat lays the basis of a Universal Religion; this therefore is another mark of its truth, [it
Is] one God who sJ>all justify {q. d.,
C'lirist (Genesi.s 12. 3; 1.5.5, &c.), as we believe in Christ Himself; and in both cases, faith is merely the instrument that puts us in possession of the blessing gratuitously bestowed. 4, 5. Wow to hiiii that workeUi (as a servant for wages) is the reward not reckoned of grace (as a matter of favour), but of debt—as a matter of right. But to him that Avorketli not (who, di spairing of acceptance with God by "working" for it the work of obedience, does not attempt it), but believetli on hiin that justiHeth the ungodly—casts himself upon the mercy of Him that jnstifieth those who deserve only condemnation, his faith, &c.—See on v. 3. Second: David sings of the same justification. 6-8. David also dcscribeth ('speaketh,' ' pronounceth') the blessedness of the man tmto whom the Lord imi>uteth rigltteoras^ iKss without works—whom, though void of all good works. He, nevertheless, regards and treats as righteous. [Saying], Blessed, <Sc.—(Psalm .32. 1, 2.) David here sings in express terms only of " transgression forgiven, sin covered, iniquity not imputed;" but as the negative blessing necessarily includes the positive, the passage is strictly in point. 9-13. Cometh tills blessedness then, &c.—q.d., 'Say not. All this is spoken of the circumcised, and is therefore no evidence of God's o'eTie?-ai way of justifying men; for Abraham's justification took place long before he was circumcised, and so could have no dependence upon tliat rite: nay, "the sign of circumcision" was given to Abraham as "a seal" (or token) of the (justifying) righteousness which he had before he was circumcised ; in order that he might stand forth to every age as' the parent believer—the model man of justification by faith —after whose type, as the first public example of it, all were to be moulded, wlietlier Jew or Gentile, who should thereafter .believe to life everlasting.' 13-15. For the I>romise, &c.—This is merely an enlargement of the foregoing reasoning, applying to the tait) what had just been said of ctrcMTOCmora. that he should be the lieir of the world—or, that "all the families of the eartli should be ble-ssed in him." was not to Abraham and his seed through the law (in virtue of obedience to the law), but tlirough the i-lghteousness of faith—in virtue of his simple faith in the Divine promises. For if they which arc of the law be heirs— If the blessing is to be earned by obedience to the law. faith Is made void—the whole Divine method is subverted. Because the law woi'keth wrath—has nothing to give to those who break it but condemnation and vengeance, for where there is no law there is no transgression—It is just the law that makes transgression, in the case of those who break it; nor can the one exist without the other. 16, 17. Therefore, &c.—A general summary: q.d., 'Thus justification
' has uncliangeably
fixed that he shall juscify') tlie cli-cjimeisiou by ('of')
faitli, and the iincircumeisioM tUi ougU faitli—probably this is but a vai-ied .statement of tlie same truth for
greater emphasis (.see on v. 22); though Bekgki. thinks that the justification of the Jews, as the born lieirs of the promise, may be here purposely said to be "0/ faith,"
wliile that of the Gentiles, previously ".«trangers to the covenants of promise," may be said to be " l/irouyh faith,"
a.s thus admitted into a new family. Objection: Do Ave then make void tlie law llirougli faitli I—q.d., 'Does
this doctrine of justification by faith, then, dissolve the obligation of the law? If so, it cannot be of God. But away with such a thought, for it does just the reverse.' God forbid: yea, we establish the law—It will be observed here, that, important as was tills oljjection, and opening up as it did so noble a field for the illustration
of the peculiar glory of the Gospel, the apostle does no more here tlian indignantly repel it, intending at a subBequeut stage of his argument (ch. 6.) to resume and discuss it at length.—i\'o<e (1.) It is a fundamental requisite of all true religion that it tend to humble the sinner and exalt God; and every system which breeds self-righteousness, or cherishes boasting, bears falsehood on its face (v. 27, 28). (2.) The fitness of the Gospel to be a universal religion, beneath which the guilty of every name and degree are invited and warranted to take shelter anil repose, is a glorious evidence of its truth (f. 29, .30). (;3.) The glory of God's law, in its eternal and immutable obligations, is then only fully apprehended by the sinner, and then only is it enthroned in the depths of his soul, when, believing that "He was made sin for him who knew no siu," he sees himself " made the righteousness of God in Him." Thus do we not make void the law through faith: yea, we establish the law. (I.) This chap-
ter, and particularly the latter part of it, 'is the proper Beat of the Pauline doctrine of Justification, and the grand proof-passage of the Protestant doctrine of the Imputation of Christ's righteousness and of Justification not on account of, but through faith alone.' [Philiiti.] To make good this doctrine, and reseat it in the faith and
afl'ection of the Church, was worth all the bloody strug-
gles that it cost our fathers, and it will be the wisdom and safety, the life and vigour of the churches, to "stand
fast in this liberty wherewith Christ hath made them
free, and not be again entangled"—iu the very least degree—"with the yoke of bondage." ^ CHAPTER IV.
