_THEY THAT ARE IN CHRIST, AND LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, ARE FREE FROM CONDEMNATION. WHAT HARM COMETH OF THE FLESH, AND WHAT GOOD OF THE SPIRIT, AND WHAT OF BEING GOD'S CHILDREN._ _Anno Domini 58._ IN farther answer to the objection mentioned chap. Romans 3:31 the Apostle, in this chapter, wit... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS THEREFORE NOW— Αρα νυν. The word Αρα here, is not _illative,_ but strongly _affirmative;—nempe utique, certainly, verily;_ (see Matthew 12:28. Luke 11:48; Luke 18:8 in the original). _Now,_ is "under the Gospel." This carries our thoughts back to Romans 8:6 of the foregoing chapter; which v... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE— That it is the Spirit of life and grace,—the Spirit of Christ,—who delivers from the law in the members, that _law of death,_ is evident from chap. Romans 7:23. Why it is called _a law,_ may be found in the antithesis _to the law of sin and death;_ grace being as c... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO, &C.— _For this the law not being able to effect,_ &c. The _weakness,_ and as he there also calls it, the _unprofitableness_ of the law, is again taken notice of by the Apostle, Hebrews 7:18. There were two defects in the law, whereby it became in this limited sense unp... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW, &C.— Δικαιωμα, _righteousness,_ here seems to be used in the most extensive sense, and may signify both moral righteousness, and the consequence of it, salvation, (see chap. Romans 5:16 in the original). The Gospel frees those from sin who choose to be free, which... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR TO BE CARNALLY-MINDED IS DEATH— _For_ joins what follows to Romans 8:1 as the reason of what is here laid down; namely, that deliverance from condemnation is experienced only by such Christian converts, as walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit:—_for,_ &c. See Locke.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CARNAL MIND— Φρονημα της σαρκος should have been translated here _to be carnally-minded,_ as it is in the foregoing verse; which is justified by φρονουσι τα της σαρκος, _do mind the things of the flesh,_ Romans 8:5 which signifies the employing the bent of their minds, or subjecting their mind e... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEN THEY THAT ARE IN THE FLESH, &C.— This is the conclusion drawn from what went before; and _in the flesh_ here, must mean the same as _to be carnally-minded,_ &c. above;—to be under the government of sensual appetites. See Galatians 4:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE ARE NOT IN THE FLESH, &C.— The word Ειπερ, rendered _if so be,_ may here stand for the word επειδηπερ, as it does 2 Thessalonians 1:6. _Have,_ in the last clause, is emphatical, and signifies to _retain,_ to _fix in the mind as_ a principle,—duly _to improve._ Compare 1 John 5:12. 2 John 1:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF CHRIST BE IN YOU— _And if Christ,_ &c._—with respect to sin,—with respect to righteousness._ In these verses the Apostle describes the happy advantages of those who embrace the faith of the Gospel, and live according to it. The phrase δι αμαρτιαν may be properly rendered _in respect of,_ or _... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, BRETHREN, &C.— After the Apostle has separately and distinctly shewn how the affair ofsanctification or obligation to piety and holiness stands under the Gospel, both with regard to Jews and Gentiles, he seems here to address himself to both conjointly. And, I. He draws the general _concl... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL DIE— Μελλετε αποθνησκειν, _ye shall die hereafter;_ namely, the second death at the last day. The wicked Christian professor is _nigh unto the curse; whose end is, to be burned._ See Hebrews 6:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD— Isaac, by his super-natural birth, being in a peculiar manner _the son of God,_the Israelites his children were called by God himself _his son,_ Exodus 4:22. But they were God's son only in an inferior sense: for by that relation they were entitled to nothing but the earthl... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE— What this is, the Apostle has plainly declared, Hebrews 2:15. _Again,_ means, "Now again, _under Christ;_ as the Jews did from Moses under the _law."_ The word _abba_ signifies _father_ in the Jewish language, and the insertion of it beautifully represents the union of Jewish... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT ITSELF BEARETH WITNESS, &C.— It may be proper to inquire, on this much controverted verse, 1st, How many and who are the witnesses here spoken of? and 2nd, What is the kind of evidence given by them? I. Συμμαρτυρει, rendered _bearing witness with,_ signifies _to be a fellow-witness,_ or t... [ Continue Reading ]
IF SO BE THAT WE SUFFER, &C.— Observe how prudently the Apostle advances to the harsh affair of _suffering;_ he does not mention it, till he had raised their thoughts to the higher object of joy and pleasure;—the happiness and glory of a joint-inheritance with the ever-blessed Son of God:—we are _he... [ Continue Reading ]
