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A 
 
 COMMENTARY 
 
 Doctrinal and Practical 
 
 ON THE 
 
 EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE 
 TO THE ROMANS 
 
 BY 
 
 S. R. HARSHMAN 
 
 (Author of "Sermons on Familiar Subjects" and "Christian 
 Citizenship and Other Sermons") 
 
 EVANGELIST 
 
 AND 
 
 Pastor of The Chtirch of Jesus Christ 
 hi Sullivan, Illinois 
 
 MCMIV 
 
36 ^^'^^ 
 
 .VA3 
 
 Two rtriDies Rerwved 
 
 SEP 17 1904 
 
 CLASS <Jt XXo. No. 
 ^ COPY B 
 
 Copyright, 1904, 
 
 BY 
 
 S. R. HARSHMAN 
 
 MADE BY 
 
 THE WERNER COMPANY 
 
 AKRON, OHIO 
 
PREFACE 
 
 1HAVK for some time felt a desire to prepare this 
 work, though conscious of the lack of equipment 
 for the task. But I have long realized that the com- 
 mentaries extant are unsatisfactory, and fail in some 
 respects to give the mind of the Spirit. In some re- 
 spects these commentaries are all that could be de- 
 sired ; but they fail to bring out clearly the doctrines 
 taught. I shall attempt no emendations of the text, 
 nor criticisms upon the translation. My knowledge of 
 Greek is too narrow to fit me for such a task. Nor 
 am I able to give the various readings as found in 
 different manuscripts and versions. The reader will 
 find such information in more pretentious works, 
 prepared by much abler authors. The common Greek 
 text and the authorized version of the New Testa- 
 ment will be accepted without any attempt at criti- 
 cism. This work is intended to be doctrinal and 
 practical only. While some knowledge of the origi- 
 nal is a great help in determining the real meaning 
 and intention of the writer, happily no knowledge 
 
 (V) - 
 
VI PREFACE 
 
 of ancient languages, nor great critical ability is es- 
 sential to the understanding of the doctrines of the 
 New Testament. Where I have consciously borrowed 
 from others I have given them the proper credit. 
 This work is not a compilation. I have done my 
 own thinking, and whatever excellencies or defects 
 the work may contain are all my own. I trust that 
 spiritual men may find this book to be helpful to 
 them. With this hope I send it forth. 
 
 S. R. Harshman. 
 Sullivan, III., Jan. SO, 1903. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 THE apostle Paul, the author of the Epistle to the 
 Romans, is the most eminent character of the 
 Christian age. He was born in Tarsus, the chief 
 city of the province of Cilicia, in Asia Minor. It 
 was made a free city by the emperor Augustus 
 some time before the apostle was born. This made 
 any free person, born in that city, a Roman citizen. 
 As such, he was free from the tribute paid by others 
 and had many rights not belonging to the subject 
 peoples. He could not be condemned without a trial 
 in which he could meet his accusers face to face. 
 He could not be bound or scourged or otherwise 
 maltreated until condemned. He had the right of 
 appeal from the decision of the consular, and other 
 provincial courts, to Rome, and to Caesar himself. 
 Many purchased this freedom by paying great sums 
 to the Roman government, but Saul of Tarsus was 
 freeborn. The fact that St. Paul was often scourged 
 and beaten with rods, shows that he did not stand 
 
 upon his rights as a Roman. Saul is called a young 
 
 (vii) 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTION 
 
 man at the time of the martyrdom of Stephen, and 
 it is probable that he was born about the time of 
 the beginning of the Christian era. Though born in 
 Tarsus, he seems to have been brought up at Jeru- 
 salem, receiving his education at the feet of Gamaliel, 
 that most eminent doctor of the law. He was 
 devout and zealous, and in his state of unbelief 
 became a persecutor of the infant church. After 
 his commission as an Apostle of Christ he became at 
 least equally zealous in preaching that gospel he 
 once despised ; and he did more in establishing the 
 church of Christ than any other apostle, if not more 
 than all of them together. His epistles have been of 
 inestimable value to the church in all succeeding 
 ages. He was the only one among the twelve who 
 systematized Christian theology ; so that he is credited 
 by some of the enemies of Christianity with being 
 the real author of that system of religion. He him- 
 self speaks of the abundance of the revelations which 
 he received, and he seems to have had a more clear 
 and comprehensive understanding of the Christian 
 system than any of his cotemporaries. He was 
 able to more fully divest himself of the prejudices of 
 his Jewish education than any other of the apostles. 
 This may have been partially the result of his special 
 mission to the Gentiles, when such freedom from 
 prejudice was absolutely essential. 
 
INTRODUCTION IX 
 
 The family of Saul of Tarsus was probably of 
 some consequence since he was able to get his edu- 
 cation in Jerusalem. He was of the tribe of Ben- 
 jamin, from which the first King of Israel was chosen, 
 whence probably his name. He declares that he was 
 a Hebrew of the Hebrews, meaning no doubt, that 
 he was an enthusiastic Jew ; a violent partisan of 
 his religion. As touching the law he was a Phari- 
 see, the straitest sect among the Jews, and the most 
 zealous. As touching the righteousness which was 
 in the law, he was blameless. That he was recog- 
 nized as a man of ability is evidenced by the im- 
 portant commissions which were entrusted to so 
 young a man. His prospects of worldly preferment 
 were bright and flattering. But all these things 
 which were gain to him, these he counted loss for 
 Christ. Being chosen to fill the place of Judas, the 
 traitor, in the apostolic college, the Lord manifested 
 himself to him and called him by name, and gave 
 him his commission from his own mouth. He was 
 also taught by the I^ord directly all gospel truth, 
 and he himself declares his independence of all the 
 other apostles, "Am I not an apostle.^ am I not 
 free.^* have I not seen the Lord Jesus?" He is care- 
 ful to establish his entire freedom from human 
 teaching, and to declare that his gospel was not 
 taught him by man. As to his personal qualities, 
 
X INTRODUCTION 
 
 his second name Paul, would indicate that he was 
 small of stature. And to this agrees his mention of 
 the sneers of his enemies that his bodily presence 
 w^as weak ; so also the fact that he was called Mer- 
 curius, while Barnabas, who was probably of impos- 
 ing presence was called Jupiter by those Pagans who 
 mistook them for heathen gods. Besides, Paul was 
 the chief speaker. Mercurius, though an inferior 
 deity, was the messenger of the gods. It seems also 
 that St. Paul was not an orator. His enemies said 
 that his speech was contemptible. This referred, no 
 doubt, to his manner of speaking rather than to his mat- 
 ter; for they acknowledged his letters to be weighty 
 and powerful. He also had an infirmity in his flesh 
 which he mentions in his letter to the Galatians, 
 which they are said not to have despised, but were 
 ready to pluck out their own eyes and give them to 
 him. This has caused a suspicion that his infirmity 
 was weakness of the eyes. His use of an amanuensis 
 in writing some of his epistles confirms this suspi- 
 cion. This would account for his inability to distin- 
 guish the High Priest in his trial before the Sanhe- 
 drim. This is, I think, a different matter from his 
 thorn in the flesh, which he sought to have removed. 
 This thorn, a minister of Satan buffeting him, was 
 probably a person rather than a physical infirmity; 
 though it may refer to the latter. His rudeness of 
 
INTRODUCTION XI 
 
 Speech, which he confesses to, may have resulted 
 from his speaking Greek, which was not his native 
 tongue. He could speak Hebrew and Hebrew Syr- 
 iac of the common people, but he may not have 
 been in the habit of speaking Greek before begin- 
 ning gospel work. His lack of popularity as a 
 speaker was due no doubt, at least in part, to some 
 peculiarity in his style, but it may have been also 
 due to his unwillingness to pander to the vitiated 
 taste of his hearers. The style of oratory of that 
 time was labored and bombastic ; grandiloquence 
 rather than eloquence. This style of oratory was 
 assiduously cultivated by public speakers, and carried 
 to such extremes as to border on the grotesque. It 
 was artificial and as far as possible removed from 
 the simple and natural. It was entirely inappropri- 
 ate to the preaching of the gospel ; and so was re- 
 pudiated by the apostle. He declares that he came 
 not with excellency of speech or of wisdom when 
 preaching the gospel. This simple, unaffected style 
 of speaking was not appreciated by auditors accus- 
 tomed to the popular style of oratory, and seemed 
 to them contemptible. His recorded speeches, how- 
 ever, are models of their kind, however faulty their 
 delivery may have been ; a^d the effect produced 
 upon his hearers causes the suspicion that his ene- 
 mies greatly magnified his oratorical defects. His 
 
Xll INTRODUCTION 
 
 Speech before King Agrippa could scarcely be im- 
 proved on and the effect of it was immediate and 
 powerful. 
 
 His enemies confessed the power of his writings. 
 "His letters," say they, "are weighty and powerful." 
 Of this fact we have personal experience. Handi- 
 capped as he was by physical defects, rudeness of 
 speech, and his defiance of the popular taste, he yet 
 by his untiring zeal, his vast labors, his ability and 
 willingness to adapt himself to the ignorance and 
 weakness of others, and by his extraordinary abilities, 
 sanctified wholly to the service of God, became the 
 chief instrument in God's hands, in laying the founda- 
 tions of the new religion. In doing this work he 
 suffered extraordinary persecutions. In II Cor. XI- 
 cap., he gives a summary of his persecutions and 
 sufferings. Speaking of the false teachers who exalted 
 themselves and depreciated Paul and his labors, and 
 comparing himself and them, in what he calls " foolish 
 boasting," he says, " Are they ministers of Christ, I 
 am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above 
 measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of 
 the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save 
 one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was 
 I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a 
 day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, 
 in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by 
 
INTRODUCTION Xlll 
 
 mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in 
 perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in 
 perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren ; 
 in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, 
 in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and 
 nakedness ; besides those things that are without, 
 that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the 
 churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak ! Who 
 is offended and I burn not ! " What a catalogue of 
 sufferings and labors is here enumerated ! All these 
 things seem to have been necessary, lest he should 
 overvalue himself because of the abundance of the 
 revelations given him. The hatred and scorn of the 
 world, the privations and hardships which he under- 
 went, saved him from spiritual pride, through the 
 abounding grace of God. In like manner must men 
 suffer whom God deigns greatly to honor, by extraor- 
 dinary revelations of his truth, and of his favor. 
 
 Who is willing to be honored of God at such a 
 cost? 
 
 The labors and sufferings, the cares and trials of 
 the apostle to the Gentiles probably tended to shorten 
 his life ; for he did not live to become a very old 
 man, though he calls himself in one instance, Paul the 
 aged. We cannot determine his age with any great 
 precision, but we have certain data from which we 
 can approximate to the truth upon that point. At 
 
XIV INTRODUCTION 
 
 the time of the martyrdom of Stephen, Saul was 
 called a young man. That would mean that he was 
 between thirty and forty years old. This was shortly 
 after Christ's death which took place in the year 
 thirty-three of this era. St. Paul was beheaded 
 under the reign of Nero, which extended from 54 to 
 68 A. D. It is probable that his death or martyr- 
 dom occurred near the end of Nero's reign after he 
 had become cruel and bloodthirsty. If St. Paul was 
 thirty-five at the time of Stephen's death, and died 
 in the last year of Nero's reign he would have been 
 but seventy years old. It is probable that that is 
 near the truth. He began to feel the infirmities of 
 age creeping on him before this time, or he would 
 not have called himself aged. Until he was past 
 eighty years of age, John Wesley declares of himself 
 that he felt no signs of age. This was remarkable. 
 St. Paul on the other hand grew old at seventy. 
 He had much to contend with. He not only incurred 
 the enmity of the heathen whose gods he dis- 
 credited, and of the Jews whose religion he made 
 antiquated, but also of many who were called 
 Christians, because they could not understand his 
 rejection of Jewish forms and ceremonies. These 
 Jewish Christians could not wholly divorce them- 
 selves from the religion of their fathers, but under- 
 took to make Christianity a new patch upon the old 
 
INTRODUCTION XV 
 
 garment of Judaism. St. Paul understood more 
 clearly than any other man of his time the distinc- 
 tion between the two religions, and the danger of 
 a mixture of the two ; and being the apostle to the 
 Gentiles, he magnified his office by insisting upon 
 these differences that he might preserve the spiritu- 
 ality of the Gentile churches. This brought on a 
 conflict which lasted his lifetime through ; but he 
 never faltered nor wavered. His attempt to concili- 
 ate those Christians who were zealous for the law, 
 when he visited Jerusalem, only got him into trouble 
 and failed of its object. Reviewing this conflict just 
 before his departure to Paradise, he exclaimed; "I 
 have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
 I have kept the faith." As has been said, he suf- 
 fered martyrdom under Nero, and being a Roman 
 citizen, he was decapitated instead of being crucified. 
 The Epistle to the Romans is the most profound the- 
 ological work extant. I have imagined that St. 
 Peter had it especially in mind when he wrote con- 
 cerning St. Paul's writings that some of them were 
 hard to be understood, which those who were un- 
 learned and unstable, wrested to their own destruc- 
 tion. Certain it is, that no other part of the sacred 
 writings is more relied on to prove all sorts of opin- 
 ions and doctrines. No other part is so variously 
 explained by commentators and theologians. There 
 
XVI INTRODUCTION 
 
 are a few passages in this epistle which are prob- 
 ably inexplicable; at least, they have never been so 
 explained as to produce certainty that the mind of 
 the Spirit is understood. But generally, I think, the 
 epistle may be satisfactorily explained so as to make 
 it consistent with itself and with other scriptures. 
 The epistle seems to have been systematically planned, 
 and the plan may be briefly stated as follows: 
 
 ist. The introduction including a description of the con- 
 dition of the Pagan world. Chapter I. 
 
 2nd. A demonstration of the equally lost condition of both 
 Jew and Gentile. Chapters II and III. 
 
 3rd. The Doctrine of Justification by faith. Chapters IV^ 
 and V. 
 
 4th. The doctrine of original sin and our salvation from 
 it through Christ. Chapters VI, VII and VIII. 
 
 5th. A demonstration of the fulfillment of the promises 
 made to God's ancient people notwithstanding the rejection 
 of the greater part of the Jewish nation. Chapters IX, X 
 and XI. 
 
 6th. Exhortations to Holy living. Chapter XII. 
 
 7th. The duty of subjection to human government. Chap- 
 ter XIII. 
 
 8th. The impropriety of Christians judging one another 
 concerning things indifferent, and the duty of the strong to 
 bear with the weak. Chapters XIV and XV. 
 
 9th. Salutations. Chapter XVI. 
 
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle 
 TO THE Romans 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to he an apostle, 
 separated unto the grace of God, 
 
 2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the 
 holy scriptures,) 
 
 The apostle here calls himself a servant (doulos) 
 of Jesus Christ. The Greek word signifies a bond- 
 servant or slave. God's people are free men because 
 delivered from the bondage of sin ; but they are the 
 Lord's bond-servants, having been bought with a 
 price. He was called to be an apostle, or rather 
 called an apostle; the words "to be" being supplied 
 by the translators. He refers, no doubt, to his call 
 by the Lord Jesus. The term "apostle" signifies an 
 envoy, an ambassador. The seventy, called evange- 
 lists, were also messengers but not in so extensive a 
 sense as the twelve. An evangelist is a gospeller, 
 
 or gospel preacher. 
 
 2 (17) 
 
l8 A COMMENTARY 
 
 3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was 
 made of the seed of David according to the flesh ; 
 
 4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, accord- 
 ing to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the 
 dead : 
 
 Both the mother and the reputed father of Jesus 
 were of the lineage of David. Christ was born in 
 Bethlehem, the city of David; living afterward in 
 Nazareth gave Him the name of Nazarene. 
 
 The resurrection of Christ from the dead was a 
 most conclusive proof of the genuineness of His 
 claim that He was the Son of God. It proved the 
 truth of His assertion that He had power to lay 
 down His life, and power to take it again. The 
 primitive Christians made much of the fact of the 
 resurrection, and those calling themselves Christians 
 who deny the literalness of Christ's resurrection 
 would make Him out an impostor. His taking His 
 life up again was as literal and actual as was His 
 death. 
 
 5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for 
 obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name : 
 
 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 
 
 In one sense, all who hear the gospel are called. 
 But some, represented by the " wayside,'' upon which 
 some seed fell, do not hear God's call. To some 
 "our gospel is hid." But these are exceptional cases. 
 But not all who are really called, who recognize 
 
A COMMENTARY I 9 
 
 God's voice, are actually chosen. Whether they who 
 are called are chosen or not depends upon the con- 
 currence of their own wills, not upon any Divine 
 decree. The hearer himself decides whether his call 
 shall be effectual or not. 
 
 saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 The apostle Paul had never been in Rome; and as 
 he declares that he never builded upon another 
 man's foundation, many of the saints in Rome must 
 have been his own converts. Rome was the metro- 
 politan city and was constantly visited by people 
 from all parts of the empire, and many who went 
 there remained. 
 
 8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, 
 that your faitli is spoken of throughout the whole world. 
 
 9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in 
 the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention 
 of you always in my prayers ; 
 
 10. Making request, if by any means now at length I 
 might have a prosperous journev by the will of God to come 
 unto you. 
 
 11. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you 
 some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 
 
 12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you 
 by the mutual faith both of you and me. 
 
 The Christians in Rome suffered great persecutions 
 at times, and these trials of their faith probably 
 caused their fidelity to become so celebrated. But 
 
20 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Nero's persecutions had not yet begun. He accused 
 the Christians of setting the city of Rome on fire, a 
 crime which he was suspected of secretly conniving 
 at, and then the saints were horribly persecuted by 
 him in order to cover up his own guilt. They were 
 crucified, burned alive, cast to the wild beasts 
 in the arena, and otherwise put to death. Thousands 
 afterwards perished in the catacombs under that city. 
 The apostle was, no doubt, conscious of his ability 
 to impart spiritual benefit to the believers in Rome, 
 but he would not assume superiority, but qualified 
 his words by speaking of a mutual benefit that was 
 to be enjoyed by association with them. This shows 
 how careful he was to avoid offence ; though when 
 his authority was questioned he would defend it. 
 This absence of all assumption of superiority is 
 characteristic of a great mind and of great grace. 
 
 13. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that 
 oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, ( but was let hith- 
 erto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as 
 among other Gentiles. 
 
 That the apostle was aquainted with many of the 
 saints in Rome is evident from the salutations in the 
 last chapter of this epistle, but he had met them in 
 other places. He desires fruit among them ; that is, 
 he desires to make converts in Rome itself. His 
 burning desire to save souls would not let him rest 
 
A COMMENTARY 21 
 
 while there was opportunity for doing good. He 
 did not foresee, however, how God would gratify his 
 desire to visit Rome ; that he should first visit that 
 city a prisoner. 
 
 14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barba- 
 rians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 
 
 The Greeks called all other nations Barbarians, so 
 that the Romans themselves were Barbarians to the 
 Greeks. Naturally the apostle owed no man any 
 service, nor was he under any obligation to labor for 
 any man without compensation. But for Christ's sake 
 he becomes the servant of all, and debtor to any man 
 who needed his services. As he declares in another 
 place, he was free from all men, but became the 
 servant of all, for Christ's sake! This was true not 
 only of the great apostle to the Gentiles, but is 
 equally true of every gospel minister. Wheresoever 
 he finds a human being who needs the gospel he 
 owes him his service in preaching that gospel. For 
 Christ's sake he is every man's servant without 
 money and without fee. He who stops to arrange 
 for compensation for his labor shows himself to be 
 constrained, not by the love of Christ, but by the 
 love of filthy lucre. God's ministers are debtors to 
 all of every language, race and color. 
 
 15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the 
 gospel to you that are at Rome also. 
 
2 2 A COMMENTARY 
 
 i6. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it 
 is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; 
 to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 
 
 The apostle intimates here that he imagines some- 
 one might impute his failure to visit Rome hitherto 
 to shame ; that he was ashamed to preach the gospel 
 of the despised Nazarene in the centre of culture and 
 refinement. It is such an imputation that he here 
 denies. For though he was preaching the gospel of 
 one accounted a malefactor, who was put to the 
 death of a slave upon a Roman cross, yet His gospel 
 was nothing to be ashamed of, since it was a suc- 
 cess. It is the powc7' of God. Not merely the power 
 of eloquence, or of logic, or of human persuasion, 
 but the power of God, in that it is preached with 
 the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven ; it pierces 
 like a sword, and is a discerner of the thoughts and 
 intents of the heart. A gospel destitute of this Di- 
 vine element is in word only, and too weak to do 
 lost men any good. The gospel is the power of God 
 unto salvation. It really saves men from sin ; for if 
 they are not saved from sin, they are not saved at 
 all. "He shall save His people from their sins." 
 He came to make an end of sin and to bring in 
 everlasting righteousness. The gospel is God's ap- 
 pointed means for accomplishing this end. "It hath 
 pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save 
 
A COMMENTARY 23 
 
 them that believe." But men have lost confidence in 
 the power of the gospel to save, and are substituting 
 other means. In fact, many deny the possibility of 
 accomplishing the design of the gospel, and are con- 
 tent with much less. Nevertheless it is still true that 
 the gospel is the power of God, and that it saves 
 from sin those who believe it. Men who preach the 
 gospel the apostle preached still find it efficacious, 
 and are content to depend on it alone to save sinners. 
 
 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from 
 faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live hy faith. 
 
 It is not only true that sinners are justified by 
 faith, but those who are justified live by faith. This 
 is a fact generally confessed but seldom understood. 
 It is not by obedience believers stand or live, nor by 
 the use of means of grace ; but the life they now 
 live, they live by the faith of the Son of God. Faith 
 alone unites them to God, the source of their spirit- 
 ual life. To do anything in order to live is to seek 
 to live by works, and so to fall from grace. 
 
 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against 
 all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, w^ho hold the 
 truth in unrighteousness. 
 
 Some critics render the passage "hold down the 
 truth" ; but it is probable the reading in the text is 
 the better one. The context shows the apostle had 
 in mind those who make no use of the truth they 
 
24 A COMMENTARY 
 
 possess ; who do not strive to obey the truth they 
 have knowledge of. Of such, who know their Mas- 
 ter's will and do it not, it is said they shall be beaten 
 with many stripes. 
 
 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest 
 in them; for God had shewed // unto them. 
 
 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the 
 world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that 
 are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they 
 are without excuse : 
 
 It is clear that the apostle held with David, that 
 atheism is a disease of the heart rather than of the 
 head. The fool hath said in his heart. There is no 
 God. The light of nature alone is sufficient to teach 
 us the existence of an Infinite Creator. 
 
 21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him 
 not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their 
 imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
 
 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. 
 
 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into 
 an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four- 
 footed beasts, and creeping things. 
 
 The failure to glorify God, when He is known, 
 will surely bring darkness, in any age or under any 
 dispensation. There is no folly nor absurdity too 
 great for men to commit when once they have lost 
 the light of God. Yet men always imagine them- 
 selves growing wise as they go away from God. 
 They have no standard by which to measure them- 
 
A COMMENTARY 25 
 
 selves, their humility is lost, and their vanity puffs 
 them up. The foolish and debasing idolatries into 
 which mankind sank v^hen they cast off the knowl- 
 edge of God are almost incredible, and are a shame 
 to human nature. But they did these things while 
 they imagined they were becoming wise. 
 
 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through 
 the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies 
 between themselves : 
 
 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and wor- 
 shipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who 
 is blessed for ever. Amen. 
 
 To corrupt the truth is to change it into a lie. 
 The existence of God, and our duty to worship Him 
 is the truth ; but when men substituted idols repre- 
 senting demons, for the true and living God, and 
 worshipped them, they changed the truth of God 
 into a lie. Corrupted truth is the worst form of 
 falsehood. It is not only a lie, but it apes the truth, 
 and is thus the more likely to deceive. I have seen 
 it stated that a false religion is better than no 
 religion. This is a mistake; it is worse; just as a 
 counterfeit coin is worse than no money. It would 
 be difficult to deceive a pauper into the opinion that 
 he is rich, if he has no money ; but it may be done 
 with counterfeit money. Skepticism, agnosticism, is 
 less harmful than a false religion. 
 
26 A COMMENTARY 
 
 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections : 
 for even their women did change their natural use into that 
 which is against nature : 
 
 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of 
 the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men 
 with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in 
 themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 
 
 The vile and debasing lusts of the pagan nations 
 were so abominable as to almost surpass belief. St. 
 Paul declares in another place that it is a shame to 
 speak of those things which are done of them in 
 secret. The state of affairs described as existing 
 in Sodom gives us an idea of the condition of things 
 in pagandom. No wonder that city was destroyed. 
 Men often wonder at, and skeptics cavil at, the 
 severity of God toward the Canaanites. This gives 
 the clew. They were so debased that they had 
 become incorrigible and God gave them up to 
 destruction as he did Sodom, but by other means. 
 By giving these nations up to the sword of the 
 Israelites, God not only executed vengeance upon 
 these sinners, but he impressed upon the Israelites 
 themselves the enormity of their offence. The leisure 
 classes in Rome at the time the apostle wrote this 
 epistle, were nearly or quite as vile as the Sodomites. 
 Chastity and common decency were almost strangers 
 among them. The common people were not quite so 
 much debased. 
 
A COMMENTARY 2,7 
 
 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their 
 knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do 
 those things which are not convenient ; 
 
 This reprobate mind was the result of the dark- 
 ened heart spoken of in verse 21. A rejection of 
 the truth darkens the moral nature. "If thine eye 
 be evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness " 
 says the Lord. The withdrawal of the light of God, 
 the influence of the Holy Spirit, soon affects the 
 intellect. The mental processes become erratic and 
 foolish. There is no predicting what absurdities they 
 will be guilty of. A madness is upon them. This 
 was observed even by the pagans, who had a saying 
 that "Whom the gods will destroy they first make 
 mad." This fate is predicted of the false professors 
 in the end of this age. Because they receive not the 
 love of the truth that they might be saved, therefore 
 God will send them strong delusion, that they may 
 believe a lie. There are many reasons for believing 
 that this prophecy is now being fulfilled. 
 
 The things which are not conve7tient are those un- 
 natural desires and appetites which they cultivated, 
 and gratified ; those things which are against nature. 
 They were strained, farfetched, out of the order of 
 nature ; therefore not co7tvenient. In the 37th verse he 
 tells us that they received in themselves the recom- 
 pence that was meet. The results of such debauch- 
 
25 A COMMENTARY 
 
 ery were physical and mental degeneracy and weak- 
 ness. 
 
 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wick- 
 edness, covetousness, maliciousness ; full of envj, murder, 
 debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 
 
 30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, 
 inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
 
 31. Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without 
 natural affection, implacable, unmerciful : 
 
 32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which 
 commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, 
 but have pleasure in them that do them. 
 
 This description of the moral state of heathendom 
 is so vivid and clear that it needs little comment. 
 In the case of the Romans, their implacability and 
 unmercifulness were shown in their love of gladiato- 
 rial combats. It often happened that one of the con- 
 testants was vanquished without being killed outright, 
 and the sparing of his life depended upon the deci- 
 sion of the spectators. The victor waited for the 
 signal of the emperor, or of the person presiding at 
 the games. The spectators signified their wish and 
 the emperor's thumb was turned up or down accord- 
 ingly. If up, the vanquished man's life was spared; 
 otherwise he was dispatched without mercy. It is to 
 the shame of the Roman people that often the pros- 
 trate man was killed in cold blood at their demand. 
 
 To persist in doing those things known to be 
 worthy of death, shows inveterate rebellion and 
 
A COMMENTARY 
 
 29 
 
 hardness of heart. But men often do what they are 
 ashamed to have known. To take pleasure in those 
 who do these shameful things shows a still lower 
 stage of degradation and moral degeneracy. Such 
 men have become lost to shame, and free from 
 remorse. 
 
 The condition of the pagan world here described 
 by St. Paul, and his description of false professors 
 in the last days of the present age, as found in II 
 Tim. 3rd chapter, ist and 5th, are so similar as to ex- 
 cite astonishment. In order that the similarity may 
 be clearly seen, I will give ,the two passages side 
 by side that the comparison may be easy. 
 
 29. Being filled with all 
 unrighteousness, fornication, 
 wickedness, covetousness, ma- 
 liciousness ; full of envy, mur- 
 der, debate, deceit, malignity; 
 whisperers, 
 
 30. Backbiters, haters of 
 God, despiteful, proud, boast- 
 ers, inventors of evil things, 
 disobedient to parents, 
 
 31. Without understanding, 
 covenant-breakers, without nat- 
 ural affection, implacable, un- 
 merciful. 
 
 2. For men shall be lovers 
 of their own selves, covetous, 
 boasters, proud, blasphemers, 
 disobedient to parents, un- 
 thankful, unholy, 
 
 3. Without natural affec- 
 tion, truce-breakers, false ac- 
 cusers, incontinent, fierce, de- 
 spisers of those that are good, 
 
 4. Traitors, heady, high- 
 minded, lovers of pleasures 
 more than lovers of God. 
 
 Two thirds or three fourths of these characteristics 
 are common to the heathen of Paul's day and the 
 professed Christians of our day. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 I. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou 
 art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou con- 
 demnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 
 
 This apostrophe is addressed to no special person 
 or class, and is no doubt of universal application ; but 
 it is probable that the apostle has the Jews in mind 
 in what he says here. 
 
 On this point of judging there is general misappre- 
 hension. It is commonly thought that all judging 
 is condemned. St. Paul's teaching is in harmony 
 with the teaching of Christ in his sermon on the 
 mount. The person who judges is here condemned 
 for denouncing in another that of which he himself 
 is guilty. The fact that a man does an unlawful 
 thing is not positive proof of guilt. He may do it 
 in ignorance of the law ; this would plead an excuse. 
 But when he condemns the same conduct in another, 
 it is positive proof of guilt, and leaves him without 
 excuse for his wrongdoing. He knows better. This 
 is what Jesus means when he says, "Judge not lest 
 ye be judged." We must be willing to be judged by 
 the same rule by which we judge others. To con- 
 (30) 
 
A COMMENTARY 3 1 
 
 demn others for those things of which we ourselves 
 are guilty, is sheer hypocrisy. If we do not wish to 
 be judged, we must not judge others : " Those who live 
 in glass houses must not throw stones." But those 
 who are willing to be judged themselves are at 
 liberty to judge others by the same rule. Having 
 the beam out of his own eye one can consistently 
 pull motes out of others' eyes. Only the innocent 
 are competent to judge the guilty. This is shown in 
 the case of the woman taken in adultery, as recorded 
 in John's gospel. If this principle were enforced in 
 our civil and criminal courts it would be much more 
 difficult than it is now to secure competent juries. 
 
 2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according 
 to truth against them which commit such things. 
 
 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them 
 which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt 
 escape the judgment of God? 
 
 How strange it is that any one should imagine 
 
 that his own sins would be condoned if he should 
 
 condemn the same sins in others. This is an evidence 
 
 of the deceitfulness of sin. But in many cases men 
 
 condemn the sins of others to conceal their own. 
 
 This sort of hypocrisy is quite common. None are 
 
 so unmerciful to other culprits as the guilty who 
 
 think their guilt undiscovered. The others are guilty 
 
 of the unpardonable crime of being found out. Such 
 
 shall not escape the judgment of God. "They shall 
 
32 A COMMENTARY 
 
 have judgment without mercy, who showed no 
 mercy." As they judged others so shall they be 
 judged. 
 
 4. Or despises! thou the riches of his goodness and for- 
 bearance and longsuff ering ; not knowing that the goodness of 
 God leadeth thee to repentance? 
 
 God's forbearance with sinners who despise his 
 grace and trample upon his goodness is astonishing. 
 Infinite patience is incomprehensible to finite minds. 
 Nor is that patience ever exhausted. It is no longer 
 exercised simply because it is useless, the sinner's 
 case being hopeless. So long as there is any possi- 
 bility of repentance God's grace is extended to the 
 ingrate. 
 
 Not only is it true that the goodness of God is 
 intended to lead the sinner to repentance, but it is 
 also true that nothing else carj produce that effect. 
 Fear can never lead to repentance. It is a slavish 
 sentiment, appealing to self-love, and if excessive it 
 paralyzes effort and dazes the intellectual faculties. 
 There is nothing generous in it. If the sinner is 
 ever separated from his sins he must be drawn from 
 them; he cannot be driven from them. The prospect 
 of punishment may make men fear to sin, but cannot 
 deliver them from the love of sin. A sense of God's 
 love and goodness is the only thing that can create 
 an abhorrence of sin. This appeals to our gratitude 
 
A COMMENTARY 33 
 
 and to every generous sentiment of our nature. A 
 sense of God's love v^^ill create in us a desire to 
 love Him, and consequently make sin hateful to us. 
 
 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest 
 up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation 
 of the righteous judgment of God; 
 
 Wrath, w^hen predicated of God, is a very differ- 
 ent thing from the evil passion of that name found 
 in demons and wricked men. The latter springs from 
 hatred, the former from love. It is the wrath of love, 
 and there is in it nothing incompatible with infinite 
 pity. Punitive justice is inseparable from any form 
 of government. As Governor of the moral universe 
 God must punish incorrigible offenders. The nature 
 of this punishment we do not understand. We are 
 informed that wicked men suffer punishment with 
 demons, but are nowhere taught that this punishment 
 is inflicted by demons. The popular notion that sin- 
 ners are put under the power of demons to be pun- 
 ished is unfounded. Wicked men fall into the hands 
 of "the living God" when the day of grace is past; 
 then the day of wrath will begin. 
 
 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds. 
 
 Rewards and punishments are to be measured out 
 to men according to their deeds. Men are saved or 
 lost accordingly as they believe the gospel or do not 
 
34 A COMMENTARY 
 
 believe it. "He that belie veth hath everlasting life." 
 *'He that believeth not shall not see life." That is, 
 men are saved according to their faith, but rewarded 
 according to their works. This is a distinction that 
 is often lost sight of. All believers are alike saved 
 and all unbelievers are alike lost ; but all believers have 
 not the same rewards, nor all unbelievers the same 
 punishments. Nor does it necessarily follow, because 
 men are lost forever, that they are punished forever 
 for the sins committed in this life. Nor can we with 
 certainty assume that while degrees of punishment 
 differ, the duration of punishment incurred for the 
 sins of this life is the same in all cases. To be eter- 
 nally lost is one thing ; to be eternally punished is 
 quite another thing. Men are lost because of what 
 they are; they are punished for what they have done. 
 
 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek 
 for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life : 
 
 Patient continuance in well doing is essential to 
 success in the service of God. Modern Arminianism, 
 while holding in accordance with scripture the doc- 
 trine of the possibility of falling from the grace of 
 God so as to be finally lost, is guilty of minimizing 
 the danger of apostasy. It has come to be consid- 
 ered a light matter to fall from grace. It is consid- 
 ered not only a possibility, but a probability. The 
 children are taught to sing, 
 
A COMMENTARY 35 
 
 *• If I forget Him and wander away, 
 Kindly He follows wherever I stray." 
 
 God says, "If any man draw back, my soul shall 
 have no pleasure in him." He that looks back, after 
 having put his hand to the gospel plow, is not fit 
 for the kingdom of God. To forget God is a most 
 heinous offence, and worthy of death ; as says the 
 Psalmist, "The wicked shall be turned into hell and 
 all the nations that forget God." God was once 
 married to the backslider, but that is not the case 
 now. Wilful sin is fatal to the soul, and its effects 
 are irreparable. Inconstancy in God's service is in- 
 excusable, and will fail of success. 
 
 We are here taught that immortality is to be sought 
 after, and the logical inference is that it is therefore 
 not naturally ours. The term is intended to apply 
 to the body, or to the whole man, and does not 
 apply to the spirit, or immaterial principle. So far 
 as I know, immortality is never predicted of the soul 
 or spirit, in the scriptures. But its existence apart 
 from the body is plainly taught, and its indestructi- 
 bility is asserted by the Lord Jesus. The immortality 
 of the soul or spirit, though not stated explicitly, is 
 intimated in many ways. It is logically inferred that 
 as the body came from the earth, and so partakes of 
 the nature of its source, being changeable and mortal, 
 the spirit coming from God, partakes of His nature, 
 
S6 A COMMENTARY 
 
 and so is unchangeable and immortal. So, "the dust 
 returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns 
 to God who gave it." It may be asked " will not 
 the wicked have immortal bodies in the resurrection?" 
 It seems not. This gift is for those who seek it, 
 and for them alone. The wicked will have the same 
 life restored to them through Christ that they lost 
 through the sin of Adam, with no access to a tree 
 of life. It is said of God, ''Who only hath immor- 
 tality." In the absolute sense God alone is immor- 
 tal. The immortality of His creatures depends upon 
 His will. If He can create. He can destroy them. 
 If it be true, as some philosophers teach, that some- 
 thing was never created from nothing, and so can- 
 not be reduced to nothing, but that the whole 
 universe, spiritual and material, is an emanation from 
 God; then God can destroy the whole of it, or any 
 part of it, by absorbing that which emanated from 
 Him. 
 
 The eternal life which God gives to those who 
 seek for glory and honor and immortality, is not 
 eternal existence but eternal union with Himself. 
 This is enjoyed in a limited sense in this life by the 
 believer, but will be enjoyed hereafter in a more 
 eminent sense. 
 
 8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey 
 the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 
 
A COMMENTARY 37 
 
 9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that 
 doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile ; 
 
 10. But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that work- 
 eth good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile : 
 
 11. For there is no respect of persons with God. 
 
 This statement of the apostle that there is no re- 
 spect of persons with God^ is one of vast importance 
 to the human race. It should finally dispose of the 
 notion that God chose some to eternal life and left 
 others to perish, without any foresight of faith or 
 good works. Such difference made without any re- 
 spect to character would certainly be respect of per- 
 sons ; for it would respect nothing else. Men often 
 imagine that because they know more than others, and 
 claim or profess more than others, that therefore God 
 will deal more leniently with them than with others. 
 The Jew imagined that he possessed this superiority 
 over the Gentile. The professed Christian also often 
 supposes that he has this advantage over the non- 
 professor ; that though he may live as other men 
 live, and sin as other men do, that God will save 
 him while condemning the others. This is a vain 
 hope. If there be any advantage it is not in favor 
 of the ungodly professor of Christianity. His re- 
 sponsibilities are greater and his guilt is correspond- 
 ingly greater. It is a difficult matter to convince 
 men that God is strictly impartial, and that He re- 
 spects character alone. 
 
S^ A COMMENTARY 
 
 12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also 
 perish without law : and as many as have sinned in the law 
 shall be judged by the law ; 
 
 13. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, 
 but the doers of the law shall be justified. 
 
 14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do 
 by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not 
 the law, are a law unto themselves : 
 
 15. Which shew the work of the law written in their 
 hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and t/ieir 
 thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one an- 
 other;) 
 
 In the foregoing statements St. Paul is not attempt- 
 ing to show how either Jew or Gentile can be saved, 
 but how they shall be judged, or what is the stand- 
 ard of judgment in the case of each. He does not 
 say that any one shall be saved by keeping the law, 
 but that each shall be judged by the standard he 
 possesses. If those who have sinned without law 
 shall perish without law, then all shall perish; for 
 " All have sinned and come short of the glory of 
 God." They must be saved upon some other basis, 
 if saved at all. By the law here spoken of is meant 
 the decalogue. The Gentiles did many things con- 
 tained in that law as fully as did the Jews, though 
 they were ignorant of the existence of that law. 
 Their keeping the law is true particularly of the 
 duties which they owed to their neighbors. In some 
 way they recognized those things to be wrong which 
 the law forbids. What is the origin of this moral 
 
A COMMENTARY 39 
 
 sense which all men possess to a greater or 
 degree is a mooted question. The apostle says they 
 did by nature the things contained in the law. I am 
 persuaded that this natural sense of right and wrong, 
 called conscience, is the result of light from God, 
 through the agency of the Holy spirit, which comes 
 to all men through Jesus Christ, who is a light that 
 lighteth every man that cometh into the world, as 
 declared by St. John. This light measures their re- 
 sponsibility where there is no other revelation. 
 
 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men 
 by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 
 
 This verse should be read in connection with the 
 12th, the other three verses having been thrown in 
 by way of explanation. The idea of a general judg- 
 ment, a day in which all secret things shall be made 
 manifest, is found only in the scriptures. The belief 
 in a future state of rewards and punishments was 
 common among the heathen ; but they had no notion 
 of a special day of judgment. The common opinion 
 among nominal Christians, that the saved and the 
 unsaved are to be judged at that time, is also erro- 
 neous. That the righteousness of saints, and the fact 
 of their innocence and acceptance with God, may be 
 made manifest on that day, may be true enough ; but 
 their cases will have been passed on and their rewards 
 received, long before that tremendous day. It is the 
 
40 A COMMENTARY 
 
 things that have been kept covered, the secrets of ?7icn, 
 that shall be judged on that day. God is glorified 
 in having sin exposed ; and if we will not uncover 
 and confess our sin ourselves, God will uncover it. 
 He has declared " there is nothing covered that shall 
 not be revealed." We have the choice of uncovering 
 our sins now, or of having them uncovered then. If 
 w^e uncover them, God will cover them. " Blessed 
 is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose 
 sins are covered." When once God has covered 
 them, they shall never again be uncovered. They 
 shall be forgotten forever. "If we judge ourselves 
 we shall not be judged and condemned with the 
 wicked world." Judgment is going on now; it is 
 begun at the house of God. Let us be sure that if 
 we keep any sin concealed, God will expose it, and 
 we shall be judged and condemned with the wicked 
 world. This day of judgment referred to here by 
 the apostle, will come after Christ's Millennial reign, 
 and after the resurrection of the wicked dead. The 
 commonly received notions upon the general judg- 
 ment are crude and often unscriptural. 
 
 17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, 
 and makest thy boast of God, 
 
 The name "Jew " meant originally a member of the 
 
 tribe of Judah ; but it afterward came to be applied to 
 
 the whole Hebrew nation. It was not used until 
 
A COMMENTARY 4 1 
 
 about the time of the dispersion of the ten tribes, 
 after which event the tribe of Judah constituted the 
 larger part of the Israelites left. The name properly 
 belonged to one who was in covenant relation with 
 God. They rested in the law, considering them- 
 selves the special favorites of Heaven, because they 
 possessed the law ; and they made their boast of 
 God, of their relation to Him as His chosen people. 
 
