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1: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ - To this introduction
the conclusion answers, (Ro 15:15), &c.
Called to be an apostle - And made an apostle by that calling. While
God calls, he makes what he calls. As the Judaizing teachers disputed
his claim to the apostolical office, it is with great propriety that he
asserts it in the very entrance of an epistle wherein their principles
are entirely overthrown. And various other proper and important thoughts
are suggested in this short introduction; particularly the prophecies
concerning the gospel, the descent of Jesus from David, the great
doctrines of his Godhead and resurrection, the sending the gospel to the
gentiles, the privileges of Christians, and the obedience and holiness
to which they were obliged in virtue of their profession. Separated
- By God, not only from the bulk of other men, from other Jews, from other
disciples, but even from other Christian teachers, to be a peculiar
instrument of God in spreading the gospel.
2: Which he promised before - Of old time, frequently, solemnly.
And the promise and accomplishment confirm each other.(De 18:18,Isa 9:6,7,53:1,61:1,Jer 23:5).
3: Who was of the seed of David according to the flesh - That is,
with regard to his human nature. Both the natures of our Saviour
are here mentioned; but the human is mentioned first, because the
divine was not manifested in its full evidence till after his
resurrection.
4: But powerfully declared to be the Son of God, according to
the Spirit of Holiness - That is, according to his divine nature.
By the resurrection from the dead - For this is both the fountain
and the object of our faith; and the preaching of the apostles
was the consequence of Christ's resurrection.
5: By whom we have received - I and the other apostles.
Grace and apostleship - The favour to be an apostle, and
qualifications for it. For obedience to the faith in all nations
- That is, that all nations may embrace the faith of Christ.
For his name - For his sake; out of regard to him.
6: Among whom - The nations brought to the obedience of faith.
Are ye also - But St. Paul gives them no preeminence above others.
7: To all that are in Rome - Most of these were heathens by birth,(Ro 1:13), though with Jews mixed among them.
They were scattered up and down in that large city, and not yet
reduced into the form of a church. Only some had begun to meet
in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. Beloved of God - And
from his free love, not from any merit of yours, called by
his word and his Spirit to believe in him, and now through faith
holy as he is holy. Grace - The peculiar favour of God.
And peace - All manner of blessings, temporal, spiritual, and
eternal. This is both a Christian salutation and an apostolic
benediction. From God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ
- This is the usual way wherein the apostles speak, "God the
Father," "God our Father." Nor do they often, in speaking of him,
use the word Lord, as it implies the proper name of God,
Jehovah. In the Old Testament, indeed, the holy men generally
said, "The Lord our God;" for they were then, as it were, servants;
whereas now they are sons: and sons so well know their father,
that they need not frequently mention his proper name. It is
one and the same peace, and one and the same grace, which is
from God and from Jesus Christ. Our trust and prayer fix on
God, as he is the Father of Christ; and on Christ, as he presents
us to the Father.
8: I thank - In the very entrance of this one epistle
are the traces of all spiritual affections; but of thankfulness
above all, with the expression of which almost all St. Paul's
epistles begin. He here particularly thanks God, that what
otherwise himself should have done, was done at Rome already.
My God - This very word expresses faith, hope, love, and
consequently all true religion. Through Jesus Christ - The
gifts of God all pass through Christ to us; and all our
petitions and thanksgivings pass through Christ to God.
That your faith is spoken of - In this kind of congratulations
St. Paul describes either the whole of Christianity, as(Col 1:3), &c.; or some part of it, as (1Co 1:5).
Accordingly here he mentions the faith of the Romans, suitably
to his design, (Ro 1:12,17).
Through the whole world - This joyful news spreading everywhere,
that there were Christians also in the imperial city. And the
goodness and wisdom of God established faith in the chief cities;
in Jerusalem and Rome particularly; that from thence it might be
diffused to all nations.
9: God, whom I serve - As an apostle. In my spirit - Not only with
my body, but with my inmost soul. In the gospel - By preaching it.
10: Always - In all my solemn addresses to God.
If by any means now at length - This accumulation of
particles declares the strength of his desire.