Ver. 1-25. The FoBEOoiNa Doctrink of JustificatiON BY Faith illustrated from the Olu Tkstament.
is by faith, in order that its purely gracious character may be seen, and that all who follow in the steps of Aliraham's faith—whether or his natural seed or no—may be assured of the like justification with the parent-believer.' As it
First: Abraham wax juslifled by faith. 1-3. What shall we say then that Abraham, oiir father as pei'taluiiig to the fleah, hath found} i. e. (as the order in the original shows), 'ha(h found, as pertaining to ('according to,' or * tlirough') tlie flesh;' meaning, 'by all his natural ef-
is written, &c.—(Genesis 17. .5.) This is quoted to Justify his calling Abraham the "father of us all," and is to 229
Faith hiipiUed to us for Ritjhleousness. ROMANS V. Blessed Effects af Juslificution by Faith.
glory to God than simple faith in His word, especially when all things seem to render the fulfilment of it hopeless (r. 18-21). (7.) All the Scripture examples of faith were recorded on purpose to beget and encourage the like faith in every succeetiing age t,v.2.%2i; and cf. ch. 15. )).
be viewed ;is a parenthesis, before (t. e., ' in (be reckoning of) Isim wUom Ite believed q. <!.,
' Tiius A bralmm, in tlie reclconing of Hiui wlioiu lie believed, is tlie fattier of ns all, in order that all may be assured, that doing as he did, they shall lie treated as he was.' (ev«-uj Goil, t!is\t quiekrnetli tUe tiead—The natni'e and greatness of that
(S.) Justification, in this argument, cannot be taken— as Bomaiiists and other eVrorists insist—to moan a change upon men's character ; for besides that this is to confound
f.iilh of Abraliani which we are to eopy is here strikingly described. Wiiat he was required to lielii'Ve being above nature, his faitli had to fasten upon (ioil's power to surmount pliysical incapacity, and call into being what did not then exist. But God having made tiie promise, Aljraham believed Ilim in spite of tliose o'ostaeles. This
it wilh Sanctification, which lias its appropriate place in this Epistle, the whole argument of the present chapler— and nearly all its more important clauses, expressions, and words—would in that case be unsuitable, and fitted only to mislead. Beyond all doulit it means exclusively a change upon men's state or relation to God; or, in scien-
is still further illustrated in v.'hat follows. 18-!J:<J. Wljo Bgaiiist Uopc—wlien no ground lor hope appeared, believed in liope— i. e., cherished tlie believing cxpeetution. tliat lie niiglit become tlie falluev of maity nations, according to tlir«t wliicU was syokeii, so
tific language, it is an objective, not a .sMfijcc/ive cliange—
change from guilt and condemnation to acquittal and acceptance. And tlie best evidence tliat this is the key to the wliole argument is, that it opens all the wards of the many-chambered lock with which the apostle has enriched us in this Epistle.
