AT the time of the first establishment of the Christian religion, the Roman power was at its meridian. Nearly the whole of the then known world was under its sway, almost all countries having been reduced to the condition of provinces, or else to that of subject kingdoms, governed in subordination to the Roman emperor, or to the Roman senate. Hence the imperial city was at that time the great centre of intercommunication, of wealth, of influence, and of all civil and military power.

      The apostle Paul commenced his career in a province remote from this central seat of power. His various travels, however, brought him gradually nearer and nearer to it, as the tendency of his progress was always, through the native boldness and energy of his character, from places more quiet and obscure to those more noted, populous, and powerful,--from Antioch to Ephesus,--from Ephesus to Macedon, Athens, and Corinth; and the farther he advanced, the more evident it became that he would not be satisfied with the extent of his missionary labors, until he should have reached the imperial metropolis itself, and proclaimed his message of salvation among the palaces of the Cesars.

      A distinct expression of his design to visit Rome is recorded in Acts 19:21. He was at that time going into Greece, but in such circumstances as prevented his then extending his journey into Rome, as he was at that time under the necessity of returning to Judea to execute a certain commission which he had undertaken from the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia to those in Jerusalem. After accomplishing this object, he intended to carry into effect his design of visiting Rome; and, in the mean time, he wrote this Epistle to the Roman church, informing them of his long-cherished intention of visiting them, (Rom. 1:10-13. 15:23-28,) and communicating such instructions as were adapted to their condition. The Epistle is supposed to have been written during Paul's residence at Corinth, on the occasion referred to in Acts 20:2, 3.

      We learn from secular history, that, as might have been expected, there was a considerable Jewish population at Rome in the times of the apostles. Some of these Roman Jews seem to be mentioned as present at Jerusalem at the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:10.) It was probably [325] through these individuals, or by some other channel which the frequent intercourse maintained between the metropolis and the provinces provided, that Christianity had found its way to Rome, and a church had been planted there. This church consisted of both Jewish and Gentile converts. Between these two classes of Christian converts there was always a tendency to jealousy and dissension. The Jew had been accustomed to regard his nation as the favored people of God, and to attach great importance to the various rites and ceremonies which had descended to him from his fathers. He was, consequently, much inclined to insist, that the Gentile convert should not only become a Christian, but a Jew also; that is, that he should come under the various obligations of the Mosaic law, as well as seek salvation through Jesus Christ. The Gentile, on the other hand, looked with contempt upon what he considered the narrowness of mind, bigotry, and slavery to ceremony and form, which often characterized his Israelitish brother; and he seems often to have been inclined to adopt practices for the purpose of showing his superiority to such ideas, which could not fail of wounding the feelings of the Jew.

      The Epistle to the Romans will be found to be exactly adapted to this state of things. In fact, it may be said to consist, essentially, of a treatise upon the nature of salvation by Christ, in its relation to the Gentile and the Jew; showing that it is equally indispensable to the one and to the other, and presenting the subject in such aspects as should lead the Jew to entertain more just and liberal feelings towards his Gentile brother, and the Gentile to be more considerate and kind in respect to the prepossessions and long-established habits of the Jew.

      The Epistle to the Romans has the reputation of being the most difficult book in the New Testament; but, after all, the difficulty seems to be, in many cases, a difficulty in receiving the doctrine of the apostle, rather than in understanding it. In enforcing the entire dependence of both Jew and Gentile upon the mere mercy of God for all hope of salvation, the writer has occasion to take very high ground in regard to the prerogatives exercised by Jehovah in the control of the moral world; and Christian philosophers, of all ages, in marking the confines of divine power, in respect to the character and acts of free and accountable creatures, have been disposed to draw the lines differently from the apostle. In fact, he draws no lines at all. He surrenders the reins entirely into the hands of Jehovah, and invests him with a sovereignty that is complete and illimitable, tracing back all things to an origin in him; while the philosophers, on the other hand, deem it necessary that some acts should be allowed to originate in man. They cannot conceive of freedom and accountableness, without something like independence and contingency. The difficulty would seem to be, therefore, so far as this subject is concerned, not so much in understanding what the [326] apostle would say, as in reconciling it with what men are apt to regard as incontrovertible principles of moral philosophy.

      The Epistles of Paul are placed together in the sacred canon, immediately after the historical books, and they are arranged, not according to the dates under which they were written, but according to their comparative length; those addressed to churches in one series, and the Epistles to individuals, namely, to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, in another. The Epistle to the Hebrews, which, though generally attributed to Paul, does not, in the introduction or conclusion of it, bear his name, is not included in the series, but is inserted by itself, at the close of it. Then follow the Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude, arranged on the same principle with those of Paul.

      1. An apostle. Paul was not in fact one of the twelve apostles. The original number were appointed long before his conversion; and, as the office appears not to have been intended to be perpetual, we do not learn that any vacancies, after that occasioned by the death of Judas, were filled. Paul, however, generally assumes the title, in his writings, inasmuch as, like the apostles, he received his commission to go forth as a preacher of the gospel, directly from the Savior.--Separated; set apart, consecrated.

      3. Of the seed of David; of the family of David.--According to the flesh; in respect to earthly parentage.

      4. According to the Spirit of holiness. A great degree of uncertainty has been felt among commentators in respect to the precise import of the term Spirit of holiness, as used in this connection; and, in fact, also in respect to the other clauses of this verse. Some consider this expression as referring to the Holy Spirit, others to the divine Word which became flesh in the person of Jesus. (John 1:1, 14.) Others still understand it to denote those spiritual influences affused by the Savior, after his resurrection, upon the apostles, and other members of the early church. In fact, in regard to the whole verse, the best authorities among commentators express their opinions of the specific sense in which its several clauses are to be understood with great hesitation. Its general import is clear, viz., that Jesus, who, in respect to his human powers and station, was a descendant of David, was proclaimed the Son of God by divine indications of the highest and most unquestionable character.