11: That I may impart to you - Face to face, by laying
on of hands, prayer, preaching the gospel, private
conversation. Some spiritual gift - With such gifts the
Corinthians, who had enjoyed the presence of St. Paul,
abounded, (1Co 1:7,12:1,14:1). So did the Galatians
likewise, (Ga 3:5); and, indeed, all those churches which
had had the presence of any of the apostles had peculiar
advantages in this kind, from the laying on of their hands,(Ac 19:6,8:17), &c., (2Ti 1:6). But as yet the Romans
were greatly inferior to them in this respect; for which
reason the apostle, in the twelfth chapter also, says little,
if any thing, of their spiritual gifts. He therefore desires
to impart some, that they might be established; for by
these was the testimony of Christ confirmed among them. That
St. Peter had no more been at Rome than St. Paul, at the time
when this epistle was wrote, appears from the general tenor
thereof, and from this place in particular: for, otherwise,
what St. Paul wishes to impart to the Romans would have been
imparted already by St. Peter.
12: That is, I long to be comforted by the mutual faith both of
you and me - He not only associates the Romans with, but even
prefers them before, himself. How different is this style of
the apostle from that of the modern court of Rome!
13: Brethren - A frequent, holy, simple, sweet, and yet grand,
appellation. The apostles but rarely address persons by their
names; 'O ye Corinthians," "O Timotheus." St. Paul generally
uses this appellation, " Brethren;" sometimes in exhortation,
" My beloved," or, " My beloved brethren;" St. James, "Brethren,"
"My brethren," My beloved brethren;" St. Peter and Jude always,
" Beloved;" St. John frequently, " Beloved;" once, " Brethren;"
oftener than once, My little children." Though I have been
hindered hitherto - Either by
business, see (Ro 15:22); or
persecution, (1Thes 2:2); or
the Spirit, (Ac 16:7).
That I might have some fruit - Of my ministerial labours.
Even as I have already had from the many churches I have planted
and watered among the other gentiles.
14: To the Greeks and the barbarians - He includes the Romans
under the Greeks; so that this division comprises all nations.
Both to the wise, and the unwise - For there were unwise
even among the Greeks, and wise even among the barbarians.
I am a debtor to all - I am bound by my divine mission to preach
the gospel to them.
16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel - To the world, indeed, it
is folly and weakness, (1Co 1:18); therefore, in the judgment
of the world, he ought to be ashamed of it; especially at Rome,
the head and theatre of the world. But Paul is not ashamed,
knowing it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth - The great and gloriously powerful means of saving all
who accept salvation in God's own way. As St. Paul comprises the
sum of the gospel in this epistle, so he does the sum of the
epistle in this and the following verse. Both to the Jew, and
to the gentile - There is a noble frankness, as well as a
comprehensive sense, in these words, by which he, on the one
hand, shows the Jews their absolute need of the gospel; and,
on the other, tells the politest and greatest nation in the
world both that their salvation depended on receiving it, and
that the first offers of it were in every place to be made to
the despised Jews.
17: The righteousness of God - This expression
sometimes means God's eternal, essential righteousness, which
includes both justice and mercy, and is eminently shown in
condemning sin, and yet justifying the sinner. Sometimes it
means that righteousness by which a man, through the gift of
God, is made and is righteous; and that, both by receiving
Christ through faith, and by a conformity to the essential
righteousness of God. St. Paul, when treating of justification,
means hereby the righteousness of faith; therefore called the
righteousness of God, because God found out and prepared,
reveals and gives, approves and crowns it. In this verse the
expression means, the whole benefit of God through Christ for
the salvation of a sinner. Is revealed - Mention is made here,
and (Ro 1:18), of a twofold revelation, - of wrath and of
righteousness: the former, little known to nature, is revealed by
the law; the latter, wholly unknown to nature, by the gospel.
That goes before, and prepares the way; this follows. Each, the
apostle says, is revealed at the present time, in opposition to
the times of ignorance. From faith to faith - By a gradual
series of still clearer and clearer promises. As it is written
- St. Paul had just laid down three propositions:
-
Righteousness is by faith,
Salvation is by righteousness,
Both to the Jews and to the gentiles, (Ro 1:16,17).
Now all these are confirmed by that single sentence,
The just shall live by faith - Which was primarily
spoken of those who preserved their lives, when the Chaldeans
besieged Jerusalem, by believing the declarations of God, and
acting according to them. Here it means, He shall obtain the
favour of God, and continue therein by believing.(Hab 2:4)
18: For - There is no other way of obtaining life and salvation.
