_Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ_ Though once a bitter persecutor; _called to be an apostle_ And made an apostle by that calling. The Greek, κλητος αποστολος, is literally, _a called apostle_, or _an apostle called_, namely, expressly, as the other apostles were. When God calls he makes what he call... [ Continue Reading ]
_Concerning his Son Jesus Christ_ The gospel is good news from God, concerning the coming of his Son to save the world. The Son of God, therefore, is the subject of the gospel, as well as its author: _who was made_ Gr. του γενομενου, _who_ was, or, _who was born_, as the word also properly signifies... [ Continue Reading ]
_To all that be in Rome_ To all the Christians residing at Rome. Most of these were heathen by birth, Romans 1:13, though the Jews mixed among them. They were scattered up and down in that large city, and not yet reduced into the form of a church. _Beloved of God_ And from his free love, not from an... [ Continue Reading ]
_I thank_ In the very entrance of this one epistle are the traces of all spiritual affections, but of thankfulness above all, with the expression of which almost all Paul's epistles begin; _my God_ This word expresses faith, hope, love, and consequently all true religion; _through Jesus Christ _ The... [ Continue Reading ]
_For God is my witness_ In saying I am thankful for your conversion, I might be well supposed to speak the truth, such an event being perfectly agreeable to the continual tenor of my petitions to God; _whom I serve_ Not only as a Christian, but as an apostle; _with my spirit_ With my understanding a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now, brethren_ Lest ye should be surprised that I, who am the apostle of the Gentiles, and who have expressed such a desire to see you, have never yet preached in Rome; _I would not have you ignorant_ I wish to inform you; _that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you_ See the margin. _But was let_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ In whatever contempt that sacred dispensation, and they who publish it, may be held on account of the circumstances and death of its Author, the character of its ministers, and the nature and tendency of its doctrines; _I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ_ But rather glory in it. To the w... [ Continue Reading ]
_For therein is the righteousness of God revealed_ This expression sometimes means God's essential, eternal righteousness, including both his holiness and justice, especially the latter, of which, together with his mercy, the word is explained, Romans 3:26; where we read, _To declare his righteousne... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_, &c. There is no other way of obtaining righteousness, life, and salvation. Having laid down this proposition, the apostle now enters upon the proof it. His first argument is, the law, whether of nature or of supernatural revelation, condemns all men as having violated it, and as being under s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Because that which may be known of God_ Those great principles which are indispensably necessary to be known, such as his existence, his unity, his power, his wisdom, his goodness, and his righteous government of the world; _is manifest in_, or rather _among, them_ As εν αυτοις should be here rende... [ Continue Reading ]
_“Because that when they knew God_ The writings of Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, Cicero, and other philosophers, which still remain, together with the quotations made by Just. Martyr and Clem. Alexandrinus from those which are lost, prove that the learned heathen, though ignorant of the way of salvatio... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore God gave them up_ As a punishment of this most unreasonable and scandalous idolatry, God withdrew his restraining grace from them as he did from the antediluvians, Genesis 6:3; the consequence of which was, that their lusts excited them to commit every sort of uncleanness. The truth is, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_For this cause_ To punish them for their inexcusable neglect, or contempt rather, of the ever-blessed God; and for all their idolatries and impieties; _God gave them up unto vile affections_ Abandoned them to the most infamous passions, to which the heathen Romans were enslaved to the last degree,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And as they did not like_ ουκ εδοκιμασαν, _they did not approve, to retain God in their knowledge_ Or rather, as εχειν εν επιγνωσει more properly signifies, _to retain him with acknowledgment._ For it is proved above that they were not wholly without the knowledge of God in the world: but they did... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who, knowing the judgment_ Δικαιωμα, _the righteousness_, or _righteous judgment_, or _appointment; of God_ And because God's law is founded in righteousness, and is the rule thereof to us, the word is often used in Scripture to denote an ordinance, statute, or particular law, Numbers 27:11; Number... [ Continue Reading ]