The fourteenth chapter has a certain completeness in itself, and we can understand that if the Epistle to the Romans was sent as a circular letter to different churches, some copies of it might have ended with Romans 14:23 : to which the doxology, Romans 16:25-27, might be loosely appended, as it is... [ Continue Reading ]
ὀφείλομεν δὲ : what constitutes the obligation is seen in chap. 14. It arises out of our relation to others in Christ. Looking at them in the light of what He has done for them as well as for us, and in the light of our responsibility to the Judge of all, we cannot question that this is our duty, ἡμ... [ Continue Reading ]
τῷ πλησίον ἀρεσκέτω : this rule is qualified by εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς οἰκοδομήν. Without such qualification it is “men-pleasing” (Galatians 1:10) and inconsistent with fidelity to Christ. _Cf._ 1 Corinthians 10:33, where Paul presents himself as an example of the conduct he here commends. For εἰς and π... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς κ. τ. λ. The duty of not pleasing ourselves is enforced by the example of Christ: He did not please Himself either. If this required proof, we might have expected Paul to prove it by adducing some incident in Christ's life; but this is not what he does. He appeals to a psalm, which... [ Continue Reading ]
Here Paul justifies his use of the O.T. ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη = the whole O.T. εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν διδασκαλίαν ἐγράφη : was written to teach us, and therefore has abiding value. 2 Timothy 3:16. ἵνα introduces God's purpose, which is wider than the immediate purpose of the Apostle. Paul meant to speak only... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul returns to his point in a prayer: the God of the patience and comfort just spoken of grant unto you, etc. τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν : _cf._ Romans 12:16, where, however, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν with εἰς ἀλλήλους is not quite the same. Paul wishes here that the minds of his readers... [ Continue Reading ]
ἵνα introduces the ultimate aim of this unanimity. ὁμοθυμαδόν here only in Paul, but eleven times in Acts. ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι : in Greek writers usually ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος. τὸν θεὸν καὶ πατέρα τοῦ Κ. ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χ. The A.V. renders, “God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” making τοῦ Κυρίου depend on... [ Continue Reading ]
διὸ προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους : διὸ = that such praise may be possible. For προσλαμβ. see Romans 14:1-3. καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ὑμᾶς. ὑμᾶς covers both parties in the Church, however they are to be distinguished; if Christ received both, they are bound to receive each other. The last words, εἰ... [ Continue Reading ]
λέγω γὰρ Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτομῆς = what I mean is this Christ has been made, etc. διάκονον περιτομῆς is usually understood as “a minister to the Jews, to circumcised people” (_cf._ Romans 3:30; Romans 4:9), and this seems to me the only intelligible explanation. In exercising this mini... [ Continue Reading ]
τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ ἐλέους δοξάσαι τὸν θεόν : Some expositors make this depend directly on λέγω, as if Paul had meant: “I say Christ has become a minister of circumcision, in the interest of the _truth_ of God … and that the Gentiles have glorified God for His _mercy_,” the only contrast being that betw... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ πάλιν λέγει : Deuteronomy 32:43, LXX. The Hebrew is different.... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ πάλιν, αἰνεῖτε : Psalms 117:1, LXX only the order of the words varying.... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ πάλιν Ἡσαίας λέγει : Isaiah 11:10. Paul again follows the LXX, only omitting ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ after ἔσται. The words are meant to describe the Messianic kingdom and its Davidic head. It is a universal kingdom, and the nations set their hope in its King, and therefore in the God of salvation wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Prompted by ἐλπιοῦσιν, the Apostle closes this section, and the body of the epistle, by calling on “the God of hope” to bless those to whom it is addressed. For the expression ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος _cf._ Romans 15:5 : it means the God Who gives us the hope which we have in Christ. The joy and peace whi... [ Continue Reading ]
πέπεισμαι δέ : the tone in which he has written, especially in chap. 14, might suggest that he thought them very defective either in intelligence, or love, or both; but he disclaims any such inference from his words. ἀδελφοί μου has a friendly emphasis: _cf._ Romans 7:4. καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ _cf._ Romans 7... [ Continue Reading ]
f. τολμηροτέρως … ἀπὸ μέρους : the description does not apply to the letter as a whole, but only to parts of it: Gifford refers to Romans 6:12-21; Romans 11:17 ff., Romans 12:3, and especially chap. 14 throughout. ὡς ἐπαναμιμνήσκων ὑμᾶς : here only in N.T. There is the same courteous tone as in Roma... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔχω οὖν καύχησιν : I have therefore ground of boasting. In spite of the apologetic tone of Romans 15:14 f. Paul is not without confidence in writing to the Romans. But there is no personal assumption in this; for he has it only in Christ Jesus, and only τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν in his relations to God. _Cf.... [ Continue Reading ]