      5. For obedience; for promoting obedience.--For his name; in his name. [327]

      10. Now at length. Paul was, at this time, about proceeding to Jerusalem, intending immediately afterwards to visit Rome. (Acts 19:21.)--A prosperous journey. The journey of the apostle to Rome actually proved to be very far from a prosperous one, in the ordinary sense of the term. The passage was as unpropitious as inclement skies, stormy seas, shipwreck, and long delays, could make it. Still, in respect to the promotion of the great object which he had in view, it was perhaps the most propitious expedition ever made. Those very circumstances of exposure and suffering have given to the voyage of St. Paul, and to the moral and spiritual lessons which the history of it conveys, an importance and an influence which far surpass, undoubtedly, the highest expectations he could have formed. We ought to learn, from this case, that, after offering our prayer to God, in respect to what is to befall us, we should leave the disposal of the event entirely to him, with a quiet and contented confidence that he will do all things well.

      13. Let; prevented.

      14. I am debtor; that is, I am under obligations of duty.--To Greeks and Barbarians; to civilized and uncivilized; that is, to all.

      15. As much as in me is; so far as I have power and opportunity.

      16. To the Jew first, and also to the Greek; a mode of expression strikingly adapted to the state of feeling among those addressed, rendering, as it does, to the Jew the honor of respectful mention as the special object of divine regard, but yet placing the Gentile on an equal footing, in fact, as a partaker of the benefits of the gospel. It Is the language of truth and of conciliation combined; salvation to all that believe,--to the Jew first,--that is, specially, prominently,--but also to the Greek. While it distinctly extends to the one class all the blessings and privileges of the gospel, it does so by a form of expression which treats with respect the long-cherished feelings and prepossessions of the other.

      17. Therein; that is, in the gospel, which was named in the beginning of the preceding verse.--The righteousness of God; righteousness in the sight of God; that is, justification, as is evident from the use of this language in Rom. 3:21-24.--From faith to faith; an expression the specific interpretation of which, in this connection, is not settled. The general idea of the passage is clear,--that in the gospel is revealed the way [328] by which the sincere believer is justified and saved.--As it is written; Hab. 2:4.

      18. The wrath of God; the displeasure of God.--Who hold the truth; that is, hold it back, make it of none effect.

      21. Knew God; had the means of knowing him.

      25. The truth of God; the truth in respect to God.--More than; rather than.

      28. Not convenient; not right.

      29. Whisperers; secret slanderers.

      32. Not only do the same, but have pleasure, &c.; that is, they were not merely led, by the power of temptation, to the occasional commission of sin, but it was their deliberate and settled purpose to love and encourage iniquity. A blacker catalogue of sins and of crimes than that here recorded, could scarcely be penned; and yet all history establishes the justice of every one of these charges, as expressing the prevailing characteristics of pagan [329] morality, in every age. The shocking details of the evidence cannot be presented to a virtuous Christian community, nor are those who are accustomed to the social influences of Christianity capable of fully realizing the truth, when the evidence is placed before them.

      1. The Jews would readily admit these charges against the pagan nations; and though they themselves incurred the same guilt, more or less openly, yet they considered themselves as protected from the divine displeasure by their strict adherence to the Mosaic ceremonial. Thus, while open iniquity characterized the pagan, secret corruption, coupled with a malignant censoriousness, was the type of Jewish sin. The object of the apostle, therefore, now, after having exhibited the wretched condition of the pagan world, is to show the Jews, without, however, at first distinctly naming them, that, notwithstanding their self-satisfaction and censoriousness, they were involved substantially in the same guilt and danger, and that their ceremonial observances would have no efficacy in saving them, since God will judge men by their inward character, and not by the outward rites which they perform. This, the general meaning and design of the chapter, is clear. The logical connection of it with what precedes, as indicated by the first word, Therefore, is obscure; for what is said in this chapter does not appear to be at all of the nature of an inference from the statements of the former one. The word Moreover would seem to express the kind of connection which actually exists between the two sections of the discourse.

      4. The riches of his goodness, &c. The Jews always regarded themselves as the special objects of the divine compassion and favor.

      6. According to his deeds; and not according to the rites and ceremonies which he may have observed or neglected. The intention of this and of the following verses was to show the Jew, what is still more pointedly expressed in the concluding verses of the chapter, that his condition in the sight of God, and his hopes of final salvation, would depend upon his personal character, and not upon any outward relations which he might sustain to the Mosaic system.

      7. Eternal life; he will render to them eternal life.

      8. Contentious; that is, against God, refusing to obey his law.--Indignation and wrath; that is, he will render to them indignation and wrath. [330]

      9. Of the Jew first, &c.; meaning that with the priority in respect to privilege and honor, which the Jew enjoyed, there was connected the priority in punishment if he disobeyed.

      12. As have sinned without law; without the revealed law.--Shall perish without law; shall be condemned, without, however, being held amenable to the requirements of revelation.

      13. The hearers of the law; that is, those to whom the written law of God was communicated, viz., the Jewish nation. The meaning is, that the Jews must not, as they were prone to do, depend upon their acceptance with God, on the ground of their being the favored people, to whom were committed the written records of his will.

