INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 3 In this chapter are an answer to several objections which follow one upon another, relating to what the apostle had said concerning the equality of the Gentiles with the Jews; and various proofs out of the Psalms and Prophets, showing the general depravity and corruption of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT ADVANTAGE THEN HATH THE JEW?.... If he is not properly a Jew, who is born of Jewish parents, and brought up in the customs, rites, and religion of the Jewish nation, but anyone of whatsoever nation, that is born again of water, and of the Spirit; where is the superior excellency of the Jew to t... [ Continue Reading ]
MUCH EVERY WAY,.... The circumcised Jew has greatly the advantage of the uncircumcised Gentile, מכל פנים, "in all respects", על כל צד, "on every side", as the Rabbins speak; phrases to which this in the text answers: CHIEFLY; more especially, particularly, and in the first place; BECAUSE THAT UNT... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT IF SOME DID NOT BELIEVE?.... It is suggested, that though the Jews enjoyed such a privilege, some of them did not believe; which is an aggravation of their sin, that they should have such means of light, knowledge, and faith, such clear and full evidences of things, and yet be incredulous:... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD FORBID, YEA, LET GOD BE TRUE, BUT EVERY MAN A LIAR,.... Let no such thing ever enter into the minds of any, that the truth of God can be, or will be made of none effect by the want of faith in man; let it be always asserted and abode by; that God is true, faithful to his word, constant in his pr... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS COMMEND THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD,.... Hence it appears, that the unrighteousness of men commends the righteousness, or faithfulness of God; and yet all unrighteousness is sin; the wrath of God is revealed against it; and would exclude from heaven, were it not for pardon th... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD FORBID, FOR THEN HOW SHALL GOD JUDGE THE WORLD?] חלילה, "far be it"; such a notion is detestable and abominable, nor can it be fairly deduced from what is asserted; for it is the unrighteousness of his own people, on whom he takes no vengeance personally, and not the unrighteousness of others, o... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THE TRUTH OF GOD,.... The "truth of God" is the same with "the righteousness of God", Romans 3:5, and means his faithfulness; of which it is hypothetically said, it HATH MORE ABOUNDED; or has been more illustrated, THROUGH MY LIE TO HIS GLORY: nothing is more opposite to truth than a lie; a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOT RATHER, AS WE BE SLANDEROUSLY REPORTED,.... These are the apostle's own words, in answer to the objector he represented; and it is as if he should say, why do not you go on? why do you stop here? "and not rather" say, as we are evil spoken of, and our doctrine is blasphemed: AND AS SOME AFF... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT THEN? ARE WE BETTER THAN THEY?.... The apostle returns to what he was treating of in the beginning of the chapter, and suggests, that though the Jew has the advantage of the Gentile, with respect to some external privileges, yet not with regard to their state and condition God-ward, and as in h... [ Continue Reading ]
AS IT IS WRITTEN, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE. The several passages cited here, and in some following verses, are taken out of the Psalms and Isaiah; and are brought to prove, not only that the Jews are no better than the Gentiles, being equally corrupt and depraved as they; but also to sho... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NONE THAT UNDERSTANDETH,.... This is rightly concluded, from what the Psalmist says, Psalms 14:2, "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men", on all the children of men, Jews and Gentiles, "to see if there were any that did understand"; and it appears, upon this survey of t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE ALL GONE OUT OF THE WAY,.... In Psalms 14:3; it is said, "they are all gone aside"; as persons in debt: man had a considerable stock of righteousness, holiness, knowledge, c. but he has run through all, has contracted large and numerous debts, has been obliged to hide himself, has been used... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN SEPULCHRE,.... The several vices of the instruments of speech are here, and in the following verse, exposed: "the throat" is said to "be an open sepulchre", as in Psalms 5:9, so called, for its voracity and insatiableness; both as an instrument of speech, for the words of the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS. These words are taken from Psalms 10:7, by cursing is meant, cursing of God, which is sometimes internal with the heart, and sometimes external with the mouth, as here; and of all good men, though without cause, and to no purpose with respect to the per... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD. The sins of the heart and mouth are before described, and now the sins of action are taken notice of; for "the feet" are the instruments of motion and action: and when these are said to be "swift to shed blood", it denotes the readiness and eagerness of men, to mu... [ Continue Reading ]
DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR WAYS. This passage also is to be found in Isaiah 59:7, and may be understood either actively thus: all the ways they take, and methods they pursue, are to make their fellow creatures miserable, to ruin and destroy them; or passively, that by their sinful ways and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WAY OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN. This is a citation front Isaiah 59:8, and expresses the ignorance of mankind, with regard to true peace, and the way unto it: men are naturally ignorant of the way of peace with God; of the first step which God took towards it; of the council and covenant of... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES. The place referred to is Psalms 36:1, by the "fear of God", is not meant a fear of God's wrath, of hell and damnation; nor a fearful distrust of his presence, power, providence, and grace; much less an hypocritical fear; but a reverential affection for God,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WE KNOW THAT WHAT THINGS SOEVER THE LAW SAITH,.... By "the law" is meant, not the law of nature, nor the civil law of nations, nor the ceremonial law of the Jews, nor barely the five books of Moses, nor the book of Psalms, of the Prophets, or the writings of the whole Old Testament; but the mora... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW,.... Hence it most clearly appears, that there can be no justification before God by the law, since it stops the mouths of men, and pronounces them guilty: by "the deeds of the law" are meant, works done in obedience to it, as performed by sinful men, which are very... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD,.... The apostle having proved that all men are unrighteous, and that no man can be justified in the sight of God by his obedience, either to the law of nature or of Moses, proceeds to give an account of that righteousness, which does justify before God; and so retur... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, WHICH IS BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST,.... A further account is given of this righteousness: why it is called "the righteousness of God", and in what sense revealed and manifested, Romans 1:17; Here it is said to be "by faith of Jesus Christ"; not by that faith which Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL HAVE SINNED,.... This is the general character of all mankind; all have sinned in Adam, are guilty by his sin, polluted with it, and condemned for it; all are sinners in themselves, and by their own actual transgressions; this is the case of the whole world, and of all the men in it; not onl... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE,.... The matter of justification is before expressed, and the persons that share in this blessing are described; here the several causes of it are mentioned. The moving cause of it is the free grace of God; for by "the grace of God" here, is not meant the Gospel,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM GOD HAD SET FORTH TO BE A PROPITIATION,.... Redemption by Christ is here further explained, by his being "a propitiation": which word may design either Christ the propitiator, the author of peace and reconciliation; or the propitiatory sacrifice, by which he is so; and both in allusion to the m... [ Continue Reading ]
TO DECLARE, I SAY, AT THIS TIME, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... This end is further explained, it being to declare the righteousness of God "at this time", under the Gospel dispensation; in which there was such a display of the grace, mercy, and goodness of God: THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST; that is, appear to be... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE IS BOASTING THEN?.... There is no room nor reason for it, either in Jews or Gentiles: not in the Jews, who were very apt to boast of their being Abraham's seed; of their circumcision; of their being Israelites; of their having and keeping the law; of God being their God; and of their knowledge... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE,.... This is the conclusion from the premises, the sum total of the whole account: THAT A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW. The subject of justification is, "man", not in opposition to angels; nor does it design the Jew against the Gentile, though some ha... [ Continue Reading ]
IS HE THE GOD OF THE JEWS ONLY?.... The Jews made their boast of him as such, and would not allow the Gentiles any interest in him: but IS HE NOT ALSO OF THE GENTILES? YES, OF THE GENTILES ALSO: God is the God both of Jews and Gentiles; not only as the Creator, preserver, and Governor of them, or a... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING IT IS ONE GOD,.... God is one in nature and essence, though there are three persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; whence it appears, that he that is the God of the Jews, is also the God of the Gentiles, or there would be more gods than one; and that these are justified in one a... [ Continue Reading ]
DO WE THEN MAKE VOID THE LAW THROUGH FAITH?.... Which question is answered by way of detestatation, GOD FORBID! and by asserting the contrary, YEA, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW. The law is not made void, neither by the grace nor doctrine of faith: not by the grace of faith; for that faith is not right whi... [ Continue Reading ]