(i.e.,. Such "as the stars of heaven," Genesis 15. oi sJtall thy seed be . , . lie considered not, &c.— paid no attention to those physical obstacles, both in himself and in Sarah, which might seem to render the fulfilment hope-
less. He st.Tgjjered (hesitflted) not . . . Imt was strong in faitli, giving glory to God—as able to make good His own word in spite of all olistacles. Ar.d being fnily persiiadetl, Ac. i. e., the glory wliich Abraham's faith gave to God consisted in this, tliat, firm in the persuasion of God's ability to fulfil his promise, no diflicullies shook him. And therefore it was inipnted, &c. q. d., 'Let all then take notice that this wa.'i not because of anytliing meritorious in Abraham, hul merely because he so believed.' 33-35. Now, &c.—Here is the aiiplication of tills whole argument about Abraham: 'These things were not recorded as mere historical facts, but as illustrations for all time of God"s method of justification liy
Ver. 1-11. The Blessed Effects of Justification by Faith. The proo/ of this doctrine being now concluded, the apostle comes here to treat of its fruits, reserving the lull consideration of tills topic to another stage of the argument (ch. 8). 1. Therefore being (' liaving been') Ji»«- tiSicd by faitli, we linve peace with God, iSc.—If we are to lie guided by MS. authority, the true reading lic-re, beyoiul doulit, is, 'Let ns have peace;' a reading, however, wliich most reject, liecause they think it unuaiural to exhort men to have wh'at itljelongs to God to givs, and because the apostle is not here giving exhortations, but stating matters of fact. But as it seems hazardouf. to set aside the decisive testimony of MSS., as to what the apostle did write, in favour of what we merely tliink lie
faith.' to wliom it siiall be Inipmted, if we believe in Him tliat raised up Jesns our Lord from the <iend in Him that liath done this, even as Abraham believed that God would raise up a seed in whom all nations should be blessed. Wlio was delivered for ('on account of) our offences— t. e., in order to expiate them by His blood, and raised egnin for ('on account of,' i. e., in order to) our justifieatloii—As His resurrection was the Divine assurance that He had "put away sin by the sacridce of Himself," and the crowning of His whole work, our jus-
o»(7/i< to have written, let us pause and ask—If it be tlie privilege of the justified to"have peace with God," wliy might not the apostle begin his enumeration of the fruits of justification bj' calling on believei-s to 'realize' this peace as belonged to them, or cherish the Joyful consciousness of it as their own ? And if this is wliat he has done, it Would not be necessary to continue in the same
style, and the other fruits of justification might he set ilown simply as matters of fact. This "peace" ifi jlrst a change in God's relation to us; and next, as the consequence of this, a cliange on our part towards Him. God, on the one hand, has " reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 5. 18); and we, on the otlier hand, setting our seal to this, "are reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5.20). The "propitiation" is the meeting-place; there the controversy on both sides terminates in an honourable and eternal "peace." 3. By whom also we have ('have had') access by failU into this grace (favour with God) wherein we stand q. d., 'To that same faith which /irs? gave us "peace with God" we owe our introduclion into that permanent standing in the favour of God which tlie justified enjoy.' As it is (lifticull to distinguish tills from the peace first mentioned, we regard it as merely an additional phase of the same [JJeyek, Phil-
tification is fitly connected witli that glorious act. Note,
(1.) The doctrine of justification by works, as it generates self-exaltation, is contrary to the first principles of all true religion (d. 2; and see on ch. 3. 21-2(;, note 1). (2.) Tlie way of a sinner's justification lias iieen the same in all time, and the testimony of the Old Testaiiient on this subject is one with that of the New (v. 3, A-c. ; and see on
cli. 3. 27-31, note 1). (3.) Faith and works, in the matter of justification, are opposite and irreconcilable, even, as grace and debt {v. -t, 5; and see on clt. 11. (i). If God "jus-