      14. Having not the law; having not the written law.--Do by nature; that is, under the influence of the natural conscience.

      15. The work of the law; the work or duty required by the law.--Their conscience also bearing witness. All the writings of the ancient pagans show, most decisively, that, notwithstanding the great prevalence of practical iniquity, there was a clear and universal understanding among them of the great distinctions between right and wrong. The vices and crimes enumerated by the apostle, though every where practised, were still every where understood to be vices and crimes. As such, they were denounced by the philosophers, satirized by poets, and forbidden by the laws; and thus there is abundant evidence that when the people committed such iniquity themselves, or encouraged it in others, they did or encouraged what they distinctly and certainly knew to be wrong.

      16. In the day, &c.; referring back, apparently, to the last clause of v. 12, the intervening verses being parenthetical.--The secrets of men; their secret and real characters.--My gospel; the gospel which I preach.

      17. The apostle having introduced, in a gentle and cautious manner, the principles which show the impossibility that there can be any saving efficacy in a mere ecclesiastical position, now proceeds to give these principles a more direct application to the ideas of the Jews.--Called a Jew; a designation considered by themselves as highly honorable. In modern times, very different associations have become connected with the name.--In the law; in the Mosaic law.--Boast of God; boast of the favor of God. [331]

      20. The form of knowledge, and of the truth; that is, knowledge of the truth distinctly and systematically conveyed.

      22. Sacrilege; spiritual sacrilege, committed by withholding from God the spiritual worship which is his due.

      24. The name of God, &c.; that is, Your notorious depravity makes Jehovah, whom you profess to serve, the object of reproach and contumely among the Gentiles.

      25. Circumcision; the symbol and token of membership of the Jewish church. The meaning is, that to be a descendant of Abraham, and one of God's chosen people, is an advantage, provided the heart and conduct correspond with the privileges enjoyed.

      28. Which is one outwardly; that is, merely outwardly.

      1. What advantage, &c. The discussion, for a considerable part of this chapter, appears to take the form of a dialogue--a very common form of discussion, both in ancient and modern times.

      2. The oracles of God; divine communications which were made, in various forms, to the Jewish people.

      4. Mightest overcome; appear to be in the right.

      5. Commend the righteousness of God; is the means of exalting it, setting it in a clear point of view.-- [332] Who taketh vengeance; who inflicts punishment.

      6. For how shall God judge the world; that is, on the supposition referred to above,--if human sin must not be punished on account of its being the occasion of exalting the righteousness of God.

      8. Whose damnation; whose condemnation, meaning the condemnation of those who are guilty of the slanderous report above referred to.

      9. Are we better than they? we, the Jews, better than the Gentiles. The preceding passage, (1-9,) considered as a whole, is very elliptical and obscure. Commentators have made labored attempts to show the logical connection of the several parts with each other, and with the general subject of discussion; but the results are not very satisfactory. The explanations offered do not leave a very clear and distinct impression upon the mind.

      10. The passage which follows, to v. 19, is composed of several distinct quotations, taken from various parts of the Old Testament, principally from the book of Psalms, and applied here by the apostle as descriptive of the moral condition of the Jews. The language is considerably varied from the originals.

      19. To them who are under the law, meaning that the language of the above quotations is to be considered as descriptive of the character of Jews.--And all the world may become guilty before God. There has been much theological dispute in respect to the native character of man; but it seems to have been in great measure a war of words. Among all those who have enjoyed much opportunity for a practical acquaintance with human nature, as it develops itself on the great theatre of life, there is pretty general agreement in respect to the selfishness the duplicity, the falseness, and the absence of all honest regard for the will or law of God which prevail every where in this world of corruption and sin. The great question seems to have been to determine in what phraseology the notorious facts shall be theologically generalized.

      20. By the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified. There has [333] been some discussion, among commentators, whether, by the expression the law, in these chapters, Paul means to designate moral obligation in general, or particular requirements of the Jewish system; for in some cases he appears to use the term in one of these senses and in other cases in the other sense. The explanation seems to be, that hie employed the term in both senses, considering them as, in the view of his readers, one and the same. For, in the mind of a Jew, fidelity to the system of commands, moral and ritual, which were comprehended in the Mosaic code, was, in fact, the measure and sum of all moral obligation. The two ideas which, under the Christian dispensation, have become so distinct, were in those days, and in Jewish minds, identical.--For by the law is the knowledge of sin; that is, the law of God, instead of being a protection and a shield, only reveals more fully the universal delinquency and guilt.

      21. The righteousness of God; the righteousness which God attributes to the believer in his justification through faith.--Is manifested; is revealed or made known in the gospel.--Being witnessed; having been witnessed, that is, predicted.

      22. For there is no difference; that is, none among the different classes of men, in respect to their need of this justification.

      23. The glory of God; the approbation of God.

      24. By his grace; by his favor.

      25. A propitiation; an expiatory sacrifice.--Faith in his blood. Blood is the symbol of death. The meaning is, faith in his death, as an expiation for sin.--His righteousness; the righteousness with which he invests the believer, in justifying him through faith.

      1. Hath found; hath obtained. The meaning is, "What advantages are derived by the Jews through the Abrahamic covenant and ritual?"

      2. But not before God; that is, he has no cause to glory before God [334] The meaning appears to be that, however high and honorable the character and memory of Abraham might be in the estimation of men, in the eye of God, he was a sinner,--to be saved, like other men, by grace.

