_There is_, &c. As a further answer to the objection mentioned Romans 3:31, that the doctrine of justification by faith made void the law, the apostle here proceeds, with great feeling and energy, to display the many powerful motives which that doctrine, as explained in the preceding Chapter s, sugg... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the law of the Spirit of life_ That is, the doctrine of divine grace in the gospel, accompanied with the quickening, commanding influence of the Holy Spirit, _hath made me free from the law of sin and death_ That is, not only from the Mosaic dispensation, which, if relied on for justification,... [ Continue Reading ]
_For what the law could not do_ Το γαρ αδυνατον του νομου, _what was impossible to the_ Mosaic _law_, whether moral or ceremonial; that is, that freedom from the guilt and power of sin, and from spiritual and eternal death, which it could not minister; _in that it was weak through the flesh_ Through... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ Or rather, _now; they that are after the flesh_ The apostle having, Romans 8:1, described those to whom _there is no condemnation_, as persons _who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit_, to prevent all mistakes in such an important point, here informs us what he means by _walking aft... [ Continue Reading ]
_So then_, &c. The inference to be drawn from the principles just laid down, is, _they that are in the flesh_ In the sense explained in the preceding verses, and especially Romans 7:5, where see the notes; they who are under the government of the flesh, of their animal appetites and passions, or of... [ Continue Reading ]
_But ye_ Who are vitally united to Christ, who are in him, by living faith, and new creatures; _are not in the flesh_ Not in your unpardoned, unrenewed state, not carnally minded; _but in the Spirit_ Under his government, and spiritually minded, and therefore are accepted of God, and approved of by... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if Christ be in you_ Namely, by his Spirit dwelling in you: where the Spirit of Christ is, there is Christ: _the body is dead_ Το μεν σωμα νεκρον, _the body indeed is dead_, devoted to death; for our belonging to Christ, or having Christ in us, does not exempt the body from undergoing the sente... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore, brethren_ As if he had said, Since we have received such benefits, and expect still more and greater, _we are debtors_ We are under obligations; _not to the flesh_ Not to our animal appetites and passions; we have formerly given them more than their due, and we owe our natural corruption... [ Continue Reading ]
_For as many as are led_, guided and governed, _by the Spirit of God_ As a Spirit of truth and grace, of wisdom and holiness; _they are the sons of God_ That is, they stand related to God, not merely as subjects to their king, or servants to their master, but as children to their father; they are un... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if children, then heirs_ Those that are really the children of God by adoption and grace, are not only under his peculiar direction, protection, and care, and shall be supplied with all things which God sees will be good for them; not only have they free liberty of access to God, and intercours... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the earnest expectation_, &c. “This and the following verses,” says Dr. Doddridge, “have been generally, and not without reason, accounted as difficult as any part of this epistle. This difficulty has perhaps been something increased, by rendering κτισις _creation_ in one clause, and _creature_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the creature was made subject to vanity_ Mankind in general, and the whole visible creation, lost their original beauty, glory, and felicity; a sad change passed on man, and his place of abode; the whole face of nature was obscured, and all creatures were subjected to vanity and wretchedness in... [ Continue Reading ]
_For we know that the whole creation_ Ever since the first apostacy of our nature from God; _groaneth_ Suffers a variety of miseries; _and travaileth_ Συνωδινει, literally, _is in the pains of childbirth_, to be delivered from the burden of the curse; _until now_ To this very hour, and so on to the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And not only they_ The unenlightened and unrenewed part of mankind; _but we ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit_ Because first-fruits signify the best things of their kind, some think that the apostles, and such as possessed the most excellent spiritual gifts, are spoken of in t... [ Continue Reading ]
_For we are saved by hope_ That is, our salvation is now only in hope; we do not yet possess the full salvation; _but hope that is seen is not hope_ Hope here, by a usual metonymy, is put for the object of hope; and in Scripture, _to see_, often signifies _to enjoy_, and sometimes to suffer. The mea... [ Continue Reading ]
_Likewise the Spirit_, &c. Besides the hope of future felicity and glory, which our holy profession administers to us for our support and comfort amid all the difficulties of our Christian course, we have moreover this important privilege, that the Holy Spirit of God _helpeth our infirmities_ The wo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we know_ Though we do not always know particularly what to pray for as we ought, yet this we know, _that all things_ Namely, that occur in the course of divine providence, such as worldly losses or gains, poverty or riches, reproach or commendation, contempt or honour, pain or ease, sickness or... [ Continue Reading ]
_For whom he did foreknow_ As truly repenting, believing, and obeying the gospel; _he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son_ That is, it was his foreappointment, or predetermination, will, and pleasure, that _as Christ was, they should be in this world, 1 John 4:17_, namely,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Moreover, whom he did predestinate_ Or describe beforehand by his holy prophets, as persons who should resemble the Messiah; _them_, in due time, _he also called_ By his word and Spirit; _and whom he called_ When obedient to the heavenly calling, Acts 26:19; _he also justified_ Accounted righteous,... [ Continue Reading ]
_What shall we then say to these things_ Related in the third, fifth, and eighth Chapter s, or conclude upon this review? Surely we may courageously defy all our enemies, and say, _If God_ Who hath all power in himself, and all the events of time and eternity under his direction; _be for us_ Our sur... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who shall lay any thing to the charge_ Any matter of guilt, which should bring them into condemnation, or shall bring an accusation against _God's elect_ That is, against true believers, who have so received Christ (Joh 1:12) as to have obtained the privilege of becoming God's children, and who onl... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who shall separate us_ By saying τις, _who_, the apostle personifies the things he is going to mention, namely, affliction, &c.; _from the love of Christ_ Toward us? By this, some understand the love which we bear to Christ. But to separate us from our own love, seems an unusual expression. Even th... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I am persuaded_, &c. This period describes the full assurance of hope, and the inference is made in admirable order; _neither death_ Terrible as it is to natural men, a violent death in particular; nor the fear of it, Romans 8:36; _nor life_ With all the affliction and distress it can bring, Ro... [ Continue Reading ]