f. All other boasting he declines. οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω τι λαλεῖν ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο διʼ ἐμοῦ ὁ Χ.: in effect this means, I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ wrought through me. This is the explanation of ἔχω οὖν καύχησιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. The things which Christ did work through Pau... [ Continue Reading ]
οὕτω δὲ φιλοτιμούμενον (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 5:9): making it my ambition, however, thus to preach the Gospel, etc. This limits πεπληρωκέναι : he had never sought to preach where Christianity was already established. A point of honour, but not rivalry, is involved in φιλοτιμούμενον. ὠν... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται : Paul's actual procedure corresponded with, and indeed led to the fulfilment of, a famous O.T. prophecy. Isaiah 52:11 exactly as in LXX. It is absurd to argue with Fritzsche that Paul found a prediction of his own personal ministry (and of the principles on which he discharged... [ Continue Reading ]
διὸ καὶ ἐνεκοπτόμην : the work which detained the Apostle in the East also hindered him from visiting Rome. For another ἐγκόπτειν see 1 Thessalonians 2:18. τὰ πολλὰ is more than πολλάκις in Romans 1:13 : it is distinguished in Greek writers both from ἐνίοτε (sometimes) and ἀεὶ (always) and is rightl... [ Continue Reading ]
The Apostle's programme. He is at present on his way to Jerusalem with the gifts which his Gentile churches have made for the relief of the poor Christians there. The issue of this visit is dubious, and he begs their prayers for its success. After it is over, he means to proceed to Spain, and on the... [ Continue Reading ]
νυνὶ δὲ : but now the sentence thus begun is interrupted by ἐλπίζω γὰρ and never finished, for the words ἐλεύσομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς in T.R. are an interpolation. μηκέτι τόπον ἔχων : not that every soul was converted, but that the Apostolic function of laying foundations had been sufficiently discharged ove... [ Continue Reading ]
ὡς ἂν πορεύωμαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν : it is here the apodosis begins, which being broken in on by ἐλπίζω is never formally resumed, though the sense is taken up again in Romans 15:28 f. ὡς ἂν is temporal = _simulatque: cf._ 1 Corinthians 11:34; Philippians 2:23 : Buttmann, p. 232. The principle which Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
νυνὶ δὲ is not a resumption of νυνὶ δὲ in Romans 15:23 : there is an entire break in the construction, and Paul begins again, returning from the Spanish journey, which lies in a remote and uncertain future, to the present moment. “But at this moment I am on the way to Jerusalem, ministering to the s... [ Continue Reading ]
εὐδόκησαν γὰρ Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαία : Macedonia and Achaia would include all the Pauline Churches in Europe, and we know from 1 Corinthians 16:1 that a similar contribution was being made in Galatia. εὐδόκησαν expresses the formal _resolution_ of the churches in question, but here as in many places wi... [ Continue Reading ]
εὐδόκησαν γὰρ : they have resolved, I say. Paul felt bound to let this resolution affect his own conduct even to the extent of delaying his journey westward. Indeed he explains in 2 Cor., chaps. 8 and 9, that he expected great spiritual results, in the way of a better understanding between Jewish an... [ Continue Reading ]
τοῦτο οὖν ἐπιτελέσας : having brought this business to a close. It is a mistake to find in Paul's use of ἐπιτελεῖν any reference to the performance of a religious rite: see 2 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 8:2; Galatians 3:3; Philippians 1:6. σφραγισάμενος αὐτοῖς τὸν καρπὸν τοῦτον. “This fruit” is,... [ Continue Reading ]
For ἐρχόμενος … ἐλεύσομαι _cf._ 1 Corinthians 2:1. ἐν πληρώματι εὐλογίας Χριστοῦ. Paul's desire was to impart to the Romans χάρισμά τι πνευματικόν (Romans 1:2), and he is sure it will be satisfied to the full. When he comes he will bring blessing from Christ to which nothing will be lacking. On πλήρ... [ Continue Reading ]
παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς. In spite of the confident tone of Romans 15:29, Paul is very conscious of the uncertainties and perils which lie ahead of him, and with the δὲ he turns to this aspect of his situation. ἀδελφοὶ (which W. H. bracket) is an appeal to their Christian sympathy. διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χ.... [ Continue Reading ]
f. ἵνα ῥυσθῶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων : from the disobedient, _i.e._, from the Jews who had not received the Gospel, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, chap. Romans 11:30. καὶ ἡ διακονία μου κ. τ. λ. It was not the unbelieving Jews only who hated Paul. To them he was an apostate, who had disappointed all their hopes;... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης : there is an appropriateness in this designation after Romans 15:31, but “peace” is one of the ruling ideas in Paul's mind always, and needs no special explanation in a benediction: 2 Corinthians 13:2, Philippians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.... [ Continue Reading ]