Romans 16:26

With these times of silence there is contrasted that of divine speaking. The word νῦν, now, strongly expresses this contrast. The participle φανερωθέντος, manifested, refers to the inward revelation of the divine mystery by the Holy Spirit, which the apostles have received; comp. the perfectly similar expressions, Ephesians 3:5.

This act of revelation must necessarily be completed by another, as is indicated by the following participle: γνωρισθέντος, published, divulged. What the apostles received by revelation, they are not to keep to themselves; they are called to proclaim it throughout the whole world. These two participles are joined by the particle τέ, and. This mode of connection applies in Greek only to things of a homogeneous nature, and the one of which serves to complete the other. This peculiarity of the τέ suffices to set aside Hofmann's explanation, who translates: “manifested now and by the prophetical writings.” For the two notions of the time and mode of revelation are too heterogeneous to be thus connected. And, moreover, it would follow from this explanation that the second participle (γνωρισθέντος, published) would be unconnected with the first by any conjunction, which is impossible. The Greco-Lats. and some versions omit the particle τέ. But it is a copyist's error well explained by Meyer. The words: by prophetical writings, were connected with the preceding participle (φανερωθέντος, manifested), as nearer than the following one, and from this false connection arose the suppression of the τέ.

The second participle, γνωρισθέντος, made known, is defined by four clauses. The first refers to the cause: the divine command; the second to the means: the prophetical writings; the third to the end: the obedience of the faith; the fourth to the object: all the Gentiles.

The command of God sounded forth by the mouth of Jesus when He said: “Go ye and teach all nations.” This command was not the expression of a transient or secondary thought; it was the immutable and eternal thought, to which all the rest were subordinated, even the decree of creation. This is what the epithet eternal, given to God, is intended to remind us of. He remains exalted above all the phases through which the execution of His designs passes.

By the prophetical Scriptures, which are the means of the making known, all critics understand the prophetical books of the O. T. But how could Paul say: The gospel is proclaimed by these books? He has just declared, on the contrary, that they mystery had been kept secret up to the present time. It is answered, that the apostle is alluding to the use made of the writings of the prophets in apostolic preaching. But though these writings were a means of demonstration, they were not a means of making known; and yet this is what is expressed by the participle λνωρισθέντος. And, besides, why in this case reject the article which was necessary to designate these prophetical books as well-known writings; why say: “by writings ”...and not: “by the writings of the prophets?” It might be answered, that Paul expresses himself in the same way in the passage Romans 1:2; but there, the term prophets which precedes, and the epithet holy which accompanies, the word Scriptures, sufficiently determine the idea. It is not so here, where these writings are represented as the means of propagating a new revelation, and should consequently designate new prophetical writings. I think that the only explanation of this term in harmony with the apostle's thought is got from the passage which we have already quoted, Ephesians 3:3-6: “For God by revelation made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.” The apostles are here called prophets, inasmuch as they are bearers of a new revelation. What then are their writings, if not prophetical writings? Paul himself feels that the letter which he has just written has this character, and that it ranks among the means which God is using to carry out the publication of the new revelation. It is therefore of this very letter, as well as of the other letters which had proceeded from his pen, or from that of his colleagues, that he is speaking in our passage. And from this point of view the absence of the article is easily explained. Paul really means: “by prophetical writings.” It is as it were a new series of inspired writings coming to complete the collection of the ancient and well-known books, even as the new revelation is the completion of the old.

The end is denoted by the words: for the obedience of faith; an expression which reproduces that of Romans 1:5, and the meaning of which is, as we have proved there, the obedience to God which consists of faith itself.

Finally, the object of the publication: to all the Gentiles (nations); an expression similar to that of Romans 1:5: among all the Gentiles. Paul thus ends where he had begun: with his apostleship to the Gentiles, which follows from the appearance of a new and final revelation, and of the full realization of God's eternal plan. The return to the ideas of Romans 1:1-5 is evident.