Romans 9:1
In Christ — This seems to imply an appeal to him. In the Holy Ghost — Through his grace.... [ Continue Reading ]
In Christ — This seems to imply an appeal to him. In the Holy Ghost — Through his grace.... [ Continue Reading ]
I have great sorrow — A high degree of spiritual sorrow and of spiritual Joy may consist together, Romans 8:39. By declaring his sorrow for the unbelieving Jews, who excluded themselves from all the blessings he had enumerated, he shows that what he was now about to speak, he did not speak from any... [ Continue Reading ]
I could wish — Human words cannot fully describe the motions of souls that are full of God. As if he had said, I could wish to suffer in their stead; yea, to be an anathema from Christ in their place. In how high a sense he wished this, who can tell, unless himself had been asked and had resolved th... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose is the adoption, &c. — He enumerates six prerogatives, of which the first pair respect God the Father, the second Christ, the third the Holy Ghost. The adoption and the glory — That is, Israel is the first — born child of God, and the God of glory is their God, Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalms 106:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
To the preceding, St. Paul now adds two more prerogatives. Theirs are the fathers — The patriarchs and holy men of old, yea, the Messiah himself. Who is over all, God blessed for ever — The original words imply the self — existent, independent Being, who was, is, and is to come. Over all — The supre... [ Continue Reading ]
Not as if — The Jews imagined that the word of God must fail if all their nation were not saved. This St. Paul now refutes, and proves that the word itself had foretold their falling away. The word of God — The promises of God to Israel. Had fallen to the ground — This could not be. Even now, says t... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither because they are lineally the seed of Abraham, will it follow that they are all children of God — This did not hold even in Abraham's own family; and much less in his remote descendants. But God then said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called — That is, Isaac, not Ishmael, shall be called thy s... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, Not the children, &c. — As if he had said, This is a clear type of things to come; showing us, that in all succeeding generations, not the children of the flesh, the lineal descendants of Abraham, but the children of the promise, they to whom the promise is made, that is, believers, are the... [ Continue Reading ]
For this is the word of the promise — By the power of which Isaac was conceived, and not by the power of nature. Not, Whosoever is born of thee shall be blessed, but, At this time — Which I now appoint. I will come, and Sarah shall have a son — And he shall inherit the blessing. Genesis 18:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
And that God's blessing does not belong to all the descendants of Abraham, appears not only by this instance, but by that of Esau and Jacob, who was chosen to inherit the blessing, before either of them had done good or evil. The apostle mentions this to show, that neither were their ancestors accep... [ Continue Reading ]
The elder — Esau. Shall serve the younger — Not in person, for he never did; but in his posterity. Accordingly the Edomites were often brought into subjection by the Israelites. Genesis 25:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
As it is written — With which word in Genesis, spoken so long before, that of Malachi agrees. I have loved Jacob — With a peculiar love; that is, the Israelites, the posterity of Jacob. And I have, comparatively, hated Esau — That is, the Edomites, the posterity of Esau. But observe, This does not r... [ Continue Reading ]
Is there injustice with God — Is it unjust in God to give Jacob the blessing rather than Esau? or to accept believers, and them only. God forbid — In no wise. This is well consistent with justice; for he has a right to fix the terms on which he will show mercy, according to his declaration to Moses,... [ Continue Reading ]
Exodus 33:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
It — The blessing. Therefore is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth — It is not the effect either of the will or the works of man, but of the grace and power of God. The will of man is here opposed to the grace of God, and man's running, to the divine operation. And this general declara... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover — God has an indisputable right to reject those who will not accept the blessings on his own terms. And this he exercised in the case of Pharaoh; to whom, after many instances of stubbornness and rebellion, he said, as it is recorded in scripture, For this very thing have I raised thee up —... [ Continue Reading ]
So then — That is, accordingly he does show mercy on his own terms, namely, on them that believe. And whom he willeth — Namely, them that believe not. He hardeneth — Leaves to the hardness of their hearts.... [ Continue Reading ]
Why doth he still find fault — The particle still is strongly expressive of the objector's sour, morose murmuring. For who hath resisted his will — The word his likewise expresses his surliness and aversion to God, whom he does not even deign to name.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nay, but who art thou, O man — Little, impotent, ignorant man. That repliest against God — That accusest God of injustice, for himself fixing the terms on which he will show mercy? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus — Why hast thou made me capable of honour... [ Continue Reading ]
Hath not the potter power over the clay — And much more hath not God power over his creatures, to appoint one vessel, namely, the believer, to honour, and another, the unbeliever, to dishonour? If we survey the right which God has over us, in a more general way, with regard to his intelligent creat... [ Continue Reading ]
What if God, being willing — Referring to Romans 9:18. That is, although it was now his will, because of their obstinate unbelief, To show his wrath — Which necessarily presupposes sin. And to make his power known — This is repeated from Romans 9:17. Yet endured — As he did Pharaoh. With much longsu... [ Continue Reading ]
That he might make known — What if by showing such longsuffering even to "the vessels of wrath," he did the more abundantly show the greatness of his glorious goodness, wisdom, and power, on the vessels of mercy; on those whom he had himself, by his grace, prepared for glory. Is this any injustice?... [ Continue Reading ]
Even us — Here the apostle comes to the other proposition, of grace free for all, whether Jew or gentile. Of the Jews — This he treats of, Romans 9:25. Of the gentiles — Treated of in the same verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Beloved — As a spouse. Who once was not beloved — Consequently, not unconditionally elected. This relates directly to the final restoration of the Jews. Hosea 2:23... [ Continue Reading ]
There shall they be called the sons of God — So that they need not leave their own country and come to Judea. Hosea 1:10... [ Continue Reading ]
But Isaiah testifies, that (as many gentiles will be accepted, so) many Jews will be rejected; that out of all the thousands of Israel, a remnant only shall be saved. This was spoken originally of the few that were saved from the ravage of Sennacherib's army. Isaiah 10:22... [ Continue Reading ]
For he is finishing or cutting short his account — In rigorous justice, will leave but a small remnant. There will be so general a destruction, that but a small number will escape.... [ Continue Reading ]
As Isaiah had said before — Namely, Isaiah 1:9, concerning those who were besieged in Jerusalem by Rezin and Pekah. Unless the Lord had left us a seed — Which denotes, The present paucity: The future abundance. We had been as Sodom — So that it is no unexampled thing for the main body of the Jewish... [ Continue Reading ]
What shall we say then — What is to be concluded from all that has been said but this, That the gentiles, who followed not after righteousness — Who a while ago had no knowledge of, no care or thought about, it. Have attained to righteousness — Or justification. Even the righteousness which is by fa... [ Continue Reading ]
And wherefore have they not? Is it because God eternally decreed they should not? There is nothing like this to be met with but agreeable to his argument the apostle gives us this good reason for it, Because they sought it not by faith — Whereby alone it could be attained. But as it were — In effect... [ Continue Reading ]
As it is written — Foretold by their own prophet. Behold, I lay in Sion — I exhibit in my church, what, though it is in truth the only sure foundation of happiness, yet will be in fact a stumblingstone and rock of offence — An occasion of ruin to many, through their obstinate unbelief. Isaiah 8:14;... [ Continue Reading ]