Romans 1:7

To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. TO ALL (SUCH CALLED ONES) THAT BE IN ROME, BELOVED OF GOD (cf. Deuteronomy 33:12; Colossians 3:12), CALLED [TO BE] SAINTS - called internally and efficaciously "to be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4): see the notes on "called to be an apostle," Romans 1:1. GRACE TO YOU - that most precious of New Testament words, expressing the whole riches of God's everlasting love to si...

7._To all of you who are at Rome, etc. _By this happy arrangement he sets forth what there is in us worthy of commendation; he says, that first the Lord through his own kindness made us the objects of his favor and love; and then that he has called us; and thirdly, that he has called us to holiness: but this high honor only then exists, when we are not wanting to our call. Here a rich truth presents itself to us, to which I shall briefly refer, and leave it to be meditated upon by each individual: Paul does by no means ascribe the praise of our salvation to ourselves, but derives it altogether from the fountain of God’s free and paternal love towards us; for he makes this the first thing — God loves us: and what is the cause of his love, except his own goodness alone? On this depends our calling, by which in his own time he seals his adoption to those whom he had before freely chosen. We...

1-7 The doctrine of which the apostle Paul wrote, set forth the fulfilment of the promises by the prophets. It spoke of the Son of God, even Jesus the Saviour, the promised Messiah, who came from David as to his human nature, but was also declared to be the Son of God, by the Divine power which raised him from the dead. The Christian profession does not consist in a notional knowledge or a bare assent, much less in perverse disputings, but in obedience. And all those, and those only, are brought to obedience of the faith, who are effectually called of Jesus Christ. Here is, 1. The privilege of Christians; they are beloved of God, and are members of that body which is beloved. 2. The duty of Christians; to be holy, hereunto are they called, called to be saints. These the apostle saluted, by wishing them grace to sanctify their souls, and peace to comfort their hearts, as springing from t...

Verse Romans 1:7. _CALLED TO BE SAINTS_] Invited to become holy persons, by believing the Gospel and receiving the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Or, here, the word may have the meaning of _made_ or _constituted_, as above; κλητοις αγιοις, _to all that be in Rome_, CONSTITUTED _saints,_ for they had already received the Gospel grace, and were formed into a Christian Church. _GRACE TO YOU_] χαρις υμιν; May you be partakers of the _Divine_ _favour_, the _source_ whence every blessing is derived. I think it necessary, once for all, to give the several acceptations of this word grace which occur in the sacred writings. 1. The word χαριν signifies in general _favour_ or _benevolence_, but especially that _favour_ which is _powerful_ and _active_, and loads its objects with b

TO ALL THAT BE IN ROME - That is, to all who bear the Christian name. Perhaps he here included not only the church at Rome, but all who might have been there from abroad. Rome was a place of vast concourse for foreigners; and Paul probably addressed all who happened to be there. BELOVED OF GOD - Whom God loves. This is the privilege of all Christians. And this proves that the persons whom Paul addressed were “not” those merely who had been invited to the external privileges of the gospel. The importance of this observation will appear in the progress of these notes. CALLED TO BE SAINTS - So called, or influenced by God who had called them, as to become saints. The word “saints,” ἅγιοι hagioi, means those who are holy, or those who are devoted or consecrated to God. The radical idea of the word is what is

EXPOSITION ROMANS 1:1 I. INTRODUCTORY. ROMANS 1:1 A. _Salutation_ with long interposed parenthesis, suggested by "gospel of God." The parenthesis, expressing thoughts of which the writer's mind is full, intimates the purport of the coming treatise. It also intimates his claim, afterwards more fully asserted (Romans 15:15, seq.), to demand a hearing from the Roman Church. It is St. Paul's way, when full of an idea, thus to interrupt his sentences at the suggestion of a word. Somewhat similar interpositions are found in the opening salutations of Galatians and Titus, especially in the latter; but this is peculiar for its l

TO ALL THAT BE IN ROME,.... These words contain both the inscription of the epistle, and the apostle's usual salutation, as in all his epistles, The inscription of it is not to the Roman emperor; nor to the Roman senate, nor to all the inhabitants in Rome; but to all the saints there, whether rich or poor, bond or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile, without any distinction, being all one in Christ Jesus: and these are described as BELOVED OF GOD; not for any loveliness there was in them, nor because of any love in them to God, nor on account of their obedience and righteousness; but through the free favour and sovereign will and pleasure of God, who loved them before he called them, even from eternity, and will love them to eternity; which love of his is the source and spring of all the blessings of grace, and, among the rest, of the effectual calling: hence this character is set befo...

Romans 1:1. _Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,_ Paul has many titles, and he delights to mention them in writing to these Christians at Rome. He puts first his highest title: «A servant of Jesus Christ.» He glories in being a servant of the crucified Christ, a servant of him who was despised and rejected of men; so do we. Paul was called out from among men, effectually «called» of God «to be an apostle, separated» set apart «unto the gospel of God.» He believed that he was separated for that purpose at his birth; but he was specially «separated unto the gospel of God» on the road to Damascus. It is a happy thing when a minister feels that he has nothing to do with anything else but the gospel; that commands all his thought, all his talent, all his time....

ROMANS 1:7 evn ~Rw,mh| {A} A majority of the Committee interpreted the absence of the words evn ~Rw,mh| in several witnesses (G 1739mg 1908mg itg Origen) either as the result of an accident in transcription, or, more probably, as a deliberate excision, made in order to show that the letter is of general, not local, application. Whether the omission of the designation is also connected with the circulation of an alternative (shorter or longer) form of the letter (see the comment on 14.23) is an open question....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. DOCTRINAL. THE SALVATION OF GOD. Chapter 1-8. CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Apostle and the Gospel of God. (Romans 1:1 .)_ 2. The Greeting. (Romans 1:7 .) 3. The Apostle's Prayer and Desire. (Romans 1:8 .) 4. The Great Theme Introduced. (Romans 1:16 .) Romans 1:1 The introduction to the Epistle is unsurpassed by any other Epistle. Every word should be carefully studied. The writer introduces himself first of all as a servant (literally: slave) of Jesus Christ and called an apostle. Notice that in...