 18. And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are 
 more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 
 
 Because they knew God's will and approved of it, 
 
 they imagined themselves much superior to those who 
 
 were ignorant, not realizing that a knowledge of the 
 
 right and an approval of it in theory, only added to 
 
 their condemnation if they failed to do God's will. 
 
 This address to the Jew, made here by the apostle, 
 
 might with great pertinency be applied to modern 
 
 professors of Christianity. How often they plume 
 
 themselves upon their knowledge of divine things, 
 
 and their acceptance of good doctrines, while they 
 
 live in disobedience and open disregard of God's 
 
 demands upon them. 
 
 19. And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the 
 blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 
 
 20. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which 
 hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 
 
 Persons who, like these Jews, have a form of 
 
 knowledge of the truth, without any real experience, 
 
42 A COMMENTARY 
 
 are generally confident of their ability to instruct 
 others. They have a knowledge that puffeth up and 
 fills them with self-confidence. They are ready to 
 run without being sent. When men become truly 
 qualified for the work of teaching others, they have, 
 become so sensible of their own weakness, and of 
 the responsibility of the work, that they hesitate, and 
 cry out in dismay, "Who is sufficient for such 
 things.^ " A forwardness to teach, and a readiness 
 to assume the responsibilities of a spiritual guide, 
 are not favorable signs of a fitness for the work. 
 
 21. Thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not 
 thyself.? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou 
 steal ? 
 
 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, 
 dost thou commit adultery.? thou that abhorrest idols, dost 
 thou commit sacrilege? 
 
 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through 
 breaking the law dishonorest thou God ? 
 
 It is a matter of great astonishment that any one 
 
 should suppose that a knowledge of the right, and a 
 
 teaching of righteousness would palliate or excuse 
 
 wrongdoing. One might suppose that the apostle 
 
 had overdrawn the case, did not observation prove 
 
 the contrary. It is a matter of common observation 
 
 that men suppose themselves in God's favor, and on 
 
 the road to heaven, because they profess righteousness 
 
 and teach righteousness, while they themselves are 
 
 daily transgressors of God's law. There is no more 
 
A COMMENTARY 43 
 
 common error than this, however absurd it may 
 seem. Why any man should imagine that God will 
 not punish him for trangressions that he himself 
 declares God will punish other men for, is one of the 
 strange idiosyncrasies of human nature. Was it any 
 worse for a Gentile to steal than for a Jew to do so? 
 And is it any more sinful for a common sinner to lie 
 than for a professed Christian to do so? And will 
 God excuse the one and punish the other? There is 
 no respect of persons witji God. 
 
 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gen- 
 tiles through jou, as it is written. 
 
 Their violations of their laws and the inconsistency 
 between their lives and their teachings caused the 
 name of God to be spoken against. The same is true 
 of false professors of Christianity, "by reason of 
 whom the way of truth is evil spoken of." There 
 is no influence so potent in producing skepticism and 
 unbelief in Christ's teachings as the ungodly lives of 
 professed Christians. The most convincing evidence 
 of the truth of Christianity is wanting among un- 
 faithful disciples. The efforts of infidel teachers will 
 have little effect where God's professed people are 
 obedient and faithful. 
 
 25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law : 
 but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made 
 uncircumcision. 
 
44 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Circumcision in the flesh was the sign and seal of 
 the covenant which God made with the natural seed 
 of Abraham. This covenant concerned only earthly 
 things. Its highest rewards were long life, riches, 
 health, and dominion over enemies ; its severest pun- 
 ishment, physical death. "He that despised Moses' 
 law died without mercy, under two or three wit- 
 nesses." If the Jew broke the law, he made the 
 covenant null, so that his circumcision could not 
 profit him ; it became meaningless ; and hence equal 
 to uncircumcision. 
 
 26, Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness 
 of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for cir- 
 cumcision? 
 
 This is nothing more than justice, but was quite 
 unpalatable to the Jews, who looked upon themselves 
 as being specially favored of God, and His exclusive 
 beneficiaries ; while he regarded the uncircumcised 
 Gentile with contempt, as an outcast from mercy, a 
 dog, beneath the notice of Jehovah. This doctrine 
 of the equality of Jew and Gentile must have been 
 particularly obnoxious to them. 
 
 27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it 
 fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision 
 transgress the law? 
 
 To judge, here signifies to condemn. And surely if 
 the Gentile without revelation did that which was 
 
A COMMENTARY 45 
 
 lawful, while the Jew, who enjoyed the light of rev- 
 elation violated the law, the former would condemn 
 the latter. And yet it is generally supposed that 
 professed Christians who transgress God's command- 
 ments are in some way far superior to non-professors 
 who keep those commandments. The former are 
 supposed to be heirs of Heaven, while the latter are 
 heirs of perdition. 
 
 In all that the apostle has said concerning the keep- 
 ing of the law, by either Jew or Gentile, we are to 
 understand that neither secured eternal life by so 
 doing. This is impossible, as the apostle shows in 
 another place. The intent of his argument is to 
 show the self-sufficient Jew that in his need of sal- 
 vation he was on an exact equality with the Gentile. 
 The great mass of the Jewish people stumbled at 
 this stumbling-stone. 
 
 28. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither 
 IS that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh : 
 
 29. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circum- 
 cision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; 
 whose praise is not of men, but of God. 
 
 The apostle here states a very important fact, or 
 principle. The Jew here is made to mean one of 
 God's people. The Jew who was one outwardly, 
 was a Jew in the fullest sense, so far as the old cove- 
 nant was concerned. There was then no other kind of 
 Jew. But the old covenant church was not the real 
 
46 A COMMENTARY 
 
 church of God, and so the Jew outwardly was not one 
 of God's real people. The circumcision which was out- 
 ward in the flesh was the only circumcision then in 
 existence. The circumcision of the heart was then 
 unknown. " For the whole house of Israel is uncir- 
 cumcised in heart," declares the prophet. To this 
 universal rule there was no exception. The Jewish 
 church was a type of the true church, and the Jew was 
 a type of the real child of God. Circumcision of the 
 heart is the real circumcision ; and this work is the 
 taking away of inward sin, "the sins of the flesh," 
 and the establishment of inward purity. Only such 
 as have experienced this spiritual purification are the 
 children of God. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 God's dealings with the Jewish people and their 
 relation to Him, and to the Gentile nations, are mat- 
 ters of peculiar interest. Upon these subjects much 
 might be said for which there is not space here. 
 Shortly after the deluge, the nations began to relapse 
 into idolatry ; and this apostasy became so general 
 that the knowledge of the true God was likely to be 
 lost entirely. To prevent this calamity, and to keep 
 alive a hope of the promised Messiah, as well as to pre- 
 serve the revelation received from God, one nation 
 
A COMMENTARY 47 
 
 was chosen as a repository of these precious truths. 
 In order that these ends might be accomplished, this 
 nation must be separated from the others, and must 
 be dealt with in a peculiar manner. They must be 
 made to feel that they were the special favorites of 
 Heaven, and that they possessed exceptional holiness 
 which would make it pollution to associate familiarly 
 with others not thus favored. They must be filled 
 with the spirit of exclusiveness, or the result would 
 be inevitable failure of the plan. This, no doubt, 
 tended to develop spiritual pride and superciliousness, 
 and did not make the Jewish character a lovable one; 
 but in spite of the contempt of the Jews for other 
 nations, whom they regarded as dogs, it was with 
 great difficulty they were kept from imitating their 
 idolatries. This tutelage of the Israelites was not for 
 their own benefit alone, but for the benefit of the 
 race. They were not chosen because they were any 
 better than other peoples, as Moses assures them, but 
 it is probable God saw in their national traits, some- 
 thing peculiarly adapted to His purpose. A large 
 part of the nation became incorrigibly idolatrous and 
 were carried away by the King of Assyria, scattered 
 among the nations and lost. But the two tribes of 
 Judah and Benjamin, with the priests and Levites, 
 were kept comparatively free from idolatry, especially 
 after the Babylonish captivity, and were as far as 
 
48 A COMMENTARY 
 
 possible prepared for the manifestation of the Son of 
 God among them. 
 
 We are not to suppose that the God of infinite im- 
 partiality had any special love for Jews over Gentiles. 
 In His dealings w^ith them He had the good of the 
 human race in purpose. Nor can it be said that dis- 
 cipline especially fitted the Jews for the reception of 
 the gospel, of which they had the first offer. Rather 
 the contrary appears to be true. It was difficult for 
 the Jew to acknowledge the equality of the Gentile 
 in church privileges ; and then he had so long been 
 taught to acquire merit by obedience to law, that the 
 doctrine of salvation by grace was a stumbling-block 
 to him. A remnant was saved ; but the great mass 
 of the Jewish people refused to come in to the gos- 
 pel feast where Gentiles were equally welcome. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 1. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit t's 
 there of circumcision? 
 
 2. Much every way : chiefly, because that unto them were 
 committed the oracles of God. 
 
 An oracle is a Divine revelation. In Acts VII-38, 
 Moses is said to have received and transmitted "the 
 lively oracles." This refers to the five books of 
 Moses, the Pentateuch, or the book of the law, as 
 it is elsewhere called. St. Stephen here recognizes 
 the Pentateuch as being Divinely inspired. Jesus 
 joins the law and the prophets together, thus recog- 
 nizing the inspiration of both. The other sacred 
 writings of the Old Testament were not so highly 
 venerated by the Jews, though they are included by 
 them among the oracles of God. But the sacred 
 book was not the only oracle among the Israelites. 
 Each prophet was a living oracle by whom God spake 
 in times past unto his people. Then the priest wear- 
 ing the ephod was also an oracle who might be con- 
 sulted concerning the will of God. In this case God 
 was said to answer by Urim and Thummim. This 
 possession of a Divine Revelation, and the possession 
 4 (49) 
 
50 A COMiMENTARY 
 
 of living oracles by whom the will of God might be 
 learned in any emergency, was a great advantage to 
 the Jew, most certainly. The Gentiles also had 
 oracles, but they were lying oracles, presided over by 
 demons, who could not foretell events in the future. 
 The importance of ascertaining the will of God was 
 keenly felt by the pagans. Hence the existence of 
 soothsayers and augurs who pretended to understand 
 portents, and to be able to foretell the future by 
 means of the flight of birds, or by the examination 
 of the entrails of victims slain in sacrifice. As for 
 Christians, they have the Holy Spirit to teach them 
 the will of God, and if willing to do His will they 
 shall know His will. 
 
 3. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief 
 make the faith of God without effect? 
 
 4. God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; 
 as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, 
 and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 
 
 The unbelief and unfaithfulness of many of those 
 to whom the promise was made, that is, a large part 
 of the Jewish nation, could not affect the faithful- 
 ness of God nor the truth of His promises. To the 
 Jews it seemed that God could not reject them with- 
 out repudiating His promises. I shall have more to 
 say on this point farther on. 
 
 The apostle does not use the phrase "God forbid." 
 The name of the Deity is not used. The phrase used 
 
A COMMENTARY 51 
 
 means " not at all " or " by no means." St. Paul did 
 not fail to reverence God's name, if the translators 
 did so fail. 
 
 It is a common practice among men to set them- 
 selves up as God's critics and judges, informing us 
 what part of God's word is credible and what is not. 
 This might seem presumptuous at first glance, but 
 its commonness has reconciled most people to the 
 practice. This is true both of theologians and of 
 scientists. The *' higher criticism" of the theological 
 critics is so exalted, that those critics can look down 
 upon the Almighty only with tolerance and ill-con- 
 cealed contempt. The scientists can account for the 
 origin of life and for other existing conditions with- 
 out any need of an Infinite Creator ; and God is ex- 
 cluded, in their systems, from His own universe. 
 Nevertheless, I am convinced that, in the end, God 
 will be found true, and many self-sufficient wise men 
 will be found liars. There is yet in the world much 
 that the inspired writer calls " pseudo-science," con- 
 sisting of a small modicum of fact and a large per 
 cent of conjecture. No well authenticated scientific 
 fact contradicts any revealed truth. 
 
 5. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness 
 of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh 
 vengeance? (I speak as a man.) 
 
 6. God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 
 
52 A COMMENTARY 
 
 7. For if the truth of God hath more abounded through 
 my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 
 
 The fifth and seventh verses seem to contain an 
 objection urged by a Jew. The point of the objec- 
 tion seems to be this: "If my disobedience tends to 
 magnify God's faithfulness in keeping His part of the 
 covenant, vv^hy should I be punished for doing that 
 w^hich brings glory to God? " The sixth verse con- 
 tains the apostle's answer: "how on this principle 
 could God judge the world?" There would be no 
 distinction between righteousness and unrighteousness, 
 if both were rewardable. By speaking as a man, the 
 apostle probably means that he is speaking the senti- 
 ments of another, and not his own. 
 
 8. And not rather^ (as we be slanderously reported, and 
 as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may 
 come? whose damnation is just. 
 
 This charge which the apostle sets forth here at 
 some length, was brought against the Christians by 
 their enemies, probably their Jewish opposers. The 
 charge was presumably founded upon the doctrine of 
 grace, a charge which others since have made, that 
 grace encourages sin, since punishment may be 
 avoided by repentance. This charge was made mali- 
 ciously, as the objector knew it to be false, so that his 
 condemnation is just. If the sorrow of this world 
 brought pardon this charge might have some ground 
 
A COMMENTARV 53 
 
 to stand upon. But as nothing short of godly sorrow 
 will prepare us for the exercise of God's mercy, there 
 is nothing which so discourages the repetition of the 
 offence. Much of that which passes for repentance 
 and pardon, gives men a false conception of sin, mak- 
 ing it appear as a light thing to sin against God, 
 and thus encourages transgressors to presume upon 
 Divine mercy. But the gospel is not responsible for 
 this perversion of its doctrines. The idea that it is 
 proper to do evil that good might come is common. 
 It is a doctrine generally received. It is taught in 
 our Universities by professors of Ethics. Yet it is 
 just as damnable a doctrine now as when the first 
 Christians were accused of teaching it. 
 
 9. What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: 
 for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they 
 are all under sin; 
 
 In respect of their need of salvation, there was no 
 difference between Jew and Gentile. All that had 
 been done for the Jews could have no further effect 
 than to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 
 In this respect, it was a failure so far as the great 
 majority were concerned. It was a very humiliating 
 lesson for the Jew to learn, that in spite of his great 
 advantage and his high pretensions, he must secure 
 salvation on exactly the same terms with those whom 
 he had been taught to despise as outcasts. Notwith- 
 
54 A COxMMENTARY 
 
 standing all that had been done for the race, up to 
 the time of Christ's advent, the result was to leave 
 all men, without exception, under sin and condem- 
 nation. 
 
 10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 
 
 11. There is none that understandeth, there is none that 
 seeketh after God. 
 
 12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together 
 become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not 
 one. 
 
 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues 
 they have used deceit; the poison of asps t's under their lips: 
 
 14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness : 
 
 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood : 
 
 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways : 
 
 17. And the way of peace have they not known: 
 
 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. 
 
 What a description of fallen humanity ! But this 
 is God's view of natural men. But it may be 
 asked, are not some persons mentioned in the Old 
 Testament said to be righteous? Yes, Abel and Lot 
 are called righteous, and Noah is said to have 
 become heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 
 Abraham's faith was also imputed to him for right- 
 eousness. In this sense all pre-advent believers were 
 righteous. But they were righteous only in the same 
 sense infants are righteous, by imputation. They 
 were not actually so. The righteousness of the law 
 was not fulfilled in them. In hearty and generally 
 in conduct, they were not righteous. Abraham, the 
 
A COMMENTARY 55 
 
 most perfect character of the Old Testament was a 
 polygamist, a liar, and a man of war. Moses was a 
 murderer, David an adulterer and murderer, Lot was 
 guilty of drunkenness and incest. That righteousness 
 or holiness which brings men into unity and fellow- 
 ship with God, they were destitute of. Therefore it 
 is truly said, there is none righteous, no, not one. 
 
 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, 
 it saith to them who are under the law : that every mouth 
 may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before 
 God. 
 
 Since this is true the Jew could not avoid the 
 conclusion that he was meant, as he, rather than the 
 Gentile, was under the law. It is a strange circum- 
 stance that the above scripture from the loth to the 
 i8th verse, including both, is often quoted to prove 
 the sinfulness of believers. This shows two things : 
 ist, great ignorance of the scriptures ; 2nd, the 
 fallacy and impropriety of quoting a passage of 
 scripture regardless of the context. Scripture may 
 thus be made to teach falsehoods and absurdities. 
 The effort of the apostle is to prove the need of all 
 men, both Jews and Gentiles, of Christ and His Sal- 
 vation. As what is here quoted by St. Paul applies 
 to them who are under the law, and as believers 
 under the gospel are said to be not under the law, 
 but under grace, it cannot apply to them. It is of 
 
56 A COMMENTARY 
 
 men in their natural state it can be said, there is 
 none good. 
 
 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh 
 be justified in his sight : for hy the law is the knowledge of 
 sin. 
 
 Herein is laid down a fundamental principle of the 
 doctrine of grace. To the Jew it seemed revolu- 
 tionary. It uprooted and overturned at one fell 
 blow, all his righteousness and all his hope. It left 
 him without a refuge and shelterless, as it does 
 every other sinner, exposed to the wrath of God. 
 
 " Faded his virtuous show, 
 His form without the power." 
 
 It annihilated his whole religious system, and filled 
 him with both fear and wrath. It shoved him off 
 his pedestal and confounded him with those whom 
 he had been taught to despise as the enemies of God, 
 the uncircumcised. Is it any wonder that he was 
 stumbled? 
 
 The fact that dy the laiv is t/ic knozv/cdgc of sin is 
 proof that it cannot at the same time be a means of 
 justification ; for how can the law at the same time 
 prove a man a sinner and acquit or justify him.' 
 The two offices are manifestly incompatible; the 
 same agent cannot both condemn and acquit at the 
 same time. 
 
A COMMENTARY 57 
 
 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is 
 manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
 
 22. Even the righteousness of God -which is by faith of 
 Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe : for there 
 is no difference : 
 
 23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of 
 God ; 
 
 By the Justification of God is meant God's manner, 
 or plan, of justification. If man cannot be justified 
 by obedience to law there must be some other plan 
 of justification devised, if man is to be saved. He 
 cannot be justified by the law because any law, obedi- 
 ence to which would glorify God, is beyond his ability 
 to obey. Hence such a law by occasioning transgres- 
 sion, becomes the means of giving a knowledge of sin, 
 both outward and inward. Justification by obedience 
 to law is adapted to the condition of perfect beings, 
 who are able to obey law in letter and in spirit. 
 Sinners must be justified, if justified at all, on a dif- 
 ferent plan. This plan, which is called God's plan, 
 is salvation by grace, through faith as the condition. 
 These plans differ as far as perfect, sinless intelligences 
 differ from lost sinners, and they cannot be mingled 
 nor harmonized. 
 
 When men are w^ithout law, they cannot be said 
 to sin in the same sense as they do who have a law ; 
 for " where there is no law there is no transgression." 
 But such have come shoi't of the glory of God. God 
 is glorified by the love and consequent obedience of 
 
58 A COMMENTARY 
 
 His creatures. But all men are by nature destitute 
 of love to God ; hence they come short of His glory. 
 
 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemp- 
 tion that is in Christ Jesus : 
 
 25. Whom God hath set forth to he a propitiation through 
 faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remis- 
 sion of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God ; 
 
 26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that 
 he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in 
 Jesus. 
 
 The first characteristic of God's plan of justification 
 is its freeness ; ^^ being justijied freely by his grace, ^^ 
 is the apostle's way of expressing this truth. Since 
 the sinner is unable to do anything to please God, 
 his pardon must be a free gift. But upon what 
 principle can God pardon the offender? How can 
 He exercise mercy without sacrificing justice? How 
 can law and order be upheld if the innocent and the 
 guilty are treated in the same way? St. Paul sees in 
 God's scheme redemption and propitiation. The doc- 
 trine of a vicarious atonement through the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is absolutely essential to this scheme of saving 
 sinners. To deny this, is to vitiate the whole plan. 
 It is not only necessary that we should have his life as 
 our example, we must also have his death as a pro- 
 pitiation for us. It is through faith in his blood that 
 we are to receive remission of sins that are past. 
 In his vicarious sacrifice the law has been vindicated, 
 justice has been satisfied so far that God can he just 
 
A COMMENTARY 59 
 
 and yd the justijier of hi?n %vhic1i believeth in Jesus. 
 The only condition on the sinner's part is faith in 
 his blood. Doing nothing to merit pardon, he trusts 
 alone in Jesus' death for the remission of sins. Re- 
 mission of sins includes not only the idea of pardon, 
 but also that of purification. The word "remit" 
 signifies taking, or sending, away. The original 
 Greek word has the same meaning. Christ is not 
 only our sacrifice but also our scape-goat, who takes 
 away our sins. He came to make an end of sin, and 
 to bring in everlasting righteousness. 
 
 27. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? 
 of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 
 
 That which we receive as a free gift, and which 
 we have in no sense earned or merited, affords no 
 ground for boasting. But if we in any sense earn or 
 merit w^hat we receive, we may have occasion to 
 boast. We can take some of the credit to ourselves. 
 But as God cannot possibly be brought under obliga- 
 tion to one who has nothing to pay, the sinner can 
 never glory before God. Boasting can never be made 
 impossible by a scheme in which obedience to law, 
 that is, works, is made the condition of acceptance 
 with God. Salvation, by grace, alone can exclude 
 boasting. 
 
 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified bj faith 
 without the deeds of the law. 
 
6o A COMMENTARY 
 
 This is, perhaps, the first dogmatic statement in the 
 scriptures of the doctrine of justification by faith 
 alone, without works. It is clear and unmistakable ; 
 a doctrine long obscured by the Romish church but 
 clearly enunciated by the early Protestant reformers ; 
 a doctrine declared by them to be wholesome and very 
 full of comfort. As the Jews trusted in obedience to 
 law for justification it was necessary to overthrow that 
 system, that God's plan might take its place. So the 
 apostle Paul argues the question at length in this 
 epistle. 
 
 29. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the 
 Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 
 
 30. Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circum- 
 cision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 
 
 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God 
 forbid : yea, we establish the law. 
 
 The Jews fell into the error of supposing that 
 Jehovah was peculiarly their God, instead of being 
 the God of the whole earth. The apostle has to re- 
 mind them that He is the God of the Gentiles also. 
 It is sometimes supposed that there is some hidden 
 significance in the use of two different prepositions 
 before the word "faith," by faith, and through faith. 
 I see nothing in this but an avoidance of repetition ; 
 the two prepositions mean the same thing, the means 
 or instrument. The objection that faith would jnakc 
 void the law is denied by the apostle, who asserts, 
 
A COMMENTARY 6 1 
 
 on the contrary, that faith establishes the law. The 
 law is established in that every jot and tittle of it is 
 fulfilled either by the believer or his substitute, the 
 Lord Jesus Christ. As to the believer, the essence 
 or righteousness of it is fulfilled in him. In the let- 
 ter, it is fulfilled by our Representative and Vicar, 
 the Lord Jesus. Thus, what at first sight seems to 
 abolish the law, really firmly establishes it. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 1. What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as per- 
 taining to the flesh, hath found? 
 
 2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath Tuhercof 
 to glory; but not before God. 
 
 Martin Luther understood St. James to contradict St. 
 Paul, when he declares that Abraham was justified 
 by works. (James II-2ist.) But this is a mistake, 
 as he was not speaking of the same thing. James 
 was speaking of works of obedience after justification, 
 which justified or proved the genuineness of his 
 faith. So by works was his faith made perfect. No 
 faith is genuine which is not accompanied, or 
 followed by, obedience to God's commandments. 
 
 3. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, 
 and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 
 
 Abraham's faith was counted unto him for right- 
 eousness^ or justification. His faith was accepted in 
 the place of righteousness or obedience. He could 
 not keep God's holy law, but he could believe God's 
 promise ; so what he could do, was accepted in place 
 
 of that which he could not do. Not that the two were 
 (62) 
 
A COMMENTARY 63 
 
 equivalent. There can really be no merit in believing 
 God. It is the only rational thing to do. As 
 obedience is due and faith pays no part of the debt, 
 there must be some amends made somewhere, so that 
 God may justly pardon the sinner. Herein we see 
 the necessity for a vicarious atonement. We may say 
 that God has the power to pardon sin unconditionally. 
 But can it be done justly? And can moral order be 
 maintained in this way? I think not. A difference 
 must be made between the innocent and the guilty ; 
 between the obedient and the disobedient. If both 
 are treated alike, sin is encouraged and obedience 
 is discouraged. The law must be kept by some one, 
 either by the subject of it, or by one who voluntarily 
 assumes an obligation not required of the substitute. 
 Christ, as a mere man, owed obedience for himself. 
 He could not then have obeyed for others. As a 
 divine being, not subject to law, he could obey for 
 us, as well as suffer for us. This was necessary that 
 God might justly pardon sin. We are not to suppose 
 that Christ suffered to appease the wrath of God, 
 except in the sense of offended justice. Justice must 
 be done, and mercy must not prevent it. The two 
 must be made to harmonize. This could be done on 
 no other conceivable basis except that of vicarious 
 atonement. On this basis, faith could be counted for 
 righteousness. 
 
64 A COMMENTARY 
 
 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of 
 grace, but of debt. 
 
 This fact is self-evident. If the sinner can per- 
 form any work of obedience, he would bring God in 
 debt to him. The worker would be simply receiving 
 what he had earned. If the subject of law can 
 render a perfect obedience to law, he will merit 
 justification. But there must be no lack anywhere or 
 he falls short of justification into condemnation. If 
 he offends in one point he is guilty of the whole. 
 But this scheme of justification is a rejection of Christ 
 and of His grace, since He is not needed. The man 
 who can thus obey, can stand alone and needs no 
 Redeemer or Advocate, provided there are no past 
 sins to account for. 
 
 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him 
 that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for right- 
 eousness. 
 
 The man who feels himself unable perfectly to keep 
 God's law, seeing no hope of justification in that 
 way, is ready for some other plan. As he cannot 
 keep the whole law it is useless to labor to keep any 
 of it, as it avails him nothing; so he ceases working; 
 he worketh not. He must be saved by grace or not 
 at all. But the condition of salvation by grace is 
 not working, but believing. If I am to be justified 
 by works, I need no grace and consequently no 
 
A COMMENTARY 65 
 
 faith. If I am to be justified by grace, I need no 
 merit, consequently I need no works. My works 
 would only be a denial of the grace of God, and 
 consequently a hindrance to my justification by grace 
 through faith. These two plans of justification cannot 
 be commingled as they mutually exclude each other. 
 
 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the 
 man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 
 
 7. Saying., Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, 
 and whose sins are covered. 
 
 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute 
 sin. 
 
 In this place the apostle first speaks of i7iifuted 
 
 righteousness; though the same thing is meant by 
 
 counting faith for righteousness. There has been much 
 
 controversy over this doctrine, and I will speak of 
 
 it more fully in another place. 
 
 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision 
 only^ or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith 
 was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 
 
 10. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, 
 or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumci- 
 sion. 
 
 11. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the 
 righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircum- 
 cised : that he might be the father of all them that believe, 
 though they be not circumcised ; that righteousness might be 
 imputed unto them also : 
 
 St. Paul here shows that the doctrine of justifica- 
 tion by faith, which the Jews so opposed, and at 
 which they stumbled, was older than circumcision 
 
 5 
 
66 A COMMENTARY 
 
 and the law of Moses ; that their father Abraham 
 was justified before he was circumcised, so that this 
 rite could have had nothing to do in procuring his 
 justification. If uncircumcised Abraham could be 
 justified, why not any other uncircumcised man? 
 Moreover, so far was circumcision from being the 
 cause of justification, it was the result of it ; since it 
 was because of Abraham's faith that he was chosen 
 to be the progenitor of God's ancient People ; and 
 thus his circumcision was rather the seal of God's 
 approval of his faith while uncircumcised. Hence no 
 ground was left to the Jews for the exclusive appro- 
 priation of God's promises. 
 
 12. And the father of circumcision to them who are not 
 of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of 
 that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet un- 
 circumcised. 
 
 The apostle will not even allow that all the Jews 
 are the children of Abraham in so high a sense as 
 the believing Gentiles. Only those Jews who follow 
 in the steps of Abraham's faith are in this sense 
 Abraham's children. Other Jews are Abraham's 
 children in a lower sense, a natural sense. To such 
 no promises were made except concerning the land of 
 Canaan and their occupancy of the land. By diso- 
 bedience they made void these promises and had 
 nothing left. 
 
A COMMENTARY 67 
 
 13. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the 
 world, -was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, 
 but through the righteousness of faith. 
 
 14. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is 
 made void, and the promise made of none effect : 
 
 The promise made to Abraham that he should be 
 heir of the world was to be fulfilled to his seed, and 
 we are told in another place that this seed was 
 Christ. To make faith void^ is to make it empty or 
 useless. If men were to inherit the things promised 
 by works of obedience, then there was no use nor 
 necessity for faith, and thus it would be made void, and 
 the promise made of no effect. 
 
 15. Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, 
 tJieye is no transgression. 
 
 Among unholy beings a holy law worketh wrath^ 
 because of their inability to obey it. Among holy 
 and perfect intelligences the law has no such effect. 
 They live by obedience, and merit favor instead of 
 wrath. If unholy beings were given no law it is 
 plain there would be no transgression. However the 
 absence of law would not save them from ruin 
 and suffering, the result of their unholiness, though 
 it would prevent their being guilty of actual trans- 
 gression. 
 
 16. Therefore // is of faith, that it might he by grace; to 
 the end the promise might be sure to all the seed ; not to that 
 only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith 
 of Abraham; who is the lather of us all, 
 
68 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Justification is of faith that it might be by grace, 
 and it is of grace through faith because it is not 
 possible on any other basis in the case of lost sinners. 
 If there had been a law given that could have given 
 life, verily salvation would have been by the law. 
 Salvation by grace is an exception, a solecism, in 
 God's moral universe. 
 
 17. (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many 
 nations,) before him whom he believed, eve7i God, who quick- 
 eneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though 
 they were. 
 
 God promised Abraham to make him the father of 
 many nations, not of the Jewish nation only ; and 
 though naturally he was the father of several nations 
 or tribes, having had other sons than Isaac, yet he 
 seems to have counted Isaac the only legitimate son, 
 and so made him his only heir ; and thus Isaac and 
 his descendants through Jacob, Esau having been 
 discarded also, became heirs of the promises made to 
 Abraham's natural seed. But the many nations in- 
 cluded the Gentile nations along with the Jews ; and 
 Abraham is declared to be, before God, the father of 
 us all; all who are partakers of a like precious faith. 
 God is said to speak of things as actually existing, 
 which exist in His foreknowledge and purpose. 
 
 18. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might be- 
 come the father of many nations, according to that which was 
 spoken, So shall thy seed be. 
 
A COMMENTARY 69 
 
 Quite a trial was made of Abraham's faith in this 
 promise of a son. Naturally speaking, the thing 
 promised was impossible, and hence Abraham's faith 
 in God was put to severe test. But Abraham, being 
 assured that it was God who made the promise, be- 
 lieved it with all his heart. The apparent impossi- 
 bility was double, as it existed in both him and his 
 wife. It is not strange that this was so with Sarah, 
 who was ninety years old ; but it is somewhat sur- 
 prising in the case of Abraham, who lived to the age 
 of one hundred and seventy-five years, that he should 
 have been impotent at a hundred years old. It is 
 said of Moses at one hundred and twenty years of 
 age, that his eye was not dim, nor his natural force 
 abated. There is an apparent contradiction to this 
 statement concerning Abraham in the history in 
 Genesis. In the XXVth Chapter, ist and 2nd verses 
 we read: *-Then again Abraham took a wife, and 
 her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, 
 and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and 
 Shuah." This is given after the account of Sarah's 
 death, and would appear to have taken place after that 
 event. But this is probably not the case ; because, first, 
 it would contradict the statement concerning Abra- 
 ham's impotency. We might obviate that difficulty by 
 supposing that the miraculous restoration of vigor to 
 Abraham was permanent. But there is still another 
 
70 A COMMENTARY 
 
 objection. Keturah would have been a lawful wife 
 after Sarah's death. But she is called a concubine. 
 In the fifth and sixth verses we read: "And Abraham 
 gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons 
 of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave 
 gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, 
 while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country." 
 As we know of but one other concubine, Hagar, 
 Keturah must be reckoned a concubine also ; and be- 
 sides her children are not recognized by Abraham as 
 being legitimate. It is probable then that he took 
 her during Sarah's lifetime. 
 
 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through 
 unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 
 
 21. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, 
 he was able also to perform. 
 
 Abraham's faith was what would now be accounted 
 
 the faith of ignorance. He did not know as do the 
 
 scientists and wise men of to-day that the Almighty 
 
 God is so fettered and hampered by natural laws 
 
 that a miracle is an impossibility and not to be 
 
 credited either as a matter of history or of promise. 
 
 The apparent impossibility of the thing promised did 
 
 not stagger him, as he believed that what God 
 
 promised he was able to perform. Happy ignorance ! 
 
 that produced such beneficent results. Surely this is 
 
 an illustration of the adage that, "Where ignorance is 
 
 bliss 'tis folly to be wise." 
 
A COMMENTARY 7 I 
 
 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for right- 
 eousness. 
 
 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was 
 imputed to him ; 
 
 24. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we 
 believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead ; 
 
 25. Who was delivered for our ofTences, and was raised 
 again for our justification. 
 
 Abraham's justification through belief of God's 
 promise, is an example for succeeding ages. We 
 are given to understand that we are to be justi- 
 fied in exactly the same manner, on precisely the 
 same terms. Abraham performed no act of service, 
 no work of obedience in order to justification, 
 but simply believed God's promise. So must we do. 
 Those who teach that there must be some act of 
 obedience precedent to justification, contradict the 
 teaching of God's word, and destroy the analogy and 
 force of the example given. To him that worketh 
 not^ hut believeth^ his faith is counted for righteous- 
 ness. To work is to make faith void. But it may 
 be asked, is not repentance necessary? It is ; but not 
 as a condition of justification, but as a condition of 
 faith. If a sinner could believe in the Lord Jesus 
 Christ without repentance, he could be saved without 
 repentance. But this he cannot do. An impenitent 
 sinner cannot trust God to save him. Abraham had 
 already done that which is a type of repentance. 
 He had forsaken the land of his nativity at God's 
 
72 A COMMENTARY 
 
 call. Had he refused to do this, he never would 
 have believed God's promise. 
 
 We must believe a miracle too, as we must believe 
 in one raised from the dead, raised for our just if ca- 
 tion. Faith in an unresurrected Christ will do us no 
 good; it will not justify us. He was also delivered 
 for our offences. The faith that justifies is a sure 
 belief in, and reliance upon, a vicarious sufferer, and 
 a triumphant conqueror over death, hell, and the 
 grave. A faith that "laughs at impossibilities " and 
 finds God's promises " yea and amen, in Christ 
 Jesus." 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 The doctrine of Imputed Righteousness was for- 
 merly a much mooted question, but is seldom men- 
 tioned by way of controversy at present, nor is it of- 
 ten referred to at all. I shall not enter into the subject 
 at any length here, but a cursory view of the doc- 
 trine seems appropriate. Imputed righteousness is the 
 counterpart of imputed sin. If the sins of men were 
 imputed to Christ, then, in the same sense, the right- 
 eousness of Christ is imputed to men. As Christ who 
 is sinless was treated as though he were a sinner, so 
 men who are sinful are treated as though they were 
 righteous. This is true, in the first instance, of the 
 
A COMMENTARY 73 
 
 human race in general. Christ is declared to be the 
 Savior of all men, especially of them that be- 
 lieve. He is not merely the possible Savior of all 
 men, as sometimes explained, but the actual 
 Savior of all men. John the Baptist said of him, 
 *' Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin 
 of the world." Adam's sin was the sin of the whole 
 world, being imputed to all men, his posterity. And 
 this sin would have produced eternal alienation from 
 God, and consequently eternal misery had it not been 
 taken away. But Christ took it away, so that though 
 men suffer the temporary consequences of Adam's sin 
 they shall never suffer its eternal consequences. As 
 Adam's sin was imputed, bringing condemnation, so 
 Christ's righteousness is imputed, bringing justifica- 
 tion. The remedy is as wide as the disease. No per- 
 son shall ever suffer eternally for any sinfulness or 
 unholiness which was the direct consequence of 
 Adam's sin, unless he has in the exercise of free choice 
 made that sin his own. This insures the salvation of 
 dying infants, idiots, and all irresponsible persons, by 
 the imputation of Christ's righteousness. 
 
 In the second place, all believers before Christ's 
 advent, and up to the setting up of the spiritual 
 kingdom at Pentecost, had nothing but imputed right- 
 eousness. Christ had not yet come to make an end 
 of sin arid to bring in everlasting righteousness. The 
 
74 A COMMENTARY 
 
 law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had not yet 
 made men free from the law of sin and death. Con- 
 sequently those old covenant believers were not in 
 any sense actually righteous. They had no holiness 
 of heart. This experience is promised under the New 
 Covenant alone. Hence as these believers had no 
 inward holiness, and could not have perfect obedi- 
 ence to a holy law, their righteousness was wholly 
 imputed. 
 
 In the third place, believers under the New Cov- 
 enant must also have imputed righteousness ; but not 
 in the same sense as the other classes spoken of. 
 In the case of ancient believers, Christ's righteous- 
 ness covered their unholiness, because the opportu- 
 nity to be made holy was not present with them. 
 They were not responsible for being born unholy, 
 and no provision having yet been made for taking 
 that unholiness away, they were not responsible for its 
 continuance. So Christ's righteousness covered all 
 their need. But the case is different with New Tes- 
 tament believers. Provision is now made to renew 
 and sanctify men. They need not retain their evil 
 hearts of unbelief. They may be washed and sanc- 
 tified and made pure and clean. Inwardly they may 
 be made righteous, and to refuse or neglect to do so 
 is to become responsible for their unholiness, which 
 Christ's righteousness could no longer cover, else He 
 
A COMMENTARY 75 
 
 would become the minister of sin. The Christian, so 
 far as his heart, or moral nature, is concerned, is ac- 
 tually made righteous or holy, so that in this respect 
 he needs no imputed righteousness. " The righteous- 
 ness of the law is fulfilled in him," a righteousness 
 which exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and 
 Pharisees. This holiness is the work of the Holy 
 Spirit, and is not his own in the sense of being 
 wrought by him, but it is actually wrought in him 
 by Divine agency. But in the matter of perfect obe- 
 dience to the holy law he is still at fault, in that 
 through his physical, and consequently his mental, 
 imperfection, he cannot obey in act without mistake 
 or infirmity. This imperfect service is overlooked 
 through the imputation of Christ's righteousness. 
 
 His perfect obedience is accepted in lieu of our 
 imperfect one. In this sense alone is righteousness 
 imputed to the Christian believer. 
 
 In the case of the sinner coming to Christ for par- 
 don, he is accepted just as Abraham was, and upon 
 the same terms, as I have heretofore stated. Faith 
 is imputed to him for righteousness. 
 
 The instance of Abraham's justification is chosen 
 as an illustration of the doctrine of justification by 
 faith, not because it differs from many others, but 
 because first, it is explicitly stated in Genesis that his 
 faith was counted to him for righteousness ; and in the 
 
76 A COMMENTARY 
 
 second place, because the promises were made to^him, 
 and the covenant was established with him. His case 
 is used as an argutnentum ad hominem to the Jews 
 who trusted in their descent from Abraham for ac- 
 ceptance with God ; and if the facts in his case could 
 be turned against them, the foundation of their hope 
 and confidence would be destroyed. This the apostle 
 most effectually accomplished in the foregoing chapter. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 I. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with 
 God through our Lord Jesus Christ : 
 
 We are now given the results of justification by- 
 faith. The first result is feacc with God. Before, 
 we were at enmity with Him and in rebellion 
 against His government. We were unwilling that 
 His will should be done, but wanted our own way. 
 God, in Jesus Christ, was reconciled to the sinner, 
 but the sinner is unreconciled to God. By repent- 
 ance and faith the sinner becomes reconciled ; he 
 accepts God's will as his will, and God's ways as 
 right ways. The variance is at an end. He is 
 pleased with God and God is pleased with him. 
 Enmity and hatred have given place to love and 
 unity. The carnal mind, which is enmity against 
 God, and which prevents its possessor from pleasing 
 God, has given place to the mind of Christ. Being 
 in Christ, old things have passed away, and, behold, 
 all things have become new. Nothing of revolt, or 
 resistance to God, or of protest, is left in the man 
 who is justified by faith. So having become com- 
 
 (77) 
 
75 A COMMENTARY 
 
 pletely reconciled to the will of God, there is real 
 peace between his soul and God ; not smothered 
 rebellion ever striving to break out into open conflict, 
 but peace, quiet contentment, joyful acceptance of 
 God's rule. To suppose, as some do, that a man 
 whose nature is at enmity with God, and who is 
 thus prevented from pleasing God, as the apostle 
 declares in another place, to suppose, I say, that 
 such an one is at peace with God, is the extreme of 
 absurdity. 
 
 2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace 
 wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
 
 It is by Jesus Christ alone that ive have access into 
 this grace of justification, and that through faith in 
 His atoning merits ; and thus having access ive stand. 
 It is held by some, who would magnify one grace at 
 the expense of another, that God's people cannot 
 stand in a state of justification, and that the second 
 verse of this chapter refers to another grace than the 
 one mentioned in the first verse. This assumption is 
 purely gratuitous. There is not an iota of evidence 
 for it. The apostle has been writing in the two 
 preceding chapters about one subject only; viz., justi- 
 fication by faith. In this chapter he draws his 
 conclusion from his preceding arguments. The assump- 
 tion that he changes his subject without any hint of 
 so doing is foolish and inadmissible. This grace 
 
A COMMENTARY 79 
 
 •wherein ive stand is the grace about which he has 
 been previously speaking. The notion that God 
 provides any state of grace for His people in which 
 they cannot stand, or which they cannot maintain, is 
 wholly unsupported by scripture, and absurd in 
 itself. 
 
 Those who are justified by faith also rejoice in 
 hope of the glory of God. While in this life the 
 Christian has his evil things, temptation, trial and 
 reproach ; but he looks forward to a glorious reward, 
 a blissful immortality. Believing God's promises of 
 future blessedness he rejoices with joy unspeakable. 
 
