Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 4:25

Romans 4:25. Who was delivered up. ‘A standing designation for the divine surrender of Christ, surrender unto death (chap. Romans 8:32), perhaps after Isaiah 53:12. It is at the same time self-surrender (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:2), since Christ was obedient to His Father' (Meyer).

For our trespasses, i.e., our sins which were atoned for by His sacrificial death. ‘For,' that is, ‘on account of,' but not in exactly the same sense in both clauses, in this one it gives the cause, namely, a past fact: because we had sinned; in the next clause it points to a future result. Christ died to remove our guilt which already existed, but He rose again to accomplish our justification which could not otherwise take place.

Raised for our justification. This clause presents the positive aspect of the same exhibition of grace. The word ‘justification' points to the act, though the state (of being justified) which results may be implied. By His death our Lord atoned for sin (chap. Romans 3:25), and secured our pardon and peace; this is the meritorious ground of our justification (comp. chaps. Romans 3:24-25; Romans 5:9; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:7. But unless Christ has risen the atoning work could not have been appropriated by men, and their justification actually taken place. Without the resurrection, Christ's grave would be the grave of all our hopes (1 Corinthians 15:17). That great fact testified that God accepted the atoning sacrifice. If man had not sinned, Christ would not have died; if Christ had sinned, He would not have been raised. To this may be added, as matters vitally connected with the words of this verse (though not fully expressed), that only the risen Saviour could intercede for us, could send the Holy Spirit to apply redemption to us; that as the death and resurrection of Christ are inseparably connected as the ground of our salvation, so the effects are indivisible, though distinguishable. The sinner cannot be buried with Christ, without rising with Him as a new creature; the death with Christ is inseparable from the new life in Christ. Hence some commentators regard this verse as a brief introduction of ‘the great subject of chaps. 5-8, Death, as connected with Sin, and Life, as connected with Righteousness' (Alford). See beginning of next section.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 4:25

Old Testament

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