F. ELECTION (Cch. 8, 9 11) It is almost needless to say that the Election spoken of in ch. 8 &c. is variously explained. A large and important school of Theology (the Arminian) interprets it as a _personal_election, but _contingent_upon foreseen faith and perseverance. Another school [58] interpret... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 10:1-21. Israel has rejected a salvation whose universal intention, and yet partial acceptance, was foretold by the law and the prophets 1. _my heart's desire_ Fully in the Gr., THE PREFERENCE INDEED OF MY HEART. The "_indeed_" suggests a "_but_" to follow. This does not occur, but is implie... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ The connexion is, that they seem to be, but are not, in the way to salvation; and that this stirs up his affectionate and anxious longing that they may find it. _record_ WITNESS; as one who so intimately knows them and their state of conscience and will. _zeal of God_ So lit. The genitive imp... [ Continue Reading ]
_being ignorant of_ NOT KNOWING: the verb refers back to the "knowledge" just before mentioned. _God's righteousness_ His acceptance of the sinner as righteous, for Christ's sake. See on Romans 1:17. _going about_ SEEKING. _to establish_ Same word as Hebrews 10:9. They sought to make it _good eno... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Christ_, &c. The connexion is that the conduct of the Jews was a total mistake of their own Revelation; _for_He whom they rejected was no accidental or alien intruder, but "the End of the Law." The ver. may be closely, and better, rendered; FOR THE END OF THE LAW IS CHRIST, UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS,... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ The connexion is that the Law led up to Christ _both_by prescribing a condemnatory standard as its own, and by mysteriously suggesting the nearness and freeness of the Gospel. _describeth_ Lit. WRITETH. _That the man_, &c. Leviticus 18:5. Cp. Deuteronomy 27:26; Jeremiah 11:1-10; and, as a co... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh_ The "righteousness of faith" is here equivalent to "the righteousness of God." Song of Solomon 4:11; Song of Solomon 4:13. Here, by a striking personification, not unlike that of the Divine Wisdom in the Proverbs, Justification is said to speak, in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who shall descend_, &c. The Heb. has "Who shall go over (or _on_) the sea?"; the LXX., "to the other side of the sea?" St Paul takes the sea, as surely Moses took it, to be the antithesis of "heaven" the "great _deep;_" and thus the idea is of exploring depth rather than breadth. The _Jerusalem Tar... [ Continue Reading ]
_The word_ More precisely, THE UTTERANCE; i.e. of the terms of the covenant. Alike the elder and later Covenants were not obscure enigmas, but could be recited by human lips and assented to as "just and good" by human hearts. _that is_, &c. See last note but one on Romans 10:6. Here again St Paul s... [ Continue Reading ]
_that if thou shalt_, &c. Here the contents of the "utterance" are given in more detail. _confess with thy mouth_ i.e., practically, "submit to and own Him as supreme for thee." See, for the demand of such "confession," Matthew 10:32; Luke 12:8. For all adult converts, this was an important feature... [ Continue Reading ]
_For with the heart_, &c. The "_for_" introduces a further explanation; in which the special workings of belief and confession are noticed. _man believeth_ Lit. IT IS BELIEVED; "belief is exercised." So just below, IT IS CONFESSED. _righteousness_ i.e., practically, Justification. See last note bu... [ Continue Reading ]
_the scripture_ Already quoted, Romans 9:33; see notes. _believeth_ Here faith alone is mentioned, and so through the rest of the context. Confession of Christ as Lord, the fruit and sequel of faith, was an incident only in the argument.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For there is no difference_ The same phrase (with precisely opposite reference) as Romans 3:22. The "_for_" here refers to the "whosoever" of Romans 10:11; and this refers to the truth, suggested through the whole passage here, of the "nearness" and freedom of salvation, which, as revealed in Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
_For whosoever_, &c. "_Whosoever_" refers back to "all" in Romans 10:12. St Paul here quotes (almost verbatim with LXX.) Joel 2:32; (Heb., 4:5;) where the whole prediction is distinctly Messianic, and includes a reference to "the _remnant_whom the Lord calleth." See Acts 2:21 for a closely parallel... [ Continue Reading ]
_How then_, &c. This is an argument for the evangelization of the heathen, as against the jealous reserve of Pharisaic Judaism. Q. d., "The prophets announce a salvation for all who _turn to Messiah;_but these must first _believe_Him to be able to save; but believers must first be hearers; therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
_except they be sent_ Q. d., "If they be not sent, if they are _held back_by misguided jealousy, how can the predicted evangelization take place?" If Rabbinism were right, were in accordance with God's will, in its practical denial of hope to the Gentiles, then missionary work, such as foretold, wou... [ Continue Reading ]
_But they have not all obeyed the gospel_ i.e. the gospel, or good tidings, just specified; that of "peace." Here St Paul meets from prophecy the supposed objection that the message had only partially succeeded. Innumerable Gentiles had rejected it: was not this an indication that the messengers had... [ Continue Reading ]
_So then faith_, &c. In this verse, which forms a parenthesis of thought, St Paul uses the quotation just made in a new reference; not now to the _fact of unbelief_, but to the _means of faith_. Isaiah's words imply that the "report" of Messiah's messengers was the appointed means for the conveyance... [ Continue Reading ]
_But I say_ Here the connexion recurs to Romans 10:16, after the _parenthetic_inference from the quotation there made. Isaiah had said "Who hath believed?" St Paul now quotes again to shew that this means anything but "Who hath _heard?_" Prophecy contemplated a world-wide _preaching_, whatever might... [ Continue Reading ]
_But I say_, &c. Another objection is anticipated and met, (as indeed it has been already met, less explicitly,) viz., that Israel had no _prophetic warning_of the Gentiles" enlightenment and their own unbelief. _know?_ i.e. "know the prospect" of the spread of Messiah's Gospel, and their own rejec... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Esaias is very bold_ Moses had not _specified how_the heathen should be the cause of jealousy and anger to Israel. But Isaiah says, in so many words, that they shall find and know God, and so become His people. _I was found_, &c. Isaiah 65:1; almost verbatim with LXX., but the two clauses are... [ Continue Reading ]
_to Israel_ Better, WITH RESPECT TO ISRAEL. _All day long_, &c. Isaiah 65:2; verbatim with LXX., but with slight variation of order of words. The phrase is parallel to "rising up early and sending," (Jeremiah 7:13; Jeremiah 7:25, &c.,) and wonderfully describes the Divine perseverance. _stretched... [ Continue Reading ]