 3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; 
 knowing that tribulation worketh patience ; 
 
 4. And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
 
 It is not so much because of tribulation that we 
 glory, as in despite of it. We glory in it because 
 of its good results. Tribulation signifies flailing, the 
 process by which anciently the chaff and grain were 
 separated. Trials and sufferings produce a like result 
 in a spiritual sense. Enduring these things we learn 
 to be patient. If they excite rebellion, they produce 
 the opposite effect. Men cannot learn patience in 
 prosperity and through success. By failure, by hope 
 deferred, we learn to be patient and to wait. 
 
 In patient submission to God's will we gain experi- 
 ence of God's faithfulness and goodness. Suft'ering 
 
8o A COMMENTARY 
 
 is necessary to us ; but unless it is borne in patience 
 and humble submission, it will not benefit us. Ex- 
 perience encourages hope. The more we learn of 
 God the brighter will our hopes become, the stronger 
 will be the hold which our anchor takes upon the 
 things within the vail. 
 
 5. And hope maketh not ashamed ; because the love of God 
 is shed abroad in our hearts bj the Holy Ghost which is 
 given unto us. 
 
 Here is the foundation of all our joy and hope ; 
 because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts 
 by the Holy Ghost given to us. This gift of the Holy 
 Spirit is the seal of our adoption, the earnest of our 
 inheritance. Without this we have no proof of 
 sonship, no assurance that God's promises are ours. 
 But with this gift we have a foretaste of the joys of 
 heaven, and a divine assurance of heirship in the 
 heavenly kingdom. Because God has given us of His 
 Spirit therefore we are always confident, as the 
 apostle declares in another place. An experience 
 without the gift of the Holy Spirit, is in no sense a 
 Christian experience. 
 
 By the gift of the Holy Spirit, the love of God is 
 shed abroad in our hearts. The love of God is the 
 new nature produced in us by the Holy Spirit. So 
 we are said to be partakers of the divine nature, 
 since God is love. We cannot love God until His 
 
A COMMENTARY 8 1 
 
 love is shed abroad in us by the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit. Because of this love, hope 77iaketh not ashamed. 
 Believers have many temptations to be ashamed of 
 Christ and of His words before a gainsaying genera- 
 tion ; but the hope of heavenly bliss and of a glorious 
 reward, buoys the soul above any sense of shame and 
 makes it insensible to reproach and scorn. 
 
 6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time 
 Christ died for the ungodly. 
 
 Without strength, that is without power to do the 
 will of God. That this is the case is the first lesson 
 to be learned in the doctrine of grace. It is humiliat- 
 ing to human nature to confess itself helpless. But 
 until this point is gained the Messiah's life and death 
 will do us no good. The great difficulty with lost 
 men is that they are ungodly. All outward sin and 
 transgression spring from this unlikeness to God in 
 our natures. Until this is remedied, no permanent re- 
 lief is offered. 
 
 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die : yet per- 
 adventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 
 
 8. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while 
 we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
 
 No one would be willing to die in place of a bad 
 
 man ; but some might be found willing to die for a 
 
 good man. Jesus declared, Greater love hath no man 
 
 than this, that he lay down his life for his friend. 
 
 This is considered to be the highest test of love in 
 
82 A COMMENTARY 
 
 man. But God's love toward us is commended by 
 the fact that Christ died for sinners ; his enemies 
 who were in rebellion against His righteous govern- 
 ment. In this respect it far surpasses all mere human 
 affection. 
 
 9. Much more then, being now justified hy his blood, we 
 shall be saved from wrath through him. 
 
 If God so loved us when we were enemies to Him, 
 as to give His Son to die for us, how muc/i ??zore 
 will He save us from wrath now since we have been 
 justijied by His blood, and have been brought into 
 harmony with Him and with His laws. We have 
 every reason to trust Him for present and eternal 
 salvation. 
 
 10. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to 
 God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, 
 we shall be saved hj his life. 
 
 We were not actually reconciled to God by Christ's 
 death, but the means of reconciliation was thus pro- 
 vided. The victim is slain and reconciliation will be 
 complete when the sinner is willing to surrender. 
 The atonement being made, and the means of recon- 
 ciliation provided by Christ's death, wc shall be saved 
 by his life. It was not sufficient for the salvation of 
 sinners that Christ should die. He must also live 
 again. His resurrection and ascension to heaven were 
 just as essential. "He is able to save unto the 
 
A COMMENTARY S^ 
 
 uttermost all who come unto God by him, seeing that 
 he ever liveth to make intercession for them." The 
 whole gospel plan depended upon his living again. 
 The Holy Spirit would not be given until he 
 ascended to the Father. It was by his resurrection 
 that he led captivity captive, and obtained gifts for 
 men. If he did not live he could not save. In 
 another sense we are saved by his life, in that we 
 live his life, which is a life unto God. In still 
 another sense we may be said to be saved by the 
 life of Christ. The Christian can fulfill the righteous- 
 ness of the law by loving God and his neighbor, but 
 not the letter of the law, on account of ignorance 
 and infirmity. But the whole law in every jot and 
 tittle, must be fulfilled by some one. This our Lord, 
 who as a divine personage was not subject to law, 
 did for us ; so that we are saved by his obedience as 
 well as by his suffering on the cross. In this sense 
 also we are saved by his life. 
 
 II. And not only so^ but we also joy in God through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atone- 
 ment. 
 
 The word here rendered "atonement" is a deriv- 
 ative of the word in the loth verse translated 
 "reconciled." Atonement then means reconciliation. 
 The word "atonement" is from the Latin, signifying 
 literally to be at one, or at-one-ment. 
 
84 A COMMENTARY 
 
 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world 
 and death bj sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that 
 all have sinned : 
 
 It is evident that St. Paul believes the account 
 given in the book of Genesis, of the creation and 
 fall of man. His v^hole succeeding argument is based 
 upon the facts given in that history. It is becoming 
 quite common in these days for persons claiming to 
 be Christians and even Christian ministers, to dis- 
 credit this account, and to treat it as a myth, or at 
 best an allegory. They have become too wise to 
 believe such incredible fables, and they prefer to 
 derive their origin from the ape. Such a way of 
 accounting for the origin of man is so much more 
 credible, if not creditable, to them. But the account 
 given of man's original holiness and perfection, and 
 his subsequent fall into sin, furnishes the facts up- 
 on which the whole plan of redemption by Christ 
 is based. Without these facts, the whole scheme is 
 a chimera, a figment of the imagination, "Made of 
 such stuff as dreams are, and as baseless as the fan- 
 tastic visions of the morning." 
 
 The statement that death e^itcred tJic %vorld' by sin 
 is to be understood as referring to the human race. 
 The lower animals were no doubt always subject to 
 death. Their remains are found in the rocks, show- 
 ing that they died long before the creation of man. 
 
A COMMENTARY 85 
 
 Man was made an exception to the rule, until by sin 
 he forfeited his right to the antidote against decay 
 which God had provided for him. Then the laws 
 controlling the material universe asserted their sway 
 and man began to die. Death became universal 
 because all had sinned. Not actually but by imputa- 
 tion. When Adam fell, the race necessarily fell 
 with him. He could not convey to them what he 
 had lost, and all were counted as sinners. They 
 were sinners in embryo, until they became sinners in 
 fact. 
 
 13. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not 
 imputed when there is no law. 
 
 14. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, 
 even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of 
 Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to 
 come. 
 
 Death reigned from Adam to Moses; that is, man- 
 kind died just the same as afterward. It is true, 
 too, that sin was in the world; man did those things 
 that are contrary to the will of God. But the apostle 
 declares that as there was no law yet promulgated 
 their sins were not imputed to them, for sin is not 
 imputed where there is no law. As death is the re- 
 sult of sin, and it did not result from the personal 
 sins of these persons without law, death must have 
 resulted from the imputation of Adam's sin. This 
 fact of the imputation of Adam's sin, is seen in the 
 
86 A COMMENTARY 
 
 death of infants and other irresponsible persons, who 
 cannot themselves commit sin. If death be an evil, 
 and an untimely death must be held as such, at the 
 least, then a just God cannot inflict such an evil with- 
 out adequate cause. If the cause is not in the victim, 
 it must be somewhere else. Adam is declared to be 
 a figure of him that was to come, that is Christ. He 
 is the head of the human race, as Christ is the head 
 of the spiritual race, the children of God. So Christ 
 is called the second Adam. 
 
 15. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if 
 through the offence of one many be dead, much more the 
 grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, 
 Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 
 
 16. And not as it xvas by one that sinned, so is the gift: 
 for the judgment -was by one to condemnation, but the free 
 gift is of many offences unto justification. 
 
 17. For if by one man's offence deatli reigned by one; 
 much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the 
 gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 
 
 In these verses the apostle is showing that we 
 gain much more in Christ than we lost in Adam ; 
 that the grace of God abounds far beyond the effect 
 of Adam's sin ; that we are not only saved through 
 the free gift of grace from the sin of the world but 
 from the consequences of our own sins; sins against 
 light and knowledge which we have voluntarily com- 
 mitted ; that through Christ we are not only restored 
 to the condition of Adam in paradise; to that earthly 
 
A COMMENTARY 87 
 
 life which he enjoyed, but to a glorious immortality, 
 to reign in life with Jesus Christ. No doubt the 
 condition of the believer in Christ is far more favor- 
 able than that of our first parents, and their future 
 felicity is much more assured than could have been 
 that of finite beings wholly unacquainted with evil. 
 And besides the glorious character of Deity has been 
 exemplified in a manner that was impossible in a 
 universe wholly free from sin. And even the sin of 
 the angels gave no room for this display of infinite 
 love and mercy since their case did not admit of 
 mercy. They were irretrievably lost. 
 
 18. Therefore as bj the offence of one judgment came 
 upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of 
 one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 
 
 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made 
 sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made 
 righteous. 
 
 In these two verses the apostle declares that all that 
 mankind lost in Adam is unconditionally restored 
 through Christ. The jnany made 7'ighteous includes 
 all the 7na7iy who were made sinners; and this com- 
 prises the whole human race. As they sinned in 
 Adam without any concurrence of their wills, so they 
 are restored in Christ without condition on their part. 
 Jesus Christ entirely '*taketh away" this "sin of the 
 world." It was imputed to us in Adam, through 
 Christ it is not imputed to us. It is true that un- 
 
88 A COMMENTARY 
 
 holiness of nature is not taken away, if we live to 
 become responsible, but it is not imputed to us so as 
 to condemn us until by free choice we elect to retain 
 it. " This is the condemnation that light is come 
 into the world, and men love darkness rather than 
 light." If in the first moment of conscious responsi- 
 bility we were to choose the will of God, no con- 
 demnation would ever be experienced. But this no 
 one has ever done, "for all have sinned and come 
 short of the glory of God." 
 
 20. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might 
 abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more 
 abound : 
 
 The design of the law is here plainly set forth. 
 Where there was no law there was no transgression. 
 The law was given to multiply transgression. It was 
 not intended as a means of salvation but as a means 
 of condemnation. *' The law worketh wrath." How 
 strange that men should cling to a law that was made 
 only to condemn its subjects. Even the handwriting 
 of ordinances was against us, and contrary to us, yet 
 how men hold on to these ordinances as if they were 
 friends to grace. "Ye that desire to be under the 
 law," writes the apostle, "do ye not hear the law.?" 
 The law entered to increase condemnation ; Christ 
 came to save from condemnation. But it may be 
 asked, "why increase the offence.?" I answer to 
 
A COMMENTARY 89 
 
 convince men of their innate sinfulness that they might 
 be forced to come to Christ for salvation. (See my 
 sermon on Design of the Law, in Sermons on 
 Familiar Subjects.) As to how grace did much i7iore 
 abound^ see comments on verses 15 to 17. 
 
 21. That as sin has resigned unto death, even so might 
 grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Sin has reigned unto death, both physical and 
 spiritual death. We are told that the law is the in- 
 strument with which sin kills. It condemned men 
 because of their unholiness, which made them obnox- 
 ious to the holy law, and physical death was inflicted 
 also. When our first parents sinned, speaking after 
 the manner of men, two courses were open to Deity. 
 Either the penalty could be inflicted upon the culprit 
 alone, thus extinguishing the race, or they could be 
 allowed to become the progenitors of a fallen race, 
 obnoxious to the holy law, God providing a Redeemer 
 through whom they could be unconditionally restored 
 to what they had lost through no fault of their own. 
 God chose the latter course. And now as sin has had 
 its reign, God desires that grace may have its reign 
 also. But grace cannot bring us to eternal life with- 
 out the concurrence of our own wills. If we agree 
 with God's purpose of mercy toward us, and become 
 workers together with Him in the accomplishing of 
 
90 A COMMENTARY 
 
 that purpose, then grace shall reign unto eternal life 
 in our cases. If we "frustrate the grace of God" it 
 will be otherwise. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 Concerning the doctrine of justification there are 
 two common errors, of which it may be well to 
 speak. The first is the confounding justification with 
 pardon of sin. They are often used synonymously, 
 but they never mean the same thing. Pardon is the 
 act of passing over offences; justification is God's 
 decision as to man's relation to His law, as to inno- 
 cence or guilt. To justify is to pronounce the 
 adjudged person clear. If the two words, pardon and 
 justification, mean the same thing, then one can 
 always be substituted for the other. Jesus said to the 
 Pharisees, "Ye are they that justify yourselves before 
 men." They did not pardon themselves. God is said 
 to be justified, " That thou mightest be justified in thy 
 sayings." Also in I Tim. III-16, " God was manifest 
 in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, etc." Here pardon 
 is inadmissible. In the case of sinners pardon is neces- 
 sary in order to justification, but is not justification. 
 
 The second mistake is in supposing that justifica- 
 tion is a lower state of grace preceding sanctifi- 
 cation. Justification and sanctification cannot be 
 compared thus with each other. Two things to be 
 
A COMMENTARY 9 I 
 
 compared must be of the same kind; but justifica- 
 tion is a legal work done for us, while sanctification 
 is a moral work done in us. Hence one cannot be 
 held as higher than the other. It is also held that 
 justification precedes sanctification, which is a mistake. 
 It is true that the Old Testament believers were 
 justified while not really sanctified ; but holiness was 
 imputed to them since provision was not yet made 
 for their cleansing. Both inward and outward right- 
 eousness were imputed to them, or they could not 
 have been justified, since God's law demands a perfect 
 heart as well as a perfect life. But now, under the 
 gospel age, inward holiness is attainable, and is 
 freely provided for believers ; consequently we cannot 
 be justified without it. In his description of the 
 results of justification in the preceding chapter, the 
 apostle assumes that the justified man is sanctified 
 also. He declares in the case of the man justi- 
 fied by faith, that "the love of God is shed abroad 
 in his heart by the Holy Ghost given him." Now it 
 is acknowledged on all hands that men are sanctified 
 when the Holy Ghost is given. This was true at 
 Pentecost, and is always true. We conclude then 
 that men must be sanctified or holy, either actually 
 or by imputation, before they can be justified. Since 
 Pentecost, men are actually made holy by the gift of 
 the Holy Spirit. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that 
 grace may abound ? 
 
 Since grace has abounded far beyond the effects of 
 the first sin, so that it covers our actual transgression, 
 bringing glory to God, by affording his creatures 
 new views of the beauties of his character, shall we 
 not continue to sin that grace may the more 
 abound? Such a question might seem foolish, because 
 we might suppose no one would ever imagine it 
 proper to suggest or maintain such a proposition, 
 did we not know that it has actually been suggested 
 and maintained, both in ancient and modern times. 
 In fact it is generally held that believers do continue 
 in sin, whether it is done to cause the grace of God 
 to abound or for some other reason. The apostle's 
 reply answers and refutes all such theories. 
 
 2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live 
 any longer therein? 
 
 Not at all, or by no means, is the proper transla- 
 tion of the apostle's answer. We shall not continue 
 in sin that grace may abound, nor for any other 
 (92) 
 
A COMMENTARY 93 
 
 reason, because it is impossible. Many persons deem 
 it impossible for believers to live without sin, but St. 
 Paul sees it to be impossible for them to live in sin. 
 How can we live in sin if we are dead to it? The 
 contradiction is manifest and obvious. We can no 
 more live in sin if we are dead to it, than we can 
 live in this world when dead to it. Death separates 
 and makes us free from everything that we are dead 
 to. Prove that a Christian is dead to sin and the 
 conclusion that he cannot live in it is inevitable. But 
 is the Christian believer dead to sin.? Yes, for 
 
 3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into 
 Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
 
 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into 
 death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by 
 the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in new- 
 ness of life. 
 
 This passage is often misunderstood and misapplied. 
 It is generally supposed that Christian baptism is here 
 made the type of Christ's death, burial and resurrec- 
 tion. And arguments are drawn from this in favor 
 of immersion as the proper mode. But this is clearly 
 a misconception as I will show. In the first place 
 such an explanation violates the law governing type 
 and antitype. The type being natural or carnal must 
 represent something spiritual. But the exegesis in 
 question makes one natural thing, viz., Christ's death, 
 burial and resurrection, a figure of another natural 
 
94 A COMMENTARY 
 
 thing, viz., water baptism. It is therefore inadmis- 
 sible. Then it invalidates the apostle's argument. He 
 has asserted that believers are dead to sin, and is 
 proceeding to prove it. He does so by their baptism. 
 But if he referred to water baptism his argument 
 would utterly fail him. It is patent to every one that 
 water baptism does not make men dead to sin. But 
 it may be said, that baptized persons ought to be dead 
 to sin, and so ought not to live in it; but the apostle 
 is not trying to prove that believers ought not to live 
 in sin, but that they cannot, and water baptism will 
 not prove it. The apostle is not guilty of such lame 
 logic as to try to make it prove his assumption. 
 He must therefore refer to some other baptism. 
 That he does so the force of the language used clearly 
 shows. First, it is said that we arc buried ivith Him. 
 Here is a continuous burial ; the thing buried con 
 tinues to remain so. This is not true in water bap- 
 tism. Secondly, we are said to be buried into death. 
 This is not the case in water baptism ; it is burial 
 into water. But it may be asked. Is not immersion 
 a type of death? No, it is a type of burial. Thirdly, 
 if our baptism is a type of Christ's burial and resur- 
 rection, to be in accordance with nature, we must 
 have some dead thing to be buried. It is improper 
 to bury any living thing. In water baptism it is the 
 living man that is buried, And fourthly, the body 
 
A COMMENTARY 95 
 
 buried does not rise to a new life, but to the same 
 physical life enjoyed previously. Water baptism, 
 then, utterly fails to meet the case. Instead of our bap- 
 tism being a type of Christ's death, burial and resur- 
 rection, the latter is the type and our baptism is the 
 antetype. It is therefore a spiritual baptism, or the 
 baptism of the Spirit. This corresponds to the type 
 and fits the language here used. It can be said of 
 this baptism that by it we are buried into death. 
 That which is buried remains buried, after having 
 been crucified and killed. It is the old 7nan that is 
 crucified, consequently it is the old 7nan that is buried. 
 It is the new man that is raised up to walk in new- 
 ness of life. 
 
 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness 
 of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of Ins resurrec- 
 tion : 
 
 If we have been planted together in that which cor- 
 responds to His deaths that is, the crucifixion of the 
 old man and his burial into death, by the agency of 
 the Holy Spirit ; we shall be also in that which cor- 
 responds to His resurrection; a new life of God in 
 the soul, and a holy walk in accordance therewith. 
 There can be no mistake or failure here. If we have 
 the one we must have the other. But we may have 
 a carnal ordinance without any new life following. 
 Hence a carnal ordinance cannot be meant. 
 
96 A COMMENTARY 
 
 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him^ that 
 the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should 
 not serve sin. 
 
 It is the body of sin, the carnal mind, the flesh, 
 oicr old man, that is crucified and consequently buried, 
 to remain so forever, that it might be destroyed. If 
 this is done when we are baptized into Christ, then 
 there can be no more warfare with the flesh ; the in- 
 ternal contention, the struggle against an evil heart 
 is past, and peace reigns in the heart of the believer. 
 But why is this body of sin destroyed? That hence- 
 forth we should not serve sin. 
 
 How plain, how reasonable is this. Yet how con- 
 trary to most man-made theology. How do men 
 serve sin? Jesus says, " Verily, verily I say unto you, 
 whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." To 
 commit sin then, is to serve sin; so that it might 
 read, "That henceforth we should not commit sin." 
 Thus the apostle writes himself down a fanatic in 
 the estimation of worldly-wise theologians of the 
 present time. 
 
 7. For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
 
 The apostle then has proven his point ; that God's 
 spiritual people are dead to sin, and consequently 
 free from it, since death frees us from anything we 
 are dead to. This freedom is from inward, as well 
 as from outward sin. In fact, there can be no free- 
 
A COMMENTARY 97 
 
 dom from the latter without freedom from the former, 
 since inward unholiness is the cause producing out- 
 ward transgression as its legitimate fruit. 
 
 8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we 
 shall also live with him : 
 
 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth 
 no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
 
 to. For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in 
 that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
 
 II. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed 
 
 unto sin, but aUve unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 If we be dead with him, we shall also live with 
 him. His death was a death unto sin, His life is a 
 life unto God. If we be dead with Him, and we 
 must be if baptized into His death, we are dead to 
 sin, free from sin. Then we must have a new life 
 also, a life hid with Christ in God, and we will live 
 to God as Jesus does. Christ being risen from the 
 dead dieth no more, so we are raised from a death 
 in sin to a life of obedience, to die no more by 
 sinning, as sin brings death; but are to live con- 
 stantly to God. We are therefore to reckon ourselves 
 to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. The 
 Greek word (logidzesthe) here translated "to reckon," 
 signifies "to reckon, compute, number, infer, con- 
 clude, consider, etc." Having computed, reckoned 
 up the problem, we are to conclude that we are dead 
 to sin; not figuratively or professedly dead, but dead 
 
98 A COMMENTARY 
 
 indeed ; and just as truly alive unto God. We do 
 
 not become dead because we reckon ourselves to be 
 
 so, but we thus reckon because we find it to be 
 actually the case. 
 
 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that 
 ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 
 
 It is the generally accepted opinion that Christians 
 are not able to live without committing sin. When 
 it is shown that God's people are declared to be free 
 from sin, it is often explained that this is true re- 
 specting their souls or spirits, but that sin still remains 
 in their bodies, and continues to plague them. That 
 a warfare is continually waged between the flesh 
 (the body) and the spirit. Even John Bunyan, the 
 good old dreamer, was hampered by such a theology ; 
 and in his Holy War in which he describes Immanuel's 
 conquest of Mansoul, he represents Immanuel in His 
 proclamation of terms to Diabolus, as declaring that 
 Diabolus must evacuate the city of Mansoul ; that he 
 should be allowed to own no property there, nor to 
 visit it, nor to hold any correspondence with any 
 person in it. But notwithstanding this high-sounding 
 proclamation, Immanuel is represented as not being 
 able to carry out His plans and promises, as the Dia- 
 bolonians burrowed in the walls of the city and could 
 not be dislodged ; so that they could from this vantage 
 ground make continual incursions into the city, and 
 
A COMMENTARY 99 
 
 keep up a constant turmoil, so that the city could 
 have no peace nor rest. What a pity these Diabolo- 
 nians could not have been smoked out of their hiding- 
 places. The only hope for peace in Mansoul was in 
 the destruction of its walls. So death must complete 
 the work begun by Jesus Christ. He cannot save 
 to the uttermost ; death must finish the task for Him. 
 How dishonoring to God is this. And how unphilo- 
 sophic. Death, the result of sin, must turn about and 
 destroy its own cause. Such is the teaching of human 
 theology, but not of the Holy Spirit in the scriptures. 
 The sinfulness of the body is not only not taught in 
 the scriptures, but the exact opposite is taught. We 
 are told that our bodies are temples of the Holy 
 Spirit, and that the temple of the Lord is holy, not 
 sinful. This domination of the body over the soul 
 is also unreasonable, and untrue to fact. The body is 
 the servant of the soul, not its master. The apostle 
 Paul asserts that he kept under his body and brought 
 it into Subjection, not that it kept him under subjec- 
 tion. It is not only in our souls then sin must not 
 reign but also in our mortal bodies. We are not to 
 obey any sinful lusts or desires. 
 
 13. Neither yield je your members as instruments of 
 unrighteousness unto sin : but yield yourselves unto God, as 
 those that are alive from the dead, and your members as 
 instruments of righteousness unto God. 
 
 L.ofC. 
 
lOO A COMMENTARY 
 
 It is here assumed that believers have control of 
 their physical members, able to yield them as servants 
 to whom they w^ill. They are forbidden to yield 
 them as instruments to sin, and are commanded to 
 yield them as instruments of righteousness to God. 
 If they are able to obey these injunctions they need 
 not commit sin. If they are not able to obey, then 
 God is a hard Master, and his commandments are 
 not only grievous but impracticable ; an unreasonable, 
 rather than a reasonable service. You choose your 
 own horn of the dilemma. 
 
 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are 
 not under the law, but under grace. 
 
 While believers were under the law, and before 
 grace came, no provision having yet been made to 
 take away sin, they were under the dominion of sin, 
 and could not but be so. But since grace has come, 
 and Christ has died to " make an end of sin " and to 
 " bring in everlasting righteousness," there is no 
 excuse for remaining under sin. Believers being made 
 dead to sin in their baptism, and consequently being 
 freed from its dominion, sin cannot have dominion 
 over them. The apostle does not say, " sin ought 
 not," but, sin shall not have domi?tion over you. 
 How can it have dominion over the man who is dead 
 to it, and freed from it? 
 
A COMMENTARY lOl 
 
 15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the 
 law, but under grace? God forbid. 
 
 The law declared, The soul that sinneth it shall 
 die. But grace offers forgiveness for sin. If we can 
 have our sins pardoned may we not presume upon 
 that grace and go on sinning of choice, if not by 
 compulsion ? The law made sinning dangerous ; but 
 does not grace make sinning safe ? Why should we 
 then avoid sin ? It might be supposed that no one 
 would be foolish enough to ask such a question. On 
 the contrary, that the believer may continue to commit 
 sin with impunity seems to be the deliberate, confirmed 
 opinion of Christendom. The doctrine here so clearly 
 taught by the apostle Paul, that believers are free 
 from the dominion of sin, and that they may not 
 commit sin, is almost universally denied and vehe- 
 mently opposed and denounced. Its advocates are 
 treated with contempt and derision. It is contended 
 that through grace believers may go sinning on their 
 way to heaven, though unbelievers are damned for the 
 same conduct ; that Christ saves men not from sin, 
 but from its consequences only, so that by grace sin 
 is made innoxious and harmless ; that faith makes 
 void the law and sets it aside, so that believers may 
 treat it with silent contempt. It is easy to detect the 
 variance between the teachings of mor'ern theologians 
 and the teachings of St. Paul ; they are as wide 
 apart as the antipodes. 
 
102 A COMMENTARY 
 
 i6. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants 
 to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin 
 unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 
 
 It should be plain to all that no man can be the 
 
 servant of God while committing sin, since whosoever 
 
 committeth sin is its servant or slave. And as no 
 
 man can serve two masters, while he serves sin he 
 
 cannot be the servant of God. Notwithstanding we 
 
 may be under grace, still sin (voluntary transgression) 
 
 is unto death. The law is not abrogated, only 
 
 suspended in the case of those who believe in Jesus, 
 
 and so do not willingly transgress. The apostle does 
 
 not know of a class, now supposed to be so common, 
 
 which serves both masters, one in believing and the 
 
 other in sinning. 
 
 17. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, 
 but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which 
 was delivered you. 
 
 What the form of doctrine was which St. Paul 
 
 delivered to both Jews and Greeks, we are told in 
 
 Acts XX- 21, viz., ''Repentance toward God and 
 
 faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." This form of 
 
 doctrine obeyed fi'om the heart will bring any soul to 
 
 salvation. 
 
 18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants 
 of righteousness. 
 
 They could not become servants of a new master 
 
 until freed from obligations to the old one. This is 
 
 self-evident. 
 
A COMMENTARY 103 
 
 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirm- 
 ity of your flesh : for as ye have yielded your members serv- 
 ants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so 
 now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holi- 
 ness. 
 
 By speaking after the manner of men^ the apostle 
 probably means that he uses natural relations to illus- 
 trate spiritual ones. He represents righteousness and 
 sin as two masters, to one or the other of which men 
 are servants or slaves. This was easily understood 
 and it made the spiritual truth he wished to convey- 
 more easily grasped. The reason he gives for so 
 doing is the infirmity of their fiesh. By this phrase 
 he cannot refer to any physical weakness, and so 
 must refer to their spiritual state. In that case he 
 speaks of them as being carnal or unregenerate. But 
 he has just proven that real saints have the '* flesh" 
 or "old man" crucified, dead and buried. How can 
 we reconcile this apparent contradiction .f* We find 
 the same thing in most or all of St. Paul's epistles, 
 and men's minds have been much confused thereby. 
 This may be one of the things " hard to be under- 
 stood " to which St. Peter refers when speaking of 
 St. Paul's writings. But he declares that it is the 
 unlearned and the unstable who wrest these things 
 to their own destruction. Spiritual men can under- 
 stand these apparent discrepancies and can reconcile 
 them. To others these scriptures are a stone of 
 
T04 A COMMENTARY 
 
 stumbling. As it is impossible that men can be 
 free from sin and slaves to sin, carnal and spiritual 
 both at the same time, we cannot understand that 
 these opposite states can belong to the same persons 
 at the same time. The explanation is this. In the 
 various congregations addressed by the apostle, there 
 were two classes. There were those who were really 
 saved, born again, sanctified, new creatures in Christ 
 Jesus. There were also those who had been con- 
 vinced by the preaching of the gospel, who had come 
 out from Judaism or paganism, and who consorted with 
 the real saints, who as yet were not saved from their 
 sins. Their repudiation of their old religion had made a 
 great gulf between them and their former associates, 
 and they were reckoned among the Christians, though 
 not really such as yet. The apostle recognizes the 
 two classes as he writes, but does not differentiate 
 them, but when addressing either class he writes as 
 if he meant the whole congregation. For instance 
 he addresses the Corinthians as *' those who are sancti- 
 fied in Christ Jesus, called saints." This would seem 
 to include the whole congregation. Then he says 
 shortly afterward, "I have not written unto you as 
 unto spiritual but as unto carnal. For ye are yet 
 carnal and walk as men." This again would appear 
 to include the whole congregation. But the sanctified 
 ones were not carnal, walking as other men. We 
 
A COMMENTARY 105 
 
 must distinguish these two classes and recognize 
 what belongs to each of them, or the apostle's writ- 
 ings will be to us a jumble of contradictions. In 
 writing his epistles he accommodates himself to the 
 capacities of the most unspiritual in the congregations 
 addressed. 
 
 20. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from 
 righteousness. 
 
 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are 
 now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 
 
 In other words, the apostle would say, "to show 
 you that you are now, as believers, free from sin, I 
 would remind you that when ye were the servants of sin 
 ye were free from righteousness." When men are the 
 slaves of sin they feel no compulsion toward right- 
 eousness. They are free to serve the devil at their 
 pleasure. If on the other hand they become the serv- 
 ants of righteousness, the servants of God, they 
 should be just as free to serve God, and feel as little 
 compulsion to serve sin and Satan. The fruits of 
 Satan's service they are ashamed of after conversion. 
 They take no pleasure in recalling their wicked con- 
 duct, nor do they feel like speaking of these things 
 except in the way of humble confession. The re- 
 membrance of these things is grievous to them, and 
 they know that the end of these things is death. 
 All their fruit while in the service of sin was only 
 
io6 A COMMENTARY 
 
 evil continually. They never inadvertently fell into 
 righteousness ; they suffered no lapse into holiness. 
 
 22. But now being made free from sin, and become serv- 
 ants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end 
 everlasting life. 
 
 Why not? If while w^e were the servants of the 
 devil all our fruit was sin unto d^eath, why since be- 
 coming the servants of God should not all our fruit 
 be unto holiness? If when the servants of sin we are 
 free from righteousness, why when we become the 
 servants of righteousness should we not be free from 
 sin? The apostle declares this to be the case; the 
 theologians generally differ with him. It is not in 
 harmony with their experience. Would it not be 
 better to get an experience in harmony with the 
 scriptures than to wrest the scriptures to make them 
 fit our experience? God will be found true though 
 it make every man a liar. 
 
 23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is 
 eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Death is the wages of s'ni; it is what we earn or 
 merit by a life of disobedience to God. But eternal 
 life is not earned or merited ; it is the free gift of 
 God. As we did not lose eternal life through the sin 
 of the first Adam, we do not inherit it through the 
 death of the second Adam. It is the result of grace 
 
A COMMENTARY I 07 
 
 abounding. The Christian is to be rewarded accord- 
 ing to his works, but eternal life is no part of that 
 reward. It is freely given to the believer. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 In the chapter just considered the doctrine of the 
 believer's freedom from sin is clearly and conclusively 
 set forth. This is not done inferentially but directly 
 and declaratively, in language that could not well be 
 more plain or less open to misconception. He shows 
 the necessity for the destruction of inward sin, the 
 sin of the heart, in order that outward sin may be 
 avoided. He takes care to answer objections that may 
 be urged against the doctrine, so that the apologist 
 for sin has no ground left to stand upon. The eighth 
 chapter teaches the same great truth ; but it is gen- 
 erally supposed that the seventh contradicts both. 
 This chapter is a stronghold for the advocates of sin 
 in 'believers. But I hope to show that this is a sad 
 error, and that the apostle is not so poor a theolo- 
 gian and so lame a logician as to so stultify himself. 
 I trust I have shown that the baptism referred to in 
 the chapter just considered is our baptism by the Holy 
 Ghost, which makes us dead to sin and alive to God. 
 Water baptism is not referred to, and there is no in- 
 timation that it was in the mind or thought of the 
 
lo8. A COMMENTARY 
 
 apostle. Yet this scripture is relied on by many to prove 
 a particular mode of water baptism. This illustrates 
 the liberties taken with the scriptures, and the un- 
 warranted use which is often made of passages of 
 Holy Writ. They are made witnesses to prove points 
 upon which they are totally silent. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 1. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know 
 the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long 
 as he liveth? 
 
 The apostle while addressing the whole church at 
 Rome seems to have the Jewish members more par- 
 ticularly in his mind, and his arguments are suited 
 to their needs especially. To the Jews he refers in 
 the remark, / speak to them that know the law. He 
 is about to illustrate the relation of God's people to 
 the law and to the gospel by the marriage state. He 
 first states the fact in the form of a question, of men's 
 subjection to law as long as they live. This is self- 
 evident and needs no proof. 
 
 2. For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the 
 law to her husband so long as he liveth ; but if the husband 
 be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 
 
 This is plain and clear though not much considered 
 
 in these days of easy divorce. The wife is bound by 
 
 the law of God to her husband, and is under the 
 
 law of her husband. He is supposed to be her lord 
 
 and to rule over her, as saith the scripture, "Thy 
 
 (109) 
 
Tio A COMMENTARY 
 
 desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over 
 thee." 
 
 3. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to 
 another man, she shall be called an adulteress : but if her hus- 
 band be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no 
 adulteress, though she be married to another man. 
 
 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to 
 the law bj the body of Christ; that ye should be married to 
 another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we 
 should bring forth fruit unto God. 
 
 To carry out the simile it should read, The law Is 
 dead to you. But the apostle uses the other expression 
 as being less offensive to the Jewish believers, and 
 either statement of the case means the same thing, 
 since if I am dead to the law, the law is dead to me. 
 It was a tender point with the Jewish believers to 
 accept this teaching concerning the freedom of God's 
 people from the law; and St. Paul the especial 
 apostle to the Gentiles made himself especially 
 offensive to the Jews by teaching this important 
 truth. He therefore always states it to them as 
 mildly as possible. God's people were formerly under 
 the dominion of the law ; it was their spiritual hus- 
 band ; and they could not become the bride of Christ 
 while the former husband was alive. This statement 
 of the case forced the Jewish converts to acknowl- 
 edge that the law was dead to them, or that they 
 were not the bride of Christ. There was no escaping 
 the logic of the case. 
 
A COMMENTARY III 
 
 5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, 
 which were by the law, did work in our members to bring 
 forth fruit unto death. 
 
 This is a quite literal application of the figure. 
 The motions of sins refers to the awakening in us of 
 unholy tempers and propensities, which stirred in us, 
 in our TJiembers^ when the demands of God's law 
 were recognized. The law is thus represented as 
 the father of these internal sins, these stirrings of 
 rebellion which arise in us when the law is 
 applied. The reference is, no doubt, to the quicken- 
 ing of the offspring before birth. When this progeny 
 of the law was brought forth or born it was unto 
 death. The conduct developing from such motions of 
 sins was sinful and so must be condemned. But 
 when did these things occur? The answer is, When 
 we were in the flesh. This does not mean, when we 
 were in the body, for the apostle was not writing to 
 disembodied spirits but to men still in the body. It 
 must mean then, " When we were in our unregenerate 
 state" ; for it was then we were under the law. 
 
 6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead 
 wherein we were held ; that we should serve in newness of 
 spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. 
 
 In this place it is expressly declared that the law 
 
 is dead, and so beHevers are delivered from it. They 
 
 are now married to another that they may serve in 
 
 newness of spirit. The old manner of service, called 
 
112 A COMMENTARY 
 
 the oldness of the letter^ was not acceptable to God, 
 nor is it now. In another place we are declared to 
 be "delivered from dead works" or works of death, 
 "to serve the living God." The old way of service 
 regarded nothing but the outward act, the letter. In 
 this way a man might live in all good conscience, 
 like Saul of Tarsus, ignorant of the real demands of 
 the law, and full of self-complacency, while the spirit 
 of the law was constantly outraged in his life. It is 
 only when the law is seen in the light of God's truth 
 through the Spirit, that God's commandments become 
 " exceedingly broad " ; then we recognize that it takes 
 cognizance of all our affections, intentions, and mo- 
 tives. We cannot serve in newness of spirit, unless 
 our spirits are renewed, transformed by the renewing 
 of our minds. The new manner of serving God de- 
 livers us from slavery" to the letter, and makes our 
 service free. 
 
 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. 
 Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known 
 lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 
 
 The effort is now begun to discover the cause of 
 bad fruit resulting from the union of God's people 
 and the law. What shall ive say then? Shall we 
 lay the blame for the result upon the law, the hus- 
 band? Is the law sin? It is evident that the fault 
 is in either the husband or the wife. No, the law 
 
A COMMENTARY I 13 
 
 is not sin; for so far from the law being in harmony 
 with sin, sin is aroused to action by its opposition to 
 the law ; and thus the law develops sin and causes 
 it to manifest itself; as is declared in another place, 
 For by the law is the knowledge of sin. It is only 
 by means of the law that sin is known. By 
 the law is the knowledge of sin. What sin? I answer 
 all sin ; there can be no outward sin where there is 
 no law, since " where there is no law there is no 
 transgression"; and of inward sin also, as the illus- 
 tration proves. / had not kiioivn lust., except the law 
 had said., Thou shalt not covet. Lust or covetousness 
 is an inward evil affection. The whole of the follow- 
 ing argument proves that the design of the law is to 
 discover and develop the sin of the heart. But if the 
 law is needed to discover to us the sin of our hearts, 
 carnality, original sin, as it is called, so long as we 
 have any carnality we cannot dispense with the law ; 
 we need its offices. But if we need the law it is not 
 yet dead to us, or we are not yet dead to it. But if 
 the law, the first husband is not yet dead, we are 
 still under its dominion ; we are not yet loosed from 
 the law of that husband. But if we are not, then 
 we cannot yet be married to another husband, that 
 we might bring forth fruit unto God. This is plain ; 
 so long as we need to be convinced of any sin, in- 
 ward or outward, any carnality or unholiness of heart. 
 
114 A COMMENTARY 
 
 we still need the law as an instrument specially pro- 
 vided to do this work. Hence we cannot be married 
 to Christ the new husband until the work is finished, 
 so that the law may become dead to us forevermore. 
 No one who is married to Christ needs any convic- 
 tion for sin, inward or outward ; for the law being 
 dead to him he has no means to this end, unless there 
 be some other way of knowing sin but by the law. 
 This the apostle denies. 
 
 8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought 
 in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin 
 ^vas dead. 
 
 Sin was dead; that is, the sin of the heart was 
 quiescent, so that its very existence was not suspected. 
 But when the commandment came the sinful nature 
 was roused, and it filled the mind with all kinds of de- 
 sires in opposition to the commandment. The Greek 
 word here rendered "concupiscence" is from a verb 
 meaning "to set the heart upon, to desire, to desire 
 ardently, to lust after." The translation is properly, 
 "all manner of desires," but Only of an evil nature. 
 
 9. For I was alive without the law once : but when the 
 commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 
 
 This may be understood in two senses. All persons 
 while not subjects of law because they are too young, 
 or for any other reason, are alive without the law. 
 They are free from condemnation. Then persons who 
 
A COMMENTARY II5 
 
 are destitute of that knowledge of sin, inward sin, 
 which an application of the law brings to them, and 
 who do those things which seem to them to be in 
 obedience to God's requirements, may be said to be 
 alive ivithout the law. Saul of Tarsus was in this 
 condition before his conviction for sin. Mr. Wesley 
 describes this condition in his hymn, 
 
 A goodly, formal saint 
 
 I long appeared in sight, 
 By self and Satan taught to paint 
 
 My tomb, my nature, white. 
 The pharisee within 
 
 Still undisturbed remained ; 
 The strong-man, armed with guilt of sin. 
 
 Safe in his palace reigned." 
 
 It is when the light which comes is resisted, that 
 condemnation begins. "This is the condemnation, 
 that light is come into the world, and men love dark- 
 ness rather than light." The commandment comes 
 when the demands of God's holy law are discovered 
 to us and made plain to our understandings. Then 
 our carnal hearts rebel, because they are not subject 
 to this law ; and condemnation ensues and we die. 
 We lose our self-complacency, our supposed goodness 
 fades away, our own righteousness appears as filthy 
 rags that fail to hide our spiritual nakedness. 
 
11 6 A COMMENTARY 
 
 This experience is thus described by Mr. Wesley 
 
 " But ah, the jealous God 
 
 In my behalf came down ; 
 Jesus Himself the stronger showed 
 
 And claimed me for His own ; 
 My spirit he alarmed 
 
 And brought into distress; 
 He shook and bound the strong-man armed 
 
 In his self-righteousness. 
 
 ' Faded my virtuous shows 
 
 My form without the power; 
 
 The sin-convincing Spirit blew 
 And blasted every flower." 
 