REVEALED— St. Paul speaks of this _glory_ here as what needs to be _revealed,_ to give us a right conception of it. It is impossible to have a clear and full comprehension of it, till we taste it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_ROMANS 8:19_.— I must think, that it was quite to the Apostle's purpose in this place to point at the common calamities of mankind. Christians ought not to be uneasy if they are exposed to sufferings on account of religion; for this world is a state of suffering and distress, and all mankind are gr... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT WILLINGLY— That is, "Not by any wilful act of their own." The word 'Εκουσα seems here to have the same signification as εκουσιως, _wilfully,_ Hebrews 10:26 or as the word θελοντας, 2 Peter 3:5.—_This they are willfully ignorant of._ What we render _lie not in wait,_ Exodus 21:13 the LXX render ο... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THE CREATURE ITSELF, &C.— The _creature,_ or _creation itself,_ is all mankind, whether Christians or not. But this must be understood of mankind as well as of Christians, only so far as by answering the ends of their creation by the secret influences of the Spirit of God, they are prepared... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHOLE CREATION GROANETH— How David _groaned_ under the vanity of this life, may be seen Psalms 89:47 which complaint may be met with in some sense and in some degree in every man's mouth: so that even those who have not _the first fruits of the Spirit,_ have uneasy longings after immortality, or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOT ONLY THEY, BUT OURSELVES ALSO— That this is meant of the Apostles, appears plain from the following reasons: _First, But ourselves also,—even we ourselves,_—are very emphatical expressions, and direct our thoughts to some persons of distinction and eminence. _Secondly,_ there will be little... [ Continue Reading ]
HOPE THAT IS SEEN, &C.— That is _enjoyed._ To _see_ is frequently in Scripture phrase to _enjoy._ Job 7:7; Job 9:25.Psalms 50:23.Matthew 5:8. John 3:36. Hebrews 12:14. 1 John 3:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF WE HOPE FOR THAT WE SEE NOT, &C.— What the Apostle says here of _hope,_ is to shew them, that the _groaning_ of the children of God, before spoken of, was not the groaning of impatience, but such as that wherewith the Spirit of God maketh intercession for us.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE THE SPIRIT, &C.— 'Ωσαυτως, _likewise,_ always in the New Testament signifies _in like manner,_ or agreeably to what is mentioned just before. Here it may be rendered, _agreeably to this,_ namely, to our being _saved by hope_ [or in a course of patient expectation, mentioned in the former v... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWETH WHAT IS THE MIND OF THE SPIRIT— That is, "has a particular regard to, _approves,_ favours, and is pleased with." The phrase here, φρονημα του πνευματος, _the mind of the Spirit,_ is the very same that is used Romans 8:6 and expresses not merely the _meaning,_ but the _temper_ and _dispositio... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WE KNOW, &C.— In the summary which we have given on Romans 8:12 we observed that this is the _seventh_ argument advanced by the Apostle to reconcile Christians to sufferings: "Whatever befals us, supposing we love God, certainly concurs and tends to complete our salvation." The Apostle never onc... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW— The particle οτι is connective; and, this verse giving the reason or confirmation of what was spoken in the former, it seems necessary to interpret it thus: _Whom he foreknew to be persons called according to his purpose, and therefore qualified for this adoption._ It there... [ Continue Reading ]
THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED— These words should be rendered, _Them he hath also glorified,_ by giving them that Spirit who is the earnest of the glory of the faithful, _they being blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,_ Ephesians 1:3 _they being quickened together with Christ,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL LAY ANY THING TO THE CHARGE, &C.— Here it is well observed by Mr. Lowth, that these words being read by way of interrogation, as is Romans 8:35 carry a full and clear sense thus: Who shall plead against God's elect? Shall the God who justifies them do it? Who is he that condemns them? Can... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? &C.— To answer the argument hence urged, to shew that man cannot fall from grace, because if once they truly loved God, they cannot cease to do so in principle, let it be noted: _First,_ That this inquiry is not, who shall separate us from the love with... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS— For we not only bear, but _glory in tribulations,_ Romans 5:3. We are in deaths often, but still _delivered from death,_ 2 Corinthians 1:10. And _as the sufferings of Christ abound toward us, so doth our consolation,_ under them, _abound through Christ._ _INFERENCES.—_Th... [ Continue Reading ]