ROMANS CHAPTER 10 ROMANS 10:1 Paul's prayer for Israel, who were
misled by blind zeal. ROMANS 10:4 The difference between justification
by the law and by faith explained from Scripture. ROMANS 10:11
Salvation open to all that believe, both Jews and Gentiles. ROMANS
10:14 The necessity of preaching t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I BEAR THEM RECORD, i.e. I must testify this of them, or of many
of them, THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD; that they have a fervent desire
to maintain the law of God, with all the Mosaical rites and
ceremonies, as thinking thereby to promote the glory of God. BUT NOT
ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE; i.e. tr... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS: here he shows more
particularly what knowledge the Jews wanted. They knew not _the
righteousness of God; _ of which see ROMANS 1:17, with the notes
there. This was abundantly _manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets,_ ROMANS 3:21; and a thi... [ Continue Reading ]
He proves that the Jews were ignorant of the righteousness of God,
because they were ignorant of Christ, the true END OF THE LAW. _Christ
is the end of the law:_ q. d. The law was given for this end, that
sinners being thereby brought to the knowledge of their sins, and
their lost and damned estate,... [ Continue Reading ]
In this and the following verses, he shows the great difference that
is between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of
faith; and this difference is taught us in the books of Moses himself.
As for the righteousness of the law, that is plainly described by
Moses, LEVITICUS 18:5; and it... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH SPEAKETH ON THIS WISE: by a
prosopopoeia (a frequent figure in Scripture) he puts the person of a
reasonable creature upon the righteousness of faith, and bringeth it
in speaking and declaring itself as followeth; or else the meaning is,
that the Scripture, or Mos... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL DESCEND INTO THE DEEP? By _the deep, _ here, understand
hell: see LUKE 8:31 REVELATION 9:1, REVELATION 20:1,3. q. d. Do not
inquire distrustfully, and despairingly, whether thou shalt go to
hell, or who shall go thither, to see, and bring thee word, if such as
thou are there. THAT IS, TO B... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHAT SAITH IT? i.e. what saith the text in DEUTERONOMY 30:14 ? or
what saith the righteousness of faith? What is its style and language?
In the ROMANS 10:6,7 he did but tell us what it said not, but here he
tells us what it saith. THE WORD IS NIGH THEE; i.e. the matter
required of thee, in order... [ Continue Reading ]
q.d. There are but these two things, which the gospel principally
requires in order to our salvation: the one is, the confession of
Christ with our mouths, and that in spite of all persecution and
danger, to own him for our Lord, and for our Jesus; and to declare,
that we are and will be ruled and s... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH; in the former verse confession was set
first; in this, believing. Faith indeed goes before confession; _I
believed, _ says the psalmist, and the apostle after him, _therefore
have I spoken; _ yet our faith is discerned and known by our
confession. UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; i.... [ Continue Reading ]
The saving effect of faith and confession, spoken of immediately
before, is here proved by Scripture. Either he refers to ISAIAH 28:16,
or PSALMS 25:3; or else he means, that this is the general doctrine of
the Scripture. See notes on ROMANS 9:33.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JEW AND THE GREEK: he gives a
reason for that universal term, _whosoever, _ which he had added in
the precedent verse, and is not found in Isaiah, as was noted before,
in ROMANS 9:33. THE SAME LORD OVER ALL; these words are a reason why
there is no difference n... [ Continue Reading ]
That _the Lord is rich unto all that call upon him, _ is confirmed
here by a testimony out of JOEL 2:32, which is also cited by St.
Peter, ACTS 2:21. The apostle's argument may be thus formed: If
whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, then the Lord
is rich to all that call upon him;... [ Continue Reading ]
The connexion of this verse and the following verses of this chapter
is very obscure. Some connect these words with ROMANS 10:12. There he
said: _There is no difference between Jew and Greek, _ & c. And this
he proves, because the means to attain salvation by the true
invocation of God hath been mad... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW SHALL THEY PREACH, EXCEPT THEY BE SENT? viz. immediately, by God
or Christ, as the prophets and the apostles: see GALATIANS 1:1. Or
mediately, by men; i.e. by such as have authority from Christ to
separate and ordain others to this work. Without this orderly mission,
or ordination, how can they... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY HAVE NOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL: he here preventeth a cavil of
the Jews. Thus they might reason: If the apostles and preachers of the
gospel are sent with so great authority from God, and bring such a
welcome message, how comes it to pass that so few receive it, and
yield obedience thereunto... [ Continue Reading ]
This is the conclusion of the former gradation, ROMANS 10:14. He
speaketh here of the ordinary means whereby faith is wrought; not
confining or limiting the Spirit of God, who worketh, or may work, by
extraordinary means, yea, without any means at all. SEE POOLE ON
"ROMANS 10:14". BY THE WORD OF GOD... [ Continue Reading ]
He answers an objection, that some one might make in behalf of the
Jews, to excuse them; that they could not believe, because they had
not heard; and faith, as in the foregoing verse, comes by hearing. To
this he answers, that the gospel was published to the whole world;
therefore the Jews must need... [ Continue Reading ]
Here he proves by three testimonies out of the Old Testament, that the
Jews must needs have heard the sound of the gospel, together with the
Gentiles; only they rejected it, when the other embraced it. And so he
layeth the ground of what he was purposed to handle in the following
chapter, concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
ESAIAS IS VERY BOLD; i.e. he speaks more boldly concerning the calling
of the Gentiles, and the casting off the Jews. He used a holy freedom,
though it cost him dear; Jerome saith, he was sawn asunder with a
wooden saw. This is a commendable property in a preacher: see ACTS
4:13, ACTS 28:31. AND SAI... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TO ISRAEL HE SAITH; viz. in ISAIAH 65:2. In the former verse there
is a consolatory prophecy, foretelling the vocation of ignorant and
profane Gentiles; and in this, there is a menacing prophecy,
threatening the rejecting of the rebellious and stubborn Jews. ALL DAY
LONG; from the time of their... [ Continue Reading ]