      4. Of grace; of favor.--But of debt; that is, as justly due.

      5. To him that worketh not; to him who has no meritorious works on which he can rely.

      6. Even as David also describeth; that is, David in a similar manner describeth.--Unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works; whom God justifies and saves, though he has not performed his duty. The force of the passage quoted from David in the two following verses, in respect to its application to the apostle's argument, appears to be this,--that it represents spiritual blessedness as consisting in the pardon of sin, and not in the reward of goodness; and this sustains the position that Paul has been aiming to establish, viz., that human salvation is, in all cases, dependent on grace,--that is, on undeserved favor,--and not on merit.

      9. Cometh, &c. Having thus shown that the Jews, or, as he expresses it, the circumcision, are entirely dependent on the mercy of God, he proceeds to prove that the uncircumcision, that is, the Gentiles, are not excluded from this mercy, by showing that Abraham enjoyed the gracious acceptance of God, before the rite of circumcision was performed.

      11. And he received, &c.; that is, circumcision, far from being the cause of his acceptance with God, was the seal and consequence of it. The Jews attached ideas of great spiritual efficacy to their religious rites. We see precisely the same tendency in the human mind at the present day. The peculiar religious observances pertaining to our respective branches of the Christian church, which have descended to us from our fathers, and which we have been accustomed to regard from infancy with feelings of solemnity and awe, come at last to be invested in our minds with a certain spiritual efficacy of their own. They lose the character of a symbol and a seal, and assume that of an intrinsic effectiveness, until, at length, we regard them as forming a pale, beyond which, like the Jew of old, we can scarcely believe that there is any salvation.--That he might be the father; the type or exemplar. The meaning of this clause, and of the next verse, clearly is, that Abraham, through his acceptance with God previous to his circumcision, was constituted the father of all believers of every age or nation, and that, by the ceremonial observances afterwards instituted, he became the spiritual representative and head of the Jewish [335] communion; although only those of that communion can consider him as truly their father; who follow his example in the inward spirit of their minds, as well as in outward ceremonies.

      13. Or to his seed through the law; to those who were his seed or descendants through the law, that is, through the Jewish system. In other words, by the seed of Abraham were intended all who were spiritually like him, not merely those connected with the ceremonial system of which he was the head. That this is the meaning, is evident from v. 16.

      14. The promise made of none effect; made unmeaning, since it was originally based upon faith, and not obedience.

      15. The law worketh wrath; by demanding the punishment of transgression.

      16. It is of faith; meaning that salvation is of faith.--By grace; favor.

      17. Who quickeneth the dead, &c.; who has all power to accomplish his promises.

      18. Who; referring to Abraham.--Against hope; against all apparent evidence.

      19. He considered not; was not influenced by the consideration, so as to distrust God.

      20. Staggered not; was not perplexed and uncertain.

      25. We are not probably to attempt to separate the two clauses of this verse, and to give to each its distinct signification: the form of construction seems to be only rhetorical. The meaning is, as if it were written, "Who died, and rose again, that we might be justified and saved." [336]

      1. Peace with God; reconciliation.

      2. Access by faith. Faith is thus represented not as an act by which the soul can merit a reward, but only as a way by which it may gain access to favor. Pardon is a gift. Faith in the repenting sinner does not make him deserve it it is only a necessary prerequisite to render him a proper object of its bestowal. It is very plain that a man cannot properly be forgiven for past rebellion against God, unless he is now ready to turn to him with feelings of confidence and love. Faith is, therefore, the preliminary to salvation, rendered necessary by the very nature of the case; not the merit by which salvation is earned. Thus it is, in the language of this passage, the mode by which we gain access to the grace wherein we stand.

      3. Glory in tribulations; rejoice in tribulations.

      5. Maketh not ashamed; will not deceive and disappoint us.

      6. Without strength; in a helpless and hopeless condition.

      10. By his life; by his living power. The idea is, that, since he redeemed us from past sins in the hour of his humiliation and death, he certainly will not abandon us, now that he lives and reigns in the exercise of such exalted powers and dominion.

      11. The atonement; reconciliation.

      12. By one man; that is, Adam, whose transgression in Eden was the introduction of sin and misery in the world.

      13. Until the law; during the interval which elapsed from Adam to the giving of the Mosaic law.--When there is no law; that is, no law at all; for there was, during all this time, a law of nature, by which men were rendered accountable.

      14. Death reigned, &c.; thus showing that, as Paul had maintained in the first chapter, God regarded these generations of men as amenable to a law written upon their hearts.--That [337] had not sinned after the similitude, &c.; that is, being without a revelation, they did not, like Adam, and like the Jews who lived after Moses, break laws distinctly promulgated from God. They sinned only against the light of nature. Still they sinned, and were subjected to death, the penalty of sin; and their case is accordingly included in this survey of the consequences which ensued from the transgression of Adam.--The figure of him that was to come; Jesus Christ. Figure means, in this case, type. The representing Christ as the antitype of Adam, seems to furnish the key to the meaning of this passage, (12-21,) which has always been considered one of great difficulty. The general design of the parallel drawn between Jesus and Adam, appears to be, to show that the redemption by Christ was not a mere Jewish redemption,--the counterpart and consummation of the Mosaic law,--as the Jewish Christians were prone to consider it, but that it had far wider connections and bearings. It was the counterpart and remedy for evils introduced by Adam, and affecting the whole human race; and as the consequences of his transgression brought spiritual ruin and death upon all nations, even though they had not, like Adam, sinned against a revealed law,--the remedy, now at length provided, must not be I limited to the Jews, but must be regarded as coëxtensive, in its applicability, with the ruin which it was intended to repair. If, through the greatness of the divine displeasure against sin, the transgression of Adam, the head, and in some sense the representative, of the human family, was allowed, in its results, to involve all his descendants in ruin,--much more would God, who is more ready to pardon than to punish, give to the offers of salvation by Christ a similar extension. This general idea is expressed in various forms in the verses which follow, but with a certain degree of reserve and indirectness in all, prompted, apparently, by a desire which the apostle had manifested already in other cases, not to come too abruptly into collision with the prejudices of the Jews. Some of the verses (15, 16) exhibit contrasts; others, (17-19,) analogies; but both contrasts and analogies answer the purpose intended, namely, to show that salvation by Christ was correlative to the ruin of the fall, and so, coëxtensive with it in respect to its influences, being intended to afford the offer of salvation to the whole human family.