tifies the ungodly," works cannot be, in any sense or to any degree, the ground of juslification. For the same reason, the first requisite, in order to juslification, must be (under the conviction that we are " ungodly") to despair of it by 'works; and the next, to "believe in Him that justifieth the ungodly"—that hath a juslilying righteousness to bestow, and is ready to bestow it ujion those who deserve none, and to embrace it accordingly. (1.) The saci'aments of the Church were never intended, and are not adapted, to confer grace, or the blessings of salvation, upon men. Their proper use is to set a Divine seal upon a stall: already cxistimj, and so, tliey presupjioiie, and do notcrcai:e It (u.8-12). As circumcision merely "sealed" Abraham's already existing acceptance with God, so
ipi'i, Mf.huixg], rather than something new. [Bez.-v, ThoIjUOK, Hougk. ) and rejolee—'glory,' 'boast,' 'triumph'—'rejoice' is not strong enough, in hope of tlio f;l«ry of God—Si e on " hope," v. 1. •'!, 4. we glory in tribulation also; knowing that tribulation workelJi jiatienee—Patience is the quiet endurance, of wliat wo cannot but wish removed, whether it he the withliolding of promised good (ch. 8. 25), or the continued txpericnco of positive ill (as here). There is indeed a patitMi<-e of un-
wltli the sa<;ranients of tlio New Teslainent. (!}.) As Abraham i.S "the heir of the world," all nations being blessed in him, through his Seed Christ .Jesus, and justi-*
I'i uewed nature, wlih b has something noble in It, though in many cases tlie ollspriiig of pride, it not of somethiug lower. Men have been known to I'liduro every lornof privation, torture, and death, without a murmur and without even visible cmolion, merely because they
fted solely according to tlie pattern of his faith, so the transmission of the true religion and all t)ie salvation which tlie world will ever experience shall yet be traced 6ack Willi wonder, gratitude, and joy, to that morning dawn when "the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, be fore he dwell
ileeiiied It unworthy of lliein to sink under unavoidable
ill. Hut this proud, stocial hardihood has nothing in cummon with Llw yrace of paLleuce—which Is either the
111 Charraii," Acts 7. 2 (u. 13;. (li.) Nothing gi\-es more 23U
Being Purchased hy ITis Blood, we have EOMANS V. Reconciliation to Christ hy Faith.
the death of !i!s Eon, much more, being now (' having now been') reconciled, we shall be saved by his life q.d., 'If that part of the Saviour's work which cost Him His blood, and which had to be wrought for persons Incapable of the least sympathy either with His love or His labours in their behalf— even our " justiticaticn," our "reconciliation"—is already completed ; how much more will He do all that remains to be done, since He has it to do, not by death-agonies any more, but in uiitrouljled "life," and no longer for enemies, but for friends—from whom, at every stage of it. He receives the gratelul response of redeemed and adoring souls?' To be "saved from wrath through Him,'' denotes here the whole work of Christ towards believers, from the moment of justification, when the wratli of God is turned away from them, till the Judge on the great white throne shall discharge that wrath upon them that " obey not the Gospel of eur Lord Jesus Christ;" and tl)at work may all be summed up in" keeping tliem from falling, and presenting them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude
meek endurnnoe of ill because it is of God (Job 1.21, 22; 2.
lU), or the Ciilm wailing for promised good till His time to dispense it come (Hebrews 10.36); in the full persuasion
that such trials are divinely appointed, are the needed
discipline or God's children, are but for a definite period, and are not sent without abundant promises of " songs iu
the night." If such be tlie "patience" which "tribula-
tion worketh," no wonder that patience -worketli experience—rather 'proof,' as the same word is rendered in
2 Corinthians 2.9; 13. 3; Philippians 2. 22; i.e., experimental ei'Mence that we have "believed through grace." and experience (' proof ') lnope—"of the glory of God," as prepared for us. Thus have we hope in two distinct ways, and at two sivcccssive stages of the Christian lite: first. Immediately on believing, along with tbe sense of peace and abidingaccess to God (v. 1); next, after the reality of
this faith has been "proved," particularly bj'the patient endurance of trials sent to test it. We first get it by looking away from ourselves to the Ijamb of God ; Jiext by looking into or xipon ourselves as transformed by that "looking unto Jesus." In the one case, the mind acts
24) : thus are they " saved from wrath through him." 11. And not only so, but we also joy (rather, glory) in God through our Lord .Tesus Christ, by (' througli') whom we have now received tiie atonement—rather, ' the reconciliation' (Margin), as the same word is rendered in v.
