THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE ROMANS. -Year of the Constantinopolitan AEra of the World, 5566. -Year of the Alexandrian AEra of the World; 5560. -Year of the Antiochian AEra of the World, 5550. -Year of the Julian Period, 4768. -Year of the Usherian AEra of the World, 4062. -Year of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:2. _WHICH HE HAD PROMISED AFORE_] Both in the _law_ and in the _prophets_ God showed his purpose to introduce into the world a more _perfect_ and _glorious_ state of things; which state was to take place by and under the influence of the Messiah, who should bring life and immortality... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:3. _CONCERNING HIS SON_] That is, the Gospel relates every thing concerning the _conception, birth, preaching, miracles,_ _passion, death, resurrection_, and _ascension_ of Jesus Christ, who was of the _seed-royal_, being, as far as his _humanity_ was considered, the _son of David_, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:4. _AND DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF GOD_] Acts 13:33, where this subject is considered at large. The word ορισθεντος, which we render _declared_, comes from οριζω, to _bound, define, determine_, or _limit_, and hence our word _horizon_, the _line_ that _determines_ the farthest visible... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:5. _GRACE AND APOSTLESHIP_] The peculiar influence and the essential qualifications which such an _office_ requires. Without the GRACE, _favour_, and peculiar help of God, he could not have been an apostle: he had an extraordinary conversion, and an extraordinary call to preach the G... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:6. _YE ARE THE CALLED_] Ye Romans are all _invited_ to believe in Christ Jesus, for the salvation of your souls; and to you, with the rest, my apostolical mission extends. This appears to be the most obvious sense of the word _called_ in this place-to be _called by the Gospel_ is to b... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:7. _CALLED TO BE SAINTS_] Invited to become holy persons, by believing the Gospel and receiving the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Or, here, the word may have the meaning of _made_ or _constituted_, as above; κλητοις αγιοις, _to all that be in Rome_, CONSTITUTED _saints,_ for they had alrea... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:8. _FIRST, I THANK MY GOD_] From this to the end of Romans 1:17 belongs to the _preface_, in which the apostle endeavours to conciliate the good opinion of the Christians at Rome, and to prepare their minds for his reproofs and exhortations. _YOUR FAITH IS SPOKEN_] καταγγελλεται, is... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:9. _WHOM I SERVE WITH MY SPIRIT_] λατπευω Whom _I worship_ with the _profoundest religious reverence_; for so the original certainly means: I not only employ all the powers of my _body_ in this service, but all those of my _soul_; being thoroughly convinced of the _absolute truth_ of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:10. _MAKING REQUEST_, c.] By this we see how earnestly the apostle longed to see Rome. It had long been a subject of continual prayer to God, that he might have a prosperous journey to, or rather _meeting_ with, them, for so we should understand the word ευοδωθησμαι: that he had a pro... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:11. _SOME SPIRITUAL GIFT_] This probably means some of the _extraordinary gifts_ of the Holy Spirit, which, being given to them, might tend greatly to establish their faith in the Gospel of Christ; and it is very likely that such gifts were only conferred by means of _apostles_; and a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:12. _THAT I MAY BE COMFORTED TOGETHER WITH YOU_] He here, with great address, intimates that he longs for this opportunity, as well on his _own account_ as on _theirs_, and to show them that he arrogates nothing to himself; for he intimates that it will require the conjoint action of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:13. _BUT WAS LET HITHERTO_] The word _let_, from the Anglo-Saxon, [Anglo-Saxon] to _hinder_, signifies _impediment_ or _hinderance_ of any kind: but it is likely that the original word, εκωλυθην, _I was forbidden_, refers to a _Divine prohibition_:-he would have visited them long befo... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:14. _I AM A DEBTOR BOTH TO THE GREEKS, AND TO THE_ _BARBARIANS_] It has been remarked before that all the nations of the earth, themselves excepted, were termed _barbarians_ by the _Greeks_. See the origin of the word _barbarous_ in the note on Acts 28:2. The apostle considers himself... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:15. _I AM READY TO PREACH_] προθυμον; I have a _ready_ mind. I was only prevented by the providence of God from visiting you long _ago_. His time is best: in the mean time I write, by his direction, to comfort and instruct you.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:16. _I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST_] This text is best illustrated by Isaiah 28:16; Isaiah 49:23, quoted by the apostle, Romans 10:11: For the Scripture saith, _Whosoever believeth on him, shall not be_ _ashamed_; i.e. they shall neither be _confounded_, nor _disappointed_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 17. _FOR THEREIN_] In the Gospel of Christ. _IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD_] God's method of saving sinners. _REVEALED FROM FAITH TO FAITH_] Shown to be by _faith_, and not by the works of _any_ law; for Abraham, the father and founder of the Jewish people, was _justified by faith_, before ev... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 18. _FOR THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED_] The apostle has now finished his _preface_, and comes to the grand _subject_ of the epistle; namely, to show the _absolute need_ of the Gospel of Christ, because of the _universal corruption_ of mankind; which was so great as to incense the justice of Go... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 19. _THAT WHICH MAY BE KNOWN OF GOD_] Dr. Taylor paraphrases this and the following verse thus: "Although the Gentiles had no written revelation, yet what may be known of God is every where manifest among them, God having made a clear discovery of himself to them. For his being and perfections... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 20. _THE INVISIBLE THINGS OF HIM_] His invisible perfections are manifested by his visible works, and may be apprehended by what he has made; their _immensity_ showing his _omnipotence_, their vast _variety_ and _contrivance_, his _omniscience_; and their _adaptation_ to the most _beneficent_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 21. _BECAUSE THAT WHEN THEY KNEW GOD_] When they thus acquired a general knowledge of the unity and perfections of the Divine nature, _they glorified him not as God_ - they did not _proclaim_ him to the people, but shut up his _glory_ (as Bishop Warburton expresses it) in their _mysteries_, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _PROFESSING THEMSELVES TO BE WISE_] This is most strikingly true of all the ancient philosophers, whether Greeks or Romans, as their works, which remain, sufficiently testify. The word φασκοντες signifies not merely the _professing_ but the _assumption_ of the philosophic character. In thi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _THEY CHANGED THE GLORY_, c.] The finest representation of their deities was in the _human_ figure and on such representative figures the sculptors spent all their skill; hence the HERCULES of _Farnese_, the VENUS of _Medicis_, and the APOLLO of _Belvidere_. And when they had formed their... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _GOD-GAVE THEM UP_, c.] They had filled up the measure of their iniquities, and God, by permitting them to plunge into all manner of irregularities, thus, by one species of sin, inflicted punishment on another. _DISHONOUR THEIR OWN BODIES_] Probably alluding here to what is more openly ex... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD INTO A LIE_] In the place of the _true worship_ of God, they established _idolatry_. In various places of Scripture _idols_ are termed _lies_. Isaiah 44:20; Jeremiah 10:14; Jeremiah 13:25. The true God _was_ known among the primitive inhabitants of the earth, thos... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _FOR THIS CAUSE GOD GAVE THEM UP_, c.] Their system of idolatry necessarily produced all kinds of _impurity_. How could it be otherwise, when the highest objects of their worship were adulterers, fornicators, and prostitutes of the most infamous kind, such as _Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Venus_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _RECEIVING IN THEMSELVES THAT RECOMPENSE_, c.] Both the women and men, by their unnatural prostitutions, enervated their bodies, so that _barrenness_ prevailed, and those disorders which are necessarily attendant on _prostitution_ and _sodomitical_ practices.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _THEY DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD_] It would, perhaps, be more literal to translate ουκ εδοκιμασαν, THEY DID NOT SEARCH _to retain God in_ their _knowledge_. They did not _examine_ the evidences before them (Romans 1:19; Romans 1:20) of his being and attributes; therefore _God gave them ov... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _BEING FILLED WITH ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS_] αδικια, every vice contrary to _justice_ and _righteousness_. _FORNICATION_] πορνεια, all commerce between the sexes out of the bounds of lawful marriage. Some of the best MSS. omit this reading; and others have ακαθαρσια, uncleanness. _WICKEDNESS... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _BACKBITERS_] καταλαλους, from κατα, _against_, and λαλεω, _I speak_; those who speak against others; false accusers, _slanderers_. _HATERS OF GOD_] θεοστυγεις, _atheists, contemners of sacred_ _things, maligners of providence, scorners_, c. All profligate deists are of this class and it... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING_] ασυνετους, from α, _negative_, and συνετος, _knowing_; persons incapable of comprehending what was spoken; destitute of capacity for spiritual things. _COVENANT - BREAKERS_] ασυνθετους, from α, _negative_, and συντιθημυι, _to make an agreement_; persons who could... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Romans 1:32. _WHO, KNOWING THE JUDGMENT OF GOD_] δικαιωμα, the _grand rule of right_ which God has revealed to every man, the knowledge of which he has, less or more, given to every nation of the world, relative to honouring parents, taking care of their own offspring, keeping their engagement... [ Continue Reading ]