      19. As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. This, and similar expressions in the preceding verses, bring up the subject of the connection between the sin of Adam and the moral ruin of his posterity--a subject in regard to which different branches of the Christian church still entertain very different opinions. One class contends that the whole human race is considered by Jehovah as involved in the guilt which was incurred [338] by their common ancestor, who is to be considered as their head and representative; that it becomes all men to cherish feelings of abasement and sorrow in view of their first parent's sin, taking to themselves, as his children, a share of the guilt of it; and that all individuals enter the world with this burden, in fact, resting upon them, and with a sinful constitution of character, inherited through the stock from which they spring. To others this view of the subject seems entirely inadmissible. They cannot allow that the sin of one generation can bring any burden of accountability for it upon another; or that there can be any relation of cause and effect between the sinful characters of men at the present day, and that of Adam,--choosing, rather than admit such a supposition, to leave the invariable and universal corruption of human nature entirely unexplained. This controversy will probably not soon be settled. Elements appear to be necessarily involved in the discussion which transcend the human faculties. At any rate, we must admit that, thus far, that mysterious and hidden cause, which, seemingly like an hereditary taint, descends from generation to generation, leading in all ages, in all climes, and under every of the human condition, to substantially the same moral results, has eluded and baffled all the attempts which have been made to fix and define it.

      20. That the offence might abound. This was the effect of the law, to make sin more evident, and in some cases more aggravated.--Where sin abounded, &c.; that is, under the Mosaic law. The apostle seems here to admit that, after all, the redemption of Christ was specially offered to the Jews, and was to be particularly efficacious for their salvation.

      1. Shall we continue in sin, &c., that is, will this doctrine of the free pardon of the sinner, lead men to continue unconcerned in sin, relying for impunity on the abundance of divine grace? The substance of the answer contained in the subsequent verses is, that it will not, since, by the connection of the believer with Christ, a moral change takes place, which in a great measure destroys his love for sin.

      3. Were baptized into his death. The idea expressed in this passage seems to be this,--that, by the union of the believer with Christ, represented by the rite of baptism by which it is consummated, he under goes a change analogous to the death and resurrection of Christ; for, as Christ, at his crucifixion, brought one life,--that is, his life as mortal man,--to a close, and by his resurrection commenced a new life, as it were,--that is, his immortality,--so the believer closes his life of sin, and commences a new spiritual existence. Thus he becomes dead to sin, and alive to God. (v. 11.) That this is the meaning, appears to be distinctly stated in v. 4.

      4. Buried. Those who consider immersion the only proper mode of baptism, attach great importance to this expression, as an incidental indication that that mode was the one present to the apostle's mind. [339]

      5. Planted together; joined together.--We shall be also; that is, we shall be joined with him. As he rose to immortal life after his crucifixion, so shall we enter upon a new spiritual life of holiness after becoming dead in respect to the old life of sin.

      6. Our old man; the unholy propensities of the natural heart.

      7. From sin; considered as a master; for death always sets the bondman free from his servitude.

      14. Shall not have dominion over you; make you the victim of its remorse and its penalties.--Not under the law; not dependent upon having fulfilled the law for salvation, but upon grace, that is, mercy.

      15. Shall we sin? shall we go on sinning, without scruple, because we are delivered, as stated in the preceding verse, from the retributive power of sin?

      16. His servants ye are, &c. The meaning is, that it is vain for us to imagine that we can escape the scourge and torment of sin, through divine grace, while we yield ourselves up to the guilty indulgences of it in our practice; for, by the very fact of our continuing in the practice of sin, we show that we are still under the dominion of sin, and not in a state of grace. Whichever master we choose to follow in our lives and conversation, his we are.--Unto righteousness; justification, that is, pardon and peace.

      17. That ye were; meaning that ye are not now.

      19. After the manner of men; as [340] usual among men; that is, plainly, and with illustrations drawn from common life.

      1. The law hath dominion over a man. He is under its power, and exposed to its penalties.--As long as he liveth; that is, as long as his life of sin and impenitence continues--the life referred to in the early part of the preceding chapter, as terminated by union with Christ.

      2. The woman, &c. The point of analogy in this comparison seems to be this,--that the connection of the accountable agent with the claims and penalties of law, is like that of husband and wife--one which only death can sever. The death, however, which frees the believer from his terrible responsibility, is that spiritual change which takes place when he is united to Christ,--when he dies to sin, and begins to live unto righteousness.--I speak to them that know the law; meaning that the illustration was drawn from the provisions of the Jewish law in respect to marriage.