 A proper application of God's law will inevitably 
 destroy deception, and develop and revive sin in us. 
 It is impossible for sin to disguise or hide itself when 
 touched by the law. Sin may assume very innocent 
 appearances, as did Satan at the ear of Eve, when, 
 as represented by Milton, he took the form of a toad; 
 but the law like Uriel's spear, touching it, it perforce 
 immediately assumes its proper shape and character. 
 
 lo. • And the commandment, which -was ordained to life, I 
 found to be unto death. 
 
 This does not mean that the law was given to 
 sinners with the design of giving them life, for we 
 are told just the contrary ; that the law entered that 
 the offense might abound. But that the law of God 
 is designed to give life to all perfect and pure intel- 
 
A COMMENTARY II7 
 
 ligences, who maintain that moral state in which they 
 were created. The fact that any moral agent finds 
 this law so ordained, to be a means of death instead 
 of life, argues something radically wrong in his case. 
 What that wrong is, the apostle proceeds to point 
 out. 
 
 11. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived 
 me, and by it slew jne. 
 
 There are two ways in which sin may deceive and 
 slay. It may prompt to resistance of God's law as 
 unreasonable or unnecessary ; or it may encourage an 
 attempt to maintain justification by obeying the law 
 in our own strength, which will inevitably result in 
 failure. In either case we incur condemnation, and 
 so die. 
 
 12. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment 
 holy, and just, and good. 
 
 The responsibility for the evil results of this union 
 of God's people and the law, is not found in the law, 
 the husband ; the law is holy and cannot be blamed 
 for such bad fruit. The cause must be, therefore, in 
 the wife. The next point to be settled is, where, 
 in us, is the evil to be found .^ 
 
 13. Was then that which is good made death unto me? 
 God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death 
 in me by that which is good ; that sin by the commandment 
 might become exceeding sinful. 
 
Il8 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Was the law, then, which is good, the cause of 
 my death? No, not at all. It was only the occasion 
 or instrument of my condemnation. Sin, that unholy 
 rebellious principle, dwelling in my nature, was the 
 cause. And the natural inference is, that if sin can 
 use so good an instrument as God's holy law to slay 
 me with, it must be a very virulent, wicked princi- 
 ple. Our evil natures do not seem very bad, and indeed 
 in many respects do not seem bad at all, until tested 
 by God's holy law. It is then that sin appears sin^ 
 and its true nature is recognized. 
 
 14. For we know that the law is spiritual : but I am carnal, 
 sold under sin. 
 
 St. Paul, in this argument, speaks of himself as 
 an example of one of God's people under the law. The 
 law, the husband, is spiritual; I, representing the 
 wife, atn carnal, sold under sin. The union then is 
 an unequal one, and not productive of good fruit. 
 To be spiritual is to be holy and good ; to be carnal 
 is to be unholy, fleshly, wicked. Yea, I am sold under 
 sin. I am in a state of bondage to sin which has 
 dominion over me. My slavery is involuntary, as I 
 am sold into it, and cannot help myself. 
 
 15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, 
 that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 
 
 This shows a condition of complete helplessness 
 and bondage. If I cannot do the things I choose to 
 
A COMMENTARY I 19 
 
 do, and cannot avoid doing the things I hate, my 
 case is indeed deplorable, and desperate. It could 
 not well be worse. To ascribe such an experience to 
 a Christian believer, as is often done, is to libel 
 Christianity, as a fraud and a failure. Christians are 
 said to be called to liberty, and Jesus is represented 
 as coming to set captives free and to break yokes 
 of bondage. If the condition here described is 
 Christian liberty, what worse could bondage be? 
 We must remember that the believer's state under the 
 law as husband is being described. 
 
 16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto 
 the law that it is good. 
 
 The fact that I am unwilling to transgress the 
 
 law is proof that I acknowledge its righteousness. 
 
 17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that 
 dwelleth in me. 
 
 That is to say that transgression is not a voluntary 
 
 act on my part, but I am forced to it by indwelling 
 
 sin ; I am not able to resist the power of an evil 
 
 heart which defies God's law. 
 
 18. For I know that in me (that is, in mj flesh,) dwelleth 
 no good thing: for to will is present with me; but Iww to 
 perform that which is good I find not. 
 
 It seems that the apostle fearing that some one 
 might misunderstand him and imagine that he might 
 be speaking of his Christian experience, notwith- 
 standing the plain drift of the argument, has thrown 
 
120 A COMMENTARY 
 
 in an explanatory clause in parenthesis; viz., ''That 
 is, in my flesh," but all in vain; so anxious are some 
 men to excuse, and plead for, sin that they will insist 
 that St. Paul is giving his Christian experience. By 
 his "flesh" he cannot mean his body, as is some- 
 times taught, because he tells us in another epistle 
 that the Christian's body is a temple of the Holy 
 Spirit, which is said to dwell in us. (Cor, III-16& 
 VI- 19.) It is not therefore true of the body that 
 in it dwelleth no good thing. The word must 
 therefore have a spiritual meaning as it generally 
 has in the New Testament, and means the unregener- 
 ate state. The apostle means to assert that in him, 
 in his unregenerate state, there dwelt no good thing. 
 And if this was true of the apostle Paul it is true 
 of every man by nature, as we are all alike. This is 
 as strong a statement of the doctrine of natural de- 
 pravity as can be made. If there is in us by nature 
 nothing good, then arc we totally depraved; that is, 
 totally deprived of good. Whatever good there may 
 be in an unregenerate person, is the result of grace, 
 through the agency of the Holy Spirit, but it does 
 not dwell in us. Our natural hearts are not the abodes 
 of good, but it is only a transient visitor there. 
 But there is one thing the man possesses to whom the 
 commandment has come. He has the power to will. 
 7\) will is present with him. Much has been said 
 
A COMMENTARY 121 
 
 and written on the freedom of the human will. That 
 the will is naturally free in respect to natural things 
 I have no doubt. But it is not naturally free in re- 
 spect to spiritual things. Without the help of the 
 Holy Spirit we have no power to desire good, and 
 consequently no power to will in the direction of that 
 which is good. The Lord must work in us both to 
 will, and to do. His good pleasure. But this He does 
 for us unconditionally, through His truth. Our free- 
 dom of will is proportionate to our light. We are 
 able to will all the good we see. 
 
 But in our unregenerate state we have no 
 power of performance of that which is good. True, 
 we can perform the outward act which has the ap- 
 pearance of obedience, and which deceives many ; but 
 real obedience is of the heart. John Wesley writes : 
 
 *' I see Thy perfect law requires 
 Truth in the inward parts; 
 Our full consent, our whole desires, 
 Our undivided hearts." 
 
 This is impossible to the man whose moral nature 
 is in revolt against God's law. 
 
 19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which 
 I would not, that I do. 
 
 In many cases this is true in the outward act. The 
 
 sinner is carried away by the power of his evil passions 
 
 and propensities against which his will is pitted in 
 
122 A COMMENTARY 
 
 vain. But even if the outward act of disobedience 
 is restrained, still he disobeys. Since he that hateth 
 his brother is a murderer, he is a murderer while the 
 hated person still lives, and his hands are unstained 
 with blood. 
 
 20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do 
 it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
 
 It is my sinful nature that is responsible for my sin. 
 It is because of the impossibility of real obedience 
 under the law that it is said, "The times of this 
 ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all 
 men everywhere to repent." He will wink at such 
 a state no longer after the gospel is come to make 
 men free. 
 
 21. I find then a law, that, when I would do j^ood, evil is 
 present with me. 
 
 The Greek word " nomos " has "law" for its 
 primary meaning, but it also means "custom, habit, 
 etc." The meaning here seems to be this: I find 
 a law^ that is, I find that it invariably occurs, as a 
 habit or custom, that when I would do good, evil is 
 present with me. This is not exceptional or occa- 
 sional, but it is constantly the case. 
 
 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 
 The apostle still speaks in the person of the believer 
 
 under the law, which is that of the awakened sinner 
 
A COMMENTARY 123 
 
 under the gospel. For the awakened sinner is in the 
 same spiritual state as the believer under the former 
 dispensation, still carnal and unregenerate, but more 
 sensible of this state of helpless bondage, since he 
 has more light. The application has been gradually 
 transferred from the former to the latter, making it 
 descriptive of present conditions. If we now have 
 the faith Old Covenant believers had, we will not re- 
 main under the law, but will at once be married to 
 the new husband. But until faith reaches the point 
 where it appropriates Christ's merits and finds free- 
 dom from sin, we are still under the law of perfect 
 obedience as well as under the dominion of sin. In 
 this state, after the commandment comes, and we are 
 aroused to a sense of sin and get a glimpse of the 
 beauty of holiness, we begin to hate the one and to de- 
 sire the other. We see both, because the Holy Spirit con- 
 vinces us of sin and righteousness according to Christ's 
 promise. Then as we yield to the influences of the 
 Holy Spirit, we experience a growing delight in the 
 law of God after the inward man. We see the in- 
 adequacy of mere outward service, and desire to obey 
 with all our heart and soul. The other form of serv- 
 ice in which we may have formerly trusted we see 
 to be but dead works, or works of death, and we 
 wish to serve the living God. 
 
 23. But I see another law in my members, warring against 
 
124 A COMMENTARY 
 
 the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the 
 law of sin which is in my members. 
 
 As has been said before, the attempt is here made 
 to locate the cause of evil fruit while we are under 
 the dominion of the law, the old husband. It has 
 been shown that the law itself is not responsible, 
 being holy, just, and good. The fault is therefore in 
 us. But not in our knowledge or the want of it, for 
 we see what is right ; not in our desire, for w^e de- 
 light in the law of God ; not in our wills, for we 
 will to do good but find no ability to carry out our 
 good resolutions. The cause of our failure to glorify 
 God is found to be in our inmost nature; in a sinful 
 principle called sin dwelling- in us. It is also called 
 "the flesh," "the old man," "the body of sin," 
 "the carnal mind," "the law of sin and death." 
 This evil heart controls us in spite of our efforts and 
 struggles, and holds us in captivity, so that we can- 
 not do the things that we would. We would love 
 God but we cannot. We would love our neighbors 
 as ourselves, but we cannot do this either ; and as 
 these two things contain the sum of all obedience we 
 fail utterly. 
 
 24. O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from 
 the body of this death? 
 
 When we have become conscious of our slavery to 
 
 inbred sin, we conceive an abhorrence of it and long 
 
A COMMENTARY 125 
 
 for deliverance from its control. We find ourselves 
 helpless and strengthless, utterly unable to free our- 
 selves however much we may tug at our chains. We 
 look in vain for help from others; they are as pow^er- 
 less as ourselves. Religious ceremonies, outward or- 
 dinances, give us no relief. 
 
 ** Not bleeding bird nor bleeding beast, 
 Nor hyssop branch nor sprinkling priest, 
 Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea. 
 Can wash the dismal stain away," 
 
 We are like a prisoner chained to a companion who 
 is already dead, and compelled to drag the repulsive 
 corpse about with us. 
 
 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then 
 with the mind I myself serve the law of God ; but with the 
 flesh the law of sin. 
 
 Deliverance is to be found through Jesus Christ and 
 through Him alone. When we were without strength 
 he in due time died for the ungodly. That he can 
 and will deliver his people from this bondage to in- 
 dwelling sin is a glorious fact, too seldom realized or 
 understood. Yet it is a fact, most clearly stated, not 
 only in this place, but in many other scriptures. The 
 latter part of this verse is a resume, or second state- 
 ment, of the points already brought out in the argu- 
 ment. The apostle himself, or any other awakened 
 man, with his mirid^ his desires and purposes, serves 
 
126 A COMMENTARY 
 
 the law of God ; but with his carnal nature serves the 
 law of sin ; and his carnal nature prevails so that the 
 efforts of his will are nullified and made abortive. 
 To suppose that the apostle is here speaking of his 
 Christian experience, is to assume that he is drawing 
 conclusions concerning Christian experience from 
 premises which speak only of experiences under the 
 law. This would be utterly illogical. Then it would 
 be a contradiction- of his statement that those who 
 are in Christ have the "old man" crucified, destroyed 
 and buried. Also of the statement that sin shall not 
 have dominion over Christians. Those who thus teach 
 may do so through ignorance, but it certainly has the 
 appearance of wilful ignorance. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 It is sometimes imagined that the last verse of 
 this chapter describes the Christian conflict or warfare, a 
 warfare between the moral nature and the will, or the 
 flesh and the spirit. This is an evident mistake ; as the 
 Christian is described as being free from the flesh. 
 "Our old man is crucified with Him that the body 
 of sin might be destroyed." We can have no con- 
 flict with an enemy nailed to a cross and killed. 
 "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with 
 
A COMMENTARY I 27 
 
 its affections and lusts." We are instructed to put 
 off the old man with his deeds before we put on the 
 new man. If we had to war against our natures we 
 would never be victors, but always would be van- 
 quished. Nor does the Christian war against his body, 
 as some suppose. He keeps it under subjection ; but 
 "we wrestle not against flesh and blood," either our 
 own or that of others, but "against principalities and 
 powers." The Christian warfare is outward; "with- 
 out were fightings," says the apostle. Within he has 
 peace. " In me ye shall have peace," Christ declares. 
 " Great peace have they that love thy law." It is 
 plain the Christian has no outward peace ; he is in 
 an enemy's land, surrounded by implacable foes. If 
 there be a continual conflict going on within him 
 where is his peace? How then can it be said of him, 
 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose heart is 
 stayed on Thee? Reader, if this state of inward con- 
 flict is your experience, it proves you to be yet under 
 the law where you cannot do the things that you 
 would. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which 
 are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the 
 Spirit. 
 
 This conclusion is drawn from the arguments found 
 in the Vlth chapter rather than from the Vllth, as 
 the Vllth does not treat at all of Christian experience. 
 If it did, a very different conclusion would be drawn 
 from it. The Vllth chapter is an interruption of the 
 argument of the Vlth in order to make an explana- 
 tion. In the Vlllth, the argument is resumed. If 
 there is no co7ide??jnation to thefn which are in Christ 
 yesus^ it must be from one of two causes. Either 
 they do not commit sin, or their sins are not imputed 
 to them. Sin is a transgression of the law under 
 which we live. If the Christian were left under the 
 old law, any violation of the letter of which brought 
 guilt, he would not be free from condemnation. But 
 he is under grace. Is he tlien without law? No; he 
 is under the law of Christ, the new commandment, 
 the law of love. To him, love is the fulfilling of the 
 
 law. To violate that law would be to bring upon 
 (128) 
 
A COMMENTARY I 29 
 
 himself condemnation. He has no condemnation be- 
 cause he fulfils that law. If this were not so, and if 
 his freedom from condemnation were the result of the 
 nonimputation of the sins he commits, then he would 
 have no sense of guilt, and would need to ask no 
 forgiveness. The fact that professed Christians feel a 
 sense of guilt and condemnation for their wTong do- 
 ing is proof positive that their sins are imputed to 
 them; for if their hearts condemn them, "God is 
 greater than their hearts" and condemns them also. 
 The last clause of this verse is supposed by Dr. 
 Adam Clarke to be an interpolation caused by the 
 mistake of the transcriber of the manuscript. It is 
 wanting in many of the principal manuscripts and 
 versions, and is not needed to complete the sense. 
 It is properly found at the end of the fourth verse 
 but should probably be left out here. 
 
 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath 
 made me free from the law of sin and death. 
 
 There is here a change in the law, or dominating 
 power in the believer. The law of sin is displaced 
 by the law of the Spirit of life. The latter makes 
 us free from the former. The two are not found hold- 
 ing disputed and joint possession of the believer, lust- 
 ing against each other. The law of sin and death, 
 the old man, is destroyed, and the other law has un- 
 disputed dominion. For this reason there is no con- 
 9 
 
130 A COMMENTARY 
 
 demnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The old 
 man is put off and his deeds are put off with him , 
 those deeds which brought condemnation. 
 
 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak 
 through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness 
 of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh : 
 
 What the law could not do God has done by send- 
 ing His Son for a sin-offering. What the law could 
 not do was to produce the fruits of obedience. It 
 could not do this because of our unholy nature which 
 the law had no power to correct or remove. It was 
 therefore iveak thi'ough the flesh. The most pregnant 
 statement in this verse is that God has condemned 
 sin in the Jlesh. Under the law it was the fruits that 
 were condemned, and consequently the one producing 
 the fruits. He brought forth fruit unto death. But 
 under the gospel it is the sin in the flesh that is con- 
 demned to be destroyed ; that which caused the bad 
 fruit under the law. The law could not remove or 
 destroy this, but Jesus can and does. This is a 
 vital point in Christianity ; that Jesus destroys the 
 hindrance to obedience, which made obedience im- 
 possible; that he came "to make an end of sin" and 
 *' to bring in everlasting righteousness." To make 
 an end of what sin? Sin dwelling in us. That be- 
 ing destroyed, the fountain being dried up, the 
 streams will cease to flow. How strange that this 
 
A COMMENTARY I 31 
 
 truth should be so generally forgotten or ignored. 
 Yet if Jesus does not do this for us He does no more 
 to save us from sin than the law did. What advan- 
 tage then in the change of husbands? 
 
 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in 
 us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
 
 Sin in the flesh is condemned that the righteous- 
 ness of the law anight be fulfilled ijz us. This never 
 can be done until the old carnal nature is destroyed. 
 When we are brought into Christ our hearts, or 
 moral natures, are made holy and perfect. God's law 
 demands a perfect heart, and this demand is met 
 under the gospel. But the Greek preposition here 
 used (en) also signifies the means or instrument by 
 which anything is done, and is rendered " with," " by 
 means of," or "by." So we may read "by us" 
 as well as "in us." The righteousness of the law is 
 fulfilled by us. Not the letter of the law, for this 
 we cannot in our present imperfect state fulfil. 
 The righteousness of the law is love, as our Lord 
 Himself testifies ; on the love of God and the love of 
 our neighbor, hang all the law and the prophets. 
 The man who is in Christ Jesus can, and does, love 
 God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. 
 Such walk not after the fiesh, hut after the Spirit. 
 
 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of 
 the flesh ; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the 
 Spirit. 
 
132 A COMMENTARY 
 
 To be after the Jlesh is to be fleshly or carnal ; to 
 be after the Spirit is to be spiritual. Every man 
 follows the bent of his nature. If he be carnal, he 
 minds carnal things; if he be spiritual, he minds the 
 things of the spirit. His conduct and the things in 
 which he is specially interested testify to his spiritual 
 state. 
 
 6. For to be carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritu- 
 ally minded is life and peace. 
 
 To be carnally minded is to be separated from God, 
 the source of spiritual life. There can be no unity 
 between God and a carnal, unholy, heart. There can 
 be no spiritual life without unity with God. The 
 spiritual man is in fellowship and unity with God 
 and hence enjoys spiritual life and peace. 
 
 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it 
 is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
 
 Here we have a definition of the carnal mind ; it 
 is enmity against God. This is its nature or essence. 
 Take away the enmity and you destroy the carnal 
 mind. "The fool hath said in his heart, no God." 
 That is where the idea in his head comes from. " The 
 wish is father to the thought." As to hate one's 
 brother is to be his murderer, so to hate God is to 
 be His murderer. What an awful indictment of un- 
 renewed human nature is this ! Every human being 
 has in him by nature a principle that would blot God 
 
• A COMMENTARY I33 
 
 out of His universe if it had the power. You do not 
 believe it? Better then cease pretending to believe 
 God's Revelation. Of course such a principle is not 
 subject to the law of God; it unceasingly revolts and 
 rebels against that law. In the nature of things it 
 cannot be subject. Neither can the man be subject 
 who is dominated by such a principle. 
 
 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 
 This conclusion necessarily follows. If the carnal 
 
 mind is not, and cannot be, subject to God's law, 
 they that are carnal cannot please God. Since the 
 flesh has been doomed to destruction and provisions 
 are made for freeing God's people from it, there is 
 no excuse for retaining it or for being controlled by 
 it. For if it is retained it will control and enslave 
 us, as the apostle shows in the preceding chapter. 
 Some persons imagine that they do serve and please 
 God while they still possess the carnal mind, but this 
 contradicts both reason and revelation. We must put 
 off the old man before we can put on the new man ; 
 and old things must pass away before all things can 
 become new. All who are in Christ are thus new 
 creatures. No man is a child of God who retains the 
 carnal mind. 
 
 9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be 
 that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have 
 not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 
 
134 A COMMENTARY * 
 
 But yc are not in the fleshy that is ye are not car- 
 nal, still in possession of the carnal mind, if the spirit 
 of God dwell in you. Some profess to understand 
 by the word "flesh" here used, the mortal body is 
 meant; that it is the great hindrance to obedience. 
 But these Roman Christians are declared to be not in 
 the flesh, and the apostle was not writing to disem- 
 bodied spirits. There are few absurdities to which 
 men will not stoop to defend or excuse sin. The proof 
 that they were not in the flesh is the indwelling of 
 the Holy Spirit. It follows that the Holy Spirit does 
 not dwell in those who are carnal, or in the flesh. 
 So those who are carnal do not belong to Christ, for 
 unless his Spirit dwells in them they are none of His. 
 In I Cor., Ill, 1-5, the persons addressed are declared 
 to be yet carnal. It is often supposed that these per- 
 sons who are yet carnal are yet Christians. But this 
 cannot be true ; for if they are carnal they have not 
 His Spirit, as the possession of the Holy Spirit is 
 said to prove its possessors to be spiritual. And if 
 they have not His Spirit they are none of His. They 
 cannot be Christians who do not belong to God. 
 
 10. And if Christ he in you, the body is dead because of 
 sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 
 
 Our bodies are not yet redeemed, no not of the 
 holiest persons. The penalty of the first sin is still 
 exacted, and the salvation or redemption of our bodies 
 
A COMMENTARY 1 35 
 
 is still a subject of hope. I have heard of some en- 
 thusiasts who declare they shall never die ; that their 
 bodies are already immortal. It is useless to contend 
 v^ith such persons, but it is safe to leave them to the 
 logic of events. It is not uncommon to hear a cer- 
 tain class of professed Christians declare that they are 
 saved, soul and body. Just what they mean by this 
 expression I do not know, nor do I think they know 
 either. But our souls or spirits are made alive by the 
 indwelling Spirit, because of righteousness. As our 
 bodies are dead or condemned to death, and so dead 
 in a legal sense, yet our spirits are made alive by the 
 Spirit of God dwelling in us, because of Christ's 
 righteousness; His sacrificial atonement. 
 
 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the 
 dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall 
 also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in 
 you. 
 
 This, no doubt, refers to the resurrection of the body, 
 which is promised us, and is not to be understood as 
 a contradiction of the preceding verse. Our outward 
 man perisheth, though the inward man be renewed 
 day by day. To quicken signifies to bring to life. 
 And as our bodies are dead only in law, not yet actu- 
 ally, they cannot be now quickened until they die 
 f^rst. 
 
 12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, 
 to live after the flesh. 
 
136 A COMMENTARY 
 
 We are no longer under any obligation nor neces- 
 sity to live after the flesh, since the flesh is crucified 
 and destroyed. We are under no compulsion to com- 
 mit sin, as so many suppose, but are free to live after 
 the Spirit ; to live in obedience to the law of Christ, 
 a liberty so persistently denied and so seldom realized. 
 
 13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye 
 through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall 
 live. 
 
 There is no exception to this rule. No religious 
 profession, nor ecclesiastical relation, will nullify it. 
 To live after the flesh, to live in sin, is to die. And 
 they that are after the flesh, carnal, do mind the 
 things of the flesh. So to be carnally minded is 
 death. There are therefore no carnal Christians. A 
 carnal Christian would be a« great an anomaly as a 
 holy devil. The body mentioned whose deeds must 
 be mortified, is the " body of sin," the flesh, not the 
 physical man. The literal body has no deeds. All 
 sin proceeds from within, out of the heart, so Jesus 
 declares. That is a strange doctrine that would make 
 of the body a scapegoat for the sins of an unholy 
 heart ; that teaches us to despise the body, to con- 
 temn it as a clog to the soul, a shackle to be cast off 
 with joy; the jailer of the soul, which can find lib- 
 erty only in escaping from this prison. Such teach- 
 ing is nonsense, without any warrant in reason or 
 
A COMMENTARY 137 
 
 scripture. The body is an integral part of the man, 
 without which he is not a man but a disembodied 
 spirit. True it is now under the curse, and subject 
 to natural evil, sickness, pain and death; but that is 
 not its fault. Redemption has been provided for it 
 as well as for the spirit, and it is honored in being 
 made the temple of the Holy Ghost. We do not 
 honor God by neglecting, despising, nor dishonoring 
 our bodies. 
 
 To mortify the deeds of the body or flesh is to de- 
 stroy the old man and so put him off with his deeds. 
 He who does this shall live; live to God here and 
 with God hereafter. 
 
 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are 
 the sons of God. 
 
 The doctrine of the leadings of the Holy Spirit is 
 one that is generally neglected and ignored, but is, 
 on the other hand, sometimes caricatured and abused 
 by fanatical zeal. Without the personal teachings 
 and guidance of the Holy Spirit we can never learn 
 God's truth. Without it our religion will be dead 
 formalism ; there is no article of the creed that Satan 
 more abhors than, " I believe in the Holy Ghost." 
 In all ages of Christianity when there has been a 
 reformation, or a revival of vital godliness, Satan has 
 endeavored to make this doctrine ridiculous or detest- 
 able by influencing weak heads, with more zeal than 
 
138 A COMMENTARY 
 
 knowledge, to indulge in fanatical excesses profess- 
 edly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This 
 frightens prudent souls and makes them choose rather 
 the quiet of spiritual death. But the truth of God 
 remains the same, that His children are led by His 
 Spirit. When the Holy Ghost was promised it was 
 said, "He shall guide you into all truth." He is 
 our pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night. 
 Only such as are led by Him are His sons and 
 daughters. 
 
 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again 
 to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby 
 we cry, Abba, Father. 
 
 The spirit of bondage to fear was the spirit of the 
 former dispensation. At the giving of the law at 
 Sinai, the Israelites were terrified by the manifesta- 
 tions of the Divine presence; and we are told that they 
 of the old covenant were all their lifetime subject to 
 bondage through fear of death. This slavish fear of 
 God and this bondage to fear of any kind is removed 
 under the gospel, and is replaced by a filial confi- 
 dence in God, as our Father. The Holy Spirit is 
 called the Spirit of adoptioji because by it we are 
 made the children of God. We are said to be born 
 of the spirit, since by its agency our moral nature 
 is changed into the image of God. Since by nature 
 we are not God's children, but are made so by the 
 
A COMMENTARY 139 
 
 Holy Spirit, we are said to be adopted. By the 
 testimony of the Spirit we recognize God to be our 
 Father, and we can never know that we are God's 
 children without this testimony. The popular doc- 
 trine of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood 
 of men, is a virtual denial of redemption by Christ, 
 and of our adoption into the heavenly family, by 
 which we become brethren. It is thinly veiled in- 
 fidelity. 
 
 16, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that 
 we are the children of God : 
 
 The fact of the witness of the Spirit could not be 
 more clearly stated. Those who deny the direct wit- 
 ness of the Spirit endeavor to avoid the force of this 
 passage by claiming that the Spirit witnesses through 
 the written word. But this could not be a personal 
 witness, nor will it accord with the statement that 
 we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we 
 cry, Abba, Father. Besides, the New Testament, 
 which contains the conditions of salvation, was not 
 extant when this epistle was written. But the lan- 
 guage of the text forbids such an explanation. The 
 Spirit does not testify mediately through a third per- 
 son, but the Spirit itself does the witnessing. This 
 is express and undeniable. It also agrees with the 
 experience of spiritual men. If I have not this in 
 dubitable witness of sonship, I am not a son. 
 
140 A COMMENTARY 
 
 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- 
 heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with ////«, that we 
 may be also glorified together. 
 
 This naturally follows, that we as the children 
 of God are His heij's. And as we are the brethren 
 of Christ we are joint hei?'s with Him to all that 
 the Father possesses. He, as the elder brother, 
 inherits the greater share. Our suffering ivith Him 
 is the necessary proof of our sonship, since he that 
 is without chastisement is declared to be a bastard 
 and not a son. We are told that though He were 
 a son, yet learned He obedience by the things which 
 He suffered ; so must we do. Unless we are under 
 discipline, we are regarded as being outside of the 
 family ; for what good father does not discipline his 
 children.? Rebuke and chastisement, then, are the 
 marks of sonship. Our wills must be crucified that 
 we may learn obedience to the will of God. This 
 course of discipline includes persecutions, temptations, 
 tribulations, afflictions, and disappointments. These 
 we must endure, not stoically, but in humble, cheerful 
 submission to the Divine will. So shall we he glori- 
 Jied together with Christ, when He cometh in His 
 kingdom. What this means transcends our present 
 conceptions. 
 
 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of tliis present time are 
 not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be 
 revealed in us. 
 
A COMMENTARY 141 
 
 Present sufferings often seem to us, while under- 
 going them, as very severe, almost insupportable ; but 
 in the apostle's estimation they, with all their severity, 
 are not worthy to be compared with the future glory 
 of God's people. Compared with the exceeding great 
 reward, they are insignificant, not worth mentioning, 
 momentary and trivial. How comforting and inspir- 
 ing is this to the suffering saint ! 
 
 "Our conflicts here will soon be past, 
 And you and I ascend at last, 
 Triumphant with our Head." 
 
 It is not death that brings this revelation, but the 
 
 appearing of the Great God, even our Savior Jesus 
 
 Christ. We may as correctly translate revealed "to 
 
 us" as "in us"; the preposition " eis " meaning 
 
 primarily a motion. " toward or into." "To us" is 
 
 the better rendering here. 
 
 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for 
 the manifestation of the sons of God. 
 
 This verse, and the two succeeding ones, are con- 
 sidered obscure by commentators. The obscurity is 
 owing to the doubtful meaning and application of 
 the Greek word (ktisis) here rendered by the English 
 word "creature." The surmises as to the meaning 
 of this word have been various. Some apply it to the 
 Gentile world, others to the lower animals. These are 
 only a few of the guesses on the subject. The trans- 
 
142 A COMMENTARY 
 
 lation is quite literal and proper. The only light shed 
 upon the subject is in the context. From this I 
 gather that the reference is to the human body, and 
 particularly to the bodies of the saints. This explana- 
 tion supposes the apostle to use a figure of speech 
 called personification. Human bodies are represented 
 as waiting in earnest expectation for something ; that 
 is, acting as intelligent beings. What our bodies are 
 thus expecting is the manifestatio7i of the sons of God, 
 So it is really the bodies of believers only which are 
 thus waiting expectantly, as they only will share in 
 this manifestation. This manifestation of God's sons 
 will take place at the resurrection of the just. As 
 Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power 
 by His rising from among the dead, so the sonship 
 of God's people will be manifested in the same 
 manner when they have part in the first resurrection, 
 which is also a resurrection from among the dead. 
 
 20. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not will- 
 ingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in 
 hope, 
 
 The vanity here spoken of to which the creature, 
 the body, %vas made subject, is natural evil, sickness, 
 pain, and death. But this subjection to vanity was 
 not voluntary on its part ; it was in no wise respon- 
 sible for this curse. Nor are Adam's descendants re- 
 sponsible for these things, as they are the result of 
 
A COMMENTARY 143 
 
 Adam's sin, and not of the voluntary transgressions 
 of his posterity. Hence it is said they were made 
 subject to vanity, not willingly ; but as this suffering 
 for the sin of another would not be just if there were 
 no recompense, it is said that they are subjected in 
 hope; that is, there is the promise of a restoration to 
 life again, and the hope is that of the resurrection. 
 The last clause is a paraphrase, and not a literal 
 rendering. We might read it thus: but by reason of 
 the one having subjected // in hope. The God of 
 infinite justice placed our bodies under the curse of 
 physical death because He had provided for them a 
 hope. 
 
 21. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from 
 the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the 
 children of God. 
 
 This then is the hope of the creature, deliverance 
 from the bondage of cori'uption. The soul is here de- 
 livered from the bondage of sin but the body remains 
 under the bondage of corruption until the resurrection 
 of the just. This can apply only to the bodies of be- 
 lievers and those who are saved unconditionally, as 
 infants and idiots. But it will embrace the larger 
 part of the human race. It is not to be supposed that 
 those whose souls have found no emancipation from 
 the bondage of sin shall have bodies saved from the 
 bondage of corruption. They shall have a resurrec- 
 
144 A COMMENTARY 
 
 tion, 'tis true, but to shame and contempt, instead of 
 to liberty and glory. The glorious liberty of the 
 children of God already exists, and into this liberty 
 the body will immerge at its rising. 
 
 22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and 
 travaileth in pain together until now. 
 
 The bodies of all men, saints and sinners, are under 
 the curse of natural evil, and suffer with pain and 
 anguish. This is, to a certain extent, true also of the 
 lower animals, but there is no proof that their suffer- 
 ings are in any degree the result of the curse, or that 
 they have any hope of deliverance. The same Greek 
 word (ktisis) is here translated "creation" that was 
 rendered "creature" in the preceding verses. But it 
 is qualified by an adjective extending its meaning. 
 This would show that the bodies of saints were alone 
 referred to in the former case. 
 
 23. And not only ///ry, but ourselves also, which have the 
 first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within our- 
 selves, waiting for the adoption, to ~vif, the redemption of our 
 body. 
 
 This verse has tended to confuse the minds of ex- 
 positors. If we ourselves, having the frst fruits of the 
 Spirit, are not included in the "creature," it is gen- 
 erally supposed that we must look outside of the 
 company of believers to find the creature that is to 
 be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the 
 
A COMMENTARY 145 
 
 liberty of the children of God. What this " creature " 
 is, that is outside of God's covenanted mercies, that 
 is to partake of this glorious liberty has been hard 
 to fix upon. But I consider that the whole difficulty 
 is obviated and the enigma solved, by explaining that 
 the "creature" in verses 19, 20 and 21 refers par- 
 ticularly to the bodies of saints; in verse 22, the 
 " whole creation " refers to the bodies of all men, 
 saints and sinners ; that up to the present still suffer 
 from natural evil ; and that the 23rd verse, the one 
 under consideration now, refers to the spiritual man, 
 the soul, as distinguished from the physical man. 
 The passage then means, that not only may our bod- 
 ies be represented as groaning in pain and earnestly 
 expecting deliverance from the bondage of corrup- 
 tion, but we ourselves, in our spiritual nature, though 
 already enjoying the first fruits of the Spirit, liberty 
 from sin, and the earnest of the heavenly inheritance, 
 yet we are not content w^ith this but groan within 
 ourselves not satisfied until our bodies are redeemed. 
 We have received the Spirit of adoption, and know 
 that our spirits are adopted into the family of God, 
 but we still wait for the adoption of our bodies also. 
 Without redeemed bodies we are incomplete, not de- 
 siring simply to be unclothed by the dissolution of 
 our bodies, but clothed upon, that mortality may be 
 swallowed up of life. 
 
146 A COMMENTARY 
 
 24. For we are saved by hope ; but hope that is seen is not 
 hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 
 
 Hope can have respect only to what is in the 
 future. It can therefore properly have nothing to do 
 with the salvation of the soul, which is a present ex- 
 perience. "He that believeth hath everlasting life." 
 It is therefore not a subject of hope. So far as the 
 soul is concerned we are saved by faith, and enjoy 
 a present salvation. It is with respect to the body 
 that we are saved by hope, and this has been the 
 subject under consideration. We hope for that as a 
 subject of promise ; a promise yet to be fulfilled. 
 
 25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with 
 patience wait for //. 
 
 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we 
 know not what we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit 
 itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot 
 be uttered. 
 
 The doctrine of the intercession of the Holy Spirit 
 is here plainly taught, though this important doctrine 
 is seldom mentioned in the scriptures, and nowhere 
 else in such unmistakable language as in this place. 
 In Eph. II-i8th, we are told that through Christ we 
 have " access by one Spirit unto tlie Father." Here 
 the intercession of the Spirit is, no doubt, referred 
 to. While therefore Christ is the only Mediator be- 
 tween God and man. He is not the only Intercessor. 
 The Spirit also '' itself maketh intercession for us." 
 
A COMMENTARY 147 
 
 While Jesus intercedes before the throne in heaven, 
 the Spirit intercedes in our hearts. He creates in us 
 these unutterable desires and longings which lead to 
 prevailing prayer. Unless we have these intercessions 
 of the Spirit we pray at random, not knowing what 
 we should pray for as we ought to know, in order to 
 prevail with God. But this i?ijirmity of ignorance 
 the Blessed Spirit helpeth, by teaching us what to 
 pray for. The Spirit teaches us that though we ear- 
 nestly desire the adoption, the redemption of our bodies, 
 it is a blessing which we cannot now enjoy, but must 
 i?t patience wait for it, and in patience suffer the re- 
 sults of natural evil, sickness, pain and death. We 
 need not expect deliverance from these evils until our 
 bodies are redeemed. We may find help in special 
 cases, but w^e are still liable to all these sufferings and 
 inconveniences until the Father shall adopt our bodies, 
 ransoming them from the power of the grave. Sick- 
 ness is not necessarily an occasion of shame to the 
 child of God, as some teach. He has no promise of 
 present exemption from disease. That will come 
 after while. 
 
 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the 
 mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the 
 saints according to the -will of God. 
 
 Though we are ignorant of the intentions of the 
 Deity, yet the Blessed Spirit, the Heart-Searcher, 
 
148 A COMMENTARY 
 
 kiiowcth the mind of Divinity, and therefore he can 
 inspire us with such desires as are in accordance with 
 the will of God. So there can be no mistake when 
 we pray under the inspiration and through the inter- 
 cession of the Holy Spirit. Hence saints can pray 
 with confidence that their prayers are heard and 
 answered. 
 
 2.8. And we know that all things work together for good 
 to them that love God, to them who are the called according 
 to his purpose. 
 
 This is a thought which is full of comfort to God's 
 
 people ; that even their severest trials and deepest 
 
 afflictions are conspiring for their eternal welfare. 
 
 Comment can add nothing to the clearness and force of 
 
 this declaration. Because those ivho love God are 
 
 here denominated the called, we are not to infer that 
 
 none others are called ; for we are told elsewhere that 
 
 the many are called though but few are chosen. This 
 
 verse and the one following are relied upon by the 
 
 Predestinarians to prove their theories, but, I think, 
 
 without warrant. 
 
 29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate 
 to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be 
 the first-born among many brethren. 
 
 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also 
 called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom 
 he justified, them he also glorified. 
 
 That God has foreknown some as His people, and 
 
 that such are predestined to eternal life, is certain. 
 
A COMMENTARY 1 49 
 
 And that such persons are called, justified, and glori- 
 fied is also clearly taught in the scriptures. But 
 that, as is taught by some, this predestination is 
 without foresight of faith or good works, remains to 
 be proven. God has predestined to eternal life every 
 believer who continues faithful to the end of his 
 trial. No doubt he also , has foreknown all these. 
 He knoweth the end from the beginning. But God's 
 knowledge can have nothing whatever to do w^ith 
 the freedom of His creatures. Nor are we to conclude 
 that none are called or justified but those who are 
 finally glorified. Such a claim contradicts the plain- 
 est teachings of the scriptures. If the salvation 
 of the soul depends entirely upon God's election, and 
 God's election depends entirely upon God's will 
 alone, without any reference to the character or 
 conduct of the creature, then the whole scheme of 
 redemption by Jesus Christ was superfluous and 
 unnecessary. God can save men by His mere fiat 
 alone. No such doctrine is taught here. Christ 
 becomes the Jirst-born among 7?iany brethren^ when 
 men become sons of God also. Jesus is the only 
 begotten Son. Men are sons by adoption. It is true, 
 saints are said to be begotten and born of God, but 
 this is in a spiritual, not a natural, sense. Christ 
 was literally begotten of the Holy Ghost, and so in 
 the same sense he was the Son of God. Adam was 
 
150 A COMiMENTARY 
 
 a Son of God, so called in scripture, but he was a 
 son by creation and not begotten. Christ as a human 
 being was literally the Son of God as well as the 
 son of man, and this human nature united with the 
 eternal Word is called the Son of God. The doctrine 
 of the Eternal Sonship is, I think, not taught in the 
 scriptures, and it has been a great stumbling-block 
 to human reason. Christ, being the first-born, has 
 preeminence among his brethren aside from his 
 Divinity. 
 
 31. What shall we then say to these things? If God he 
 for us, who can be against ns? 
 
 It makes no difference who intends to be against 
 us, if God be for us, He will turn their evil inten- 
 tions to our profit. Even the malice of demons is 
 made an occasion of good to us. The stars in their 
 courses fight for us. Wicked men may curse us but 
 God turns their curses into blessings. O happy 
 people whose God the Lord is. No power in the 
 universe can harm them, except that they may harm 
 themselves. 
 
 32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up 
 for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all 
 things? 
 
 If God gave this greatest possible gift. His own 
 Son, it is not reasonable to suppose that He would 
 withhold the lesser things that we might need. We 
 
A COMMENTARY 151 
 
 need then have no fear of asking too much while we 
 keep inside the promises. We honor God, and show 
 our confidence in both His ability and magnanimity 
 by asking great things of Him. If we are straitened 
 in our prayers the cause is in ourselves, not in His 
 promises. 
 
 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? 
 It is God that justifieth. 
 
 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, 
 yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand 
 of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 
 
 We are told in the first verse of this chapter that 
 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ 
 Jesus. This fact is reiterated here. Everything is in 
 favor of them that love God. He defends them 
 against their enemies, so that the wrath of man is 
 made to praise Him and benefit them. He also main- 
 tains their cause against their accusers who would 
 condemn them. Christ is their Advocate and Inter- 
 cessor, and the Father, as Judge, decides in their favor ; 
 He justifies them, clears them of all fault and all 
 blame. We are not to suppose that this is done 
 through partiality or contrary to the truth, but ac- 
 cording to the law and the facts. If God, our Judge, 
 pronounces us clear, it is because the facts warrant 
 such a decision. 
 
 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall 
 tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked- 
 ness, or peril, » or sword? 
 
