Chapter S 9 11. With the eighth chapter Paul concludes the positive exposition of his gospel. Starting with the theme of Romans 1:16 f., he showed in Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:20 the universal sinfulness of men Gentile and Jew; in Romans 3:21 to Romans 5:21 he explained, illustrated and glorified the... [ Continue Reading ]
The Apostle cannot enlarge on this melancholy situation without expressing once more the deep grief which it causes him. Since the Jews are referred to in the third person (ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν) it is clear that the persons addressed are a Gentile Church. ἀδελφοί : Paul's heart seems drawn to his spiritual ki... [ Continue Reading ]
Their good qualities compel his affection. ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν : they have a zeal for God, are intensely (though mistakenly) religious. _Cf._ Galatians 1:14. An unbelieving Jew could interpret his opposition to the lawless gospel of Paul as zeal for the divinely-given rule of life, and his opposition... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse goes to the root of the matter, and explains the failure of the Gospel among the Jews. It was due to their ignorance of the righteousness of God. All men need and crave righteousness, and the Jews, in their ignorance of God's, sought to establish a righteousness of their own. _Their own_... [ Continue Reading ]
Μωυσῆς γὰρ γράφει : Moses' authority is unimpeachable on this point. The righteousness that comes from law must be an achievement: the man who has _done_ it shall live in it, Leviticus 18:5. Paul writes ἐν αὐτῇ with reference to δικαιοσύνην : the ἐν αὐτοῖς of the LXX refers to πάντα τὰ κρίματα which... [ Continue Reading ]
f. ἡ δὲ ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοσύνη οὕτως λέγει. It is remarkable that Paul does not make Moses his authority here, though he is about to express himself in words which certainly go back to Deuteronomy 30:12-14. It is the righteousness of faith itself which speaks, describing its own character and accessi... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν … τοῦτʼ ἔστιν τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως ὃ κηρύσσομεν. What is in the lips of the preacher is near to all who hear. In Deut. the word is of course the Mosaic law; here it is the Gospel, the word which deals with that πίστις on which the righteousness of God depends. τῆς πίστεως is o... [ Continue Reading ]
Apparently this verse gives the content of what the Apostle describes as “the word of faith which we preach”. ὅτι = viz. The reference both to heart and mouth in Deut. suits his purpose, and he utilises it; the closing words in the LXX (καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου ποιεῖν αὐτό) he disregards. ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ... [ Continue Reading ]
καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν. The parallelism is like that in the previous verse, though the order of the clauses is reversed. To be saved one must attain δικαιοσύνη, and this depends on heart-faith; such faith, again, leading to salvation, must confess... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse proves from Scripture the main idea in the preceding, _viz._, that faith saves. It is a quotation from Isaiah 28:16 (see Romans 9:33) with the addition of πᾶς, to which nothing corresponds either in Hebr. or LXX. Yet oddly enough it is on this πᾶς that the rest of the Apostle's argument t... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολὴ Ἰουδαίου τε καὶ Ἕλληνος : this has been proved in one sense in chap. 3 there is no distinction between them in point of sin; it is now asserted in another sense there is no distinction between them in that the same Lord is waiting to save all on the same conditions. κύριος πάντω... [ Continue Reading ]
For every one who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved. The words are from Joel 3:5 (= Joel 2:32 LXX). “The Lord” in the original is Jehovah; here, manifestly, Christ a proof how completely Christ stands in God's place in all that concerns salvation.... [ Continue Reading ]
f. It is difficult to trace very clearly the line of the Apostle's thought here. Many scholars (including W. and H. and Lipsius) connect Romans 10:14-15 closely with what precedes, and mark a break between Romans 10:15 and Romans 10:16. It is as if Paul were expanding the πᾶς of Romans 10:13 and jus... [ Continue Reading ]
The fact remains, however, in spite of this universal preaching, that there has not been a universal surrender to the Gospel. οὐ πάντες : the Jews are present to the writer's mind here, though the words might apply more widely; hence the compassionate mode of statement. _Cf._ Romans 3:3 : εἰ ἠπίστησ... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is really parenthetic: Paul's logical mind cannot let slip the chance of showing how this quotation confirms the connection of ideas in Romans 10:14. ἄρα suits a rapid passing inference better than the more deliberate ἄρα οὖν which is much more frequent in Romans. _Cf._ 1 Corinthians 15:1... [ Continue Reading ]
The process of convicting the Jews is now under way, and ἀλλὰ λέγω introduces a plea on their behalf. It is Paul who speaks: hence the form of the question μὴ οὐκ ἤκουσαν suggests _his._ opinion as to the answer. To _hear_ is necessary in order to believe; you do not mean to say they did _not_ hear?... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλὰ λέγω : another attempt to introduce a plea on behalf of Israel. You cannot say, “they did not hear”; surely you do not mean to say, then, _Israel did not understand?_ At first sight there seems an unnatural emphasis here on _Israel_, but this is not the case. The generality of the argument must... [ Continue Reading ]
πρὸς δὲ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ λέγει : That is what he says of the Gentiles, but as for Israel, he says, etc., Isaiah 65:2. For πρὸς = with reference to, see Hebrews 1:7 f., Luke 12:41. The arms outstretched all the day long are the symbol of that incessant pleading love which Israel through all its history has... [ Continue Reading ]