(as they say) objectively ; in the other, subjectively. Tlie one
Is (as divines say) the assurance of faith; the other, the assurance of sense. 5. And liope mafeetU not as!ianied (pntteth not to shame, as empty hopes do); because tJnc love of God—i. e., not 'our love to God,' as the Romish and some Protestant expositors (following some of the Fathers) represent it; but clearly 'God's love to us'—as most e.xpositors agree, is shed abroiid—W., 'poured
10 and in 2 Corinthians 5. 18, 19. (In fact, the earlier meaning of the English word 'atonement' was 'the rec-
onciliation of two estranged p.arties.') [Trknch.J The foregoing etfects of justification were all beiieilts to ourselves, calling for gratitude; this last may be termed a purely disinterested one. Our first feeling towards God, after we have found peace with Him, is that of clinging gratitude for so costly a salvation; but no sooner have we learned to cry, Abba, Father, under tlie sweet sense of reconciliation, than "gloriation" in Him takes the place of dread of Him, and now He appears to us "altogether lovely!" — On tliis section, Note (1.) How gloriously does the Gospel evince its Divine origin by basivig
forth,' i. e., copiously diffused (cf. John 7.38; Titus 3. G). by tlie Holy Ghost wl>ie!i is (rather 'was') given imto us—i. e., at the great Pentecostal effusion, which is viewed as the formal donation of the Spirit to the Church of God, for all time and for each believer. {2'he Holy Ghost is here first introduced in this Epistle.) It is as if tlie apostle hart said, 'And how can this hope of glory, which as believers we cherish, put us to shame, when we feel God Himself, by His Spirit given to us, drenching our iiearts
all acceptable obedience on "peace with God," laying the foundations of this peace in a righteous "justification" of tlie sinner "tlirough our Lord Jesus Christ," and making this the entrance to a permanent standing in the Divine favour, and a triumphant expectation of future glory! (ii. 1, 2). Other peace, worthy of the name, there is none; and as those who are strangers to it rise not to the enjoyment of such high fellowship with God, so they have neither any taste for it nor desire after it, (2.) As only believers possess the true secret of patienc'e under trials, so, although "not joyous but grievous" in tliemselves (Hebrews V2. 17), when trials divinely sent alford them the opportunity of evidencing tlieir faith by the grace of patience under them, they should " count it all joy" {v. 3, 4; and see James 1, 2, 3). (3.) "Hope," in the New Testament sense of the term, is not a lower degree of fail;li or assurance (as many now say, I hope for heaven, but am not *i(re of it); but invariably means 'the confident expectation of future good.' It presupposes faith ; and what faith assures us will be ours, hope accordingly expects. In the nourishment of this hope, the soul's look outward to Clirist for the ground of it, and inward upon ourselves for evidence of its retility, must act and react upon each other
in sweet, all-subduing sensations of His wondrous love to us in Christ Jesus?' This leads the apostle to expatiate on the amazing character of that love. 6-8. For wlxcn vre were yet without strength i. e., powerless to deli ver ourselves, and so ready to perish, in fine'tlme (at the appointed season) Christ died for tlie ungodly—Three signal properties of God's love are here given: First, "Christ died for the ungodly whose character, so far from meriting any interposition in their behalf, was altogether repulsive to the eye of God; second, He did this " when tliey were
witliout strength"—with nothing between them and perdition but that self-originating Divine compassion; third, He did this "at the due time,''' when it was most fitting that