152 A COMMENTARY 
 
 This question is understood in two different senses 
 by different expositors. The ambiguity is found in 
 the phrase " the love of Christ." The obvious mean- 
 ing is ''Christ's love"; His love toward us. Some, 
 however, understand it to mean our love for Christ. 
 It does not matter much which way it is explained, 
 as what is said here is true in either case, that noth- 
 ing outside of ourselves can destroy either God's love 
 toward us, or our love toward Him. As the sense 
 does not require an exceptional meaning, we will give 
 it the obvious one. It is objected that the evils here 
 enumerated can have no influence on Christ's love for 
 us, but may have upon our love for Him. True; but 
 they tempt us to doubt His love for us. When we 
 are under tribulation, persecution, nakedness, etc., 
 we are strongly tempted to think that we are sepa- 
 rated from God's love and Fatherly care ; that He has 
 forgotten us, or has become indifferent to our suffer- 
 ings. Satan would fain persuade us of this. Shall 
 ti'ibulation? This word in the original signifies a 
 crushing, compression, etc. Shall distress? The 
 Greek word signifies straits, narrow places, etc. 
 Shall fe7'sccutioii? The Greek word signifies a driv- 
 ing away, a chasing, pursuit, etc. Shall fai7iinc? 
 In times of persecution they were likely to go hun- 
 gry for lack of food. Shall nakedness? This does 
 not mean without any clothing, but without sufficient 
 
A COMMENTARY 153 
 
 clothing, destitute, as they were liable to be when 
 driven about by their persecutors. Shall peril? 
 While hungry and naked, their lives were also in 
 danger from the malice of their enemies. Shall the 
 sword? x\nd if the worst their persecutors could in- 
 flict, death, came to them, still this was no proof that 
 the Lord had ceased to love them, nor could it quench 
 their love to Him. 
 
 36. As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day 
 long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
 
 This quotation is from Ps. XLIV-22nd verse, and is 
 here applied to persecuted saints, and was literally 
 fulfilled in some persecutions the earlier Christians 
 suffered. 
 
 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors 
 through him that loved us. 
 
 To be a conqueror, to overcome, is a great success ; 
 and to such, precious promises are made. But we 
 are said to be more than conquerors. What can this 
 mean.'* we may ask. The apostle was a citizen of 
 the Roman Empire, and may have had in his mind 
 some of the customs of that people. Among the 
 Romans military success and military heroes were 
 held in the highest esteem and honor. , All successful 
 military leaders were accorded great honor, the high- 
 est conferred by the state. But some military successes 
 were more complete and overwhelming than others, 
 
154 A COMMENTARY 
 
 and to such victors still higher honors were paid. 
 They were given what was called a triumph. This 
 was done by a vote of the Roman Senate. In this 
 case the triumphant general was allowed to make his 
 entry into the city of Rome in a grand procession, 
 at the head of which he rode in a triumphal chariot, 
 followed by his victorious troops, and also by noted 
 captives in chains and on foot, conquered monarchs 
 sometimes suffering such humiliations. These w^ere 
 followed by the spoils taken in the war, as well as 
 strange animals and other products of the conquered 
 country, and prisoners of war, reduced to slavery. 
 The honor of a triumph was the highest ambition of 
 a Roman warrior. In such case he was recognized 
 as more than a conqueror. In II Cor. II— 14th, we 
 read, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth 
 us to triumph in Christ." This is no doubt the same 
 thought expressed here in Romans. 
 
 38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor 
 angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor 
 things to come, 
 
 39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be 
 able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ 
 Jesus our Lord. 
 
 This is a repetition and extension of the thought 
 in the 25th verse. It might be considered an answer 
 to the questions therein asked. Death has no power 
 to separate us from the love of God. If we are the 
 
A COMMENTARY 155 
 
 Lord's while we live, we shall certainly be the Lord's 
 when we die. A good testimony in the dying hour 
 is well ; but often at such a time the intellect is 
 clouded and consciousness intermittent or wholly 
 suspended. The best and most convincing testimony 
 to leave behind us, is the testimony of a holy life, 
 spent in submission to the will of God. Life is more 
 dangerous than death, with its trials and temptations, 
 its snares and its pitfalls. The poet has well said, 
 
 " O fear not thou to die, 
 
 But rather fear to live; for life 
 Hath thousand snares thy feet to try, 
 By peril, pain and strife." 
 
 Yet this cannot separate us from the love of God 
 while we are faithful to Him. Angels^ principalities, 
 and powers, hevQ no doubt refers to Satan's forces. 
 We are told in Eph. VI- 12th, that "we wrestle not 
 against flesh and blood, but against principalities, 
 against powers." The fallen angels are here referred 
 to, commonly called devils or demons. Says Charles 
 Wesley of them, 
 
 " Angels our march oppose, 
 
 Who still in strength excel ; 
 Our secret, sworn, eternal foes, 
 
 Countless, invisible. 
 From thrones of glory driven, 
 
 By flaming vengeance hurled, 
 They throng the air, and darken heaven. 
 
 And rule this lower world." 
 
156 A COMMENTARY 
 
 But even these, with all their strength, guile and 
 malice, cannot separate us from the love of God. 
 Though they accuse us day and night as Satan 
 accused Job, they will fail in their purpose. Prin- 
 cipalities and powe?'s may refer to human governments 
 which became persecuting agents of Satan, symbolized 
 by the great Red Dragon ; him the saints overcame 
 by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their 
 testimony. Things present are those difficulties and 
 troubles which already beset us ; tilings to come are 
 those which wait for us in the future of our experience 
 here on earth. These latter are apt to give us more 
 concern than the former. We know not how severe 
 and overwhelming these may prove to be, and we 
 are tempted to doubt our strength to bear them. 
 But we have the assurance that whatever they may 
 be they shall not be insurmountable nor unbearable. 
 Nor height; no exaltation of soul nor of fortune ; nor 
 depth; no depression of spirit nor desperation of condi- 
 tion, shall be able to separate us from the love of 
 God. Exaltation might induce pride and self-confi- 
 dence, depression might lead to the casting away of 
 our confidence, and to despair of God's mercy. But 
 grace will be suflicient in either case. Nor any other 
 creature; nothing but our own choice can separate us 
 from the love of God ; all the remainder of creation 
 is powerless to do this. The love of God, manifested 
 
A COMMENTARY 157 
 
 in the gift of His Son, Jesus the Christ, is above 
 human comprehension; it " passeth knowledge." 
 We can feel its force and yield to its blessed com- 
 pulsion, but its infinite height and fathomless depth 
 is beyond our finite grasp. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 God's foreknowledge, and His predestination of 
 believers to eternal life, are matters which in former 
 times were subjects of warm, and sometimes bitter, 
 controversy. That controversy seems at length to have 
 ceased upon these points. God's foreknowledge is a 
 stumbling-block to many, who cannot see how it can 
 be consistent with human freedom. Yet the difficulty 
 is only seeming and not real. I would lay it down as 
 a universal proposition that the knowledge of no 
 intelligent being concerning an act of another intelli- 
 gent being can have any infiuence or effect upon 
 that act. It makes no difference whether that 
 knowledge exists before the act, after the act, or 
 during its performance. It is easily seen that this is 
 true concerning knowledge of an act during, or after, 
 its performance ; but it is imagined that previous 
 knowledge of an act has a compelling effect. But no 
 intelligent reason for this surmise can be given. The 
 opinion is based upon the assumption that the act 
 
158 A COMMENTARY 
 
 will happen because it is foreknown ; while the truth 
 is, it is foreknown because it will occur. What has 
 occurred in the past I may know because it has 
 occurred. What is transpiring now 1 may know 
 because it is happening. Why should it be different 
 concerning future events.^ If God knows what will 
 happen in the future, He knows it because it is going 
 to happen ; it is not going to happen because He 
 foreknows it. Strictly speaking, there is no fore- 
 knowledge with God. He fills eternity, and all 
 eternity is as much present with Him as the fugitive 
 moment is with us. And His knowledge has no more 
 effect upon the conduct of free agents than our 
 knowledge has. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also 
 bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 
 
 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my 
 heart. 
 
 St. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles and mag- 
 nified his office ; and in doing so he incurred the 
 suspicion and enmity of his own people, the Jews. 
 They accused him of being an apostate and an enemy 
 of his nation. Because he would not allow the Jew- 
 ish law to be imposed on the Gentile Christians, he 
 was accounted an enemy of the law. It is, no doubt, 
 for this reason that he feels it necessary to make such 
 strong assertions of his love for his Jewish brethren. 
 He feared they would not believe him sincere. 
 
 3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ 
 for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 
 
 The apostle represents his sorrow for the obstinacy 
 of his Jewish brethren to be so acute that he could 
 wish to suffer in their stead if by this means they 
 might be saved. He would be willing to do for them 
 what Christ has done for us. He became a curse for 
 
 (159) 
 
l6o A COMMENTARY 
 
 US, as it is written, '* Cursed is every one that hangeth 
 on a tree." St. Paul does not say that he does^ this, 
 as it is impossible; but that he could do it, so great 
 is his grief. Moses felt similarly concerning Israel, 
 and asked that he might be blotted out of God's book 
 for their sakes. This love surpasses that which Christ 
 concedes to natural men. He says, " Greater love hath 
 no man than this, that a man lay down his life for 
 his friend." To be willing to bear the wrath of God 
 due to another, is a much greater manifestation of 
 love. The Jews did not, however, give him credit 
 for such affection. 
 
 4. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, 
 and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, 
 and the service of God, and the promises; 
 
 5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the 
 flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. 
 
 The apostle here, by way of conciliation, concedes 
 to the Jews all that he can concede, for he is about 
 to say some very unwelcome and distasteful things, 
 which it will be hard for them to receive. In his 
 care to avoid all unnecessary cause for offence, and in 
 his willingness to give them credit for everything 
 possible, he shows his sincere love for their souls, and 
 sets an example for other ministers of Christ to im- 
 itate. Israelites were so called because descended 
 from Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, whose name 
 was changed at the time of his wrestling with the 
 
A COMMENTARY l6l 
 
 angel of the Lord. It was said to him at that time, 
 "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob (supplanter), 
 but Israel (prince of God)." The adoptio7i refers to 
 their having been chosen to be God's peculiar people. 
 Covenants were made first with Abraham, and after- 
 ward with all Israel at Sinai. The glory of the old 
 covenant was reflected in Moses' face, at the time of 
 the promulgation of the law at Sinai. The giving of 
 the law took place at the same time under circum- 
 stances of great impressiveness, and with manifesta- 
 tions very grand and terrifying. The service of God 
 was carried on first in the tabernacle erected in the 
 wilderness by God's command, and carried from place 
 to place as the Israelites journeyed, and afterward in 
 the temple built by Solomon, and then, after the res- 
 toration from Babylon, in the second temple, which 
 stood at the time of Christ's advent. The promises 
 which are fulfilled in Christ were given to the Jews, 
 and the wrong interpretation of these promises had 
 given the Jews a false security and a false hope. 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with the twelve 
 sons of Jacob, sometimes called the twelve patriarchs, 
 are those referred to as the fathers. Of this stock 
 Christ was born according to the flesh. In order to 
 get rid of the force of the last clause of this 5th 
 verse, our Unitarian friends would render it. Blessed 
 be God forever. Amen. This rendering seems to be 
 
1 62 A COMMENTARY 
 
 a rather violent twisting of the original Greek to 
 serve a purpose. 
 
 6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. 
 For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel : 
 
 7. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they 
 all children : but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 
 
 8. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these 
 are not the children of God : but the children of the promise 
 are counted for the seed. 
 
 For want of proper consideration of the principles 
 stated in these verses, much confusion and misunder- 
 standing have resulted. The promises made to Israel 
 are generally applied to all the descendants of Abraham 
 through Isaac and Jacob, while we are here informed 
 that they apply to but a part of the natural seed. I 
 refer to promises that are to be fulfilled under the 
 present dispensation. Formerly, all of Abraham's 
 children were excluded except Isaac. It is true that 
 Isaac was the only legitimate child, being the son of 
 Sarah, Abraham's wife, while his other children were 
 children of concubines. But they were not necessarily 
 excluded on this account, as Jacob's children, who 
 w^ere the children of concubines, inherited along with 
 the children of Rachel and Leah. It was for some 
 other cause that Ishmael and the other sons of con- 
 cubinage were left out. The apostle uses this fact as 
 a type of spiritual things. As Isaac who was a child 
 of promise, and whose birth was supernatural, was 
 
A COMMENTARY 163 
 
 made heir to the exclusion of the purely natural 
 children, so God's children under the gospel are all 
 children of promise, and have a supernatural birth. 
 All others, whether Jew or Gentile, are excluded from 
 the covenant, and have no promise. Under the gos- 
 pel, there is no promise to any man because of his 
 natural descent, or for any fleshly reason. The com- 
 mon assumption, then, that there is a promise of 
 salvation to all the Jews because they are Abraham's 
 seed must be a mistake. The children of promise are 
 the seed to whom all the promises are made. 
 
 9. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I 
 come, and Sarah shall have a son. 
 
 Sarah was ninety years old at the time the promise 
 was made and had always been barren. There could 
 be no natural prospect of motherhood in her case. 
 It seemed so preposterous to her that when she heard 
 the promise she laughed, as did Abraham when the 
 promise was first given him. Hence the child was 
 named Isaac, an anglicism of the Hebrew word 
 meaning " laughter." 
 
 10. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had con- 
 ceived by one, even by our father Isaac ; 
 
 11. (For the children being not yet born, neither having 
 done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to 
 election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 
 
 12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 
 
 13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I 
 hated. 
 
164 A COMMENTARY 
 
 The apostle's argument is that God acts as a 
 sovereign in disposing of men in this world. As He 
 chose the Jews in this way formerly, He had now 
 the same right to reject them from being His pecul- 
 iar people. This the Jews were unwilling to believe 
 or acknowledge. God chose Isaac instead of Ishmael, 
 Jacob instead of Esau, not because either was better 
 than the other, but because the one chosen suited 
 God's purpose better. But this choice, or election, 
 had nothing to do with their eternal salvation as is 
 sometimes imagined. It does not mean that every- 
 thing Jacob did is to be approved, or Esau's conduct 
 all condemned. It is true that Esau lacked the re- 
 ligious instinct or an appreciation of sacred things, 
 and so is called a profane person, and was unsuited 
 to God's plan ; but he was a much more honest man 
 than Jacob, frank and open, while Jacob was subtile 
 and guileful, manifesting the tactics of the weaker. 
 But he had the religious sense, a reverence for things 
 sacred, which were necessary to God's purpose, and 
 he was chosen to be the progenitor of the peculiar 
 race. The prophecy that the elder should serve the 
 younger^ had respect to their posterity and not to 
 Jacob and Esau, as Esau never served Jacob. On 
 the contrary Jacob made submission to Esau on his 
 return to Canaan from Mesopotamia, and called him 
 "My lord Esau." But when Isaac was about to die, 
 
A COMMENTARY I 65 
 
 he insisted on giving the blessing of the first-born to 
 Jacob, not because Esau had sold his birthright for 
 a mess of pottage, nor because of Jacob's stratagem, 
 but because God had chosen Jacob. All the latter's 
 subterfuges and stratagems were unnecessary. God 
 had not made it necessary for him to become a liar 
 and a thief to obtain that which he had already de- 
 signed for him. Esau could find no place of repent- 
 ance, not in himself, for he repented bitterly enough, 
 but in his father ; he could not persuade his father to 
 change his mind. Esau was hated in the sense that 
 he was loved less, or that another was preferred to 
 him. In the same sense in which we are commanded 
 to hate father and mother. Jacob was loved in the 
 sense that he was preferred for God's purpose. This 
 love had nothing to do with his salvation, nor was 
 God's hatred of Esau detrimental to his salvation any 
 further than his love for Jacob was promotive of his 
 salvation. Neither was affected in any way. 
 
 14. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness 
 with God? God forbid. 
 
 That is, is it unjust in God to choose one rather 
 than another as his special instrument, and thus to 
 honor one above another? Does he do wrong to the 
 one thus rejected? No; in these temporal affairs God 
 acts as a Sovereign, giving no reason why. No one 
 has any claim to the honor, and so is not injured, 
 
1 66 A COMMENTARY 
 
 nor deprived of any right when another is preferred 
 to him. The object of these illustrations is to obviate 
 the objection made by the Jevs^, that God cannot 
 justly take church-membership from that people and 
 give it to another people. 
 
 15. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I 
 will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will 
 have compassion. 
 
 God has an undeniable right to determine upon 
 what conditions he will have mercy and compassion. 
 These conditions are plainly stated in His word. But 
 these conditions apply equally to all men. He does 
 not have mercy on one man, and refuse to have 
 mercy on another man except for the reason that one 
 man complies with the conditions and the other does 
 not. With respect to temporal matters it is different, 
 as these do not determine men's eternal destiny, and 
 there will be compensations for present inequalities. 
 In the other case there cannot be such compensations. 
 None of God's creatures are outside possible mercy 
 except as a result of their own choice; for ^' His 
 tender mercies are over all His works," and they 
 "endure forever." 
 
 16. So then // is not of him that willoth, nor of him that 
 runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 
 
 The condition upon which God will grant His 
 favor is not dictated by Iiim tliat iciUcth nor by him 
 
A COMMENTARY 167 
 
 that runneth^ but by God Himself who shows the 
 mercy and grants the favor. No man has any right 
 to dictate the terms upon which God shall grant 
 him favor. But this does not mean that God arbi- 
 trarily saves one man and damns another simply 
 because He chooses to do so, there being no dif- 
 ference in the objects of His mercy and His wrath. 
 Such conduct on the part of a God of Infinite Love 
 is inconceivable ; and to extract such poison from the 
 scripture under consideration is to "change the truth 
 of God into a lie." 
 
 17. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this 
 same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my 
 power in thee, and that my name might be declared through- 
 out all the earth. 
 
 God raised up Pharaoh, that is, elevated him to 
 the throne of Egypt that He might use him to 
 make known His power, that the knowledge of the 
 true God might be widely disseminated. He used 
 Nebuchadnezzar in the same way, as also Darius the 
 Mede. He saw that Pharaoh was stubborn, and 
 headstrong, and would refuse to let the Israelites go 
 at God's command. By resisting God, he gave occasion 
 for such wonderful displays of God's power upon His 
 enemies as were seen in the ten plagues of Egypt. 
 
 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, 
 and whom he will he hardeneth. 
 
1 68 A COMMENTARY 
 
 He has mercy on those who submit to Him, and 
 hardens those who resist Him. Resisting God natu- 
 rally hardens the heart, and makes it still more difficult 
 to yield to His demands. To charge that God arbi- 
 trarily hardened Pharaoh's heart and then punished 
 him for his stubbornness, is a horrible slander upon the 
 Divine character. Mr. Wesley, in his controversy 
 with Mr. Toplady on the subject of predestination, 
 illustrates this slander by instancing the case of the 
 Roman Emperor, Tiberius, who wishing to take the 
 life of a Roman family containing a young girl, 
 knowing that the Roman law forbade the execution 
 of a virgin, commanded the executioner first to 
 deflower and then to kill her. But, says Mr. Wesley, 
 "Even good Tiberius did not command her to be 
 slain because she had been deflowered." If he had 
 done this, it would have been just such conduct as 
 is sometimes charged upon God Almighty. 
 
 19. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find 
 fault? For who hath resisted his will? 
 
 The apostle here supposes some one, presumably a 
 
 Jew, to cavil at what has been said. "If in these 
 
 things God acts according to His own will, and we 
 
 have nothing to say, it takes all responsibility off of 
 
 us, since we have not thwarted His will. Why does 
 
 He then find fault with us?" I have heard like 
 
 objections made in an effort to throw off responsi- 
 
A COMMENTARY 169 
 
 bility. One will say, "I was not consulted as to my 
 birth, and my surroundings, nor as to the character 
 of my parents ; nor could I avoid having a perverse 
 nature and evil tempers. I am just as God made me, 
 why should He find fault with me? " This is all true 
 but it is only a part of the truth, and is a direct 
 charge against God's ways, and His government of 
 the world. It is a dishonest charge ; for the objector 
 knows that it is not a full and fair statement of the 
 case. We cannot thus shift responsibility for our 
 wrong-doing. But if all our conduct were the result 
 of an irresistible decree of Deity, then the objection 
 would be valid and reasonable. 
 
 20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against 
 God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed i7. 
 Why hast thou made me thus? 
 
 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same 
 lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dis- 
 honor? 
 
 The potter certainly has this power and the right 
 also. So has God the right to make of the same 
 human clay one man for an honorable position, 
 another for one less honorable or by comparison, one 
 of dishonor. But the potter's vessels are both useful 
 though one may be found in the dining-room and 
 the other in the chamber. But the potter does not 
 make a useless vessel simply for the pleasure of 
 destroying it. If he were guilty of such conduct he 
 
170 A COMMENTARY 
 
 would soon find himself in a lunatic asylum Yet 
 God is charged with creating some men for the 
 express purpose of destroying them ' to the praise of 
 His glorious justice."" We are told in another place 
 how we may become vessels unto honor in a spiritual 
 sense; in temporal matters we have no choice. "But 
 in a great house there are not only vessels of gold 
 and silver, but also of wood and of earth ; and some 
 to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore 
 purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto 
 honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, ajid 
 prepared unto every good work." (II Tim. II, 
 20-3 1.) 
 
 22. What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make 
 his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels 
 of wrath fitted to destruction : 
 
 God's manifestations of His displeasure at sin by 
 inflicting temporal punishments is not only justice to 
 the offenders, but a mercy to others, being a warning 
 against like conduct in them. This is one of the 
 principal objects of such punishments. Pharaoh and 
 the Egyptians, the Canaanitish nations dispossessed 
 by the Israelites, the inhabitants of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah, are all examples of God's wrath. They 
 were vessels of ivrath jittcd to destruction; but they 
 had by their ungodliness and shamelessness, and by 
 their incorrigibility, fitted themselves for destruction ; 
 
A COMMENTARY 171 
 
 God had not so fitted them although resistance to 
 Him had hardened them. He endured with much 
 longsuffering their detestable crimes against God and 
 human nature itself, until there was left no hope of 
 reformation. To teach that God by irresistible decree 
 produced such conduct, and then claimed to endure 
 His own work with longsuffering, is to attribute to 
 Deity a duplicity that is astounding. 
 
 23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory 
 on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto 
 glory, 
 
 While God shows severity toward incorrigible offend- 
 ers that others might fear to transgress, the great 
 purpose of His love toward mankind is to save them. 
 He seizes upon the opportunity, as it were, which is 
 afforded by man's lost condition, to make known the 
 riches of His mercy. This display of mercy is, so far 
 as we know, unique, and the angels are reputed to 
 be curious concerning it. While God is glorified in 
 the punishment of the wicked, in both this age and 
 the next one, He is much more glorified in their 
 salvation. These vessels of mercy were prepared 
 aforetime in God's purpose to save them that believe. 
 
 24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, 
 but also of the Gentiles? 
 
 These vessels of mercy were not the descendants of 
 Jacob as distinguished from those of Esau, but 
 
172 A COMMENTARY 
 
 believers of both Jews and Gentiles as distinguished 
 from unbelievers. 
 
 25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, 
 which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not 
 beloved. 
 
 26. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it 
 was said unto them, Ye are not my people ; there shall they 
 be called the children of the living God. 
 
 These prophecies portend a change of dispensations 
 and a change of churches. The new church is com- 
 posed principally of those who were not God'' s people, 
 that is of Gentiles. It is not exclusively a Gen- 
 tile church, nor was the former church exclusively 
 Jewish, there being proselytes from among the Gen- 
 tiles incorporated in it. The two churches are here 
 spoken of as two women, the first wife having been 
 divorced for her unfaithfulness that the other might 
 take her place. It is a common figure in both the Old 
 and New Testaments to call the church God's wife 
 or bride. If there is a new wife which ivas not be- 
 loved, and a new people which was not God's peo- 
 ple, how can it be true, as is generally taught, 
 that the Church of Christ is organically identical with 
 the Mosaic church, with no change except of ordi- 
 nances? This would not be a new wife which for- 
 merly was not beloved, but the same wife as of old 
 with but a change of raiment. 
 
 27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the num- 
 
A COMMENTARY 173 
 
 ber of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a rem- 
 nant shall be saved : 
 
 28. For he will finish the work, and cut it short in right- 
 eousness : because a short work will the Lord make upon the 
 earth. 
 
 29. And as Esaias said before. Except the Lord of Sabaoth 
 had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like 
 unto Gomorrha. 
 
 These scriptures are quoted to show that the 
 rejection of a large part of the Jewish nation had 
 been foretold, though they had failed to notice or to 
 understand the prophecies. Like other men they 
 were much more sure to note God's promises than 
 His threatenings. And while they were quick to 
 appropriate the promises to themselves, they were 
 slow to believe any threatened evil could be meant 
 for them. They were unwilling to look squarely at 
 the truth revealed in the scriptures which they so 
 highly venerated. 
 
 30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which 
 followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteous- 
 ness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 
 
 Since this change of dispensations has been clearly 
 foretold, and also the rejection of the Jewish nation 
 as the Church of God, and the admission of the 
 Gentiles to equal privileges with the Jews, as well 
 as the refusal of the mass of the Israelites to accept 
 of God's terms, what is to be said? This is to be 
 said : that the Gentiles who cared nothing for God's 
 
174 A COMMENTARY 
 
 favor and made no effort after justification have attained 
 to justification, because they sought it by faith. 
 
 31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteous- 
 ness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. , 
 
 32. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but 
 as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that 
 stumblingstone ; 
 
 33. As it is written. Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone 
 and rock of ofTence : and whosoever believeth on him shall not 
 be ashamed. 
 
 The Jews, seeking justification by the works of 
 the law failed to find it. The doctrine of Justifica- 
 tion by Faith without Works seemed to them an 
 insuperable obstacle. They could not divest them- 
 selves of the idea of meriting something ; and were 
 unwilling to become spiritual paupers. Salvation by 
 Faith is a stumblingstone not to the Jews alone, but 
 to proud, self-confident humanity in all nations. 
 Though much talked and written about it is yet 
 little understood, and most men still, consciously or 
 unconsciously, trust in themselves that they are 
 righteous. The majority of nominal Christians have 
 drifted toward or into Socinianism, while most of the 
 remainder have taken refuge in barren Antinomianism. 
 The former trust in dead works, the latter in a dead 
 faith. Real believers are "delivered from dead works 
 to serve the living God"; having a faith whicli is 
 the fruitful source of universal obedience to the law 
 of love. 
 
A COMMENTARY 175 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 The apostle has in this chapter laid the foundation 
 of an argument, continued in the next two chapters, 
 in which he undertakes to prove that the rejection 
 of a large part of the Jewish nation is no infraction 
 of God's promise to Israel. He shows that Israel 
 does not necessarily include all the natural seed of 
 Abraham, since all of Abraham's children except 
 Isaac are left out of the covenant, and that Esau, 
 the eldest son of Isaac, though Jacob's twin brother, 
 is also rejected. He shows, secondly, that none of 
 the natural descendants of Abraham are, by virtue 
 of that relation, the seed to whom the promises were 
 made, since it is written, "In Isaac shall thy seed be 
 called"; which he explains to mean that all the real 
 Israel is composed of those who, like Isaac, are chil- 
 dren of promise, that is, children of faith. He shows 
 further that the prophets Hosea and Isaiah have 
 foretold an ecclesiastical change in which a new ele- 
 ment is to be incorporated into God's church, and 
 that it is intimated that but a small remnant of Jews 
 shall be included among the people of the New 
 Covenant. He shows, finally, that their rejection is 
 their own fault, because of their stubborn adherence 
 to a system of works by which they sought justifica- 
 
176 A COMMENTARY 
 
 tion. He also demonstrates that God cannot be 
 charged with injustice in honoring one person rather 
 than another, since no one has any claim upon the 
 place of honor, and is not, consequently, injured when 
 discriminated against, as these differences are but 
 temporary, and do not determine the future destiny 
 of any one. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel 
 is, that they might be saved. 
 
 The word " Israel " is here used in its literal sense 
 to signify the whole Jewish people. The apostle 
 earnestly desired their salvation, and prayed to God 
 for this ; not that they might all be saved, for he 
 knew this to be impossible, but that as many as possi- 
 ble of them might be saved. As he did not know 
 what individual Jews would yield to the Gospel, he 
 might pray for any one of them, and in that sense 
 might pray for all of them. In this sense we may 
 pray for all men, though absolutely certain that not 
 all will be saved. 
 
 2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, 
 but not according to knowledge. 
 
 Zeal for God is an excellent thing and will atone 
 for many mistakes. Without it all service is a hard- 
 ship and likely to be done grudgingly. But blind 
 zeal is likely to do more harm than good. Nearly all 
 the innocent blood that has been shed in religious 
 persecutions has been shed under the stimulus of mis- 
 
 12 (177) 
 
178 A COMMENTARY 
 
 directed zeal for God. Such a zeal Charles Wesley 
 describes : 
 
 "The spirit of my foes I caught, 
 Their angry bitter zeal ; 
 And fierce for my own party fought, 
 And breathed the fire of hell." 
 
 Some one accused John Wesley of not distinguish- 
 ing between zeal and wrath. He replied, " Yes I do. 
 Wrath is furious fire from hell ; zeal is loving fire 
 from heaven." This is true zeal, but something else 
 is often mistaken for it. But even this zeal must be 
 directed by knowledge or it will often miss the 
 mark. It is right that we should run and also fight ; 
 but we are not to run uncertainly nor fight as one 
 beating the air. It is intimated in scripture that a 
 man may really build on the one true foundation, and 
 yet lose all his labor, because he has built of perish- 
 able materials, dead works that will not stand the 
 test. Not many real Christians probably make so 
 deplorable a mistake ; but the great mass of professed 
 Christians build of no other materials. Like the 
 Jews, their zeal for God is not according to knowl- 
 edge. 
 
 3. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and 
 going about to establish their own righteousness, have not sub- 
 mitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 
 
 Their ignorance was concerning God's plan of 
 
 justifying men ; and not knowing God's plan they 
 
A COMMENTARY 179 
 
 sought to establish their own plan, which was by the 
 works of the law ; and of course while engaged in 
 such endeavors they failed to submit to God's plan of 
 justification, as it is the exact opposite of theirs. To 
 seek in any degree to be justified by works, whether 
 of the Jewish law or of any other law, is to discard 
 God's plan entirely. 
 
 4. For Christ t's the end of the law for righteousness to 
 every one that believeth. 
 
 This is a fundamental principle of Christianity. 
 To seek justification through Christ, is to disclaim all 
 merit, to abandon law of any kind as a condition of 
 God's favor. *To trust in any act of our own, any 
 ordinance or rite to which we can submit, any self- 
 denial or mortification which we can undergo, to 
 trust in the least any or all of these or any like 
 things, is to deny Christ and to reject God's plan of 
 justification. Christ is the end of all doing in order 
 to obtain righteousness or justification. This is the 
 force and meaning of the above declaration. 
 
 5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the 
 law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by 
 them. 
 
 This is the nature and condition of legal righteous- 
 ness. It is approval earned by obedience to law. 
 The reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt. 
 Faith is not necessary in such a scheme, but works 
 
l8o A COMMENTARY 
 
 only. But as no man is able to keep any law that 
 could give life, we must be saved, if saved at all, 
 upon some other condition, namely, by grace through 
 faith, instead of by merit through works of obedi- 
 ence. 
 
 6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this 
 wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? 
 (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 
 
 7. Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring 
 up Christ again from the dead.) 
 
 8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, eveii in thy 
 mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which we 
 preach ; 
 
 The above quotation is from Deut. XXX, 12-14, 
 and is the language of Moses to the Israelites con- 
 cerning the law which had just been repeated to 
 them. Its application by the apostle to the gospel 
 is quite unexpected, and if uninspired men were to 
 thus apply scripture it would be considered a strained 
 use of it. This should convince us that there is much 
 more of spiritual meaning in the Old Testament 
 scriptures than is usually imagined. The quotation 
 is evidently made from the Septuagint version, as the 
 English translation from the Hebrew renders it 
 "over the sea" instead of "into the deep," which 
 would spoil the apostle's explanation, that it referred 
 to bringing Christ up from the dead. The meaning 
 of the question is that we cannot excuse our neglect 
 or rejection of salvation, by declaring that the con- 
 
A COMMENTARY i8i 
 
 ditions are unreasonable or impossible ; as they are 
 nigh us, perfectly adapted to our conditions and 
 necessities. 
 
 9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 
 and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from 
 the dead, thou shalt be saved. 
 
 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; 
 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 
 
 Believing with the heai^t is a very different thing 
 from mere intellectual assent. The latter is produced 
 by evidence without any concurrence of the will, the 
 former is the result of choice and volition. In this 
 sense I may or may not believe, as I choose. It is a 
 faith that is a matter of choice, that saves, not one that 
 is a matter of necessity. This salvation must be con- 
 fessed in order to be retained. A salvation which is 
 concealed from others is impossible. 
 
 11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him 
 shall not be ashamed. 
 
 This seems to refer to the matter of confession 
 spoken of in the preceding sentence. Those who 
 really believe in Christ find Him precious and faith- 
 ful and they are so filled with love for Him that they 
 are not ashamed to confess Him as their Lord and 
 Savior. Shamefacedness before men suggests strong 
 doubt of the genuineness of our experience. 
 
 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the 
 Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call 
 upon him. 
 
I 82 A COMMENTARY 
 
 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord 
 shall be saved. 
 
 The Jew no longer occupies a position of advan- 
 tage. All difference between him and the Gentile has 
 disappeared. Jehovah is the same Lord over all. 
 There is no promise made to the Jew that does not 
 equally apply to the Gentile. All stand upon the same 
 footing, every one without distinction being saved if 
 he calls up07i the naiiie of the Lord for salvation. 
 This disproves the theory that the Jews have some 
 special promises, and that some special means will 
 be used for their conversion. There is no real foun- 
 dation in scripture for this popular hypothesis. 
 
 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have 
 not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they 
 have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 
 
 15. And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it 
 is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the 
 gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 
 
 Men will not call upon God unless they believe in 
 His existence, and His willingness to help them. 
 '' He that cometh to God must believe that He is, 
 and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently 
 seek him." And they cannot believe in Him until 
 they hear of Him. This necessitates a herald or 
 preacher, that men may hear of Christ and His sal- 
 vation. But in order that they may preach, they must 
 be sent. The apostle sees as great a difliculty in this. 
 
A COMMENTARY 1 83 
 
 as in the other things mentioned. When he asks, 
 "How can they hear without a preacher?" he means 
 to state emphatically that they cannot hear without a 
 preacher. And when he asks, "How can they preach, 
 except they be sent?" he means to assert that they 
 cannot preach unless sent. But by whom sent? By 
 men? by the church? Some people think this is the 
 meaning, as they reject the doctrine of a Divine call 
 to the ministry. The apostles preached without any 
 commission from man, and seem to have been rather 
 successful preachers. The lack of a human commis- 
 sion does not therefore seem to be an insuperable ob- 
 stacle to success. The apostle must therefore have' 
 referred to a Divine commission. How shall men 
 preach the gospel except they be sent of God? If you 
 seek an answer to this question look around you. 
 You will see on all 'sides the results of such preaching. 
 Only those who are sent of God can so preach as to 
 secure the salvation from sin of those that hear them. 
 Those who are sent of God are His accredited am- 
 bassadors, and represent Him among men. The others 
 run without being sent and are of no value. 
 
 16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias 
 saith, Lord, who hath believed our report ? 
 
 The fact that not all the Jews had believed the 
 
 gospel, was apparent ; indeed comparatively few of 
 
 them had done so. But this was only what had 
 
184 A COMMENTARY 
 
 been foretold of them by their own prophets. This 
 quotation from Isaiah indicates that to the prophets' 
 eye the preaching of the gospel had been a failure 
 so far as the Jews were concerned. But a small 
 remnant of them really accepted Christ. 
 
 17. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the 
 word of God. 
 
 Hearing is the appointed and usual means of pro- 
 ducing faith ; but it is not the exclusive means, as 
 reading is sometimes substituted for it. But we have 
 no right to depend upon any but the God appointed 
 means, which is the most effective and powerful 
 agency for the salvation of men. A decadent and 
 powerless pulpit is a sure sign of apostasy. Hearing 
 comes by the word of God. Faith cometh by hearing 
 the gospel. It is the power of God unto salvation. 
 There are various kinds of preaching that do not 
 produce faith when heard. Men may preach philos- 
 ophy, ethics, sociology, the doctrine of men, moral 
 reforms, and produce no faith in the hearers. The 
 simple story of the cross antiquated as it may seem 
 to many, " repentance toward God and faith toward 
 our Lord Jesus Christ," "Jesus and the resurrec- 
 tion," these are the themes that produce faith. 
 
 18. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their 
 sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of 
 the world. 
 
A COMMENTARY 185 
 
 Just how far the apostles of our Lord succeeded in 
 fulfilling the commission they received from Him, to 
 go into all the world and preach the gospel, it is 
 difficult now to ascertain with certainty, though St. 
 Paul in Col. I-23rd, declares that the gospel "was 
 preached to every creature under heaven." But 
 probably his language is not to be understood precisely 
 and literally. We are dependent upon tradition for 
 much of our testimony on this point. But it is probable 
 that every known country of the habitable earth had 
 already received the gospel before the close of the 
 first century. Some countries of Asia, and some in 
 the Northern parts of Europe were "terras incog- 
 nitae " to the Greeks and Romans. Among these we 
 may probably include China and Japan. There is no 
 evidence, so far as I know, that these countries were 
 visited by any of the apostles or other evangelists. 
 Of course the Western continent was totally unknown. 
 But those countries in which the Jews were found 
 were all visited and as the order was "to the Jew 
 first," they could not plead ignorance. 
 
 19. But I saj, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, 
 I will provoke you to jealousy by thon that are no people, and 
 by a foolish nation I will anger you. 
 
 St. Peter writes, " But ye are a chosen generation, a 
 royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; 
 that ye should shew forth the praises of him who 
 
l86 A COMiMENTARY 
 
 hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous 
 light : which in time past were not a people, but are 
 now the people of God." (I Peter, II, 9, 10.) This 
 passage seems to identify the people which arc 710 
 people with the church of Jesus Christ. They are 
 also the foolish nation; not foolish in reality, but in 
 the estimation of other men. There is no Gentile 
 nation to which this could in any sense apply. It 
 was through the Christians that St. Paul hoped to 
 provoke his Jewish brethren and so perchance save 
 some of them. It is true that the church of Christ 
 is composed principally of Gentiles ; but it is as 
 Christians and not as Gentiles that they are the 
 people of God. 
 
 20. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them 
 that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked 
 not after me. 
 
 This clearly refers to the Gentiles, and is a proph- 
 ecy of their call to church-membership. The bold- 
 ness of the prophet consists in his so plainly setting 
 forth the call of the Gentiles and the rejection of the 
 Jews. 
 
 21. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched 
 forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 
 
 This is a serious charge and abundantly justified by 
 the facts. It is when men are unwilling to obey, 
 that they begin to question what they hear, thus be- 
 
A COMMENTARY 187 
 
 coming gainsayers. The Jews never were an obedi- 
 ent people ; as Stephen charges, they always resisted 
 the Holy Ghost. They had no real faith as a nation, 
 but they had a fanatical presumption that they were 
 in the favor of God. They believed themselves to be 
 so peculiarly dear to Jehovah that they would be 
 protected from all harm, obedient or disobedient. 
 They would not believe that His partiality for them 
 could ever fail, and they rejected with scorn a reli- 
 gion that Gentiles could share with them on equal 
 terms. Even when the Roman armies surrounded the 
 walls of their doomed city, this fanaticism did not 
 fail them ; and they remained defiant, regardless of 
 all reasonable means of defence. They were guilty 
 of that presumption which they charged upon the 
 Lord Jesus. " He trusted in God that He would de- 
 liver him" said they; "now let Him deliver him 
 seeing that He delighted in him." But even the 
 awful disasters and disappointments attending the 
 fall of Jerusalem did not subdue their obstinacy. 
 They still remained obdurate and unyielding. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 1. I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God for- 
 bid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of 
 the tribe of Benjamin. 
 
 This question has a double meaning, and receives 
 a double answer, ist, Has God cast away His ancient 
 people, the Jews? Has He entirely rejected them so 
 that they have no opportunity for church privileges? 
 Has He now taken the Gentiles to the exclusion of 
 the Jews, as He formerly took the Jews to the ex- 
 clusion of the Gentiles? "Certainly not," answers the 
 apostle, "as a proof of which I am an example." 
 The Jews as a nation were no longer the people of 
 God ; but as individuals, they had equal privileges 
 with the Gentiles. They were not irrevocably cast 
 away. 
 
 2. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. 
 Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh 
 intercession to God against Israel, saying, 
 
 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down 
 thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 
 
 Here we have the answer to the second meaning 
 
 of the question, Hath (Jod cast away his people? 
 (188) 
 
A COMMENTARY 189 
 
 His people whom He foreknew have not been cast 
 away, nor has His attitude toward them changed in 
 any way. The apostle here makes a distinction be- 
 tween the natural seed of Abraham, and God's peo- 
 ple whom He foreknew. 
 
 On this distinction hinges the interpretation of the 
 remainder of this chapter. The Jews claimed that if 
 they were cast oflF, God's promises to His people 
 would fail. This the apostle denies, and claims that 
 these unfulfilled promises were not made to the 
 natural seed of Abraham, but that the children of the 
 promise were counted for the seed, and that these 
 included both Jew and Gentile. * 
 
 4. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have 
 reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed 
 the knee to the image of Baal. 
 
 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant 
 according to the election of grace. 
 
 Even in the time of Elijah the Israelites had so far 
 apostatized by adolatrous practices as to make void 
 all God's promises to them ; and so general was this 
 apostasy that Elijah supposed himself the only faith- 
 ful one left in Israel. Yet there was a remnant of 
 several thousand left. Even so it was at the time 
 the apostle wrote. But this remnant was according 
 to the election of grace ; that is, through their 
 acceptance of the gospel. As in the time of Elijah, 
 the remnant were all who had any promise, so the 
 
IQO A COMMENTARY 
 
 Jews who had accepted Christianity were the only 
 ones in that nation who had any promise. The 
 others, having rejected Christ, were threatened with 
 destruction, according to the prophecy of Moses, that 
 God should raise up a prophet like unto himself, and 
 that every one who would not hear this prophet 
 should be destroyed. 
 
 6. And if by grace, then z's it no more of works : otherwise 
 grace is no more grace. But if // be of works, then is it no 
 more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 
 
 This has been already explained. Grace presup- 
 poses the absence of all debt or merit ; works pre- 
 suppose nothing else. Consequently, in the nature of 
 things, they mutually exclude each other. This plain 
 proposition is however not much more clearly imder- 
 stood by nominal Christians than it was by the 
 Jews. 
 
