Our apostle having shown, in the end of the foregoing chapter, that the Jews would be rejected, and the Gentiles called, begins this chapter by answering. great and popular objection. Some hereupon might be ready to say, "If this be so, then God has cast away his covenant people, violated his covena... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have. second argument to prove that God would not wholly cast off the Jewish church and people; namely, because he had foreknown them; that is, had chosen the body of them to be. special and peculiar people to himself, above and before all the people of the earth; and had also foreknown, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have St. Paul making application of the foregoing example to the present case. As Elias was not alone in the corrupt state of Israel then, so neither was the apostle alone now, in this time of general rejection of the Jewish church and nation. God had. number then, he has. remnant now, which... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. What the apostle affirms concerning the main body of the Jewish nation, they obtained not what they sought after; that is, deliverance by the Messiah, justification and righteousness by the works of the law. This they sought, but found not; yet THE ELECTION HATH OBTAINED IT; that is... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle proceeds here to declare unto us, that the general unbelief and hardness of heart which was found amongst the rejected Jews, was not to be wondered at, because it was prophetically foretold by holy David, in the person of the Messiah, of whom he was. type, that his own people the Jews sh... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle had in the preceding verses proved the rejection of the Jews not to have been total; here he proves, that it shall not be final, but that they shall be generally called before the end of the world. HERE THEY STUMBLED, says he, THAT THEY SHOULD FALL? that is, "Have they so stumbled and f... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "If the casting off the Jews was so profitable to the Gentile world; if the Gentiles have been such great gainers by occasion of the sin and fall of the Jews; how much more, when they shall become Christians, will they add to the fulness, the glory, and greatness of the C... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The honourable office which St. Paul was called to; namely, to be an apostle, and the apostle of the Gentiles. 2. The honour which God put upon him in the faithful execution of that office: (1.) In making him instrumental for calling many of the blind and ignorant Gentiles to the o... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle produced another argument to prove the universal restoration of the Jews unto the grace and favour of God before the end of the world; and it is drawn from the covenant of God made with Abraham, (as the root of the Jewish nation,) which said, I WILL BE THY GOD, AND THE GOD OF THY SE... [ Continue Reading ]
The design and scope of our apostle in these words, is to exhort the believing Gentiles not to despise and reproach the rejected and unbelieving Jews; and he draws an argument from the condition of the Gentiles, both past and present: in their past condition they were like. wild olive-tree we unders... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle, in these and the following verses, proceeds in his exhortation to the Gentiles, not to insult over the rejected Jews, but to carry it towards them with great modesty and Christian humility; and he useth several arguments by way of motive to excite and quicken them thereunto. The two fi... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle fully proves, that the rejection of the Jews was neither total nor final; not total, because BLINDNESS IN PART only, HAPPENED UNTO ISRAEL; that is, part of the Jews only are left in unbelief, and under the power of spiritual blindness. Nor is their rejection final, but for. time onl... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have two farther arguments to prove the general conversion of the Jews: the first is taken from the dignity of the Jews, they being the ancient people of God, whose father Abraham he chose, and made his first covenant with him and his seed; and therefore as to making the election of that nat... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have the conclusion of the apostle's argument to prove the conversion and calling of the Jews towards the end of the world. The argument is drawn from. comparison of equals: "If God, after. long time of disobedience, receive the Gentiles to mercy, he will also, after. long time of infidelity... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, "Almighty God hath in wisdom and righteousness suffered both Jews and Gentiles successively, for some time, to remain under the power of unbelief and disobedience, that so he might in his own time fulfil the great counsel of his goodness, in showing undeserved mercy unto all, both Jew and G... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle concludes the chapter with an awful admiration at the depth of the abundant grace and goodness of God in bearing with the infidelity of the Jews, and the obstinacy of the Gentiles; as also of his unsearchable wisdom in making first the rejection of the Jews. mean of calling the Gent... [ Continue Reading ]
As if the apostle had said, "No creature ever did, or ever can, pierce into the mind of God, nor ever was called to be of his council. No creature ever did or can advise him, nor can any creature challenge God, as if he were indebted to him. Who ever gave any thing to God that he did not first rece... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, all things are of God, as the author and efficient cause; all things are through him as the providential director, and preserving cause; and all things tend to him, as the ultimate end and final cause: therefore to him all praise, honour, and glory, ought for ever to be ascribed." Learn he... [ Continue Reading ]