      7. Nay, I had not known sin, &c., that is, the law, instead of being in itself sin, is the great means of exposing sin.

      8. Sin, taking occasion by the commandment; that is, it was not the law which is to be held accountable for the evil effects which result from its promulgation to the soul, but the sinfulness of the heart, taking occasion by the law,--the evil propensities being aroused by the opposition [341] with which the prohibitions of the law confronted them.

      9. I was alive; free from any special or aggravated outward guilt.--Without the law; at the period, whenever that period might have been, before the requirements of the divine law had been clearly brought to my mind.--Sin revived; was aroused to a state of activity, as explained in the two preceding verses.--And I died; was involved in open guilt and ruin. This last expression has sometimes been understood to refer to the humility and self-abasement produced by conviction of sin, under a just appreciation of the divine law; but such a state of mind is spiritually good, whereas the whole context shows that the effect here spoken of, as resulting from the exhibition of the law, was an evil effect. This seems to be placed beyond question by the two following verses.

      12. Wherefore; that is, since the aggravation of human guilt, resulting from the exhibition of the law, is to be charged to sin, that is, to the sinfulness of the heart, and not to the law.

      14. But I am carnal; that is, man is carnal. The idea seems to be that the law itself is holy; it is the man who is to be charged with the sin which the exhibition of the law develops. The pronoun I continues to be used through the remainder of the chapter, as representing human nature; though some suppose that renewed, and others that unrenewed, human nature is denoted. The language is easily susceptible of an interpretation adapted to either supposition; but the latter seems most in accordance with the general design of the apostle in this discussion, which is, to show the utter inefficacy of the law to sanctify and save those who are under its dominion. We may, therefore, understand the passage which follows, to the close of the chapter, as representing the fruitless struggles and the difficulties which would be encountered in an attempt made by one possessing the sinful nature of man, to secure his salvation by the law.

      15. For that which I do; on the supposition, as before explained, that I am endeavoring to save myself by the law.

      20. It is no more I, &c.; that is, in doing it, I am, as it were, under the bondage and coercion of sin. [342]

      22. I delight, &c. They who interpret this passage as above explained, consider this expression, and the others which imply feelings of approbation towards the law of God, as in v. 16, 25, &c., as referring to the approving testimony borne by conscience in favor of the excellence of the law, even in wicked men. Others think that these expressions prove that the subject of this description must be a soul renewed. The question in regard to the true interpretation of the passage is admitted to be a very difficult one.

      1. On the supposition that the last part of the last chapter describes the hopeless situation of the sinner, while under the sole dominion of the law and struggling to save himself on the terms which it prescribes, the apostle now passes to a description of the safe and happy condition of those who are under grace.

      3. Weak through the flesh; unable to effect its object, on account of the corruption of the flesh, that is, of human nature.--For sin; as an offering for sin.--Condemned sin; deprived it of its power, considered metaphorically as the enemy and tyrant of man. The word condemned seems to be used in correspondence with the word condemnation, in the first verse; for the second and third verses express the ground of the statement in the first,--the point being that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because, through his atonement, sin itself is condemned.

      6. To be carnally minded; to be in the worldly-minded and ungodly state which men usually manifest, and which is their natural condition.

      7. Is enmity against God. That the natural state of the human heart towards God is that of alienation aversion and hostility, is shown in all the aspects which human nature presents, by every mark which can indicate such feelings. In fact, the whole history of religion in this world is a history of the efforts of conscience to scourge mankind into the performance of their duties to their Maker, and of the endless shifts, contrivances, and evasions, of men struggling to escape from what they cannot endure.--Neither indeed can be; that is, the alienation of the heart from God is not temporary [343] and accidental, but a permanent and fixed characteristic of the soul,--such that, until it is changed, there can no really honest and sincere obedience to the law of God possibly come from the heart which is governed by it.

      10. The body is dead, &c., that is, though the body is still the abode of appetite and passion, tending to sin and death, there is a spiritual life in the soul, which will sanctify and save it.

      11. Shall also quicken; shall sanctify.

      15. The spirit of bondage; the spirit of a slave. The meaning is, that the renewed man is not received as a slave, to live in terror of threatened punishment, as he did under the law, but as an adopted child, so that he may approach God as his benefactor, and call him Father.--Abba; the word meaning father in the language then used by the Jews.

      19. The creature; the creation. This word, and the whole passage depending upon it, (19-22,) have been the subject of much discussion. Although there is still great difference of opinion in respect to the details, yet the prevailing sentiment would seem to be, that the general intent of the passage is to represent the whole creation groaning under the ills which sin has introduced, and looking forward in anxious expectation of a better state of things to come.--Manifestation of the sons of God; recognition and establishment of the heirs mentioned in v. 17, in their inheritance.

      20. To vanity; to sin and its consequences.--In hope; in hope of deliverance to come, as described in the following verse.

      22. The whole creation groaneth. All nature struggles under the burden of suffering and sill. [344]

      23. Of the Spirit; the Holy Spirit, poured out upon the disciples after the ascension of the Savior.--Waiting for the adoption; looking forward to the time when we shall realize the adoption referred to in v. 15.

      26. Maketh intercession for us; in and through us, by awakening right desires, and giving the right direction to the expression of them.

      28. The called according to his purpose. The doctrine of the passage introduced by this expression, and extending to v. 32, seems plainly to be this,--that the redemption of the sinner is not a work which he performs upon himself, but one which God performs upon him,--being commenced and continued through its several successive steps, by divine power; and that, where it is once begun, it will be carried forward to its final consummation.