 7. What then ? Israel hath not obtained that which he 
 seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest 
 were blinded. 
 
 The facts show, and the prophecies prove these 
 
 facts to have been predicted, that the natural Israel 
 
 has failed to obtain that which they sought after, 
 
 namely, the favor of God ; but the remnant accordmg 
 
 to the election of grace have obtained it. By '* the 
 
 election" is meant those chosen or selected out, 
 
 because of their acceptance of the gospel. Those 
 
 who resisted the gospel, became blinded as a result 
 
A COMMENTARY 19 1 
 
 of their obstinacy. They refused to walk in the 
 light until it ceased to shine for them. This is 
 judicial blindness, but it is not arbitrarily imposed 
 upon men, but results from their own misconduct. 
 
 8. (According as it is written, God hath given them the 
 spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that 
 they should not hear;) unto this day, 
 
 9. And David saith. Let their table be made a snare, and 
 a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them : 
 
 10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and 
 bow down their back alway. 
 
 This state of darkness and slumber not only con- 
 tinued until the time of the writing of this epistle, 
 but continues up to the present day. The quotation 
 in the 9th and loth verses is from the LXIXth Psalm, 
 and is from the Greek translation of the Old Testa- 
 ment, called the Septuagint version, because it was 
 made by seventy Jews of Alexandria some time be- 
 fore the Christian era. The New Testament writers 
 always quote from this version. Our translation of 
 the Old Testament is from the original Hebrew, and 
 often varies considerably from the Septuagint. 
 Psalm LXIX, 23, 23 reads : " Let their table become a 
 snare before them ; and that which should have been 
 for their welfare^ let it become a trap. Let their eyes 
 be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins 
 continually to shake." There is nothing said about 
 their table becoming a stumblingblock and a recom- 
 
192 A COMMENTARY 
 
 pense. No doubt this was in the Hebrew scriptures 
 when the Greek translation was made. It is some- 
 times, probably usually, explained, that tJic'ir table 
 which is to be made a stumblingblock, is to be un- 
 derstood to mean their temporal blessings, such as 
 food and raiment, etc. Just how these temporal 
 blessings are to become a snare or a stumblingblock, 
 I do not clearly understand, and that meaning seems 
 to me to be weak and inadequate. It is true that the 
 word "table" might properly stand for temporal 
 good, but is that the meaning here intended? Seek- 
 ing a more spiritual meaning, it might be thought 
 that the law given at Sinai might be referred to ; it 
 is sometimes spoken of as " tables." But it is always 
 in the plural number ; and besides the proper Greek 
 word for the tables of the law is not here used. 
 That word is " plakes," while the word here used 
 is "trapeza." The former means "a flat surface, a 
 tablet," while the latter means " a table, or the 
 viands on a table, a bench, a counter, etc." It is 
 said to be derived from "tetrapeza," "having four 
 feet or legs " ; so a literal table, or by a figure of 
 speech, the viands on the table, must be meant. 
 Now Christ is said to be our passover, our bread, and 
 so our meat and drink. Gospel salvation is often 
 represented under the figure of a feast, a great sup- 
 per. It is also called the water of life and salvation. 
 
A COMMENTARY 193 
 
 Christ and the provisions of His gospel are then our 
 table, and when we come to Him we are said to come 
 to the Lord's table. Ours is a spiritual table, but not 
 so that of the Jews. Their religion stood in meats 
 and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances. 
 And was it intended for their welfare.^ It certainly 
 was. It was intended that these fleshly symbols 
 should lead their minds up to spiritual conceptions, 
 and prepare them for the reception of a spiritual re- 
 ligion. But in the case of most of the Jews it failed 
 of its purpose. 
 
 " They rested in the outward law, 
 Nor knew its deep design." 
 
 Did the ceremonial law become a snare and a trap 
 and a stumhlinghlock? Most assuredly it did. They 
 learned to trust in works of obedience, and believed 
 them to merit God's favor, and so could not be 
 brought to accept the humbling doctrines of the cross, 
 and of salvation by grace. But not only did a system of 
 carnal ordinances prove a snare and a stumblingblock 
 to the Jews, but having been through ignorance or 
 design superimposed upon Christianity, they have 
 proven a snare and a stumblingblock to Christians 
 also. And in each case they have become a recom- 
 pense; they are all of religion they have left. They 
 do these things for the sake of doing them, and that 
 13 
 
194 A COMMENTARY 
 
 is the end of the matter; they have, and will have, 
 no other reward. Their eyes are also darkened that 
 they may not sec, and their back is always bowed 
 down to carry this load which St. Peter declares is 
 more than their fathers could bear. 
 
 11. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall.? 
 God forbid : but rather through their fall salvation is co7ne 
 unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 
 
 That is, Is their fall irrevocable? Not at all. 
 They have still the same opportunity as others have 
 of mercy and favor. But the very thing that occa- 
 sioned their stumbling, salvation by grace, free for 
 all, made salvation accessible to the Gentiles, which 
 may serve to provoke them to jealousy. We are not 
 to suppose that if the Jews had generally accepted 
 the gospel, that the Gentiles would have been 
 excluded from its provisions ; nor that the Jews 
 must fall to make room for the Gentiles ; salvation 
 would have been extended to the Gentiles whether 
 the Jews had fallen or not fallen. The apostolic 
 commission shows that, as well as does the express 
 design of Christ's coming. 
 
 12. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, 
 and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how 
 much more their fulness.? 
 
 The apostle speaks in hyperbole here ; literally, 
 
 their fall could enrich no one. It can be of no 
 
 advantage to any one that another person is lost. But 
 
A COMMENTARY 195 
 
 the thing that he stumbled at and fell over may be of 
 great advantage to another person. And that is the 
 meaning here. The doctrines of grace that the Jew 
 stumbled at are of inestimable value to the Gentile, 
 and to every human being, Jew or Gentile. And it 
 would be still better if the Jew could be persuaded 
 to accept those doctrines and be saved. 
 
 13. For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the 
 apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office. 
 
 14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them 
 xvhich are my flesh, and might save some of them. 
 
 In all his writings the apostle Paul shows his sin- 
 cere desire for the salvation of his kindred by avoid- 
 ing as far as possible every occasion of offense to 
 them, and by softening these 'truths so severe and 
 shocking to their sensibilities. Though he was not 
 sent to them, but to the Gentiles, yet he constantly 
 shows his solicitude for their salvation. 
 
 15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of 
 the world, what shall the recijiving of them be but life from 
 the dead ? 
 
 It was necessary that their former relation to God 
 
 should be repudiated m order that there should be a 
 
 reconciling of the world, that of twain one new man 
 
 might be made, so making peace. 
 
 16. For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy. 
 and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 
 
 17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, 
 being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and 
 
196 A COMMENTARY 
 
 with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive 
 tree ; 
 
 18. Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, 
 thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 
 
 19. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken ofT, 
 that I might be grafifed in. 
 
 20. Well ; because of unbelief they were broken off, and 
 thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 
 
 21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed 
 lest he also spare not thee. 
 
 The figure of the olive tree and its branches is 
 often used to prove the identity of the Abrahamic 
 Church with the Church of Christ. But I am con- 
 vinced that this is an unwarranted use of the parable. 
 It is claimed that the two institutions are the same 
 with only a change of ordinances. This position is 
 untenable, and the passage under consideration will 
 not assist in the defence of it. The emblematic 
 olive tree can represent neither the Abrahamic Church 
 nor the Church of Christ. For ist, the natural 
 branches are said to have been broken off from this 
 olive tree because of unbelief. Now this cannot 
 apply to the Abrahamic Church, because faith was 
 never a condition of membership in that church ; at 
 no time did more than a small remnant of them have 
 faith, yet the unbelieving ones were equally members 
 of it. Then 2nd, these unbelieving Jews were not 
 severed from the Abrahamic Church. It may be true 
 that the tree which would represent that church, died, 
 
A COMMENTARY 1 97 
 
 but its branches died with it. 3rd. It cannot repre- 
 sent the Church of Christ, as those unbeHeving Jews 
 were not broken off from it, as they were never in 
 it- If then the figurative olive tree can represent 
 neither of these churches, how can it prove their 
 identity ? 
 
 22. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on 
 them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou 
 continue in his goodness : otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 
 
 23. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall 
 be graffed in : for God is able to graff them in again. 
 
 The olive tree from which they had been broken off, 
 and into which they could again be grafted, and into 
 which the Gentiles had been grafted, represents not 
 any special organism, but the privilege of being re- 
 lated to God as His people or Church. The Jews by 
 unbelief lost this privilege, they did not lose member- 
 ship in the organism with which they w^ere connected. 
 The Gentiles by faith obtained this privilege which 
 they held by faith, and were liable to lose. This priv- 
 ilege the Jews could again obtain by repentance and 
 faith, as their fall was not necessarily final. 
 
 24. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild 
 by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive 
 tree : how much more shall these, which be the natural brayiches, 
 be graff ed into their own olive tree ? 
 
 The wild olive tree represents no organism as the 
 
 Gentiles were not organized, but it should if the tame 
 
 olive tree stood for one. The wild olive tree repre- 
 
198 A COMMENTARY 
 
 sents the uncultivated, uncared for condition of the 
 Gentiles in contrast with the state of discipline and 
 culture of the Jews. The Gentiles were grafted con- 
 trary to nature, in that naturally we graft good stock 
 upon bad, and here bad is grafted upon good. In 
 nature it is the tree we would improve, here it is the 
 graft. In nature the graft retains its own qualities 
 and is not changed by the nature of the stock upon 
 which it is grafted ; here the graft is changed into 
 the nature of the tree. This is all therefore contrary 
 to nature. The Jews were the natural branches be- 
 cause they had always enjoyed the privilege of filial 
 relation to God, though in an outward sense only. 
 So to be reckoned among God's people was their 
 natural condition. 
 
 25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant 
 of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits ; 
 that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness 
 of the Gentiles be come in. 
 
 By a mystciy is meant a fact or doctrine which has 
 not been clearly revealed, but has remained concealed 
 or covered. The fact of the final apostasy of a large 
 part of the Jewish nation is one of these partially 
 concealed truths. The part of the Israelites to whom 
 blindness has happeiied is the large majority of the 
 nation. The fulness of the Gentiles signifies the whole 
 number of them who will be saved. This is not a 
 
A COMMENTARY ,199 
 
 large proportion of them either. The notion that the 
 whole world is to be converted is unscriptural and 
 contradicted by the plainest statements of Holy Writ. 
 That this blindness of the Jewish people is ever to 
 be removed during the Christian age, is not here 
 stated and cannot be logically inferred. It is but a 
 surmise at best, and can make no demands upon our 
 credulity. If it takes place at all it must be in the 
 next age, and we have reason to believe that when 
 the Lord Jesus leaves Heaven and comes to earth His 
 Mediatorship ceases, and that the number of His elect 
 is complete. 
 
 26. And so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written, There 
 shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away 
 ungodliness from Jacob : 
 
 27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take 
 away their sins. 
 
 I unhesitatingly affirm that the above statement is 
 
 generally misunderstood. It is commonly supposed to 
 
 foretell the conversion and restoration of the Jewish 
 
 nation. The statement embodies a conclusion drawn 
 
 from the preceding argument. But what is the 
 
 previous argument? It is in reply to an objection 
 
 supposed to be urged by the Jews, that if they, or a 
 
 large part of them, are rejected that God's promise 
 
 to His people will fail. It is urged in reply that the 
 
 promise was not made to all the seed of Abraham, 
 
 but was confined to Isaac alone. So they could not 
 
200 A COMMENTARY 
 
 claim it as being of the seed of Abraham. Nor 
 could they claim the promise as the descendants of 
 Jacob or Israel, for *' they are not all Israel who are 
 of Israel." That is, none but "the children of 
 promise were counted for the seed"; or as the 
 apostle says in another place, "they who are of faith 
 are blessed with faithful Abraham." He quotes from 
 the prophets to show how the facts of history and 
 the predictions of seers coincide with this view of the 
 case. And then he is supposed to draw his conclu- 
 sion by ignoring and overthrowing his argument, 
 and by declaring that, after all, all the natural seed 
 of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob shall eventually 
 be saved. If so, why did he not say so in the first 
 place and save time and labor? That would have 
 answered the objector at once. Such a conclusion 
 may satisfy some persons, but I am not yet ready to 
 write down the apostle as a dunce. I am fully con- 
 vinced that St. Paul knew what he was writing 
 about, and was able to draw a logical conclusion. 
 And what would be a logical conclusion from the 
 arguments above recited? It would be that although 
 the natural Jews are generally though not universally 
 rejected, yet the promise of God will not fail; that 
 the Israel to whom the promise was made will be 
 saved ; that this is spiritual Israel composed of both 
 Jew and Gentile, the children of the promise who 
 
A COMMENTARY 20I 
 
 are counted for the seed. And this is the conclusion 
 here drawn, without a doubt. All Israel shall be 
 saved^ without an exception; the promise shall not 
 fail in one instance, not in one individual case. 
 If the statement is applied to the natural seed of 
 Abraham it is far from being true. Taken in its 
 obvious sense it would mean the salvation of every 
 literal Jew. But it may be objected that the expres- 
 sion "all Israel" is to be understood in a sense not 
 so literal ; that the Jews will be saved generally 
 though not universally. But if this were admitted 
 even then it would not meet the case. A small 
 remnant was saved in the beginning ; a smaller 
 remnant has been saved since. Probably the whole 
 number in nearly two thousand years would not 
 amount to one generation of the Jews. But there 
 have been nearly sixty generations of Jews since this 
 epistle was written. If the Deliverer were to come 
 and save the present generation without exception, 
 the saved Jews would amount to but a small fraction 
 of the whole number. If natural Israel is meant, it 
 must include all who now live, all who have lived, 
 and all who shall live, or the promise fails. With 
 the most liberal interpretation it must include a large 
 majority of all these. But this is contrary to all 
 known facts; therefore it is a false interpretation. 
 To spiritual Israel the declaration applies perfectly ; 
 
202 A COMMENTARY 
 
 it fits the case and therefore it is obviously the mean- 
 ing of the passage. The Deliverer here spoken of 
 is, no doubt, the Lord Jesus. The quotation is from 
 Isaiah LIX and reads in our version, " The Redeemer 
 shall come to Zion, and to them that turn away from 
 transgression in Jacob." The apostle quotes from the 
 Septuagint. The difference is not material. There 
 is nothing to show that any other appearing is 
 referred to than the one already made. The covenant 
 also is the New Covenant, in which it is said, " I will 
 be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins 
 and their iniquities will I remember no more." The 
 jfacob here mentioned is, no doubt, spiritual Israel. 
 This covenant is an everlasting one and includes both 
 Jew and Gentile believers, and it is never to be 
 superseded by any other one. In it there is no 
 promise of the salvation of either all the Jews or of 
 all the Gentiles, but of all believers only. 
 
 28. As concerninj^ the gospel, they arc enemies for your 
 sakes : but as touching the election, t/iey are beloved for the 
 fathers' sakes. 
 
 They, that is, the Jews in general, were enemies 
 of the gospel because the Gentiles were admitted to 
 covenant relation with God on the same terms with 
 themselves. The election, or the elect remnant, ivere 
 beloved for the fathers' sakes. The Lord showed the 
 Jews special consideration in the preaching of the 
 
A COMMENTARY 203 
 
 gospel, a consideration which they did not always 
 deserve. In the proclamation of the gospel they were 
 made the first offer of salvation. This was meant as 
 a special favor to them who should believe, and so 
 they are said to be beloved for the fathers' sakes, as 
 it was because of their faithful ancestors, and not be- 
 cause of any deserving in them that these special 
 favors were shown. If the Lord showed special favor 
 to the degenerate offspring of the Jewish patriarchs, 
 who were of faith, is it presumption to believe that 
 God will deal with equal favor with the children of faith- 
 ful parents now? The sin of the parents falls upon 
 the third and fourth generation of their posterity ; 
 will not His mercy extend even farther? 
 
 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repent- 
 ance. 
 
 That is, God does not change His mind concerning 
 His gifts nor callings ; nor has He changed His mind 
 concerning the case under consideration; but He is 
 calling and bestowing spiritual blessings upon those 
 whom He originally intended as the beneficiaries. 
 The disappointed ones have simply misunderstood 
 Him. 
 
 30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet 
 have now obtained mercy through their unbelief : 
 
 31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through 
 your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
 
204 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Though the apostle is addressing Gentile Christians, 
 his statements are intended for the benefit of the 
 Jews, and he puts their case in the most favorable 
 light, that he may placate them and if possible save 
 some of them. His language might appear to make 
 the salvation of the Jews of more importance than 
 that of the Gentiles. As the apostle to the Gentiles, 
 St. Paul seems to think that he may more safely ap- 
 pear to undervalue them than another could do. 
 Others might seem to do it from prejudice, but he 
 cannot be thus suspected. Thus he 7nagnijies his 
 office. But in reality, as the apostle declares in an- 
 other place, between Jew and Gentile " there is no 
 difference ; for the same God over all is rich unto all 
 that call upon Him." 
 
 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he 
 might have mercy upon all. 
 
 There can be no mercy extended to men who can 
 merit favor. It is the sinner, one who comes short 
 of what is expected of him, that needs mercy. So 
 long as the Jews justified themselves they felt no 
 need of mercy. The destruction of their false trust 
 and their false hope was an absolutely essential pre- 
 liminary to their salvation. 
 
 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and 
 knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and 
 his ways past finding out ! 
 
A COMMENTARY 205 
 
 34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who 
 hath been his counsellor? 
 
 35. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recom- 
 pensed unto him again ? 
 
 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all 
 things: to whom be glorj forever. Amen. 
 
 The contemplation of the glorious truths of the 
 gospel filled the mind of the apostle with wonder 
 and praise. So will they affect our minds, when we 
 apprehend them. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 The opinion that the scriptures teach the final 
 conversion and restoration of the Jews is quite 
 prevalent, if not almost universal. It is easy to see 
 how the prophecies of the Old Testament may be 
 thus misunderstood and misapplied. But there is 
 nothing in the New Testament that can be supposed 
 to teach this opinion, unless it be the last three 
 chapters which we have been considering. I think 
 that I have conclusively shown that they do not so 
 teach. I object to this theory for several reasons. 
 First, it makes God appear partial toward one nation 
 as though it was better or more deserving than the 
 others. The Jews were repeatedly informed that 
 they were not chosen by God for His peculiar People 
 because of any such superiority. The reasons for 
 
2o6 A COMMENTARY 
 
 God's dealings with the Jews are often overlooked 
 or misunderstood. Some of these reasons I will 
 mention here. There was great danger, and in fact 
 a practical certainty, that the whole world, after the 
 flood, would relapse into idolatry and paganism, and 
 thus a knowledge of the true God would be entirely 
 lost. There was also a promise of a coming Messiah 
 that would also be forgotten. In order that a knowl- 
 edge of Jehovah might be preserved, and that an 
 expectancy of a Redeemer might be fostered ; and in 
 order that a depository for Divine revelation might 
 be provided, and that a people might be prepared 
 for the reception of the Savior of mankind ; it was 
 necessary that a people should be selected for these 
 purposes, and put under special and stringent regula- 
 tions, to keep them separate from the other nations. 
 To this end they must be impressed with the idea 
 that they were peculiarly holy, and that association 
 with the heathen was defiling. Wonderful manifes- 
 tations of Divine power on their behalf must be 
 manifested from time to time, to keep alive their 
 religious zeal, and to confirm them in the belief that 
 they were God's peculiar charge. They must be 
 made as unlike other people as possible. All this 
 was done, not for their sakes alone, but for the 
 good of all nations: God saw in the seed of Shem 
 peculiar religious susceptibilities, and from among 
 
A COMMENTARY 207 
 
 them Abram was chosen as best fitted for God's 
 purposes. Abram, or as he was renamed, Abraham 
 was an exceptional character, the most perfect, 
 probably, in the history of the Old Testament ; but 
 few of his descendants inherited his peculiar virtues, but 
 they inherited those qualities needed for God's purpose. 
 It is true that the discipline to which the Jews were 
 subjected, and the misunderstanding on their part of 
 its purpose, had bad effect upon their character. 
 They became proud and arrogant, contemptuous of 
 others, and full of self-importance and self -righteousness. 
 But this was unavoidable in fallen human nature. 
 And notwithstanding the heroic treatment given 
 them it was with difficulty that the desired end was 
 secured. Out of eleven tribes and two half tribes, 
 but three tribes, or at least a large part of three, 
 were left at Christ's advent; the other ten having 
 sunk into idolatry, and having been rejected as unfit 
 for God's purpose, long before the coming of the 
 Messiah, were scattered among the nations and en- 
 tirely lost. It is probable that the address in The 
 General Epistle of James, to the twelve tribes scat- 
 tered abroad, referred to Spiritual Israel. It is the 
 same as that of Peter, to the strangers scattered 
 throughout Pontus, etc. This calling of the posterity 
 of Abraham was not because of any partiality to 
 them, but for the general good; and when God's pur- 
 
2o8 A COMMENTARY 
 
 pose was accomplished they sank back again into the 
 general mass ; in Christ Jesus every distinction van- 
 ishes. The distinction was temporary and to a great 
 extent vicarious ; now the Lord knows no difference 
 between Jew and Gentile. 
 
 Secondly. My second objection to the theory of 
 the final restoration of the Jews, as Jews, is that it 
 is a retrogression, a going backward, rather than a 
 going forward. Christ came to break down the 
 middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, 
 and to make of twain one new man, so making 
 peace. The restoration of the Jews as a nation 
 would be a rebuilding of that middle wall, and an 
 emphasizing of differences that Christ came to destroy. 
 Christ spoke of bringing in other sheep not of the 
 Jewish fold, that there might be one fold, one 
 shepherd ; this would be making two folds again, 
 with but one shepherd. St. Paul declares that if he 
 builded again the things which he had destroyed, he 
 would make himself a transgressor. Yet this theory 
 would represent Christ as coming to destroy things 
 and then to build them again. 
 
 Thirdly. My third objection to this theory is 
 that it is opposed to the whole genius and spirit of 
 Christianity. It is generally thought that the Jews 
 will be gathered together and their temple service 
 re-established. To what end? These things that 
 
A COMMENTARY 209 
 
 could be shaken were long ago destroyed, that the 
 things only that cannot be shaken, those which are 
 eternal, may remain. I have not so learned Christ. 
 Such transactions would be puerile, mere child's 
 play. Christianity leads men up from the material 
 and the symbolical to the spiritual and real, to the 
 eternal, but it does not lead them back again. As well 
 might we suppose that the University graduate would 
 be put back into the primer when beginning a post- 
 graduate course. The idea is absurd and fantastical. 
 What a low view of Christianity do such teachings 
 indicate ! They are revolting to a spiritual mind. 
 For these reasons I must reject the theory commonly 
 taught, as unscriptural and unreasonable. 
 H 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 I. I beseech you therefore, brethren, bj the mercies of 
 God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, ac- 
 ceptable unto God, xvliich is your reasonable service. 
 
 Here begins the application of the principles con- 
 tained in the former chapters of this epistle, and ex- 
 hortations to practical godliness. It is not a conclusion 
 from the preceding chapter so much as from the 
 whole of the epistle, so far written. It is by the 
 9nercics of God that the brethren are exhorted to 
 obedience. Fear is never appealed to as a motive to 
 Christian obedience. Christians possess a love that 
 casts out fear. It is by a sense of God's mercy and 
 goodness to us that we are moved to give ourselves 
 without reserve to Him. A sense of God's magna- 
 nimity makes us ashamed of our selfishness. Since 
 Christ has given Himself for us, we are constrained 
 to abandon ourselves to Him. A sense of His mighty 
 love makes us ashamed of self-seeking, and we long 
 to show our appreciation of it by a full surrender of 
 ourselves to Him. It is God's goodness that moves 
 us, not His wrath. 
 
 (2IO) 
 
A COMMENTARY 211 
 
 We are exhorted to present our bodies a living 
 sacrifice. This living sacrifice is contrasted with the 
 sacrifices under the law, which were all dead. A 
 sacrifice is something devoted to God. We are then 
 to devote our bodies to God's service and glory. 
 Our members are to be " instruments of righteousness 
 unto holiness." We are to carry out in our conduct, 
 and in our speech, the principle of holiness. The 
 idea that our bodies serve the devil, while our 
 spirits serve the Lord, is unscriptural and unreason- 
 able. Our bodies are declared to be holy, the temples 
 of the Holy Spirit, and not "sinful flesh" as some 
 would represent them. All this is declared to be our 
 reasonable service. And who can show otherwise } 
 Since we are not our own, but bought with a price, 
 it is most reasonable that all our ransomed powers 
 should be devoted to the service of our Redeemer. 
 There is nothing more reasonable to a rational mind 
 than the requirements of Christ's religion. They ap- 
 pear unreasonable to those only who misunderstand 
 them. Men have taught many unreasonable things in 
 the name of Christ, but He is not responsible for them. 
 
 There are some who think they see in this verse an 
 exhortation to a " second work," or a higher state of 
 grace. I see no evidence of such a thing, and I am 
 persuaded that no such thought was in the writer's 
 mind. 
 
212 A COMMENTARY 
 
 2. And be not conformed to this world : but be ye trans- 
 formed by the renewinp^ of your mind, that ye may prove what 
 is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
 
 The world to which we are not to be conformed, 
 is the present order, or system of things, now on the 
 earth. This system is in rebellion against God, and 
 we cannot be in conformity with it, or even with its 
 friends, without becoming God's enemies. The bound- 
 aries of worldly conformity are not generally under- 
 stood or recognized. The term includes much more 
 than is generally supposed. (See my sermon on The 
 Love of the World in "Christian Citizenship and 
 other sermons.") The child of God is unlike the world 
 in his spirit, his motives, his desires, his purposes, and 
 consequently in his conduct. He has different affec- 
 tions and different affinities. He is as unlike worldly 
 men as he can well be and remain human. But 
 worldly conformity is unavoidable unless we become 
 transformed by the renewing of our mind. It is in 
 vain that we adopt some peculiar garb, some eccen- 
 tricity in the cut or color of our dress, or some oddity 
 of speech ; without this heavenly renewing we remain 
 of the world in spite of all works. This renewing 
 is the work of the Holy Spirit, and by it we are 
 transformed into heavenly-minded men and women ; 
 our affinities and affiliations are with those persons and 
 things which are above. Such transformed persons 
 ardently sing, 
 
A COMMENTARY 213 
 
 ** Earthly joys no longer please us; 
 
 Here we would renounce them all; 
 Find our only rest in Jesus, 
 
 Him our Lord and Master call. 
 Faith our languid spirits cheering, 
 
 Points to brighter worlds above; 
 Bids us long for His appearing — 
 
 Bids us triumph in His love." 
 
 Being thus transformed we are enabled to prove by 
 a blest experience what is the will of God concern- 
 ing us ; the good^ the acceptable^ the perfect^ will of 
 God. He will " fulfil in us all the good pleasure of 
 his goodness, and the work of faith with power." 
 Without this renewal we will prove only our own 
 evil, foolish, and preverse will. The apostle, no 
 doubt, uses words advisedly. To prove the perfect 
 will of God, must mean fully to measure up to God's 
 ideal. This, men under the law, could not do, and 
 provision had to be made for the flesh, an allowance 
 for failure, a failure which was inevitable. Many 
 things were thus allowed because of the hardness of 
 their hearts. Not so now ; no provision is to be made 
 for the flesh, but we may find an answer to the prayer 
 that God's will may be done by us on earth as it is 
 done in heaven. 
 
 3. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every 
 man that is among you, not to think of hiinself more highly 
 than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as 
 God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 
 
2 14 A COMMENTARY 
 
 There arc few things that liave a greater tendency 
 to produce disorder and confusion in a congregation 
 than a failure to observe this caution. It is very- 
 salutary as applied in a general sense, against hold- 
 ing too high an opinion of ourselves , but salvation 
 which produces humility counteracts this propensity. 
 The apostle here refers particularly to the danger of 
 mistaking our office in the body of Christ, the Church. 
 We are liable to imagine ourselves called to a higher 
 work than is really assigned to us in (jod's plan. 
 This will breed envy, debate, and confusion ; for tiiere 
 can be no harmony in the labors and efforts of the 
 body under such conditions. In order that we may 
 not make any mistake in this matter we must use 
 the right measure on ourselves. If we estimate our- 
 selves from a natural standpoint of our supposed in- 
 tellectual abilities, or of our relative importance in 
 the community, we will probably get into error. We 
 must use the measure which God will provide, here 
 called tJic 7ncasurc of faith. The word "metron" 
 here rendered "measure" signifies a rule or measure 
 by, or with, which to measure things. When God 
 deals to us this measure lie with it gives mental so- 
 briety that enables us to see tilings as they are in 
 His sight, in their proper proportions; and thus 
 will we be enabled to find our proper places 'n\ the 
 Church. 
 
A. COMMENTARY 215 
 
 4. For as we have many members in one body, and all 
 members have not the same office : 
 
 5. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every 
 one members one of another. 
 
 The representation of the Church of Christ under 
 the figure of a human body is common in the New 
 Testament epistles, and it is a very instructive em- 
 blem. As in the body the members have different 
 offices, so it is in the Church ; and it is important that 
 each member should perform its proper function. By 
 so doing it contributes to the growth and usefulness 
 of the body. Otherwise it becomes a hindrance and 
 an excrescence. The members are mutually depend- 
 ent upon one another. Our translators have violated 
 the rules of syntax in their rendering of the last clause 
 of the fifth verse. 
 
 6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that 
 is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according 
 to the proportion of faith; 
 
 God places the members in the spiritual body of 
 Christ as it pleaseth Him, and He divides the differ- 
 ing gifts to the members for the mutual benefit of all. 
 This fact was once recognized, but is now generally 
 disregarded by the various sects. Offices are filled 
 by majority vote instead of Divine appointment. 
 The gift of prophecy^ while sometimes meaning the 
 foretelling of future events, is generally synonymous 
 with preaching. To preach is, properly speaking, 
 
2i6 A COMMENTARY 
 
 to proclaim or announce. '* As ye go, preach, saying. 
 The kingdom of heaven is at hand." To proclaim 
 the news of salvation provided for lost men, and to 
 announce the conditions upon w^hich that salvation 
 may be obtained is the principal w^ork of the gospel 
 preacher. His message then is mostly to the uncon- 
 verted. His office is therefore properly mentioned 
 first. 
 
 7. Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he 
 that teacheth, on teaching; 
 
 The Greek vs^ord (diakonian) here rendered ''min- 
 istry" signifies "ministry, service, a waiting upon, 
 etc.," and is the word from which the English word 
 "deacon" is derived. But the first deacons were 
 appointed to look after temporal things, and it is 
 probable that the apostle here refers to ministry in 
 spiritual things, as the context shows. It seems to 
 me that it refers to the administering of spiritual 
 comfort and consolation. Joseph was surnamed Bar- 
 nabas, the son of consolation, because of his gift in 
 this direction. The preaching brings men into dis- 
 tress because of their sins, and then the minister is 
 needed to advise and comfort. This is not the whole 
 of his work as God's people often need his minis- 
 trations. Teaching is another office and gift. Jesus, 
 after commanding His apostles to preach to, and 
 disciple the nations, says, "Teaching them to observe 
 
A COMMENTARY 217 
 
 all things whatsoever I have commanded you." This 
 gift has been almost extinct in the nominal church 
 for a century past at least. There have been many 
 preachers and ministers but few teachers. The result 
 has been that while many have been brought to a 
 profession of Christianity, and have received the con- 
 solations of the gospel, they have usually stopped 
 there and of consequence have soon lost what they 
 had already gained. The teaching gift is of first 
 importance in order that the church may be built up 
 in holiness. The teaching gift has been undervalued 
 until it has been lost, and the nominal church has 
 continually lost ground in spirituality until preaching 
 itself is less and less esteemed, and is in many 
 instances but a minor part of religious service and 
 worship. 
 
 8. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, 
 let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; 
 he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 
 
 The office of exhorter is generally considered to be 
 of less importance than the others here mentioned. 
 Indeed most denominations ignore it altogether ; the 
 Methodists and kindred sects recognize it as a distinct 
 office, but it is generally not clearly defined. The 
 exhorter is not supposed to confine himself to any 
 special subject, but is allowed much latitude in his 
 addresses. But a rambling discourse without theme 
 
2i8 A COMMENTARY 
 
 or connection is not an exhortation. The exhorter 
 has a distinct work to perform. His function is not 
 to instruct, but to urge men to action ; to stir them 
 up, to excite their zeal, and to encourage them to do 
 their best. This is a work of much importance and 
 the gift is a very useful one. 
 
 The pastor of a church is generally supposed to 
 fill all these offices ; but while some men may have 
 all these gifts, this is not, and has not been, usually 
 the case ; and without the Holy Spirit we can have 
 none of them. 
 
 It is to be expected that there will always be 
 opportunity for him that giveth, as we are always to 
 have the poor with us, in spite of the eiTorts being 
 made by enthusiasts to abolish poverty. But in order 
 that giving may be more blessed than receiving it 
 must be done in the right manner. This requisite 
 is simplicity. This signifies singleness, and refers to 
 the motive in giving. This motive must be single or 
 it is evil, as an eye that is not single, Jesus declares 
 to be an evil eye. If I give simply for the glory of 
 God in benefiting the recipient, well and good. But 
 if I have any selfish or ulterior motive in giving I 
 lose my reward and do an evil thing. What then 
 must be said of those religionists who encourage men 
 to give through pride and vainglory, and who make 
 direct appeals to the selfish and ungodly propensities 
 
A COMMENTARY 219 
 
 of human nature? Will the end sanctify the means, 
 think you? 
 
 The government of the Church of Christ is a theoc- 
 racy ; Christ is the Head of the Church, possessing 
 all authority, a measure of which He delegates to those 
 whom He chooses and appoints as shepherds or pas- 
 tors of His flock. These derive their authority direct 
 from Christ and are responsible to Him alone. Be- 
 lievers are the sole judges of any man's call to be a 
 shepherd ; they are to accept him only so far as they 
 recognize the Chief Shepherd speaking through him ; 
 a stranger they must not follow. This may appear 
 to worldly wisdom as the absence of all order, but it 
 is the Divine order. As a rule, every man is a 
 shepherd over his own spiritual children, not build- 
 ing on another man's foundation. There is no system, 
 probably, more adverse to spiritual growth among 
 Christians, than an itinerant pastorate. While it is 
 well calculated greatly to increase the number of con- 
 verts, it is a failure otherwise. Mr. Wesley never 
 made a greater mistake than when he originated that 
 system. It is the duty of him that ruleth to watch 
 over the souls of those in his charge as one that must 
 give an account. He is to "look diligently lest any 
 man fail of the grace of God." If he be careless and 
 indolent the blood of souls will be found in his 
 skirts. He is emphatically his brother's keeper. The 
 
2 20 A COMMENTARY 
 
 writings of the apostle Paul give us a vivid concep- 
 tion of the cares and anxieties, the hopes and fears, 
 the joys and sorrows, of a shepherd of souls. How 
 impressive are such statements as these: "Now do I 
 live if ye stand fast in the Lord : Who is offended 
 and I burn not?" "Though ye have ten thousand 
 instructors in Christ, ye have not many fathers, for in 
 Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel :" 
 "For we are glad when we are weak and ye are 
 strong." These quotations show the intense interest 
 taken by a true shepherd of souls in the welfare of 
 his flock. 
 
 To shew mercy grudgingly or sourly robs it of its 
 pleasure, and makes it an injury to the recipient. 
 Shakspere has well written, "The quality of mercy is 
 not strained." We are not to assume a cheerfulness 
 we do not feel, but we are to feel cheerful in show- 
 ing mercy. There is nothing more in harmony with 
 Christian character than to show mercy, as a Chris- 
 tian is by nature a merciful man, because he feels his 
 own need of mercy. 
 
 9. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which 
 is evil; cleave to that which is good. 
 
 With saints there must be no pretenses ; everything 
 
 must be genuine. With men in general a show of 
 
 good-will is quite common, while no such feeling 
 
 exists. In fact, in the condition in which men are 
 
A COMMENTARY 221 
 
 found naturally, human society would be impossible 
 upon a basis of absolute sincerity. Social amenities 
 require hypocrisy and deceit. But this is not true 
 among genuine Christians. Their hearts being emptied 
 of hatred and malice, and filled with love and good- 
 will toward all, there is no need of pretense on their 
 part. Flattery and the affectation of solicitude and 
 affection, so pleasing to fallen human nature, are to 
 them abominations which they will not practice. 
 Real love does not end with words, but is seen in 
 the conduct. Where it exists, the ideal of the poet 
 is realized : 
 
 " Friendship sweet and dear esteem 
 In every action glow." 
 
 The first influences of the Holy Spirit produce in 
 our hearts an abhorrence of evil. Any supposed work 
 of grace that is not accompanied by abhorrence of 
 sin is a sham and a delusion. 
 
 This is naturally followed by a desire after that 
 which is good. In the true Christian, this state of 
 abhorrence of evil, and of cleaving unto that which is 
 good becomes a fixed one. 
 
 lo. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly 
 love ; in honor preferring one another ; 
 
 The relation of brethren and sisters in Christ is 
 the most sacred one known to mankind. It is also 
 
222 A COMMENTARY 
 
 the most intimate and perfect. The natural relations 
 of blood and kindred are temporary ; this relation is 
 to be everlasting. Jesus said, "Who is my mother, 
 and who are my brethren ? He that doeth the will of 
 my Father in heaven, the same is my mother and sister 
 and brother." If this is true of Him, it is true also 
 of all those whom He acknowledges as brethren. 
 How strong and tender is that relation that will con- 
 tinue forever! Unlike the natural relations, it is free 
 from all taint of fleshly desire or selfish interest. It 
 is not dependent upon natural affinity or mutual 
 attractiveness. Natural affection is the result of 
 instinct and environment ; this love is heavenly and 
 Divine. Upon its continuance depends the existence 
 of the Church of Christ ; if brotherly love fails, all is 
 lost. 
 
 To f refer each other in honor is easy to those who 
 esteem others more than themselves. This is the 
 inevitable result of real brotherly love. It removes 
 the danger of envy and jealousy, and promotes har- 
 mony and unity. 
 
 II. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the 
 Lord ; 
 
 Although salvation destroys those motives which 
 
 usually prompt to industry and thrift, it does not 
 
 encourage indolence or shiftlessness. It substitutes 
 
 the desire to please God for a desire to get gain. 
 
A COMMENTARY 223 
 
 I certainly should be as diligent in serving God as 
 in serving myself. Strictly speaking, the believer 
 does not work for a livelihood, but trusts God for 
 that; He works because it is the will of God that 
 he should do so. 
 
 The notion that labor is necessarily detrimental to 
 piety or zeal in God's service has no warrant in 
 God's word. In the same connection in which dili- 
 gence in business is enjoined, fervcjicy in spirit in 
 God's service is also commanded. The apostle did not 
 know nor suppose that one prevented the other. The 
 mendicant friars of the Roman church have not gener- 
 ally been examples of holy zeal. We may be both 
 diligent in temporal affairs and fervent in spiritual 
 concerns ; and we are not likely to be more fervent 
 spiritually as a result of idleness, or slackness in tem- 
 poral things. 
 
 12. Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing 
 instant in prayer; 
 
 We are told of our Lord that it was because of 
 the joy that was set before Him that he endured the 
 cross despising the shame. It is hope that maketh 
 us not ashamed. It is good for us often to dwell 
 upon the joy set before us, and to rejoice in hope of 
 the glory of God. Such rejoicing makes it more 
 easy for us to be patient in tribulation. Tribulations 
 we will have ; they are among the things promised 
 
2 24 A COMMENTARY 
 
 US ; by means of them we learn patient obedience to 
 God's will. 
 
 The Greek word here rendered "continuing instant 
 in," signifies " persisting in, persevering in, being 
 constantly engaged in," and means either that we 
 should hold on to the practice of praying to the end 
 of life, or that we should persevere in our petitions 
 until we obtain an answer; or it may mean both. 
 But I think it means that we should insist on an 
 answer to our prayers ; that we should pray and not 
 faint. If we are drawn out in prayer for anything 
 and do not receive an immediate answer, it is not 
 because God is not ready to bestow the blessing, but 
 because we do not sufficiently feel our need, and are 
 therefore not enough in earnest. Herein is the need 
 of instant or persevering prayer. It is not needed to 
 move God, but to move us. Most prayers are made 
 without expectation of an answer, but simply as a 
 religious performance. This is not praying, in the 
 proper sense, but saying prayers as the heathen do, 
 thinking w^e may be heard for our much speaking. 
 
 13. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hos- 
 pitality. 
 
 It is the bounden duty of the church to take care 
 of its own poor. This duty does not give us a dis- 
 pensation from the other duty of doing good to all 
 men, but it is especially our duty to take care of poor 
 
A COMMENTARY 225 
 
 saints. The proportion of those who need assistance 
 is much smaller than it was nineteen hundred years 
 ago. There are few cases of real necessity among 
 those who love and serve God, and it is the imper- 
 ative duty of their brethren to look after their wel- 
 fare. A church that allows any of its members to 
 become dependent upon the cold charity of the world 
 has denied the faith and is worse than infidel. The 
 professed Church of Christ that would do such a thing 
 would permit the Lord Jesus Himself to die in an 
 almshouse. The love that will not divide the last 
 dollar with a brother in need, is not the love that is 
 shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Hospitality in ancient times, when inns and hos- 
 telries were infrequent, was a much more obvious duty 
 and virtue than now. But we are not excused from 
 the exercise of hospitality, and especially toward 
 brethren. Love prompts to this duty, and we are 
 encouraged in its practice by being told that some 
 anciently entertained angels unawares, who supposed 
 themselves to be sheltering men only. A hospitable 
 spirit certainly becomes a Christian, who confesses 
 himself to be a stranger and a pilgrim. 
 
