THE NEW WAY OF ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD In Romans 1:2 St. Paul has shown that both Gentile and Jew have sinned wilfully, and are under God's condemnation. He now digresses to Jewish objections against the gospel, which he had, no doubt, heard urged in synagogues (Romans 3:1). Returning to the main subje... [ Continue Reading ]
MUCH] cp. Romans 9:4. ORACLES] i.e. the utterances of God in the OT.... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT BELIEVE] RV 'were without faith.' UNBELIEF] RV 'want of faith.' FAITH] RV 'faithfulness.'... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD FORBID] lit. 'let it not be.' WRITTEN] Psalms 51:4. ART JUDGED] RV 'comest into judgment.'... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKETH VENGEANCE] RV 'visiteth with wrath.' AS A MAN] RV 'after the manner of men,' i.e. speaking of the dealings of God as if they were the dealings of men: cp. Galatians 3:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR] RV 'but.'... [ Continue Reading ]
EVIL] St. Paul said, 'We are not justified because of what we do.' His adversaries represented him as saying, 'It does not matter what we do': cp. Romans 3:31; Romans 6:1; Romans 6:15. WHOSE, etc.] i.e. those who hold such a principle as 'let us do evil,' etc., will be condemned, and that justly. DA... [ Continue Reading ]
PROVED] RV 'laid to the charge.' 10-18. From Psalms 5:9; Psalms 10:7; Psalms 14:1.; Psalms 36:1; Psalms 140:3; Isaiah 59:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEM WHO ARE UNDER THE LAW] i.E. the Jews. BECOME GUILTY BEFORE] RV 'be brought under the judgment of.'... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE] RV 'because.' THE DEEDS OF THE LAW] RM 'works of law,' i.e. done to merit salvation by fulfilling an appointed task: cp. Romans 7:7; Galatians 3:19; Galatians 3:21. 'Law is a factor in the moral life fitted to acquaint the intellect with the divine standard of conduct, but incapable of br... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW] i.e. under the gospel. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS, etc.] RV 'apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested': cp. Romans 1:17. 'A righteousness of God,' i.e. a way of acceptance which God has provided. MANIFESTED] i.e. in the Person and work of Christ: cp. 2 Timothy 1:10. WITNESSED] i.e.... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITH OF] RV 'faith in': cp. Galatians 2:16. This further defines the 'righteousness' spoken of. The means by which it is received is faith in Christ, and it is given to all who have such faith. Faith is 'man's trustful acceptance of God's gift, rising to absolute self-surrender, culminating in pers... [ Continue Reading ]
COME SHORT] The Gk. word, which means 'to feel one's need,' is that used in Luke 15:14 of the Prodigal. GLORY OF GOD] i.e. the divine perfection, which is manifested in Christ (cp. 2 Corinthians 4:6), and which shines upon man and transfigures him into the likeness of Christ, partially now, and comp... [ Continue Reading ]
JUSTIFIED] i.e. declared or accounted righteous, as by a judge; accepted: refers to 'them that believe,' Romans 3:22. God can justly declare a sinner righteous who has faith in Christ because his face is turned to the light; he is in sympathy with Christ, and desires to follow His example. GRACE] se... [ Continue Reading ]
PROPITIATION] i.e. that which makes it possible for God to be propitious, or favourable to man. IN HIS BLOOD] RV 'by his blood,' i.e. Christ became a propitiation by shedding His blood. DECLARE] RV 'shew,' for, otherwise, it might have been doubted. FOR THE REMISSION, etc.] RV 'because of the passin... [ Continue Reading ]
BOASTING] cp. Romans 2:1; Romans 2:23. THE LAW] RV 'a law,' i.e. system.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE] RM 'for.' WITHOUT] RV 'apart from.'... [ Continue Reading ]
CIRCUMCISION] i.e. Jews. UNCIRCUMCISION] i.e. Gentiles. BY.. THROUGH] The Judaistic Christians seem to have held that they were justified on account of ('by') circumcision and obedience to the Law, if they had faith ('through faith'); but that Gentiles were justified on account of ('by') faith, if,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW] RM 'law.' God's will is brought out more fully in the gospel (cp. Matthew 5:17.), and the believer is enabled to fulfil it: cp. 6, Romans 8:4; Galatians 2:19.... [ Continue Reading ]