_There is_, &c. As a further answer to the objection mentioned Romans
3:31, that the doctrine of justification by faith made void the law,
the apostle here proceeds, with great feeling and energy, to display
the many powerful motives which that doctrine, as explained in the
preceding Chapter s, sugg... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the law of the Spirit of life_ That is, the doctrine of divine
grace in the gospel, accompanied with the quickening, commanding
influence of the Holy Spirit, _hath made me free from the law of sin
and death_ That is, not only from the Mosaic dispensation, which, if
relied on for justification,... [ Continue Reading ]
_For what the law could not do_ Το γαρ αδυνατον του
νομου, _what was impossible to the_ Mosaic _law_, whether moral
or ceremonial; that is, that freedom from the guilt and power of sin,
and from spiritual and eternal death, which it could not minister; _in
that it was weak through the flesh_ Through... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ Or rather, _now; they that are after the flesh_ The apostle
having, Romans 8:1, described those to whom _there is no
condemnation_, as persons _who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit_, to prevent all mistakes in such an important point, here
informs us what he means by _walking aft... [ Continue Reading ]
_So then_, &c. The inference to be drawn from the principles just laid
down, is, _they that are in the flesh_ In the sense explained in the
preceding verses, and especially Romans 7:5, where see the notes; they
who are under the government of the flesh, of their animal appetites
and passions, or of... [ Continue Reading ]
_But ye_ Who are vitally united to Christ, who are in him, by living
faith, and new creatures; _are not in the flesh_ Not in your
unpardoned, unrenewed state, not carnally minded; _but in the Spirit_
Under his government, and spiritually minded, and therefore are
accepted of God, and approved of by... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if Christ be in you_ Namely, by his Spirit dwelling in you: where
the Spirit of Christ is, there is Christ: _the body is dead_ Το
μεν σωμα νεκρον, _the body indeed is dead_, devoted to
death; for our belonging to Christ, or having Christ in us, does not
exempt the body from undergoing the sente... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore, brethren_ As if he had said, Since we have received such
benefits, and expect still more and greater, _we are debtors_ We are
under obligations; _not to the flesh_ Not to our animal appetites and
passions; we have formerly given them more than their due, and we owe
our natural corruption... [ Continue Reading ]
_For as many as are led_, guided and governed, _by the Spirit of God_
As a Spirit of truth and grace, of wisdom and holiness; _they are the
sons of God_ That is, they stand related to God, not merely as
subjects to their king, or servants to their master, but as children
to their father; they are un... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if children, then heirs_ Those that are really the children of
God by adoption and grace, are not only under his peculiar direction,
protection, and care, and shall be supplied with all things which God
sees will be good for them; not only have they free liberty of access
to God, and intercours... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the earnest expectation_, &c. “This and the following
verses,” says Dr. Doddridge, “have been generally, and not without
reason, accounted as difficult as any part of this epistle. This
difficulty has perhaps been something increased, by rendering
κτισις _creation_ in one clause, and _creature_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the creature was made subject to vanity_ Mankind in general, and
the whole visible creation, lost their original beauty, glory, and
felicity; a sad change passed on man, and his place of abode; the
whole face of nature was obscured, and all creatures were subjected to
vanity and wretchedness in... [ Continue Reading ]
_For we know that the whole creation_ Ever since the first apostacy of
our nature from God; _groaneth_ Suffers a variety of miseries; _and
travaileth_ Συνωδινει, literally, _is in the pains of
childbirth_, to be delivered from the burden of the curse; _until now_
To this very hour, and so on to the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And not only they_ The unenlightened and unrenewed part of mankind;
_but we ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit_
Because first-fruits signify the best things of their kind, some think
that the apostles, and such as possessed the most excellent spiritual
gifts, are spoken of in t... [ Continue Reading ]
_For we are saved by hope_ That is, our salvation is now only in hope;
we do not yet possess the full salvation; _but hope that is seen is
not hope_ Hope here, by a usual metonymy, is put for the object of
hope; and in Scripture, _to see_, often signifies _to enjoy_, and
sometimes to suffer. The mea... [ Continue Reading ]
_Likewise the Spirit_, &c. Besides the hope of future felicity and
glory, which our holy profession administers to us for our support and
comfort amid all the difficulties of our Christian course, we have
moreover this important privilege, that the Holy Spirit of God
_helpeth our infirmities_ The wo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we know_ Though we do not always know particularly what to pray
for as we ought, yet this we know, _that all things_ Namely, that
occur in the course of divine providence, such as worldly losses or
gains, poverty or riches, reproach or commendation, contempt or
honour, pain or ease, sickness or... [ Continue Reading ]
_For whom he did foreknow_ As truly repenting, believing, and obeying
the gospel; _he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of
his Son_ That is, it was his foreappointment, or predetermination,
will, and pleasure, that _as Christ was, they should be in this world,
1 John 4:17_, namely,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Moreover, whom he did predestinate_ Or describe beforehand by his
holy prophets, as persons who should resemble the Messiah; _them_, in
due time, _he also called_ By his word and Spirit; _and whom he
called_ When obedient to the heavenly calling, Acts 26:19; _he also
justified_ Accounted righteous,... [ Continue Reading ]
_What shall we then say to these things_ Related in the third, fifth,
and eighth Chapter s, or conclude upon this review? Surely we may
courageously defy all our enemies, and say, _If God_ Who hath all
power in himself, and all the events of time and eternity under his
direction; _be for us_ Our sur... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who shall lay any thing to the charge_ Any matter of guilt, which
should bring them into condemnation, or shall bring an accusation
against _God's elect_ That is, against true believers, who have so
received Christ (Joh 1:12) as to have obtained the privilege of
becoming God's children, and who onl... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who shall separate us_ By saying τις, _who_, the apostle
personifies the things he is going to mention, namely, affliction,
&c.; _from the love of Christ_ Toward us? By this, some understand the
love which we bear to Christ. But to separate us from our own love,
seems an unusual expression. Even th... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I am persuaded_, &c. This period describes the full assurance of
hope, and the inference is made in admirable order; _neither death_
Terrible as it is to natural men, a violent death in particular; nor
the fear of it, Romans 8:36; _nor life_ With all the affliction and
distress it can bring, Ro... [ Continue Reading ]