 14. Bless them which persecute you : bless, and curse not. 
 
 It seems here to be assumed or taken for granted that 
 Christians will be persecuted, and we know that per- 
 secutions are among the things promised those who 
 15 
 
2 26 A COMMENTARY 
 
 forsake all to follow Christ. John Wesley says upon 
 this point, "But the persecution that attends all the 
 children of God is that our Lord describes in the 
 following words ' Blessed are ye, when men shall re- 
 vile you, and persecute you (shall persecute by reviling 
 you), and say all manner of evil against you falsely, 
 for my sake.' This cannot fail; it is the very badge 
 of our discipleship ; it is one of the seals of our call- 
 ing ; it is a sure portion entailed upon all the chil- 
 dren of God; if we have it not, we are bastards and 
 not sons." (Wesley's Works, Vol. I, page 207.) 
 The Christian's attitude toward his persecutors is that 
 of the Lord Jesus toward His. It is not enough that 
 he does not curse them, he must bless them; not in 
 word only but from his heart. This is impossible to 
 unsanctified human nature, and possible to those only 
 who have the mind of Christ. 
 
 15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them 
 that weep. 
 
 While it is true that in a general way Christians 
 
 are pleased at the success and prosperity of others, 
 
 and are grieved at their losses and afflictions, yet there 
 
 are many occasions of rejoicing to worldly people in 
 
 which they cannot join and with which they can have 
 
 no sympathy. It is with their brethren that they are 
 
 to rejoice and weep, as they can and ought always 
 
 to be in sympathy with them ; since when one mem- 
 
A COMMENTARY 227 
 
 ber of the body suffers all suffer with it, and when 
 one is honored all rejoice ^vith it. Such is the unity 
 of God's people. 
 
 16. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind 
 not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be 
 not wise in your own conceits. 
 
 It is not enough that Christians should be of one 
 spirit; it is also important that they should be of one 
 mind, that they should see things alike, so that they 
 may act in unison in the \vork of the Lord. In the 
 present age this is generally given up as an impossi- 
 bility. But it is not impossible among really spiritual 
 men. When real saints mind the things that make 
 for peace, the things that edify, they may avoid all 
 differences and literally obey the injunction of the 
 apostle. But to professors of the Christian religion 
 in general this command can no more be kept than 
 any of the others. 
 
 The next paragraph is translated by Mr. Wesley 
 in his "Notes on the New Testament," "Mind not 
 high things but condescend to low things." The 
 noun is understood, not expressed, in the original. 
 It is, probably, "high men" and "low men" or 
 "high things" and "low things." The thought 
 probably includes both. The verb rendered "con- 
 descend" signifies, literally, "to be carried, or 
 dragged, away together with." Some suppose this to 
 
2 28 A COMMENTARY 
 
 refer to the imprisonment of God's people. I would 
 render it, "Mind not high things, but be in agree- 
 ment with common things." Common things are 
 good enough for pilgrims and sojourners. Christians 
 have renounced the vain pomp and glory of this 
 world. They can have no desire for things grand or 
 fine. They do not wish to live in palaces or to sur- 
 round themselves with costly works of art. They 
 are a plain people and ordinary things become them. 
 To be exalted above their fellows in material com- 
 forts and luxuries would be to them a shame and a 
 disgrace. 
 
 To be wise in oui' own conceits is a plain proof of 
 folly. Solomon declares that, "The fool is wiser in 
 his own conceit than seven men that can render a 
 reason." This is a very unlovely trait of character, 
 and it is encouraged by ignorance. Love is the only 
 known cure for this folly ; it is not puffed up. It 
 takes the conceit out of us and gives us humble views 
 of ourselves and our attainments. The rebuffs and 
 humiliations which the self-conceited endure will not 
 cure them, and these experiences only prove the truth 
 of another saying of Solomon, "Though thou bray 
 a fool in a mortar, among wheat with a pestle, yet 
 will not his foolishness depart from him.'' 
 
 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things 
 honest in the sight of all men. 
 
A COMMENTARY 229 
 
 To recompense evil for evil is natural to all men ; 
 to render good for evil, to love our enemies, is pos- 
 sible to those only who have been made partakers of 
 the Divine nature. By so doing we show ourselves 
 to be the children of our Father in heaven. 
 
 Honesty in temporal affairs is but a heathen virtue, 
 at best, and it is not to be supposed that a Christian 
 would come short of it. To be remiss in these mat- 
 ters is plain proof of the absence of saving grace, 
 though strict honesty and integrity may be practiced 
 without salvation. Christians should avoid debt so 
 far as practicable, and especially the " taking up of 
 goods without the probability of paying for them." 
 If love prompts our conduct we will not go far 
 wrong in these matters. 
 
 18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peace- 
 ably with all men. 
 
 The child of God is a lover of peace, and quar- 
 relling and contention are foreign to his nature. But 
 as the apostle intimates, it is not always possible for 
 him to live in peace. When he is for peace his ene- 
 mies are for war. We may not always be able to 
 get along quietly with "unreasonable and wicked 
 men." But if there be trouble of this kind we must 
 be sure that it is not our fault ; the hindrance to peace 
 must not lie in us. We have much reason to hope 
 for the fulfilment of the scripture, " If a man's ways 
 
230 A COMMENTARY 
 
 please the Lord, He will cause even his enemies to 
 be at peace with him." 
 
 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give 
 place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will 
 repay, saith the Lord. 
 
 This injunction is plain and easy to be understood. 
 Some of the reasons for it are also quite obvious. 
 It is not because vengeance is wrong in itself, or 
 contrary to love, that it is forbidden us, since God 
 hath declared, " I will repay." One reason, no doubt, 
 why God has reserved vengeance to Himself is that 
 it would be dangerous to us to take it. In our 
 imperfect state it would be difficult for us to take 
 vengeance without producing in us ill-will, and tem- 
 pers contrary to love. Besides we are not competent 
 judges in the matter, as to time, extent, etc. So 
 God claims vengeance as belonging to His preroga- 
 tive, and we are usurpers when we presume to claim 
 the right to take it. Then again we have not the 
 power to requite others as they deserve, if we had 
 the right. Hence to preserve order, and to prevent 
 confusion in the moral universe, God Himself will at- 
 tend to the matter of inflicting pimishment, and will 
 thus insure the execution of strict and impartial justice. 
 
 On the contrary, we are to give place to wrath ; 
 not our own wrath, but to that of our adversary. 
 We are to yield to the wrath we cannot mitigate 
 
A COMMENTARY 231 
 
 with a soft answer, and give it room by getting 
 away from it. To do this, takes great moral courage, 
 as it has the appearance of cowardice ; but the right 
 to run is one secured to us. "If they persecute you 
 in one city, flee ye to another." We wrestle not 
 against flesh and blood. But we are commanded to 
 give no place to the devil, but to resist him steadfast 
 in the faith. 
 
 20. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he 
 thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap coals 
 of fire on his head. 
 
 The requirement to love our enemies is peculiar to 
 Christianity. To the Jew it was said, "Thou shalt 
 love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." But Christ 
 commands, "Love your enemies." To do this is a 
 proof of our sonship, as none but the sons of God 
 are able to do so. But if we lack this distinguishing 
 mark of God's children, how much better are we 
 than the publicans, or common sinners.'* Nor must 
 we perform these outward acts of ministry simply 
 because they are commanded, but from a principle of 
 love ; a love that spontaneously flows from the love 
 of God shed abroad in our hearts. We will feel no 
 desire to heap coals of fire on the heads of our 
 enemies, though this may be the result of our con- 
 duct toward them. If this should be our motive it 
 would probably fail of producing the desired result. 
 
232 A COMMENTARY 
 
 21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 
 
 Without the grace of God, evil will overcome us. 
 The attempt is being constantly made. The resistance 
 to evil is a large part of Christian vs^arfare. We are 
 assaulted from every quarter, and have need of all 
 our armor. But we need not be vanquished. If we 
 are overcome of evil it is our own fault. God's grace 
 is sufficient to make us to stand, if we avail our- 
 selves of it. The prevailing notion that we must 
 yield to evil, and thus sin against God, is wholly 
 unscriptural. 
 
 On the contrary, we may overcome evil; but we 
 are not to do it with carnal weapons. " The weapons 
 of our warfare are not carnal." We cannot " do evil 
 that good may come." We must overcome evil with 
 good. Goodness is our only weapon against evil. 
 It is God's weapon. By means of goodness, God 
 endeavors to subdue rebellious hearts. If this means 
 fails, none can succeed. The man who is proof 
 .against the goodness of God is incorrigible, and his 
 condition is hopeless. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 The twelfth chapter of Romans contains more 
 injunctions to practical godliness than any other 
 chapter in the epistolary scriptures. In this respect 
 
A COMMENTARY 233 
 
 it resembles the Sermon on the Mount. Distinction 
 is often made between doctrinal and practical preach- 
 ing, or, to speak more precisely, dogmatic and 
 practical preaching, and one is often recommended 
 as preferable to the other. Doctrine, or dogma, 
 is often thought to be dry and uninteresting, and is 
 sometimes supposed to be unprofitable. But there is 
 no need that Christian doctrine should be uninterest- 
 ing. It is true that metaphysical speculations about 
 doctrine are dry to the average man, but that is not 
 doctrine. A large part of the epistles is doctrinal as 
 distinguished from practical, and the practical is 
 based upon the doctrinal. This chapter begins with 
 "therefore," and consists consequently of conclusions 
 drawn from what precedes it. Practice must be 
 based upon doctrine. The more clearly the doctrines 
 are presented, the more plainly will the practical 
 duties appear. What is called practical preaching is 
 often made offensive by a scolding spirit. This is 
 wrong, and foolish also, as it fails of the desired 
 end. God's children do not need scolding, though 
 they need plain dealing; and unsaved people, though 
 bearing the Christian name, cannot l5e scolded unto 
 holy living. In such cases there is always something 
 more or less that is personal entering into the 
 preacher's motives, which vitiates all his efforts to do 
 good. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 I. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For 
 there is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained 
 of God. 
 
 The duty of Christians to be subject to the present 
 existing civil governments is here plainly set forth. 
 In fact, the duty of subjection is the only one that 
 is enjoined upon them toward these governments ; 
 they owe them nothing further. And even this 
 requirement has its limitations. The apostles laid 
 down the principle that our duty to God was para- 
 mount to our duty to man. When, therefore, human 
 authorities require us to disobey God, and we must 
 choose between the two powers, we must obey the 
 paramount authority, and patiently take the conse- 
 quences. The statement that the pozuers that be are 
 ordained of God, has not the full force that is usually 
 ascribed to it. The fact that God instituted civil 
 government among men is undeniable ; but that He 
 authorizes existing governments remains to be proven. 
 I understand the scriptures to teach otherwise ; that 
 these governments exist because men will not recog- 
 nize the rightful ruler, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is 
 (234) 
 
A COMMENTARY 235 
 
 because they say, " we will not have this man to rule 
 over us," that these governments are needed. But 
 since they will not have Christ's rule, they must 
 have some other authority to preserve order in the 
 earth. But, objects some one, " Are not these 
 governments ordained of God? " The Greek word 
 ^'' tetagmenai'^'' here rendered "ordained," is from a 
 verb signifying to arrange, station, set in order, etc. 
 It is a military term from which our English word 
 "tactics" is derived. The apostle simply asserts 
 that human governments are arranged or set in order 
 by God. God overrules in the governments of the 
 world. Consequently, whatever governments exist, 
 do so by His permission, and are according to His 
 order or plan. He "guides the whirlwind and 
 directs the storm," though He does not originate 
 them. 
 
 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the 
 ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to them- 
 selves damnation. 
 
 We are to understand from this that as God over- 
 rules in the governments of the world, we are to ac- 
 cept the present arrangement in human affairs as 
 God's order or plan, and to submit to it without 
 complaint. Governments may be oppressive or tyr- 
 annous, but Christians are forbidden to resist them, 
 but are required to accept them as God's will toward 
 
236 A COMMENTARY 
 
 them. To resist or oppose existing governments is to 
 resist the order of God, and will involve men in 
 condemnation. We may refuse obedience to demands 
 requiring disobedience to God, but must meekly ac- 
 cept the results of such disobedience. But no Chris- 
 tian can innocently engage in any insurrection or 
 rebellion against any form of government however 
 oppressive it may be. It is not the Christian's busi- 
 ness to reform human governments, but to submit to 
 them. That form of Christianity, therefore, which 
 encourages men in rebellion or insurrection against 
 any goverment must be a false religion. The govern- 
 ment of the Roman Empire, under the Caesars was 
 tyrannical and oppressive. Some of those emperors 
 were monsters of cruelty and lust, yet it was to this 
 tyranny to which the apostle forbids resistance. If 
 it was unlawful to resist a Tiberius or a Nero, whom 
 would it be lawful to resist.? It may be asked how 
 human governments are to be improved under such 
 conditions. They never will be improved, and it is 
 not in God's plan that they should be. They are to 
 prove a complete and disastrous failure. 
 
 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the 
 evil. Wilt thou then not be, afraid of the power.? do that 
 which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 
 
 The general intention of government is to restrain 
 and punish evildoers; those who are law-abiding 
 
A COMMENTARY 237 
 
 have nothing to fear. But it is impossible that any 
 law made by man should bear equally upon all those 
 subject to it, and it may prove oppressive where there 
 is no such intention. Laws which are for the general 
 good may prove to be great evils in individual in- 
 stances. But in general, if we do good, we need not 
 fear the laws. 
 
 4. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But 
 if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not 
 the sword in vain : for he is the minister of God, a revenger 
 to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 
 
 This was written of those pagan emperors who de- 
 spised God and His religion. That they were God's 
 ministers in any sense that would make Him respon- 
 sible for their conduct it is perposterous to assert. 
 Imagine the imperial fiddler as God's representative 
 while Rome was burning, and the bodies of His peo- 
 ple were being utilized as torches. Yet Nero was 
 God's minister in the same sense as is any king or 
 potentate who calls himself Christian. They reign 
 not "by the grace of God," but simply by His per- 
 mission. Nor is an elected ruler any more God's 
 representative than one who rules by hereditary right. 
 He represents only those who placed him in power. 
 They are all His ministers, just the same as storms, 
 earthquakes, and pestilences are. God uses them to 
 accomplish His purposes as He did Pharaoh and 
 
238 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar. He makes use of governments that 
 are in rebellion against Him to preserve a semblance 
 of order in the w^orld, and to restrain and punish 
 evildoers, and to protect those who do well. 
 
 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, 
 but also for conscience sake. 
 
 If any kind of order is to be maintained on the 
 earth, God must either use these hostile powers, or 
 must destroy them and substitute His own govern- 
 ment. 
 
 As He does not see fit as yet to make this change. 
 His people must submit to His plan, and yield obe- 
 dience to these hostile governments; not simply because 
 they must and because they are afraid of the punish- 
 ments threatened in the statutes, but for conscience 
 toward God. Thieir obedience should be voluntary 
 and cheerful. 
 
 6. For this cause pay ye tribute also : for they are God's 
 ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 
 
 The emphasis which the apostle puts upon this 
 matter would indicate that there were some persons 
 in Rome who were inclined to refuse to pay tribute. 
 The word here rendered "tribute" signifies "some- 
 thing to be borne as a burden" ; and it was imposed 
 by the Romans upon the nations which they con- 
 quered. In Matt. XXII-17, where the question is 
 asked concerning the lawfulness of paying tribute, a 
 
A COMMENTARY 239 
 
 different Greek word is used, which signifies a poll- 
 tax, and refers, probably, to the universal poll-tax 
 imposed by Augustus. The most religious Jews were 
 opposed to the payment of this tax, and there may 
 have been some converted Jews who still had scruples 
 upon this point. The language of the apostle is, 
 therefore, most explicit, and they are taught to regard 
 the matter as God's will toward them. As God per- 
 mitted these subject nations to be conquered, He per- 
 mitted them to be taxed for the benefit of the 
 conquerors, and the tax-gatherers represented His will 
 toward the vanquished peoples; and to resist them, 
 was to resist the Divine order. 
 
 7. Render therefore to all their dues : tribute to whom 
 tribute is due; custom to whom custom ; fear to whom fear ; 
 honor to whom honor. 
 
 It matters nothing what the form of government 
 may be, nor whether it is benign or oppressive, these 
 duties remain the same. The child of God will pay 
 all taxes and imposts honestly and cheerfully, trust- 
 ing that his Father will supply the means for so do- 
 ing. The burdens may seem heavy, but God wills 
 that he should bear them. The character of the mag- 
 istrate may not command respect, but the Christian 
 pays honor to the office just the same. The court 
 may not deal out equal and exact justice to all alike, 
 but he obeys their writs, and so far as he can with 
 
240 A COMMENTARY 
 
 a good conscience, he does what is required of him. 
 It is superfluous to say that no Christian will conceal 
 his property from the assessor or the customs officer, 
 nor will he endeavor to have his property undervalued. 
 He will let covetous men have a monopoly of such 
 conduct. 
 
 The notion that it is wrong for a Christian to rec- 
 ognize any rank or title of honor is not countenanced 
 here. If George Fox instead of the apostle Paul had 
 been making a defence before Festus, the Roman 
 magistrate, he would not have felt at liberty to call 
 him " Most noble Festus." He would have called 
 him " friend Festus." Good men sometimes have ex- 
 treme or fanatical opinions. 
 
 8. Owe no man anything, but to love one another : for he 
 that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 
 
 We have in the first clause of this verse, in the 
 original, a double negative intended to express em- 
 phasis. We would read literally, " Owe no one noth- 
 ing, if not to love one another." This double negative 
 is not allowable in English syntax. The propriety 
 and desirability of being out of debt is easily 
 obvious. But this is not really a prohibition of all 
 debt, but only of debt contrary to love. Tiie word 
 rendered "owe" signifies to be under obligation of 
 any kind, and it is manifestly impossible that we 
 should live among our fellow-men and be under no 
 
A COMMENTARY 241 
 
 kind of obligation to any of them. But we are re- 
 quired to put ourselves under no kind of obligation 
 that is contrary to the love of our neighbor. 
 
 9. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not 
 kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 
 Thou shalt not covet; and if there he any other commandment, 
 it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely. Thou shalt 
 love thy neighbor as thyself. 
 
 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor : therefore love is 
 the fulfilling of the law. 
 
 The fact that love is the fuljilling of the lavj is of 
 great importance, and one not generally recognized 
 nor understood. Love does not fulfil the letter of 
 the law, but the righteousness of it, as we are told 
 in chapter VIII-4. It is true that the letter of the law 
 must be fulfilled also, and Jesus declared that not one jot 
 or tittle should pass from the law until all was fulfilled. 
 This Jesus himself did, and became the end of the 
 law to all believers. We are placed under a new 
 commandment, the law of love. This law, according 
 to promise, is written on our hearts, when the love 
 of God is shed abroad there by the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit, and we thus become partakers of the Divine 
 nature. We are no longer judged by outward con- 
 duct, but by our inward motives. If all our conduct 
 springs from love to God and man, we fulfil all the 
 law, notwithstanding a thousand mistakes and short- 
 comings. If our conduct does not spring from love 
 16 
 
242 A COMMENTARY 
 
 it is offensive to God, however virtuous it may 
 appear. 
 
 11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time 
 to awake out of sleep : for now is our salvation nearer than 
 when we believed. 
 
 We have no time for slumber, for inaction, for 
 indifference ; for our deliverance by death, or by the 
 coming of the Lord, is nearer each day we live ; and 
 this consideration should stimulate our zeal and keep 
 us wide awake. Even in those early days of this age, 
 believers were looking for the speedy coming of the 
 Lord Jesus, to rescue and reward them. 
 
 12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand : let us 
 therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the 
 armor of light. 
 
 The night of trial, affliction, and tribulation is far 
 spent, the day of deliverance, of triumph, of final 
 reward, is at hand. Hence, let us cast ^everything 
 that belongs to the darkness of this world, its friend- 
 ship, its lusts, its maxims, its spirit, and let us put 
 on the ar??ior of light, righteousness, truth, faith, 
 hope, and love. 
 
 13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting 
 and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in 
 strife and envying. 
 
 These were the sins most common among the 
 
 pagans of that time, and as human nature has not 
 
 changed nor improved, they are also common among 
 
A COMMENTARY 243 
 
 those called Christians. Rioting and drunkenness are 
 more common among the poorer classes ; chambering' 
 and wantonness among the leisure classes ; and strife 
 and envying among all classes, and between the differ- 
 ent classes. 
 
 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not pro- 
 vision for the flesh, \.o ftclfil the lusts thereof. 
 
 To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is different from 
 having Him formed within us. We cannot put Him 
 on unless He is within, however. To put Him on, 
 is to imitate Him in our conduct ; to walk as He 
 also walked ; to imitate or follow Him. This is our 
 plain duty, and if we do not thus follow Him we are 
 not His disciples. 
 
 The injunction to inake not provision for the fleshy 
 is almost universally ignored by professed Christians. 
 By "the flesh" is meant the carnal nature; and to 
 make provision for it is to allow that it shall have 
 any control over our lives. God has made provision 
 to destroy it, hence we need make no provision for 
 its existence nor its influence over us. We are made 
 free from it in Christ. Yet in the prayers written 
 in the various litanies used by different sects, the 
 fact is recognized that the users of those prayers would 
 continue to fulfil the lusts of the flesh by sinning 
 against God. Thus provision is made for the flesh 
 contrary to the command of Godc If their member- 
 
2 44 A COMMENTARY 
 
 ship were to obey the apostolic injunction here 
 recorded they could have no further use for these 
 prayers. So by making provision for the flesh men 
 are encouraged to live in unholiness and disobedience 
 to God. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 Since love is the fulfilling of the law, it follows 
 that outward acts, rites, and observances are of less 
 importance than is generally supposed. In fact they 
 are of no importance except as evidence of love or 
 of its absence. This one consideration should put a 
 stop forever to the wrangle concerning carnal ordi- 
 nances, since they can be of no importance in them- 
 selves, and are only acts of obedience when they are 
 the fruits of love. It is improbable that the law 
 written in the heart, the only law promised under 
 the gospel, would ever prompt its possessor to the 
 observance of a carnal ordinance. He must be 
 impelled to this act by some other influence. This 
 law of love emancipates the believer from bondage to 
 the letter, a bondage which is most hurtful to a weak 
 conscience. As the observance of carnal rites cannot 
 justify us, neither will the mere neglect of them con- 
 demn us Men however honest never have agreed as 
 to the proper observance of these outward ordinances. 
 
A COMMENTARY 245 
 
 and probably they never will agree. If therefore the 
 believer's acceptance vs^ith God or his future salvation 
 depends upon his proper observance of any or all of 
 these rites, he can never possess assurance of God's 
 favor, as he can never absolutely know that he has 
 properly observed them. This leaves him in a pre- 
 carious state. But the law of love, the law of liberty, 
 delivers him from bondage to fear and doubt, since 
 "if any man love God, the same is known of him"; 
 and if he knows that he loves God and his neighbor, 
 he knows that he has fulfilled the whole law and not 
 one jot or tittle of the letter stands against him. Thus 
 he serves God "in the newness of the spirit and not 
 in the oldness of the letter." 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 I. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to 
 doubtful disputations. 
 
 To be weak Ui the faith^ is to be wavering, not 
 yet established. Such a one is not to be rejected 
 from fellowship on this account, but his weaknesses 
 are to be borne with patiently. 
 
 The words rendered ''doubtful disputations'^ 
 (diakriseis dialogismon) are variously translated by 
 critics. The first means a separation, a discerning, 
 discrimation, a judging, a dispute, etc. The second 
 signifies a discoursing together, a reasoning, a dispu- 
 tation, etc. The words are both nouns and the idea 
 of doubt is not found in the original. I would ren- 
 der it "judging disputations," and I think the con- 
 text carries out this meaning. The apostle has just 
 shown in the preceding chapter that love is the 
 fulfilling of the law, and that consequently these out- 
 ward things are of small importance, and not worth 
 contending about. And such contention would be 
 especially injurious to those who are weak. It would 
 
 distract their minds from the most important matters 
 (246) 
 
A COMMENTARY 247 
 
 and tend to stumble them by making them unchari- 
 table. No doubt the differences of education and the 
 prejudices growing out of these differences made it 
 difficult for the Jew and Gentile converts to agree 
 upon the meat and drink question and there was need 
 of much forbearance and charity to prevent division. 
 To judge and condemn one another over these trifles 
 would be destructive of Christian charity, and par- 
 ticularly would this be true of the weak and waver- 
 ing who could bear but little. They would need to 
 be borne with rather than argued with. It is natural 
 that men should be greatly concerned with meats and 
 drinks, but better things are to be expected of spirit- 
 ual men. 
 
 2. For one believeth that he may eat all things : another, 
 who is weak, eateth herbs. 
 
 On the face of it, this is not complimentary to 
 vegetarians, but their scruples are usually hygienic 
 rather than religious. It was probably the Gentile con- 
 verts who believed that they might eat all things, 
 though some Jews may have been so fully instructed 
 as to have understood their Christian liberty in these 
 matters. The Gentiles had no distinction of clean and 
 unclean meats, and so had no prejudices to overcome 
 on this point. The Jew, on the contrary, had this 
 distinction deeply impressed upon his mind and it 
 was difficult for him to ignore it. Besides he could 
 
248 A COMMENTARY 
 
 not as a Jew use those meats that were clean to him 
 unless the animal had been properly slain in accord- 
 ance with Jewish custom. Where the Jewish popu- 
 lation w^as scattered among the Gentiles it was 
 probably difficult or impossible for him to procure the 
 flesh of clean animals so prepared. Besides much of 
 it had been offered in sacrifice to idols which had 
 made it unfit for his use. So not being sufficiently 
 instructed in Christianity to feel free to use his liberty, 
 he abstained entirely from the use of meat. 
 
 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; 
 and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for 
 God hath received him. 
 
 This is precisely what they were respectively in 
 danger of doing. The man who never had such 
 scruples would be tempted to feel contempt for the 
 man Avho possessed them, as they would seem to him 
 to be foolish. And the man who once had felt such 
 scruples, but was now delivered from them, though 
 more able to bear with his weak brother, would still 
 be tempted to undervalue him because of these things. 
 It would seem to him that the other ought to have 
 learned better. 
 
 On the other hand the man who did not eat meat 
 would be inclined to condemn the man who did, for 
 doing something which he could not do with a clear 
 conscience, thus making his conscience, instead of the 
 
A COMMENTARY 249 
 
 teachings of the gospel, the standard of judgment. 
 Indeed he would have much excuse for so doing. All 
 the scripture then extant, would bear him out in so 
 doing, and he could quote the letter against his 
 brother. But one thing would cause him to hesitate ; 
 the fact that God received him; that God was evi- 
 dently pleased with him. He could not pronounce 
 him common whom God had cleansed. 
 
 4. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to 
 his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be 
 holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 
 
 As the offence of judging is the matter especially 
 under consideration, the apostle directs his admoni- 
 tions to those who are in danger of committing this 
 offence. The apostle does not here reprehend all 
 kinds of judgment. In another place he expressly 
 commands us to judge them that are within, and to 
 put away from among ourselves any wicked person. 
 He forbids us even to eat with such as show them- 
 selves to be transgressors while claiming to be 
 Christians. The first thing to determine is whether 
 a man is God's servant or not. If he is recognized 
 as a servant of God then he must be left free in 
 respect to these indifferent things which have really 
 no moral quality. Such are all outward rites and 
 ordinances, meats and drinks, holy days, etc. In 
 these indifferent things every man must be left to 
 
250 A COMMENTARY 
 
 his own judgment and conscience. Not that one man 
 may not have truth which the other man lacks. 
 No doubt this is true. One may be right and the 
 other wrong; but error in these matters is not vital. 
 Our condemnation will not harm the other man but 
 ourselves ; since God will sustain him. 
 
 5. One man esteemeth one day above another: another 
 esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded 
 in his own mind. 
 
 Here also we see the effects of hereditary prejudices. 
 The Jew was taught to esteem the seventh day as 
 holy time, as well as some feast days. The Gentile 
 had no prejudice in favor of the seventh, or any 
 other fixed day ; and when he became a convert to 
 Christianity, he esteemed all his time alike holy. If 
 the popular notion of the peculiar sanctity of one 
 day in the week, either of the first or of the seventh, 
 is correct, how can the apostle treat the matter as he 
 does? Would it not have been his duty to have 
 insisted upon the sanctity of one day in the week.'' 
 But he does not do this, but treats the subject as a 
 matter of conscience only, as are all indifferent mat- 
 ters. Some suppose that he refers to feast days only 
 and not at all to the Sabbath day. But there is no 
 proof of this. In another place (Col. II-16) the 
 Sabbath is classed with feast days and meats and 
 drinks. Evidently St. Paul does not consider any 
 
A COMMENTARY 25 1 
 
 day peculiarly holy to a Christian, else he must have 
 insisted upon its observance. The Jew esteems one 
 day holy above another as do Christians with Jewish 
 prejudices ; properly taught Christians regard all their 
 time holy time, none of it more so than the remainder. 
 But this is not a vital matter, so let every man 
 follow his own convictions. 
 
 6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord ; 
 and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not 
 regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth 
 God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth 
 not, and giveth God thanks. 
 
 As all these things belong among the things 
 
 indifferent, and as each one does as he does with a 
 
 pure intention, to please God, he is accepted of God. 
 
 Certainly one man is right and the other wrong in 
 
 his opinion ; but those who are more fully instructed 
 
 must bear w^ith weaker brethren until they get more 
 
 light and not despise them nor dispute with them. 
 
 It is better to be right than in error even in things 
 
 of small importance, but the Lord will teach His 
 
 children and guide them into all truth. 
 
 7. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to 
 himself. 
 
 8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and 
 whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live there- 
 fore, or die, we are the Lord's. 
 
 It is of Christians the apostle is speaking w^hen he 
 
 asserts that 7io7ie of us liveth to himself. This is true 
 
252 A COMMENTARY 
 
 of them though it may not be true of others. The 
 true Christian both lives and dies to the glory of his 
 Master. This is his constant aim and concern, "to 
 show forth the praises of him who hath called him 
 out of darkness into His marvellous light." He 
 serves God doing or suffering. There are many on 
 the other hand who seem to live only to themselves. 
 Their whole lives are marked by selfishness and self- 
 seeking. If any one is benefited by their living it 
 is not because of any intention on their part. And 
 so living they die to themselves also, and are unwept 
 and soon forgotten. 
 
 9. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, 
 that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 
 
 As the apostle has just been speaking of Christians 
 
 living and dying it is natural to understand him as 
 
 referring here to dead and living saints. He dicd^ 
 
 I'ose^ and lives again, that He might be Head and 
 
 Lord of His body, the church, whether the members 
 
 be living or dead to us ; they all live unto Him. 
 
 10. But \\\\y dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost 
 thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before 
 the judgment seat of Christ. 
 
 11. For it is written. As I live, saith the Lord, every knee 
 shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 
 
 12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself 
 to God. 
 
 Both sides in the controversy are here appealed to ; 
 the man who ate not, for judging his brother, and 
 
A COMMENTARY 253 
 
 the man who ate, for contemptuous treatment of his 
 brother. There is no occasion for such conduct on 
 either side since each one is responsible to God alone, 
 Who will judge righteously, and He alone can fully 
 understand each case. 
 
 We are informed in the scriptures that all judg- 
 ment has been committed to the Son of God, so the 
 judgment seat is that of Christ. There are two senses 
 in which He is to judge the world : ist, in the sense 
 of governing it during the millennial reign ; and 3nd, 
 in the determination of the future destiny of men and 
 angels, and in the distribution of rewards and pun- 
 ishments. The quotation here made seems to refer 
 to Christ's reign when all His enemies will be com- 
 pelled to acknowledge His rightful authority. The 
 Greek word rendered "stand before" signifies to 
 stand beside, to stand before, to stand by, so as to 
 assist, etc. We are plainly taught that God's people 
 are to assist in judging the world. It is declared that 
 the saints shall judge the world (I Cor. VI-2) and 
 it is promised them that they shall sit down with 
 Christ in His throne. Judgment in the sense of the 
 determination of our relation to God as condemned or 
 acquitted, which decides our future destiny, is already 
 begun, "For the time is come that judgment must 
 begin at the house of God." (I Pet. IV-17.) We 
 are told further that "if we would judge ourselves, 
 
254 A COMMENTARY 
 
 we should not be judged." (I Cor. XI-31.) One of 
 the works of judgment is to uncover and expose sin. 
 Jesus declares that there is nothing covered that shall 
 not be revealed nor hid that shall not be made 
 known. It is declared that Christ will bring to light 
 the hidden things of dishonesty; and in Rom. II-16 
 it is declared that He shall judge the secrets of men's 
 hearts. But this work of uncovering sin may begin 
 now, and does begin with every sincere penitent. 
 " He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but who 
 so confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy." 
 This is, no doubt, the reason why some souls pro- 
 fessedly seeking God do not prosper or make prog- 
 ress ; they persist in covering sin. God gives judg- 
 ment light that we may see our sins and confess 
 them. If we will uncover our sins God will cover 
 them and they will be forgotten ; they will be re- 
 membered no more forever. " Blessed is the man 
 whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sins are cov- 
 ered." We do not have to wait until the wicked are 
 judged to have the secrets of our hearts exposed. It 
 may be done now. " But if all prophesy, and there 
 come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he 
 is convinced of all, he is judged of all: and thus are 
 the secrets of his heart made manifest." (I Cor. XIV- 
 34,25.) Here the work of judgment is going for- 
 ward. In the future state saints shall be judged only 
 
A COMMENTARY 255 
 
 in the sense of being publicly indicated and ap- 
 proved. Judgment begins here in the house of God ; 
 it will culminate there. But there will be no public 
 inquest into their lives; that takes place here. Here 
 they uncover their shame and have it eternally hidden 
 and forgotten. 
 
 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but 
 judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an 
 occasion to fall in his brother's way. 
 
 Instead of finding fault with our brother about 
 trifles, let us look to ourselves that our conduct is 
 such that it will not be an occasion of stumbling to 
 our brother. His prejudices must be considered, and 
 his ignorance and weakness borne with. 
 
 14. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that 
 there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth 
 anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 
 
 What the Lord Jesus said about this matter, that 
 
 what goes into the mouth does not defile the man, 
 
 but that which comes out, is decisive upon this point. 
 
 But the apostle probably refers to revelations of the 
 
 truth which he had personally received. It follows 
 
 that those who ate the meat were in the right, and 
 
 those who refused it were in the wrong. The same 
 
 principle holds good with regard to the keeping of 
 
 days, as with regard to the making distinction in 
 
 meats : both belong to Judaism. But a man may be 
 
 easily in error in such matters without invalidating 
 
256 A COMMENTARY 
 
 his salvation. And so long as a thing seems wrong 
 to me I cannot do it, though it may be innocent 
 and harmless in itself: "for whatsoever is not of 
 faith is sin." My intention would be just as contrary 
 to love as if the thing were actually sinful ; and all 
 sin, to a believer, is in the intention. Hence, the 
 importance of being "fully persuaded in our own 
 mind." We cannot do certain things because others 
 do, seemingly with a good conscience. We must be 
 convinced for ourselves. Each one must walk in his 
 own light, and by his own conscience. No doubt, 
 however, all limitations of our Christian liberty 
 are injurious to us as well as dangerous. If we 
 remain like little children, teachable, we will be 
 guided into all truth, that truth which makes us free. 
 The apostle avows himself afraid of some who 
 observed days and months and times and years, lest 
 he had bestowed upon them labor in vain ; and 
 spiritual men cannot but feel fear for those who 
 appear to be attached to meats and drinks. Many 
 gallant ships have gone to pieces upon these rocks. 
 
 15. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now 
 walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat 
 for whom Christ died. 
 
 It is not in accordance with love for me to grieve 
 a brother knowingly in trivial matters. If I love 
 him, I will avoid offense as far as I can with a 
 
A COMMENTARY 257 
 
 clear conscience. Since Jesus died to save him, I cer- 
 tainly ought not willingly to destroy him, that I might 
 have my own way in so small a matter. The apostle 
 declares, in another place, "If meat make my 
 brother to offend, I will eat no meat while the world 
 stands." 
 
 16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 
 
 This injunction is to be understood in connection 
 with what has preceded it, and not in a general 
 sense. Christians are expected to be evil spoken of 
 for Christ's sake, and they are not to seek to avoid 
 this, but to rejoice in it. This cannot be prevented 
 by any carefulness on our part. What is meant here 
 is that we are not to so use our liberty in things of 
 no vital importance as to shock the religious sensi- 
 bilities of others not so well taught, and thus create 
 scandal. Such conduct would have the appearance of 
 evil, which we are to avoid. 
 
 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but 
 righteousness, and peace, and joy in the H0I7 Ghost. 
 
 These outward things not being of the essence of 
 Christ's religion, are not of enough importance to 
 contend about, or to insist on. Christianity is a 
 spiritual religion, and its essentials are in the heart. 
 Righteousness or inward holiness is the essential thing 
 in the religion of Jesus ; and this is accompanied by 
 17 
 
258 A COMMENTARY 
 
 peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. If outward rites 
 and carnal ordinances were essential parts of Chris- 
 tianity, then they should be contended for, and insisted 
 upon ; and we should see that others were properly 
 observing them, as most professors of Christianity 
 do. But as these outward things are of small im- 
 portance, and not essential, there is no excuse for the 
 divisions among nominal Christians, which are caused 
 principally by differences over these matters. Thus, 
 that which is essential is lost sight of in wrangling 
 over trifles. 
 
 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is accept- 
 able to God, and approved of men. 
 
 Serving God with a pure heart, he is approved of 
 Him, and all his conduct flowing from love to God 
 and man, he will be approved of men without regard 
 to outward rites and ordinances. We are not to al- 
 low ourselves to be judged in meats and drinks, or 
 in respect to a holy day, or anything of that nature ; 
 we are to refuse to acknowledge the validity of such 
 judgment. 
 
 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make 
 for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 
 
 Instead of dwelling upon points of difference which 
 are not material, and which will tend to produce 
 discord and strife about words to no profit, let us 
 rather consider those vital matters upon which we 
 
A COMMENTARY 259 
 
 agree, which will promote peace and unity among 
 us. This is just what the warring sects of Chris- 
 tendom have not done, and the results of their folly 
 and disobedience are plainly seen. Most men love 
 their own opinions too well to sink them for the 
 common good. And besides, not being spiritual, they 
 exaggerate the importance of outward things, and 
 variance, strife, and division result. There are few 
 who agree with John Wesley when he says, "I am 
 sick of opinions ; my soul loathes the frothy stuff. 
 If thy heart be with my heart as my heart is with 
 thy heart, give me thy hand." 
 
 20. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things 
 indeed are pure ; but it is evil for that man who eateth with 
 offence. 
 
 Love and unity among God's people is the work 
 of God ; and when these are destroyed by contention 
 about rites and ordinances, or any other outward 
 thing, the work of God is destroyed. The folly and 
 wickedness of such a course should be easily apparent. 
 
 It is true that these distinctions of clean and un- 
 clean meats, as established by the law of Moses, are 
 now abolished, and that nothing is impure that is 
 fitted for human needs ; and it is also true that no 
 one is under any obligation to observe any such dis- 
 tinctions, so far as his own conscience is concerned ; 
 but still it may be evil to do this innocent thing, 
 
2 6o A COMMENTARY 
 
 since it may be done with offense. That is, it may 
 be done in such a way, or at such a time, as 
 to stumble a brother, and to cause him either to 
 wound his own conscience by imitating our example, 
 or by causing him to condemn us without scriptural 
 grounds for so doing. Thus some things are lawful, 
 that are not expedient. 
 
 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor 
 anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is 
 made weak. 
 
 We have here laid down the general principle, 
 then, that Christians should refrain from the doing of 
 lawful things by which other Christians may be 
 stumbled or injured. Among these lawful things are 
 the eating of flesh and the drinking of wine. The 
 eating of flesh is generally esteemed lawful, though 
 there are some weak consciences or weak stomachs 
 which confine others to a purely vegetable diet. 
 The drinking of wine is, however, generally con- 
 sidered unlawful to Christians ; but it is clear that 
 St. Paul does not so think. It may be among the 
 things inexpedient, but is certainly not among the 
 things unlawful in the apostle's estimation. Modern 
 reformers have gone to extremes in their crusade 
 against the use of alcoholic beverages. While I do 
 not practice, nor would I advise their use, I am 
 bound to say that total abstinence is a modern doc- 
 
A COMMENTARY 261 
 
 • 
 
 trine, unknown to the New Testament writers. It is 
 true that sinners make a bad use of these things, but 
 so do they of food and raiment and every other good 
 thing. Christians have control of their appetites, and 
 are not under any bondage in these matters. They 
 need refuse nothing that can be received with thanks- 
 giving. The notion that Christians dare not use wine, 
 even in the Eucharist, but must substitute water, 
 appears to me a burlesque on the religion of Jesus. 
 Christ turned water to wine, but modern Christians, 
 in name, would turn wine into water, and teach 
 their Lord a lesson in morals. 
 
 22. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. 
 Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which 
 he alloweth. 
 
 That is, if you are convinced of the purity and 
 lawfulness of these things, do not make a show 
 or parade of your faith, especially where weak con- 
 sciences are. You can deny yourself the exercise of 
 your liberty for the good of others. If you possess 
 this knowledge and feel this liberty, yet do not so 
 use them as to destroy the work of God, and thus 
 condemn yourself, happy art thou. 
 
 23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because 
 he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 
 
 To do anything which one suspects to be wrong is 
 to bring condemnation on one's conscience. I must 
 
262 A COMMEXTARV 
 
 be fully convinced that a thing is right before I do 
 it ; otherwise I must give myself the benefit of the doubt 
 by refraining. To do anything which I believe or sus- 
 pect to be wrong is to sin. The sin is not therefore 
 in the act, but in the intention, for the act may be 
 lawful and innocent in itself, but if I esteem it to be 
 wrong, it is wrong to me. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 The contents of the foregoing chapter are very 
 important and instructive, and it would be well for 
 the cause of the Christian religion if its teachings 
 had been always heeded. But this is far from being 
 the case. In most instances sects of professed Chris- 
 tians have separated over differences of opinion about 
 external and indifferent things. By so doing they 
 have demonstrated that they love their own opinions 
 more than they love their brethren, and more than 
 they love God's cause. Jesus prays that His people 
 may be one ; but they are ready to rend the body of 
 Christ for trivial causes. As unity is absolutely essen- 
 tial to growth, all growth has been prevented, and 
 spiritual death has supervened. There is no excuse 
 whatever for Christians, who agree in essentials, as 
 Christians will do, to divide over things indifferent. 
 
