Romans 16:27

to God only wise So certainly; though the Gr. equally allows the rendering to the only wise God. But the assertion of His glory as the Only (absolutely) Wise Beingis far more in harmony with the height and fulness of the language here, than the assertion that among all Divinities, real or supposed, He only is wise. The eternal Wisdomis here emphasized because the Gospel is its supreme expression. See especially the profound words of Ephesians 3:10, and 1 Timothy 1:17 (with its connexion). Cp. also "Christ … the wisdom of God," 1 Corinthians 1:24. In Jude 1:25, the word "wise" is probably to be omitted.

be glory, &c. The lit. order and rendering of the remaining words is through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever. Amen. Here the construction becomes involved by the use of the relative, "to whom;" and this is equally so whether the relative refers to God or to Christ. That it refers to God seems to be proved, (1) by the opening words of Romans 16:25, which lead us to expect, through the whole passage, an ascription of praise to the Father;(2) by the name of Christ occurring in a phrase (see next note) which indicates His mediatorialwork, as the Channel through which praise rises to the Father.

through Jesus Christ Meyer connects these words closely with the phrase "to God only wise," and explains them to mean that the absolute Wisdom of God acts and is revealed through Jesus Christ. But this, though in itself eternally true, involves a grammatical construction sufficiently peculiar to recommend the more obvious one which takes the words "through Jesus Christ" to refer to the Son of God as our Channel of thanks and praise. Cp. ch. Romans 1:8. We now explain the abrupt construction (see last note) as if St Paul had fully written, "Now to Him that is of power to stablish you, &c., we give thanks;even to God Only Wise, through Jesus Christ; to whom (i.e. to God) be the glory for ever."

The construction of this Doxology is remarkable not only in itself, but in the fact that it was evidently left unaltered by St Paul and his friends. No various reading of the least importance occurs throughout it.

for ever. Amen See on Romans 1:25, and on Romans 11:33, &c. Justly does the great Epistle end with the highest of all thoughts, the Glory of God everlastingly manifested and confessed. Amen, so be it.

The Subscription

Written to the Romans, &c. Lit. To the Romans [i.e. The Epistle to the Romans] was written from Corinth, by means of Phœbe the servant of the Cenchrean church. This ancient "Subscription" is no doubt true to fact. In this it differs from those appended to 1 Cor., Galat., 1 Tim., which are contradictory to the contents of the respective Epistles; and from those appended to Thess. and Titus, which are difficult to be reconciled with the contents.

These "Subscriptions" (to St Paul's Epistles) are said to be the work of Euthalius, a Bishop of the fifth century. They thus possess an antiquarian interest, but no historical authority. (See Scrivener's Introduction to the Criticism of the N. T., ed. 1874, p. 60.)