      33. God's elect; those whom God chooses.

      34. Maketh intercession. The image is taken from the idea of a tribunal of justice, where the safety of the accused depends, in great measure, upon the influence of his advocate. The meaning is, "How can the believer be condemned, since Jesus will plead his cause?"

      35. The love of Christ. This expression is obviously susceptible of two significations. It may denote the love of Christ for the believer, or the love of the believer for Christ. What precedes the expression, as it here stands, seems to require that it should be understood in the former sense, as the certainty of divine protection has been the subject of the writer's remarks. But, on the other hand, what follows would rather indicate that the latter--that is, the love of the believer for Christ--is intended, as this only can be well supposed to be affected by the causes named below. On the whole, the former supposition is [345] probably correct, as is indicated by the analogous expressions in v. 37, 39, especially in the latter. The meaning of the whole passage, then, will be, that the believer has no cause to fear for his ultimate safety. His present state of reconciliation with God is not accidental, and it will not be temporary. It is the result of the long-settled purpose of God. It is a work which God has undertaken; he will accomplish what he has begun; and Jesus, their Redeemer, who once gave his life for their ransom, will, now that he has risen to majesty and power, never forsake them in any of the darkest and most discouraging times of trial which they may be called to endure.

      38. Nor angels, &c.; that is, no power whatever, visible or invisible.

      3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ; I should be willing to be sacrificed myself to save them. It would seem to be unnecessary to inquire for any definite and precise meaning to be attached to the phrase, accursed from Christ; for the language was doubtless not intended to present an idea seriously entertained, but only as a strong expression indicating deep anxiety and earnest desire.

      4. The adoption; adoption as the chosen people of God.--The glory; the visible manifestation of the divine presence over the ark. (Ex. 13:21, 22. 25:22.)--The covenants; those which God made with the patriarchs.--The service of God; the divinely-instituted rites of public worship.

      5. The fathers; the patriarchs.--As concerning the flesh; in respect to human parentage.--God blessed forever. It is unusual for the sacred writers to identify the Redeemer in so direct and unqualified a manner with the supreme Divinity; because they generally speak of him in his mediatorial capacity, in which he occupies a position subordinate to the Father. (See particularly 1 Cor. 15:24-28.) This case is, however, not solitary, as will appear by referring to Phil. 2:6. Tit. 1:3. 2:13. Various attempts have been made to detach the last part of the verse from what precedes, so as to give the doxology an independent interpretation. But the construction of the passage in the original resists these attempts; and they are admitted by those who make them not to be satisfactory.

      6. Not as though, &c.; that is, his solicitude, as expressed above, did not arise from fear lest the promises of God should not be fulfilled.--Not all [346] Israel which are of Israel; they are not all the true children of God which are of the Jewish nation.

      7. But, In Isaac, &c. The general argument commenced here, and coming to its result in v. 18, is this,--that as God, in constituting the Hebrew nation in ancient times, made a selection, for reasons not revealed, of some of the descendants of the patriarchs to the exclusion of others, so does he now choose from among mankind whomsoever he will as objects of spiritual mercy. This first illustration is taken from the case of Isaac, who was chosen to the exclusion of Ishmael, (Gen. 17:19-21,) and of Abraham's six sons, whose mother was Keturah. (Gen. 25:1, 2.)

      8. Children of the flesh; naturally descended.--These are not, &c.; that is, not necessarily.--The children of the promise; those contemplated in the divine councils, as included in the intent of the promise.

      10. By one. In the case of Abraham, the children rejected were children of another mother, which might have been considered as the ground of the distinction; but, in the case of Esau and Jacob, a selection was made between two whose parentage on both sides was the same.

      11. According to election; according to his own choice and determination.--Not of works, &c.; that is, the supremacy of Jacob over Esau was not a reward for any good works which he performed, but it rested solely, on the decision of God, adopted for other reasons, and before either of the subjects of it were born.

      12. The elder; Esau.--Shall serve; be subject to.

      13. Loved; chosen.--Hated; rejected.

      15. This passage, is to be found in Ex. 33:19.

      16. The meaning is, that divine favors are never earned by the spontaneous exertions of man; they are bestowed gratuitously by the mercy of God. We must not consider this verse as implying that men may honestly strive, and yet fail of obtaining the favor of God, but that they do not strive for it. The expression is, as If we were to say, "The fertility of Egypt is not of rain, but of the overflowing of the Nile." This does not imply that rain, if it were to descend, would not produce fertility,--but that it does not descend, and so the land is dependent upon another source. So in this case; if men were honestly to attempt to do their duty and please God, they would doubtless please him; but they do not make the attempt,--and so their salvation rests entirely on his mercy. [347]

