Brethren [Seven times in this Epistle Paul thus addresses the brethren at Rome generally (Romans 1:13; Romans 8:12; Romans 11:25; Romans 12:1; Romans 15:14; Romans 15:30; Romans 16:17). Twice he thus addresses the Christian Jews (Romans 7:1; Romans [ Continue Reading ]
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ["For" introduces Paul's reason for having hope in his prayer. Had Israel been sodden in sin, or stupefied in indifference, he would have had less heart to pray. But they were ardently religious, though ignorantly... [ Continue Reading ]
For being ignorant of God's righteousness [Here Paul shows wherein they lacked knowledge. "For they," says Scott, "not knowing the perfect justice of the divine character, law and government; and the nature of that righteousness which God has provided for the justification of sinners consistently wi... [ Continue Reading ]
For [With this word the apostle gives further evidence of the ignorance of the Jews. He has shown that they did not know that they could not merit eternal life by good works; he now proceeds to show that they did not know that the law itself, which was the sole basis on which they rested their hopes... [ Continue Reading ]
For Moses [the lawgiver] _writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby_. [Leviticus 18:5. (Comp. Nehemiah 9:29; Ezekiel 20:11; Ezekiel 20:13; Ezekiel 20:21; Luke 16:27-29; Galatians 3:12) The context indicates that the life promised is merely the possessio... [ Continue Reading ]
But [marking the irreconcilable contrast and antagonism between the new gospel and the old law] _the righteousness which is of faith saith thus_ [we would here expect Christ to speak, as the antithesis of Moses in Romans 10:5. But if Jesus had been made spokesman, Paul would have been limited to a q... [ Continue Reading ]
or, Who shall descend into the abyss? [Hades, the abode of the dead-- Luke 8:31; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1; Psalms 139:8] _(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
But what saith it? [Here Paul interrupts the gospel with a question. If the word of life is not in these places (heaven and Hades), where, then, is it? Where does the gospel say it is? He now resumes the gospel's personification, and lets it answer the question.] T_ he word is nigh thee, in thy mout... [ Continue Reading ]
because [the gospel (and Moses) speak of the mouth and heart, because] _if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved_ [Moses emphasized the nearness of the law. The Jew was to keep it near (accept it), for,... [ Continue Reading ]
for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ["The seat of faith," says Calvin, "is not in the brain, but in the heart. Yet I would not contend about the part of the body in which faith is located: but as the word heart is often taken for... [ Continue Reading ]
For the scripture saith [Again Paul appeals to the Scripture to show that what he is telling the Jews has all been prophetically announced in their own Scriptures. Thus he slays their law with its own sword], _Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame_. [A passage already quoted at Romans... [ Continue Reading ]
For [The Scripture uses such universal language about our being freed from shame by justification, because] _there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him_ [Paul here announces the same truth which Peter discovered when he sa... [ Continue Reading ]
for [and this lack of distinction on God's part is further proved by Scripture, for, it saith], _Whosoever shall call upon the name_ [i. e., person-- Proverbs 18:10; Psalms 18:2-3] _of the Lord shall be saved_. [Joel 2:32. This passage is quoted by Simon Peter at Acts 2:21. In place of "Lord," Joel... [ Continue Reading ]
[Since the apostle's thought in this section is obscurely connected, the line of argument has been found difficult to follow. It will aid us, therefore, at the start to get his purpose clearly in view. He has shown that the gospel is universal. But in giving a universal blessing God would of course... [ Continue Reading ]
and how shall they preach, except they be sent? [Sending is the last step as we reason backward, but the first as we look forward toward salvation; for, as Gifford observes, "Paul argues back from effect to cause," so that, turning his series around, it will read, Sending, preaching, hearing, believ... [ Continue Reading ]
But they did not all hearken to [Hupakouoo: a word derived from the verb akouoo, which is translated "heard," and "hear" in Romans 10:14. It means to hear attentively, to give heed to, to obey] _the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith_ [predicted], _Lord, who hath believed our report?_ [Akoe; also a word... [ Continue Reading ]
So [as I said, and, as you see, Isaiah corroborates] _belief cometh of_ [is born of, or grows out of] _hearing, and hearing by_ [by reason of, because of] _the word_ [saying, behest, command. See Luke 5:5; Hebrews 11:3; Romans 1:3] _of Christ_. [And so, briefly paraphrasing the apostle's thought, it... [ Continue Reading ]
But I say [To give my cornered Jewish objector every chance to escape from his obvious culpability, I ask in his behalf this question], _Did they not hear?_ [This question demands a negative answer--a denial of the "not heard," and is therefore an emphatic way of asserting that they had heard. "They... [ Continue Reading ]
But I say [Again I ask a question to give my Jewish objector the benefit of every loophole of escape. See Romans 10:18], _Did Israel not know?_ [This question also requires a negative answer, and thus, being like the preceding question, the negative of a negative, it amounts to a strong affirmative.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Isaiah is very bold ["What Moses insinuates, Isaiah cries out boldly and plainly" (Bengel). And Isaiah is the favorite prophet of the Jewish people to this day!], _and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I became manifest unto them that asked not of me_. [Isaiah 65:1 (Comp. Isaiah 49:... [ Continue Reading ]
But as to Israel he saith [Isaiah 65:2], _All the day long did I spread out of my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people_. [Here Isaiah presents the full contrast between the Gentiles and Jews. Commentators generally regard the spread-out hands as picturing those of a parent extended toward... [ Continue Reading ]