It should take place (cf. Galatians 4. 4). The two former of these properties the apostle now proceeds to illustrate. For scarcely for a righteous man (a man of simply unexceptionuble character) will one (' any one') die ; yet perodventure for a good man—(a man who, besides being unexceptionable, is distinguished far goodness, a benefactor to society) some ('some one') would (rather 'doth') even dare to die q. d., ' Scarce an instance occurs of selfsacrifice for one merely upright; though for one who makes himself a blessing to society there may be found an example of such noble surrender of life.' [So BenOEL, OL.SHAUSEN, TlIOLUCK, ALFORT), PlIlI.IPPI.] (To make the "righteous" and the "good" man here to mean tne same person, and the whole sense to be that ' though rare, the case may occur, of one making a sacrifice of life for a worthy character' [as Caia'in, Beza, Fritzsche, JOWElTj, is extremely flat. But God commendeth ('setteth oil",' ' displayeth'—in glorious contrast with all that men will do for each other) his love toward us, in tltat, while we were yet sinners i. e., in a state not of posi-
{v. 2 and 4 compared). (4.) It is the proper office of the Holy Ghost to beget In the soul the full conviction and
joyful consciousness of the love of God in Christ .lesus to sinners of mankind, and to ourselves in particular; and where this exists, it carries with it such .an assurance of final salvation as cannot deceive (v. 5). (5.) The justification of sinful men is not in virtue of their amendment, but of "the blood of God's Son;" and while fliis Is expressly affirmed in v. 9, our reconciliation to God by the "death of His .Son," affirmed in v. 10, is but a variety of the same statement. In botli, the blessing meant is the restoration of Die sinner to a righteous standing in tlie sight of God; and in lioth, the meritorious ground of tills, which is intended to be conveyed. Is the expiatory sacri-
tive, "goodness," nor even of negative "righteousness," but on the contrary, "sinners," a state wliich his soul httleth—Christ dle<l for us—Now comes the overpowering Inference, emphatically redoubled. 9, 10. Much more Ihen, being (' having been') now Justified hy his blood, we shall be saved from wrath tlirough lilm. For if, when we wei-e enemies, we were rccon< ll««l to God by
fice of God's Son. ((>.) Gratitude to God for redeeming love, if it could exist without delight in Goil Himself, would be a selfish and wortliless feeling: but when the
An Sin and Death came by Adam, ROMANS' V so Righteousness and Life by Jesus Qh ist.
one rises Into the other—the transporting seusp of eternal
simple meaning is, as nearly all interpreters agree, that Adam is a type of Him who was to come after him in the same public character, and so to be " the second Adam.") But (' Yet,' ' Howbeit ') not as the offence (' trespa.ss ') so also is the free gift (or 'the gracious gift,' 'the gift of grace')— (/.d.. The two cases present points of contrast as well as resemblance. For if, Ac—rather, ' For if t h rough the otf'ence of the one the many died (i. e., in that one man's first sin), much more did the grace of God, and the free gift by grace, even that of the one man, .lesus Clirist, abound unto the many.' By " the many" is meant the mass ot mankind represented respectively by Adam and Christ, as opposed, not to few, but to "the one" who represented them. By " the free gift" is meant (as in u. 17) the glorious gift ofjxistifying righteousness ; this is expressly distinguished from "the grace of God." as the eJTect from the cause; and both are said to "abound" towards us in Christ—in what sense will appear in the next two verses. And the " much more," of the one case tlian the other, does not mean that we get much more of good by Clirist than of evil by Adam (for it is not a case of quantity at all); bnt that we have much more reason to expect, or it
" roconeilialiou" passing into "glorlation in God" Himself—.tlien tlie lower is sanctified and sustained Ijy tlie higlier, and each feeling is perfective of tlie otlier (v. 11).
