_I say then_, &c. As if he had said, We have just seen how the perverseness of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles have been foretold; but do I say then that God hath entirely cast off his whole people, so as to have mercy on none of them? _God forbid_ In no wise; for I should then pronounce a... [ Continue Reading ]
_But what saith the answer_ Recollect the answer which God gave to this doleful complaint; _I have reserved to myself_ To maintain my honour and true worship, I have preserved by my providence and grace not fewer than seven thousand; _who have not bowed the knee to Baal_ Nor to the golden calves, no... [ Continue Reading ]
_What then_ What is the conclusion from the whole? It is this, that _Israel_, in general, _hath not obtained that which he seeketh_ Namely, justification, acceptance with God, and the blessings consequent thereon. _But the election_ Those of them only who repent and believe, and therefore are chosen... [ Continue Reading ]
_Have they stumbled that_, as a nation, _they should fall_ Totally and finally? No: though they have taken such offence at Christ and the gospel that they are rejected by God at present, yet they are not fallen into irrecoverable ruin, so as never more to be owned by God as his people: but rather, t... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_, or _now, I speak to you Gentiles_ You believing Romans, and thus make known to you the present rejection of the Jews, and the happiness of the Gentiles in their future restoration, for your caution as well as comfort; _inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles_ By a special designation of... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ As if he had said, Their general conversion ought to be desired, because of the admirable benefit which will come to mankind thereby: _for if the casting away of them_ Their rejection, as signified above; _be the reconciling of the world_ An occasion of sending the gospel to the Gentiles in al... [ Continue Reading ]
And their conversion will surely be effected, _For if the first- fruit_ of them, the patriarchs, _be holy_ He alludes to the waved sheaf, which was said to be _holy_, because it was accepted of God, in token of his giving the appointed weeks of the harvest: and by the _first-fruit_, he either means... [ Continue Reading ]
_Boast not against the branches_ Attribute not thy being ingrafted into the good olive to thy own merits, as if thou wert worthy of the blessing. _But if thou boast_ To humble thy pride, consider, _thou bearest not the root, but the root thee_ The Jewish church is not ingrafted into the Gentile, but... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou wilt say_ Thou wilt object; _The branches were broken off_ For their infidelity and rejection of Jesus and his gospel; _that I might be graffed in_ And therefore we may glory over them as they once did over us. Well; take this thought at least along with thee, _Because of unbelief they were br... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, therefore_ In this dispensation; _the goodness and severity of God_ Consider them maturely, and lay them deeply to heart: _on them which fell_ The unbelieving Jews, who took offence at the mean appearance of Jesus, and so fell into unbelief, and were cut off for it; _severity_ Or the exerci... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_, &c. As if he had said, And it appears that he will do it, because he has done that which was more unlikely, as being contrary to nature: _if thou wert cut out of the tree wild by nature_, &c. If thou wert admitted into the family of God, though descended from parents that were strangers and e... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_, &c. And this I now declare, because _I would not have you ignorant of this mystery_ Of the mysterious dispensation under consideration, which, on the first view of it, may appear very unaccountable; _lest you should be wise in your own conceits_ Should have too high an opinion of yourselves,... [ Continue Reading ]
_As concerning the gospel_ That is, in reference to the gospel; _they are enemies for your sakes_ They reject it with the greater hatred, because you embrace it, or rather, (for they generally rejected the gospel before the Gentiles were called,) they reject the gospel, and thereby show that they ar... [ Continue Reading ]
_For as_ ye Believing Gentiles; _in times past_ Before Christ was preached to you; _have not believed God_ Did not believe in the living and true God: or rather, as the words ποτε ηπειθησατε τω θεω signify, _were once disobedient to God_, and were buried in ignorance and superstition; but _now have... [ Continue Reading ]
_O the depth_ The unsearchable, inconceivable abundance; _of the riches_, &c. In the ninth chapter, Paul had sailed but in a narrow sea, now he is in the immense ocean: _of the wisdom and knowledge of God_ The depth of his knowledge is described in the latter part of this verse; the depth of wisdom... [ Continue Reading ]