The sense is this: But you of the Jews will object and say, "If outward circumcision avails nothing, but the inward circumcision is all in all; and if the uncircumcised person, keeping the law, is to be reckoned as circumcised, WHAT ADVANTAGE THEN HATH THE JEW above the Gentile, or what profit is th... [ Continue Reading ]
Here follows. second objection: Some might say, "True, the Jews had the oracles of God, but some of them never believed them, nor gave any credit to the promise of the Messias contained in them; therefore, they had no advantage by them." Be it so, saith the apostle: yet shall the unbelief of some ma... [ Continue Reading ]
A third objection here followeth, namely, "That if the unrighteousness of men, that is, both of Jews and Gentiles, tends so visibly to COMMEND, that is, to illustrate and recommend the righteousness of God, namely, his wisdom, grace, and favour, in appointing this way of justification by faith in Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
We must by no means understand these words as spoken by the apostle himself in his own name, as if he had told lies for upholding of the truth; and that the truth of God had abounded to the glory of God through his lies; but he speaks in the person of. profane objector. Thus some man (as if the apos... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the apostle starts another objection in the name of the Jews: Some of them might say, "Are we not better than the Gentiles? Do we not excel them in outward privileges? Is not the knowledge of the law found with us, and the oracles of God committed to us?" True, says the apostle, the Jews are be... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, How the apostle proves his assertion; namely, That both Jew and Gentile were under the guilt both of original and actual transgression, from the testimony of David, Psalms 14 where the state of corrupt nature is described, and the natural condition of all men declared, till they are ei... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, Lest the Jews should think to elude or evade the force of the foregoing testimonies concerning man's corruption and depravation, as not belonging to them, but to the Gentiles only; he tells them, that WHAT THE LAW, that is, the books of the Old Testament, do thus say, it says TO THOSE... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have St. Paul's conclusion drawn from all the foregoing premises: "Seeing all mankind, since the fall, are disabled, by their innate corruption, and actual transgression, to fulfil the law, either natural or written; it must necessarily follow, that BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW CAN NO FLESH, that... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle having proved negatively, that by the works of the law righteousness and justification is not to be had for any person, be he Jew or Gentile: He comes now to prove the affirmative part of his assertion; namely, that the God hath manifested another way of justification in the gospel, to w... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. glorious privilege vouchsafed to believers, which the scriptures call JUSTIFICATION, whereby they are judicially acquitted and discharged from the guilt and punishment of all their sins, and accounted righteous before God. Observe, 2. The efficient cause of our justification. It is... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle having laid down in the foregoing verses, the nature of justification exactly in the several and respective causes of it, declares in this verse, what is the consequence of this doctrine, namely, the excluding of all self-confidence and boasting in ourselves, or in any works done by ours... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The conclusion drawn by the apostle, from all that he had been discoursing of in the foregoing Chapter s: namely, that God's way of justification of. guilty sinner is not by works, done by him, but by faith in the Mediator, who hath satisfied the justice of God for him: THERFORE WE... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, The wise and holy caution which our apostle uses to take away the calumny and reproach cast upon him, by the adversaries of the doctrine of free justification by faith; as if this would render the law of God void and altogether useless: DO WE THEN MAKE VOID THE LAW OF GOD? As if he had... [ Continue Reading ]