12-21. Comparison and Contrast between Adam AND Christ in their Relation to the Human Family. (This profound and most weiglity section lias occasioned an immense deal of critical and tlieological discussion, in which everj' point, and almost every clause,
lias been contested. We can here but set down what appears to us to be the only tenable view of it as a wlioie anil of its successive clauses, witli some sliglit indication of tlie grounds of our judgment.) I'l. AVlicrcforc i.e.. Things being so; referring back to the wliole preceding argument, as by one iiiait (Adam) sin—considered liere in its guilt, criminality, penal desert. eiitci-e«I into the world, and deatli l»y (as the penalty of) sin; and so deatii passed vipon all men, for tltat all liave sinned
ratlier, 'all sinned,' i.e., in that one man's first sin. Thus deatli reaches every individual of the liumaii I'amily, as the penalty due to himself. [So, in substam-e, Bengel, Hodge, Philippi.] Here we should have expected t.iie apostle to finish ills sentence, in some such way as tliis: 'Even so, by one man righteousness has entered into
is much more agreeable to our ideas of God, that the many should be benefited by the merit of one, than that tliey should suffer for the sin of one ; and if tlie latter has happened, much more may we assure ourselves of the former. [Philippi, Hodge.] 16. And not as [it was] by one that sinned, so [is] the gift q.d., 'Another point of contrast may be mentioned.' for the judgment ('sentence ') was by one (rather, ' was of one,' meaning not ' one man, but, as appears from the next clause, 'one ollence') to condemnation, but tlie free gift ('gift of grace ') Is of many offences unto justification—a glorious point of contrast;
tlie world, and life t^y rigliteousness.' But, instead of
tliis, we have a digression, extending to five verses, to Illustrate the important statement of v. 12; and it is only at V. 18 that ihe comparison is resumed and finished. 1314. For until tlie law sin was in the world— i. e., during
ail the period from Adam "until the law" of Moses was given, God eontiuued to treat men as sinners. I»nt sin is not iin|mled where there is no law q. d.,
' There must therefore luive been a law during that period, because sin was 'hen imputed ;' as is now to be sliown. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over tlteiit tliat had not sinned after the siiiiilitiule of Adam's transgression — But who are they'-' — a iiiueh-roii tested question. In/nnts [say some), who Ijeing guiltless of nctwil siti. may be said not to have sinned in the way that Adam did. [Augitstin, Beza, Hodge.) But why should Infants be specially connected witli tlie period "from Adam to Moses," since tliey die alilce in every period? And if the apostle meant to express here tlie dealh of infants, why has lie done it so enigmatically? Besides, the dealh of infants is eompreheiuled in the universal mortality on account of the first sin, so enipliaticall.v expressed in v. 12; what need then to specify it here?
g. d., 'The condemnation by Adam was for one sin; but the justification by Clirist is an absolution not only from
tlie guilt of that first oflence, mysteriously attaching to every individual of the race, but from the. countless offences into which, as a germ lodged in the bosom of every child of Adam, itunfolds itself in his life.' Thisisthe meaning of "grace abounding towards us in the abundance of the
<7i/< of righteousness." It is a grace not only rich in its character, but rich in detail; it is a " righteousness " not only rich in a completejustiflcation of the guilty, condemned sinner; but rich in the amplitude of the ground which it covers, leaving no one sin of any of the justified uncancelled, but making him, though loaded with the guilt of myriads of offences, " the righteousness of God in Christ." 17. For If l)y (' the ') one man's offence death reigned by one ('through the one'); much more shall they which receive (' tlie') abioidance of grace and of the gift of (justifying) righteousness . . . reign in life by one (' through the one '), Jesus Christ—We iiave hero tlie two ideas of y. 15 and 16 sublimely combined into one, as
Bn<l why, if not necessary, should we presume it to lie meant liere, unless the language unmistakably point to it —which it certainly does not? Tiie meaning tlien must