Having laid down his proposition, the apostle now enters upon
the proof of it. His first argument is, The law condemns all
men, as being under sin. None therefore is justified by the
works of the law. This is treated of (Ro 3:20).
And hence he infers, Therefore justification is by faith.
The wrath of God is revealed - Not only by frequent and signal
interpositions of divine providence, but likewise in the sacred
oracles, and by us, his messengers.
From heaven - This speaks the majesty of Him whose wrath is
revealed, his all - seeing eye, and the extent of his wrath:
whatever is under heaven is under the effects of his wrath,
believers in Christ excepted. Against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness - These two are treated of,(Ro 1:23), &c.
Of men - He is speaking here of the gentiles, and chiefly
the wisest of them. Who detain the truth - For it struggles
against their wickedness. In unrighteousness - The word here
includes ungodliness also.
19: For what is to be known of God - Those great principles which
are indispensably necessary to be known. Is manifest in them;
for God hath showed it to them - By the light which enlightens
every man that cometh into the world.
20: For those things of him which are invisible, are seen - By the
eye of the mind. Being understood - They are seen by them, and
them only, who use their understanding
21: Because, knowing God - For the wiser heathens did know that there
was one supreme God; yet from low and base considerations they conformed
to the idolatry of the vulgar.
They did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful - They neither
thanked him for his benefits, nor glorified him for his divine perfection.
But became vain - Like the idols they worshipped.
In their reasonings - Various, uncertain, foolish. What a terrible instance
have we of this in the writings of Lucretius! What vain reasonings, and
how dark a heart, amidst so pompous professions of wisdom!
23: And changed - With the utmost folly. Here are three degrees
of ungodliness and of punishment: the first is described,(Ro 1:21-24); the second, (Ro 1:25-27); the third, in(Ro 1:28), and following verses. The punishment in each case
is expressed by God gave them up. If a man will not worship God
as God, he is so left to himself that he throws away his very
manhood. Reptiles - Or creeping things; as beetles, and various
kinds of serpents.
24: Wherefore - One punishment of sin is from the very nature of
it, as (Ro 1:27); another, as here, is from vindictive justice.
Uncleanness - Ungodliness and uncleanness are frequently joined,(1Thes 4:5) as are the knowledge of God and purity.
God gave them up - By withdrawing his restraining grace.
25: Who changed the truth - The true worship of God.
Into a lie - False, abominable idolatries. And
worshipped - Inwardly. And served - Outwardly.
26: Therefore God gave them up to vile affections - To which the
heathen Romans were then abandoned to the last degree; and none
more than the emperors themselves.
27: Receiving the just recompense of their error - Their idolatry
being punished with that unnatural lust, which was as horrible
a dishonour to the body, as their idolatry was to God.
28: God gave them up to an undiscerning mind - Treated of,(Ro 1:32).
To do things not expedient - Even the vilest abominations,
treated of verses (Ro 1:29-31).
29: Filled with all injustice - This stands in the first place;
unmercifulness, in the last. Fornication - Includes here every
species of uncleanness. Maliciousness - The Greek word properly
implies a temper which delights in hurting another, even without
any advantage to itself.
30: Whisperers - Such as secretly defame others.
Backbiters - Such as speak against others behind their
back. Haters of God - That is, rebels against him, deniers
of his providence, or accusers of his justice in their
adversities; yea, having an inward heart - enmity to his justice
and holiness. Inventors of evil things - Of new pleasures,
new ways of gain, new arts of hurting, particularly in war.
31: Covenant - breakers - It is well known, the Romans, as a nation,
from the very beginning of their commonwealth, never made any
scruple of vacating altogether the most solemn engagement, if
they did not like it, though made by their supreme magistrate, in
the name of the whole people. They only gave up the general who
had made it, and then supposed themselves to be at full liberty.
Without natural affection - The custom of exposing their own new
- born children to perish by cold, hunger, or wild beasts, which
so generally prevailed in the heathen world, particularly among
the Greeks and Romans, was an amazing instance of this; as is
also that of killing their aged and helpless parents, now common
among the American heathens.
32: Not only do the same, but have pleasure in those that
practise them - This is the highest degree of wickedness.
A man may be hurried by his passions to do the thing he hates;
but he that has pleasure in those that do evil, loves wickedness
for wickedness' sake. And hereby he encourages them in sin, and
heaps the guilt of others upon his own head.
