Romans 16:26

Romans 16:26. But now is made manifest. The emphasis rests on ‘made manifest;' the whole thought is explanatory of the ‘revelation of the mystery,' and in contrast with the long silence just spoken of (Romans 16:25). ‘Now,' as usual, refers to the period since the gospel was preached. ‘Made manifest' suggests the revelation of the mystery made to the Apostles (comp. Ephesians 3:5); while ‘is made known,' which all the rest of the verse qualifies, points to the publication of the mystery through preaching. The two expressions, however, are closely united by and (in the original a conjunction used only to connect similar things).

Through prophetic Scriptures. This is the first of four qualifying phrases joined with ‘is made known.' These point respectively to (1) the means, (2) the cause, (3) the objects, and (4) the aim of this publication. In the original the order of (3) and (4) is inverted, to give that emphasis to the universality of the proclamation which befits the close of this Epistle. The arrangement of these phrases is not arbitrary. ‘The prophetic Scriptures' were actually the means employed in the universal diffusion of the gospel. (The article is wanting. Comp. Romans 1:2.) Until they were fulfilled the matter was still a mystery, but Christ himself, as well as his Apostles, used the Old Testament constantly to teach evangelical truth. It is altogether unnecessary to argue from this reference to the Old Testament that the ‘mystery' spoken of is exclusively the reception of the Gentiles. The entire mystery of redemption could be made known through the Old Testament, when once it had been manifested to the inspired Apostles. Godet labors to prove that New Testament prophetic writings are here meant, but such a sense is not obvious. In fact the statement that the mystery had been kept in silence (Romans 16:5) seems to require a reference to the Old Testament; otherwise the Apostle would have failed to give it the place in this grand passage which it has everywhere else in New Testament history and literature (see again, chap. Romans 1:2.)

According to the commandment of the eternal God. The reference to the Scripture naturally suggests God who spake through the prophets. But it is not necessary to take this phrase as subordinate to ‘Scriptures'; still less to make it parallel with ‘according to' in Romans 16:25. The publication of the gospel was by Apostles who were fully persuaded that the same God who spoke through the prophets had sent them by specific commandment: comp. Matthew 28:19-20, and the Apostle's language everywhere. ‘Eternal' is appropriately used here, since the whole passage has reference to what he has disposed ‘during eternal ages' as well as in the present

Unto all the nations. ‘Unto' here points to the local extension of the gospel; it was made known so as to reach ‘all the nations.' (The introduction of this phrase opposes the limitation of ‘mystery' to the fact of the reception of the Gentiles; what was made known unto them was the entire gospel mystery.) The universal scope of the gospel has been the ground tone of the whole epistle; hence this phrase stands last in the original, to give it due emphasis.

Unto obedience of faith. Precisely as in chap. Romans 1:5; ‘in order to produce obedience to faith,' to make men become believers. The gospel made known: by Divine authority, through recorded prophecy now fulfilled, in order to make men believe, and extended to all the nations. In the mystery thus made known, which was really the Apostle's gospel, God was able to stablish them. Beginning with the form of a doxology to this God of powerful helpfulness, he has so enlarged upon the method of His help as to render a resumption necessary; hence the difficulty of the construction in Romans 16:27.