be, that 'death reigned from Adam to Moses, even ovc^r those that liad not, like Adam, transgressed against a positive (commandment, threatening death to the disobedient.' (So most interpreters.) In this case, tlie particle "even," instead of specifying one particularclass of those who lived " from Adam to Moses " (as the other interpretation supposes), merely explains what it was -tliat made the case of those who died from Adam to Moses wortliy of special notice—namely, that ' though unlike Adam and all since Moses, those who lived between the two had no positive threatening of death for transgression, " nevertheless, death reigned even over them."' who Is the figure (or, 'a t.vpe') of him [that was] to come (Christ)— 'This clause is inserted on the first meiilion of the name "Adam," the one man ot whom li.e is spealcing, to recall the purpose for which he is treating of Wwn.a^ithc fuiure of
if the subject had grown upon the apostle as he advanced
in his comparison of the two cases. Here, for the first lime in tills section, he speaks of that! life wlilcli springs out of justification, in contrast witli the deatli which springs IVom sin and follows condemnation. The proper idea of
'— life possessed and enjoyed with the good-wlU, and in confoi'mity
it therefore is, ' Right to live
' Righteous life
witli the eternal law, of "Him that sitteth on the Throne ;"'
life therefore in its widest sense— life in tlie whole man and throughout the whole duration of human existence, the life of blissful and loving relationship to God in soul and body, forever and ever. It is worthy of note, loo, that while he says death " reigned over " us through Adam, he does notsay Life " reigns over us " througli Christ; lesthe should seem to invest this new life with the very attribute of death—that of fell and malignant t,yrann.v, of which we were the hapless victims. Nor does he say Life reigns in us, wliich would have been a scriptural enough idea; bnt, which is much more pregnant, "He shall reign in life." Whlle/reerfoniand TOiff/iZare Implied in the figure of " reigning," " life " is represented as the glorious ttnritory or atniospliero of that reign. And by recurring to the idea of d. Hi, as to the " many olt'ences" whose complete pardon shows " the abundance of grace and of tlie
Christ.' IAlfokd.] The point of analogy intended here is
plalnl.v the piihllc character which both sustained, neither of the two being regarded in the Ui vine procedure towards men as Int i e individual men, but both alike as representa-
tive men. (Some take the proper supplement here to bo "Him |tliatls| to come;" underslanding the apostle to speak from his own time, and to refer to (,'lirist's seconrl coming. (Krit/.sciie, Db Wette, Ali-okd.] But this is nniiatural, since the analog.y of the second Adam to the
fli sl bus been in full development ever since " God exall(>d BImtobea Prince and a Saviour," and it will onl.y romuin to be consummated at His second coming. The 232
gift of righteousness," the wholestatenient i.'S to this efleot
Death came by the Offence of Adam, EOMA^'S V. and Life by the ilifl oj CkriM,
unbelieving finally perish, have no ))lace in this section of the tljiistle, whose sole obji-v-t is to show how God
•If one man's one offence let loose against us the tyrant power ot Death, to hold us as its victims in helpless4)Oiul-
rcpiiii-s ill till- .second Aihiiii Ilic I'vil done by the nrsl. (Thus the docirine cil iinicer.sul rcslnnilion has no place here. Thus toi) the forced inleriireUition by which the "justi Ilea lion of all" is made to iiic;;in a justification merely in posaibilily and qi?«- to all, ami the "justification of the many" to mean the actual justihcatioii of as many as believe [Alford, Ac], is completely avoided. And thus the harshness of comparing a whole fallen family with a recovered part is got rid of. However true it be in
Oge, "much more," when we stand loi th enriched witli Oud's "abounding grace " and in the beauty of a complete absolution from countless ofTences, shall we expatiate in allle divinely owned and legally secured, " reigning " in exultant freedom and unchallenged might, througli that Other matchless " One," Jesus Christ !' (On tlie import of the future tense in this last clause, see on t'. 19, and on ch.
6.5.) 18. Therefore—now at length resuming the unlinIshed comparison of v. 12, in order to give formally the concluding member of it, which had been done once and again
fact that part of mankind are not saved, this is not the aapect in which the subject is here presented. It is totals tliatare compared and contrasted; and it is the sninc total in two successive conditions—namely, //i^ liuman race as ruined in Adam and I'ecovered in Christ.) ^0,^1. flloreover the law—'The law, however.' The Jew might say,