A COMMENTARY 263 
 
 Although those who have faith, and who are more 
 perfectly instructed, are required to use their liberty 
 judiciously and charitably, it is not to be supposed 
 that they must surrender their liberty to ignorance 
 and prejudice. The whole church is not to be kept 
 in bondage because a few persons are bound. The 
 majority are right, and the others are in error. The 
 prejudices of the weak must not be too rudely 
 shocked, nor their consciences wounded, but it is to 
 be expected that they will be teachable, and so will 
 soon be delivered from their bondage to tradition. 
 Otherwise the whole church would be kept at the 
 lowest level consistent with salvation. The truth is 
 not to be concealed, but is to be spoken in love, 
 even the truth about indifferent things. Liberty is 
 desirable and bondage dangerous, and God will Him- 
 self reveal the whole truth to those who are willing 
 to learn, and thus, under the teachings of the Holy 
 Spirit, unity of faith will be brought about. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 1. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities 
 of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 
 
 This certainly is a reasonable conclusion, but how 
 seldom is it practiced. It is observed among those 
 only who possess the love of the brethren. Among 
 others it is as it is among worldly men ; the weak 
 must do the enduring ; it is the fittest who survive. 
 But love engenders tenderness toward the weak and 
 a disposition to care for and protect them. The 
 lambs are cared for as well as the sheep and even 
 the lame are nursed and healed. No doubt this 
 requires self-denial. It lays upon us the necessity of 
 pleasing others rather than ourselves. 
 
 2. Let every one of us please Iiis neighbor for ///> good to 
 edification. 
 
 It may be asked, "Is it my duty to seek to please 
 
 others?" Yes, if it can be done to his edification; 
 
 if it will help to build him up in holiness ; otherwise 
 
 it is a matter of indifference. If we can do a man ^ 
 
 good by pleasing him rather than ourselves it is our 
 
 duty to do so. 
 (264) 
 
A COMMENTARY 265 
 
 3. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is writ- 
 ten, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 
 
 This quotation is from Ps. LXIX-9, and is spoken 
 by David of himself, but the apostle here applies it 
 to Christ, to whom it most eminently belongs. To 
 endure for the sake of another is not to please our- 
 selves. Christ did this for our sakes, and cannot we 
 do it for the sake of our brethren? 
 
 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were writ- 
 ten for our learning, that we through patience and comfort 
 of the scriptures might have hope. 
 
 The Old Testament scriptures were all the scrip- 
 tures possessed by the first Christians. These are said 
 to have been written for our learnings and this state- 
 ment, no doubt, applies to us as well as to them. 
 They were diligently searched by them to find state- 
 ments referring to Christ, and they found many which 
 wx should scarcely suspect of such meaning. Having 
 the New Testament, w^e are not such diligent stu- 
 dents of the Old. But their study will well re- 
 pay the labor bestowed on them. It is true that they 
 do not furnish us a standard of living, nor are we to 
 measure ourselves by the characters therein described. 
 Christians are of another spirit than that of Elijah or 
 of any Old Testament believer. Yet understanding 
 these things we may find many things to instruct us, 
 since truth is here taught in symbol and allegory. 
 
2 66 A COMMENTARY 
 
 5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to 
 be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus : 
 
 Had the apostle been as wise as many men now 
 imagine themselves to be, he would have seen the 
 futility of such a prayer ; as it is now the general 
 decision that likemindedness is impossible, and that 
 those who expect such a thing are illogical dreamers, 
 ignorant of the constitution of the human mind. But 
 as both Christ and the apostle Paul pray for this, I 
 must still hold to its possibility; especially since we 
 are informed that it did once actually exist among the 
 first Christians. Meanwhile let us strive for and ex- 
 pect this unanimity, carefully keeping the imity of the 
 spirit that we may attain unto the unity of faith and 
 knowledge of the Son of God. But we will never 
 attain to this onemindedness by separating from our 
 brother because of every, or any, difference of opinion 
 about meats and drinks. This will carry us in the 
 opposite direction, and produce such a bedlam of 
 conflicting doctrines as will entitle us to the name of 
 Babylon or confusion. God alone can bring peace 
 and order out of such a chaos, but the God of peace 
 ami consolation can do even this. But this must be 
 done accordi?ig to Christ jfcsiis. jSIany men have 
 attempted to perform the miracle in their own way 
 and have failed. It cannot be done simply by rea- 
 sonings and argumentation, but by the teachings and 
 
A COMMENTARY 267 
 
 guidance of the Holy Spirit. God alone can make 
 men of one spirit, and He alone can make them of 
 one mind and one soul. 
 
 6. That je may with one mind and one mouth glorify 
 God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 When God's people think and speak the same 
 things, they glorify God with one mind and one 
 mouth. This unity is particularly pleasing to God and 
 greatly to His glory ; by it Christ's claims to the 
 Messiahship are clearly demonstrated, for such a unity 
 must be supernatural and of Divine origin. 
 
 7. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also re- 
 ceived us to the glory of God. 
 
 As Christ received in such a manner and on such 
 terms as brought glory to God, so should we receive 
 one another. God is not glorified by contention and 
 strife about words among His people, but by kind- 
 ness, forbearance and oneness. 
 
 8. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the cir- 
 cumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made 
 unto the fathers : 
 
 This seems to be an abrupt change of the subject; 
 but if we can understand what was in the apostle's 
 mind it may not appear so. No doubt the scruples 
 of the Jewish Christians about meats and drinks were 
 hard to be borne by those who were without their 
 inherited prejudices. They appeared to the Gentile 
 
268 A COMMENTARY 
 
 converts to be often childish and fooHsh. We know, 
 also, that the possession of such prejudices tends to 
 make men uncharitable in their judgments. The 
 Gentiles knowing that they were right and the 
 others wrong in those matters, needed every incentive 
 to help them to bear patiently with their Jewish 
 brethren. The fact that the apostle calls them strong 
 and the others weak, no doubt, was some help, and 
 must have been correspondingly unpalatable to the 
 Jewish believers ; as those who are sticklers for 
 trifles generally imagine themselves to be strong. As 
 a further consideration which might assist to the same 
 end, the apostle here refers to Christ's ministry 
 among the Jews. lie was not sent to the Gentiles 
 but to the Jews. They had the promise of His com- 
 ing, and His ministry among them confirmed the 
 truth of these promises. As God thus regarded the 
 Jews, and Christ confined His labors to their nation 
 they certainly demanded consideration from the con- 
 verted Gentiles. This seems to have been the thought 
 in the mind of the writer, and so is just in line with 
 what has gone before. 
 
 9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for Iiis mercy; 
 as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among 
 the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 
 
 10. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, \vith his 
 people. 
 
 11. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and 
 laud him, all ye jieople. 
 
A COMMENTARY 269 
 
 12. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, 
 and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall 
 the Gentiles trust. 
 
 These scriptures are quoted to show that although 
 no promise had been made to their fathers, as in 
 the case of the Jews, yet the Gentiles were also 
 included in the merciful provisions made for the sal- 
 vation of a lost race. Though the Jew had the first 
 claim on God's mercy he had no greater nor surer 
 claim than the Gentiles had. 
 
 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace 
 in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power 
 of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Being assured, then, both Jew and Gentile, of your 
 
 rights and privileges under the gospel, may you be 
 
 jilled with all joy and peace in believing. Such a 
 
 result ought certainly to follow faith in such a gospel. 
 
 But it will follow only as it is wrought in us by the 
 
 God of hope. The Deity is here called the God of 
 
 hope because He is the Author of hope. But for His 
 
 mercy in providing a Redeemer, there would be 
 
 nothing left us but despair. Joy and peace are the 
 
 fruits of faith and hope, but this faith and hope, as 
 
 well as the resultant joy and peace, must be wrought 
 
 in us by the Holy Spirit. A faith and a hope not 
 
 so produced is a dead faith and a false hope, and 
 
 the resultant joy and peace are delusive. Our peace 
 
 must be "the peace of God," and our joy must be 
 
270 A COMMENTARY 
 
 "joy in the Holy Ghost." These graces are all 
 supernatural and heavenly. 
 
 14. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, 
 that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, 
 able also to admonish one another. 
 
 This is a very high commendation, and proves that 
 the church at Rome was in excellent spiritual condi- 
 tion. In no place in this letter does the apostle find 
 any fault v^^ith this church, as he does with the church 
 at Corinth and the churches in Galatia. It is true that 
 St. Paul had never as yet visited Rome, but he, no 
 doubt, was well informed of their spiritual state. He 
 declares in the first place, that they were full of 
 goodness. Some strong things are said of the holi- 
 ness and perfection of the church of Christ in general, 
 but this is, probably, the highest tribute paid to any 
 particular congregation. The passage which some 
 professed Christians are pleased to apply to them- 
 selves, "there is none good, no not one," will scarcely 
 apply to these Roman disciples. It was said of 
 the martyr Stephen that he was a good man, but 
 these saints at Rome were full of goodness. There 
 could therefore be no room left in them for sin. If 
 there were no sin in them they must have been pure 
 in heart, and devoid of carnality. Those, therefore, 
 who imagine that in the first verse of the twelfth 
 chapter the apostle urges them to attain to this state 
 
A COMMENTARY 271 
 
 of purity and holiness, must be in a mistake, as he 
 testifies that they are already there. They are also 
 filled with all knowledge: that is, spiritual knowledge 
 necessary for them to possess. They are not ignorant 
 of anything they need to know. 
 
 They are able also to admonish one another. Un- 
 like those addressed in the Letter to the Hebrews, 
 they themselves are competent to teach the gospel, 
 and must therefore have been able to use strong meat, 
 and were " of full age " (teleioi) or perfect ones. 
 They were not such as needed milk. 
 
 15. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldlv 
 unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the 
 grace that is given to me of God, 
 
 Notwithstanding the fact that you are thus filled 
 with knowledge and goodness and able to teach and 
 advise one another, yet I have written unto you 
 concerning things you already know, that I may re- 
 mind you of them and impress them upon you. 
 Christians need to be reminded again and again of 
 the things they already know, that they may give the 
 more earnest heed to them lest at any time they 
 should let them slip. St. Peter calls this, stirring up 
 their pure mind by way of remembrance. 
 
 16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the 
 Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up 
 of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
272 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Since the grace of God had made him a minister 
 of the gospel, especially to the Gentiles, he had done 
 nothing except his duty in writing to them, though 
 they were, many of them, strangers to him personally. 
 He had not exceeded his authority and needed no 
 apology. And because he knew their good spiritual 
 state he had written the 77iore boldly, not being afraid 
 of injuring them by giving them strong meat, and 
 being assured that they would be able to understand 
 him, which some others were not. His object in 
 writing was, since he was the apostle to the Gen- 
 tiles, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be 
 acceptable to God. He here represents the presenta- 
 tion of the saved Gentiles to God as being a sacrifice 
 or oblation ; and we know that no sacrifice was 
 acceptable that was not perfect. It must not be 
 lacking in the least particular, even in the tip of an 
 ear. So the oblation of the Gentiles could not be 
 acceptable unless it were sanctijicd by the Holy Ghost. 
 This would make them complete in all the will of 
 God, since they that are sanctified are said to be per- 
 fected forever; " for by one offering he hath perfected 
 forever them that are sanctified." (Heb. X-i4th.) 
 
 We see here the burden of a real minister of Christ. 
 His one aim in his labors among God's people, is to 
 present them a perfect offering to God. For this 
 cause he is jealous over them with a godly jealousy 
 
A COMMENTARY 273 
 
 having espoused them to one husband, that he may 
 present them with joy and not with grief. What he 
 does for them is by constraint of the love of Christ. 
 God pity the man who preaches for a livelihood, or 
 for a reputation, or for any kindred reason. He is 
 guilty of Simony and sacrilege, who usurps the holy 
 office to serve his own ends. 
 
 17. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus 
 Christ in those things which pertain to God. 
 
 18. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things 
 which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles 
 obedient, by word and deed, 
 
 19. Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of 
 the Spirit of God ; so that from Jerusalem, and round about 
 unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 
 
 The work of soul-saving, especially when accom- 
 panied by great demonstration of the Spirit, and 
 power, is one in which its participants may well 
 glory or rejoice. It is a blessed and soul-inspiring 
 labor, accompanied by much hardship and suffering. 
 
 The apostle Paul is careful however not to claim 
 the results of other men's labors, nor did he wish to 
 enjoy them. He was ambitious to break new^ ground 
 and to labor in untried fields ; he wished himself to 
 lay the foundation as well as to rear the super- 
 structure. This was a worthy ambition, at that time 
 easily gratified. But it is not always possible now, 
 though the true man scorns to reap what others have 
 
 sown and so far as possible avoids doing so. 
 18 
 
2 74 A COMMENTARY 
 
 20. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not 
 where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another 
 man's foundation: 
 
 21. But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, 
 they shall see : and they that have not heard shall under- 
 stand. 
 
 22. For which cause also I have been much hindered from 
 coming to you. 
 
 St. Paul's desire to preach only where Christ was 
 
 not named had hitherto been a hindrance to his 
 
 visiting Rome, as the gospel had already been preached 
 
 in that city. But, no doubt many of his spiritual 
 
 children were in Rome though the apostle Himself 
 
 had never been there. Then, as since, all roads led 
 
 to Rome ; and it was being constantly visited by 
 
 persons from all parts of the empire many of whom 
 
 remained there. This made Rome common ground 
 
 which could be exclusively claimed by no one. St. 
 
 Paul had long entertained a desire to visit that city, 
 
 to see his own converts and to have fruit among its 
 
 inhabitants. Then there was probably more danger 
 
 in preaching the gospel in Rome than in the 
 
 provinces, and the apostle did not wish to appear to 
 
 shrink from any danger. The reproach of the gospel 
 
 was also greater in that centre of fashion, pleasure 
 
 and luxury. 
 
 23. But now having no more place in these parts, and hav- 
 ing a great desire these many years to come unto you ; 
 
 24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will 
 come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be 
 
A COMMENTARY 275 
 
 brought on my way thithenvard by you, if first I be somewhat 
 filled with your cofnpany. 
 
 This epistle was written from Corinth \vhere the 
 apostle had been laboring, and where he felt no 
 longer in duty bound to remain. It seems that he 
 had planned a journey into Spain, the Western 
 limit of the empire, and expected to stop in Rome 
 on his way thither. But the journey into Spain was 
 not made as he had planned and probably never was 
 made. The journey to Rome was made, but under 
 far different circumstances than he had planned. It 
 is not well for us to plan too far ahead as we are 
 likely to do so without Divine direction, and we will 
 only invite disappointment. 
 
 25. But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the 
 saints. 
 
 26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to 
 make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 It is not apparent why there should have been more 
 poor saints at Jerusalem than in Greece, and possi- 
 bly there were not. But St. Paul had been requested 
 by the apostles at Jerusalem to remember the poor 
 saints there, which he was forward to do. The prob- 
 ability is that this contribution about which he took 
 so much care was intended as a sort of peace offering 
 to the Jewish Christians. The believing Jews were 
 averse to receiving the Gentile converts unless they 
 
276 A COMiMENTARY 
 
 were first circumcised. This the apostle Paul stren- 
 uously resisted. This created a prejudice against the 
 apostle, causing him to be regarded as a renegade 
 Jew. He took great pains to raise a large contribu- 
 tion among the Gentile believers, to show to their 
 Jewish brethren that they were not forgetful of their 
 obligations to them, and that they recognized the 
 unity of the Jewish and Gentile believers. The whole 
 scheme however, miscarried through the fanaticism of 
 the Jews at Jerusalem as we learn in the Acts of the 
 Apostles. In attempting to placate the Jews there 
 was danger of surrendering too far to their preju- 
 dices, and of compromising the truth itself. The at- 
 tempt of St. Paul to conciliate the Jews by publicly 
 observing the ceremonial law in the temple at Jerusa- 
 lem, by the advice of the brethren, seems not to have 
 met the Divine approval. It brought about the result 
 he was endeavoring to avoid, and got him into one 
 of the greatest dangers of his life, and made him a 
 prisoner nearly four years. Those plans which natural 
 prudence suggests, are not best calculated to advance 
 the kingdom of God. 
 
 27. It hath pleased them veril}-; and their debtors they are. 
 For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spirit- 
 ual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal 
 things- 
 
 This is a general principle and applies not only to 
 the duty of the Gentile converts to their Jewish 
 
A COMMENTARY 277 
 
 teachers but to the duty of all who are taught in the 
 word to communicate to those who teach them in all 
 good things. So they that preach the gospel should 
 live of the gospel. The duty of those called and 
 sent of God to preach is imperative, and the duty of 
 those who are taught by them is equally imperative. 
 
 28. When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed 
 to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain. 
 
 So man proposed, but God disposed otherwise. 
 This visit to Spain seems to have been a cherished 
 hope of the great apostle. He may have gone on to 
 Spain after his release by Nero. Spain was held by 
 the Carthaginians until after the second Punic war, 
 when it gradually came into the possession of the 
 Romans, and remained a province of that empire un- 
 til its dissolution. Some of the apostles travelled to 
 countries beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, 
 preaching the gospel of Christ. St. Thomas is said 
 to have been martyred in India. But St. Paul seems 
 to have confined his labors within the limits of the 
 Empire, unless we count Arabia outside of it. 
 
 29. And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall 
 come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. 
 
 This passage is, I think, generally misunderstood 
 and misinterpreted. The Greek . word (eulogias) 
 translated "blessing" is usually interpreted to refer 
 
278 A COMMENTARY 
 
 to some blessing which the apostle had experienced 
 or received. The word, however, signifies ** praise, 
 giving of thanks, bounty, almsgiving, etc." The Eng- 
 lish word "eulogy" is derived from it. The idea 
 expressed by the word is of giving rather than of 
 receiving. It is not a blessing that the apostle had 
 received that he speaks of, but one that he will im- 
 part, bestow upon his hearers, as a bounty, a bene- 
 diction. He expresses confidence that he will be fully 
 able to impart to them the boon, the bounty of the 
 gospel of Christ. There is in the apostle's language 
 no boast concerning his personal, experience, but a 
 confident claim of an ability to accomplish the work 
 to which he had a Divine call. This was a matter 
 of much more importance to his hearers, than his own 
 personal experience could have been. We may have 
 received much from the Lord with little ability to 
 impart blessing to others. The apostle, whose sufli- 
 ciency was of God, was conscious of having this gift 
 in its fulness, and so expresses himself. 
 
 30. Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus 
 Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive 
 together with me in your prayers to God for me; 
 
 31. That I may be delivered from them that do not 
 believe in Judaea; and that my service which / haze for 
 Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; 
 
 St. Paul was concerned for two things, that his 
 service for the saints at Jerusalem might be pleasing 
 
A COMMENTARY 279 
 
 to them, and that he might escape from his enemies 
 in that city. Knowing the inveterate prejudices of 
 the Jewish Christians, and their zeal for the law, he 
 feared that they might be unwilling to accept alms 
 from Gentile converts. How plainly had "their 
 table become a stumbling to them." I suppose that 
 much must be excused in them because of the preju- 
 dices of their education, but their condition is certainly 
 not very hopeful. Contrasted with the charity and 
 liberality of the Gentile Christians, they suffer much 
 by the comparison. A Gentile is not probably able 
 to put a proper estimate upon their spiritual state, 
 but they could not have been used to any advantage 
 in evangelizing the world. The other apostles could 
 dwell in Jerusalem, but St. Paul's life was not safe 
 there, and he knew that he visited that city at his 
 peril. This was the case for several reasons. Prob- 
 ably his defection from Judaism, after having been 
 himself a prominent persecutor, made him especially 
 obnoxious. But the principal reason, no doubt, was 
 that after such defection, being chosen of God as the 
 apostle to the Gentiles, he discarded the restrictions 
 of the ceremonial law, and would not allow it to be 
 imposed upon the Gentile Christians. This in the 
 eyes of the Jews made him appear as an apostate, 
 who was not fit to live. Peter and John, and perhaps 
 the other apostles, saw the propriety of this line of 
 
28o A COMMENTARY 
 
 action, but being sent to the circumcision they were 
 not called upon to take this stand themselves, which 
 accounts for the fact that they were not so much 
 hated. Then, St. Paul was recognized as being 
 pre-eminent in both ability and zeal, and was there- 
 fore considered the most dangerous foe of Judaism. 
 St. Paul had also the clearest and most comprehensive 
 knowledge of the principles of Christ's religion. He 
 was able the most fully to divest himself of the 
 prejudices of education and training. He had the 
 courage of his convictions and a zeal which nothing 
 could quench. He had the constructive faculty which 
 the others lacked. In his comprehension Christianity 
 became a system, and not a number of detached 
 truths. All these things made him the foremost 
 exponent of the new religion, and the inveterate foe 
 of all compromise. So Jerusalem, the abode of his 
 early manhood, where he had studied at the feet of 
 Gamaliel, that most eminent doctor of the law, was 
 no longer a safe place for him, and he besought the 
 brethren at Rome to strive in prayer for his deliverance 
 from his enemies there. And so far as we can know, 
 the prayer was answered. The offering was probably 
 acceptable to the saints at Jerusalem, and the 
 apostle was delivered from his Jewish enemies by 
 the Roman soldiers, who were the exponents of law 
 and order. 
 
A COMMENTARY 281 
 
 32. That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, 
 and may with you be refreshed. 
 
 33. Now the God of peace he with you all. Amen. 
 
 The success of his mission to Jerusalem and his 
 deliverance from his enemies, would relieve him from 
 a great responsibility as w^ell as from a great danger ; 
 thus with joy he would be enabled to turn again to 
 the work of preaching the gospel in distant regions, 
 and to visit Rome as he had planned. So he read 
 the future in his imagination. He did indeed visit 
 Rome, but as a prisoner ; though he might have gone 
 as a free man if he had not appealed his case to 
 CaBsar. He was refreshed at his first meeting with the 
 Roman brethren at Appii Forum. 
 
 The last verse of this chapter contains an apostolic 
 benediction. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 It is an astonishing circumstance that the one apos- 
 tle who never saw the Lord Jesus when He was on 
 earth, and who had none of the advantages and ben- 
 efits of personal association with Him, who had never 
 listened to His teachings nor seen His miracles, should 
 have been so supereminent in labors, and in success 
 in gospel work. It is just the thing we should not 
 have expected. His work made a greater impression 
 
282 A COMMENTARY 
 
 Upon his own age than that of all the others com- 
 bined, and has been immeasurably more potent in 
 succeeding ages. It is an interesting, though perhaps 
 an unprofitable query, as to what the Christian age 
 would have been without St. Paul, the great apostle 
 to the Gentiles. Of the labors of the great majority 
 of the apostles we have no account but dim tradition. 
 James the Greater soon lost his life, and of the others 
 we have no account except of Peter, John, and 
 James the Less. And it is principally through the 
 writings they have left that we know anything of 
 them, after the first few years succeeding Pentecost. 
 No doubt those who left no history did noble work 
 for the Master, but its results have been wholly lost. 
 James, called The Less, the son of Alpheus, confined 
 his labors to Jerusalem and the region round about, 
 and is said to have suffered martyrdom there. As he 
 labored among the Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem 
 dissipated the effects of his labors. Peter and John 
 were more prominent and useful than any of their 
 associates in the apostolic college during the life of 
 Christ. Their labors wQre great and their work suc- 
 cessful. The epistles they have left are important 
 and instructive, but do not compare in importance 
 with those of St. Paul. There are several things 
 which conspired to give the Tarsian his pre-eminence. 
 I think we may reckon as first, his great natural 
 
A COMMENTARY 283 
 
 ability. Peter and Johin had good natural parts, but 
 Paul had a towering intellect, one of the greatest in 
 history. Then St. Paul was the only educated man 
 among the apostles. It cannot be denied that great 
 parts and mental training are as useful in gospel work 
 as elsewhere, if fully subordinated to the grace of God. 
 Again, St. Paul being the apostle to the Gentiles, 
 had a more promising field of labor than those had 
 who labored principally among the Jews. It was a 
 difficult task to make strong Christians out of Jews, 
 it being almost impossible for them to divest them- 
 selves of their predilection for carnal ordinances. 
 With the Gentiles it was different. In a subordinate 
 sense, the celibacy of the apostle Paul was an ad- 
 vantage in his work. He had no home ties, no 
 family responsibilities to distract him from his work. 
 St. Paul was not a great orator, though an effective 
 speaker. It is doubtful whether great powers of 
 oratory are effective in gospel work. Oratory power- 
 fully affects the sensibilities and the imagination, but 
 its effects are not lasting. Probably the untiring zeal 
 of the apostle was one of the greatest factors in his 
 success as a preacher. These things all taken to- 
 gether may not fully account for the great apostle's 
 superiority, but they all conspire to that end. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 I. I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a 
 servant of the church which is at Cenchrea : 
 
 The city of Corinth in the lower Pelopennesus was 
 situated between two gulfs, but was not itself a sea- 
 port. Cenchrea was its seaport on the East, and was 
 about seven miles distant from it. Here a church had 
 been formed, of which Phebe was a deaconess, or 
 servant. As Paul was at Corinth, and as this sister 
 was about to visit Rome, on some business, the apos- 
 tle sent his letter by her. Deaconesses were women 
 who gave their whole time to service for the church. 
 They waited on, and so, " washed the saints' feet," 
 nursed the sick, and distributed among the destitute 
 the provisions set aside for them. They were usually 
 women who were without children or other relatives 
 to provide for them. Timothy was instructed not to 
 receive young widows as deaconesses, as they would 
 probably break their vows and marry again, which it 
 was better that they should do. As these older 
 widows who were friendless were a charge on the 
 
 church, they gave it all their service. 
 (284) 
 
A COMMENTARY 285 
 
 2. That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, 
 and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need 
 of you: for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself 
 also. 
 
 This admonition to receive this deaconess as be- 
 cometh saints^ meant in the first place that they should 
 treat her with chastity. The morals of the people in 
 general were abominable, and in Rome there were 
 scarcely any left, except among the Christians. 
 Chastity was an unknown virtue. Even the Vestal 
 Virgins, who were regarded by the Romans as pecul- 
 iarly pure and holy, were generally prostitutes. 
 Under such a state of things, an unprotected female 
 ran great hazard in travelling. So much the more 
 was there need of purity among Christians. It meant, 
 in the second place, hospitality. This virtue also was 
 rare, and was especially recommended to God's peo- 
 ple. They were commanded to " use hospitality 
 without grudging," and to "be not forgetful to en- 
 tertain strangers." This hospitality the saints prac- 
 ticed, especially toward each other, and so remarkable 
 was this, that the pagans could not understand nor 
 account for it except on the supposition of conspiracy ; 
 and because of their hospitality toward each other, 
 they were charged with having designs against the 
 state. 
 
 They were also requested to assist her in the trans- 
 action of any business she had in Rome, and a par- 
 
286 A COMxMENTARY 
 
 ticular reason given why such courtesy should be 
 shown her was the fact of past usefulness and faith- 
 fulness, of which the apostle declares that he himself 
 had personal experience. 
 
 3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 
 
 St. Paul first met these two saints at Corinth. 
 Aquila was a Jew, born in Pontus, and it is prob- 
 able that his wife was a Jewess. They had left 
 Italy because the emperor Claudius had banished all 
 Jews from Rome. They accompanied Paul to 
 Ephesus, a city in Asia Minor, and while there, in- 
 structed Apollos in the ways of the Lord. They had 
 now returned to Rome. We notice the strange cir- 
 cumstance that the woman's name is mentioned be- 
 fore that of her husband, which would indicate that 
 she was the more able and useful of the two. She 
 seems to have been a great favorite of St. Paul, as 
 is shown by his giving her the diminutive of her name 
 in II Tim. IV-i9th, where he calls her Prisca, a mark 
 of great affection. Here again he mentions her before 
 her husband. St. Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, 
 mentions Aquila first whenever he speaks of them. 
 St. Paul here calls them helpers. They were not 
 preachers in the common sense of the term, but religious 
 teachers, and very zealous for the gospel. 
 
 4, Who have for my lil'o laid down their own necks : unto 
 
A COMMENTARY 287 
 
 whom not onlj I give thanks, but also all the churches of the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 St. Paul had made his home with this holy family 
 more than a year at Corinth, because they were of 
 the same craft, tentmakers; for the apostle had de- 
 termined in his own mind not to be chargeable to the 
 church at Corinth, and so labored with his own hands 
 for a livelihood. Afterward they accompanied him 
 on his travels as far as Ephesus, where he left them. 
 But we do not know when it was they periled their 
 lives for him. 
 
 5. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. 
 Salute mj well beloved Epsenetus, who is the first fruits of 
 Achaia unto Christ. 
 
 As there were as yet no special houses erected for 
 the meeting places of Christians, they inet in private 
 houses or other convenient places. The residence of 
 Priscilla and Aquila was one of these meeting places 
 in Rome. No doubt there were others. The gospel 
 had its greatest triumphs in the absence of such con- 
 veniences as are now thought to be indispensable to 
 great success. Achaia was that Roman province of 
 which Athens was the capital or chief city. Epsenetus 
 is here said to be the first convert in that province. 
 But in I Cor. XVI-i5th verse, the household of Steph- 
 anas is said by the apostle to have been the first fruits 
 of Achaia. There are two ways of accounting for this 
 
288 A COMMENTARY 
 
 discrepancy. One is, that Epsenetus was of the house- 
 hold of Stephanas. It is not said that Stephanas him- 
 self was the first fruits of Achaia, but his household. 
 Another explanation is that the text is incorrect. 
 We are told by those who are acquainted with the 
 facts, that several manuscripts and some of the 
 ancient Christian fathers have it "Asia" instead of 
 Achaia. This is probably the true reading, and 
 removes the difficulty. 
 
 6. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on us. 
 
 We know nothing further of this sister, nor do we 
 know anything of the labor she bestowed upon the 
 apostle, but he has embalmed her name forever in 
 the sacred records. 
 
 7. Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fel- 
 low prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also 
 were in Christ before me. 
 
 These were probably husband and wife ; it would 
 be more proper to render it "relatives" than "kins- 
 men," as one was a woman. As they were 
 converted before the apostle was, and consequently 
 before the preaching of the gospel among the Gentiles, 
 they must have been Jews, though they have Latin 
 names. Some conjecture that in calling them kinsmen 
 the apostle means only that they were Israelites, 
 whom he declares to be "his kinsmen according to 
 the flesh.*' Most probably though they were more 
 
A COMMENTARY 289 
 
 nearly related to him. They were old disciples, and 
 seem to have been well known in the church. 
 
 8. Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. 
 
 Nothing is known further of this disciple than that 
 he was highly esteemed by St. Paul. 
 
 9. Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachjs my 
 beloved. 
 
 10. Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which 
 are of Aristobulus' Jiousehold . 
 
 11. Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of 
 the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 
 
 12. Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. 
 Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. 
 
 13. Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and 
 mine. 
 
 Three women are here spoken of as laboring in 
 the Lord. Just in what manner they labored we are 
 not told ; but both men and women in apostolic times 
 engaged in the work of the gospel. The women 
 evidently spoke in public, at least in the assembly of 
 the saints. They may be said to have preached or 
 prophesied. But no woman, so far as we can learn, 
 was especially called of God to the work of an 
 evangelist, nor was any woman made pastor over 
 any church or congregation. We are not told the 
 necessary qualifications of a woman pastor or bishop, 
 as there were none then, nor are there any now, 
 called of God to such an office. 
 
 Rufus' mother is here called Paul's also; but it is 
 19 
 
290 A COMMENTARY 
 
 not probable that Paul and Rufus were sons of the 
 same mother. It might be understood that Rufus' 
 mother had treated Paul as a son ; in other words, 
 had been like a mother to him. 
 
 14. Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, 
 and the brethren which are with them. 
 
 This would indicate that here was another congre- 
 gation besides the one meeting in the house of Pris- 
 cilla and Aquila. It is not clear in what other 
 sense the expression, "the brethren which are with 
 them" can be used. Rome was a very large city, 
 and the saints there may have met in several different 
 places. 
 
 15. Sahate Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, 
 and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. 
 
 16. Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of 
 Christ salute you. 
 
 I do not think we are to understand, as some do, 
 that the apostle is instructing the believers to salute 
 one another with a kiss. This was a custom which 
 they observed, and there was nothing peculiar or 
 meritorious in it. The point in the injunction is the 
 kind of kiss they were to give each other. It was to 
 be a7t holy kiss. Its holiness must arise from the 
 state of heart of the giver. It was not to be hypo- 
 critical, like the kiss Judas gave his Master, but 
 sincere, honest and pure. Whatever our manner of 
 
A COMMENTARY 29 1 
 
 salutation may be, it should be of the same nature, 
 and thus we obey this injunction, 
 
 17. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause 
 divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have 
 learned ; and avoid them. 
 
 It is unavoidable that offences will arise. Some 
 who fail to become really saved will insinuate them- 
 selves among God's children for a time, or some may 
 fall from the grace of God ; and such are likely to 
 become a cause of division among God's people if 
 not detected. Hence the necessity of constant vigi- 
 lance among saints, that such persons may be recog- 
 nized and dealt with before they can do harm. 
 They are spoken of in Heb. XII— 15th as " roots of 
 bitterness," and in the next verse as " profane per- 
 sons," that is, common persons, such as are not 
 spiritual, but earthly minded and sordid. It is 
 astonishing how soon such will become occasions of 
 division and strife. Their aims are selfish ; and 
 though they may be, in general, well meaning per- 
 sons, they naturally incline to cause cliques and 
 parties that may sympathize and agree with them- 
 selves. 
 
 18. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches 
 deceive the hearts of the simple. 
 
 The apostle does not give sectaries much credit for 
 
 good intentions, though it is true that they may 
 
292 A COMMENTARY 
 
 deceive themselves into the belief that they are 
 animated by a zeal for God and truth. But what- 
 ever such persons may think, we are here assured 
 that those who cause divisions contrary to the teach- 
 ings of the scriptures, do not serve the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Anything that divides real Christians from 
 each other, and thus weakens the bonds of union among 
 them, is contrary to the doctrine that we have received. 
 The division allowed and insisted upon in the scrip- 
 tures, is between saints and sinners. Said God to 
 the prophet, "If thou take the precious from the 
 vile, thou shalt be as my mouth." But modern 
 theologians apologize for, and justify, division among 
 believers, and at the same time decry all efforts to 
 separate the precious from the vile, considering all 
 attempts of this kind to be impracticable and fanatical. 
 Is not this surely a perverted gospel.? Nearly all 
 divisions among professed Christians are over differ- 
 ences of opinion on outward things, " meats and 
 drinks" which are no part of the kingdom of God, 
 and concerning which we are forbidden to contend. 
 But divisions tend to serve the bellies of those who 
 promote them, but they burden the victims of their 
 deception as did the Jewish lawyers. 
 
 These promoters of division do not avow their 
 selfish intentions, but use oooi/ luords and fair 
 speeches. They claim great zeal for the kingdom of 
 
A COMMENTARY 293 
 
 God, while it is their own sect alone that they are 
 interested in ; and to build a sect is to tear down the 
 kingdom of God. Yet the simple ones, those with- 
 out much knowledge of spiritual things, who are 
 unsuspicious and do not look below the surface of 
 things, are deceived by such teachers. Real saints 
 are instructed to mark them, and to avoid them. 
 
 19. For your obedience is come abroad unto all me7t. I 
 am glad therefore on your behalf: but jet I would have you 
 wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 
 
 The Roman church had a good reputation among the 
 other churches for faithfulness. For this the apostle 
 expresses joy. He finds no fault with them, which 
 speaks well for their purity. His desire for them is 
 that they might be wise in good things, and simple 
 or ignorant concerning evil things. To remain thus 
 it would be necessary for them to shut their eyes to 
 much that was transpiring around them. There are 
 some things which are very profitable for us to know. 
 We can never know too much of those things that 
 are revealed to us by the Spirit of God. We can 
 never know too much of the truth of God. But we 
 can well say with the poet, 
 
 "Other knowledge I disdain — 
 'Tis all but vanity." 
 
 There are many things in this evil world that we 
 should not seek to know, and should even refuse to 
 
294 A COMMENTARY 
 
 know; they are not worth knowing, or are likely to 
 do us harm if we know them. It is true that purity 
 is not easily contaminated, but safety is assured only 
 by our avoiding unnecessary temptation. The pro- 
 priety of decent people visiting the vile dens of 
 iniquity to do good, a practice called "slumming," 
 is at least questionable. It is doubtful if any good 
 results. It is not the way to keep simple concerning 
 evil. 
 
 20. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your 
 feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 
 Amen. 
 
 To what special event the apostle here refers, if 
 to any one, it is probably impossible to determine. 
 Some suppose him to refer to their deliverance from 
 schismatics who cause aivisions. But they were 
 never delivered for any great length of time from 
 such foes. To bruise Sataii under their feet ^ would 
 be to give them a great and permanent triumph 
 over him. This was afterward realized when pagan- 
 ism was overthrown and Christianity established as 
 the lawful religion of the empire. This victory is 
 described in Revelation as the casting out of the great 
 red dragon, *' that old serpent who is called the 
 devil and Satan." In this event Satan was certainly 
 bruised under their feet; and it is the only event in 
 their history which seems to adequately fulfil the 
 
A COMMENTARY 295 
 
 prophecy. It is true that it occurred more than two 
 hundred years afterward, but in prophecy two cen- 
 turies are a short time. 
 
 This verse seems to end the letter, and what 
 follows is in the nature of a postscript. 
 
 21. Timotheus my workfellow, Lucius, and Jason, and 
 Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 
 
 Timothy is reputed to have been bishop or pastor 
 of the church in Ephesus. The apostle in his first 
 letter to Timothy, speaks of having besought him to 
 remain at Ephesus, when he himself went into 
 Macedonia. He seems to have been with Paul at 
 Corinth at the time when the epistle to the Romans 
 was written. He was a young man and greatly beloved 
 by St. Paul, who was acquainted with his mother 
 and grandmother. He travelled extensively with St. 
 Paul, and was probably at Rome when the great 
 apostle suffered martyrdom. St. Paul left him in 
 Ephesus at one time to suppress heresies, but there 
 is no proof but tradition that he was ever settled 
 there. 
 
 Lucius is the same name as Luke, and it is 
 supposed that the author of the gospel, and of the 
 Acts of the Apostles is here meant. Jason is 
 mentioned in Acts XVII, as having received the 
 apostle into his house at Thessalonica. This is prob- 
 ably the same person. Sosipater is mentioned in Acts 
 
296 A COMMENTARY 
 
 XX-4th, where his name is Sopater. He was a 
 Berean. 
 
 22. I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the 
 Lord. 
 
 It seems that St. Paul dictated this epistle and 
 that Tertius wrote it. We know nothing further 
 concerning him. The name signifies " third," and 
 may have been given him because he was the third 
 child, or the third son. 
 
 23. Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. 
 Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus 
 a brother. 
 
 Gaius is the Greek form of the Latin name Caius. 
 In Acts XIX-29th, one Gaius is mentioned as a Mace- 
 donian, who travelled with Paul, and who was seized 
 by the mob at Ephesus. It is probable he is the 
 brother here mentioned. He seems to have kept open 
 house for the saints, as he is called the host of the 
 whole church, keeping a kind of saints' hotel. He 
 probably was a man of means to be able to show 
 such hospitality. Erastus is called chamberlain or 
 treasurer of the city of Corinth. The probability is 
 that he did not then hold that office, but had formerly 
 done so, as in Acts XIX— 23nd he is mentioned as one 
 of the travelling companions of St. Paul, which 
 could not have been so if he had been city treasurer. 
 Quartus may have been a brother of Tertius, but 
 
A COMMENTARY 297 
 
 probably the word is used in its spiritual sense. 
 Quartus means "fourth." We read in the Acts also 
 of Secundus, meaning "second." These names may 
 have been common among the Romans. 
 
 24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ he with you all. 
 Amen. 
 
 Tertius is probably the author, as well as the writer 
 of the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th verses, as they close with 
 a benediction similar to the apostles, which he would 
 not have repeated so soon. There is some controversy 
 among critics concerning this verse, but it is not of 
 general interest. 
 
 25. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according 
 to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to 
 the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the 
 world began, 
 
 26. But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of 
 the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlast- 
 ing God, made known to all nations for the obedience of 
 faith : 
 
 Christ's religion establishes those who possess it, 
 in the sense that they are not wavering and change- 
 able in their zeal and fidelity, as were God's ancient 
 peopko But they are much more in danger of decep- 
 tion by Satan's beguilements, and more liable to yield 
 to the seduction of the world and the devil, until 
 experience brings them increased • knowledge, and 
 suffering endured teaches them submission to the will 
 
298 A COMMENTARY 
 
 of God. By these things they are established in the 
 gospel. 
 
 The mystery here mentioned is the peculiar doctrines 
 of the gospel. The word does not signify anything 
 hard to understand, but rather something secret 
 or hidden. We are told in one place that this 
 mystery is *' Christ in us the hope of glory." 
 The experience of a child of God, of the love of God 
 shed abroad in the heart, and the perfection of 
 nature resulting from the new birth, were matters 
 entirely unknown to those of former dispensations. 
 These things were kept secret si?zce the world began. 
 How strange that this is not understood, since it is so 
 plainly stated. It is true that they are promised in 
 the writings of the prophets, but neither the prophets 
 themselves nor their readers knew or understood 
 what was meant. But now these things are made 
 manifest whenever the real gospel is preached, and 
 have been so made manifest since the first sermon at 
 Pentecost. The apostles and first preachers proved 
 those doctrines from the scriptures of the prophets ^ as 
 there was then no New Testament written. 
 
 The obedience required in the gospel is faith in 
 Christ, without any mixture of the works of the 
 law. 
 
 27. To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for- 
 ever. Amen. 
 
A COMMENTARY 299 
 
 There may be on other planets creatures who like 
 the elect angels, can bring God glory directly by 
 perfect obedience, but man can bring Him glory 
 only through Jesus Christ. 
 
 General Observations. 
 
 It is noticeable that St. Paul in his letter to the 
 Romans makes no mention of St. Peter. The 
 Romanists claim that he was bishop of Rome, and 
 primate of the universal church. It is unreasonable 
 to suppose that if St. Peter was in Rome, and the 
 leader there, that he would not be mentioned when 
 greeting was sent to so many of the brethren there. 
 Nor would Paul presume to give directions for the 
 government of the church if Peter was bishop there. 
 It would have been an impertinence. It is plain that 
 the apostle Peter was not in Rome at the time this 
 letter was written, nor is there any proof that he was 
 ever in that city. His bishopric there, and his pri- 
 macy, rest upon traditions and assumptions that 
 have little weight with reasonable and unprejudiced 
 men. 
 
 THE END. 
 
SEP 17 1904 
 
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