      17, 18. This is, perhaps, the most of the numerous passages, occurring in the Scriptures, in which it is asserted that the control of Almighty God is absolute and entire over all the moral conduct of his creatures, whether evil or good--a control so absolute and entire, that if, in the course of his administration, he deems it expedient to exhibit to the universe a spectacle of sin and its consequences, he can do so,--while yet the moral responsibility and ill desert of the sin rests solely with the being who commits it. Such a doctrine awakens very different feelings in different minds. Some repose in quiet and submissive confidence under the absolute and boundless moral sovereignty with which it invests Jehovah. Others find it utterly irreconcilable with what they regard as plain principles of justice, and the very statement of it seems to awaken in their minds feelings of abhorrence and detestation. Many classes of excellent Christians endeavor to soften this doctrine by allowing to the power of Jehovah an efficient control over all the right and holy desires and acts of his creatures, while they limit, and qualify in various ways, his agency in respect to those that are wrong; for the minds of mankind at large are found to acquiesce much more readily in assigning to God a direct agency in the production of holiness, than in that of sin. It is, however, somewhat doubtful whether the real difficulty is much alleviated, in a philosophical point of view, by this management; for we cannot easily conceive how one kind of moral conduct or character can be determined by a superior power, consistently with the freedom of the agent, rather than another; that is to say, if God can produce penitence in David's heart, which shall yet be wholly David's penitence, and for which David only shall be morally responsible, it is difficult to show any reason why the same kind of moral power, operating reversely, may not produce obduracy in Pharaoh's heart, which shall be wholly Pharaoh's obduracy, and for which Pharaoh alone is morally accountable. There is a great difference between the two cases, in respect to the readiness with which the mind is willing to admit such a power; but it would probably not be easy to establish between them any philosophical distinction. The difficulty seems insurmountable to human powers in either case. But, then, we must consider that, whatever difficulties may attend this subject, they seem to be involved in the very idea of a divinity really supreme. And, even if we relinquish the idea of a divinity, and substitute, as in that case we must, the control of steadily-acting laws, mental and corporeal, over the phenomena of matter and mind,--the doctrine of philosophical necessity takes the place of that of the personal sovereignty of Jehovah, and it is, to say the least, quite as intractable in respect to its consistency with human freedom. The difficulties, then, would seem, cannot, on any hypothesis, be either solved or avoided. The result is, that the only way in which the mind can be really at peace on this subject is humbly to acquiesce in our incapacity to fathom this gulf, in theory, and then practically to yield our full and cordial assent, on the one hand, to the dictates of conscience, which testify that we are entirely unrestrained in our moral conduct, and so accountable for it,--and, on the other, to the word of God, asserting that Jehovah is supreme, and that his providence includes and controls all that takes place under his reign.

      20. Who art thou, &c. It is [348] remarkable that, while the difficulties which occur in the discussion of other subjects, in the word of God, are often fully explained, in this instance, no attempt is made to answer the objector. He is simply silenced.

      25. Osee; Hosea 2:23.--And her Beloved; meaning, I will call her Beloved, that is, I will make her so; referring to the Gentiles, who were originally not among the chosen people of God, but were now received under the Christian dispensation.

      27. In the few preceding verses, the apostle has been showing that some Gentiles were to be saved: he now proceeds to say that some Jews would not be saved.--A remnant; a remnant only; that is, not the whole. The passage, v. 27 and 28, is quoted from Isa. 10:22, 23, and is to be understood as a threatening of judgment denounced by Isaiah against the Jews.

      29. Said before; viz., Isa. 1:9.--The Lord of Sabaoth; the Lord of hosts.--A seed; a remnant.--We had been as Sodoma; that is, we should have been utterly destroyed. The idea is that, so far were the Jews from being of course secure of the favor of God, they are in one case represented by the prophet as just escaping absolute extermination.

      30. Righteousness; justification.

      31. The law of righteousness; the righteousness of the law, that is, justification by means of it.

      32. That stumbling-stone; the one described in the quotation contained in the next verse.

      33. As it is written; in Isa. 8:14, and 28:16. [349]

      3. God's righteousness; the way in which God will really justify the sinner.

      5. Lev. 18:5. The quotation is intended to show that obedience, that is perfect obedience, which the apostle had before proved to be unattainable, was the only condition on which men could be saved by the law.

      6, 7, 8. (See Deut. 30:11-14.) The first clause in each verse is quoted from that passage; the last expresses the application, which Paul makes of the language to salvation by Christ. The idea is, that salvation by faith in Christ is ready at hand, and is freely offered to all.

      9, 10. We are thus taught that the faith of the believer must not only be heartfelt and sincere, but it must be openly avowed.

      11. Whosoever; whether Gentile or Jew.--Ashamed; disappointed.

      13. Shall call upon the name of the Lord; shall look to Jesus, and rely upon him, instead of upon their own good deeds.

      15. How beautiful are the feet; how welcome is the coming.

      17. By the word of God; by the public preaching of the word of God.

      18. Their sound; the voices of the preachers of the gospel. The language is quoted from Ps. 19:4, and [350] is here employed to express the extensive promulgation which the gospel had received.

      19. Did not Israel know? Did they not know that the favor of God which they rejected was to be bestowed on the Gentile nations?--Them that are no people; the Gentiles.--A foolish nation; a people despised.

      21. The intent and meaning of the several detached verses of this chapter, and their general bearing upon the subject of discussion, seem sufficiently clear; but the manner in which they were logically related to each other in the author's mind is less obvious. The links of connection are variously supplied by the conjectures of commentators.

      2. Maketh intercession against; pleads against. The passage referred to is found in 1 Kings 19:10, 14, 18.

      5. The election of grace; the election of favor or mercy.

      6. The meaning is, that salvation must either be fully merited, or else bestowed in mercy. It cannot be partially merited. For unless the law is fully obeyed, it is broken, and the reward of transgression, not that of obedience, is deserved.

      7. Israel; Israel in general.--He seeketh for; looketh for; that is, the justification which he expects on account of his alleged obedience of the law.--Were blinded; were blind, as some say, in order to avoid the necessity of supposing any agency on the part of Jehovah in respect to the moral character of wicked men. But the expression in the next verse, "God has given them the spirit of slumber," seems very unequivocal. They, however, who cannot submit to the doctrine which it seems to teach, shelter themselves from it by saying that God is represented in the Scriptures as doing that which he does not interpose to prevent. And it must be conceded that this interpretation is confirmed by the form in which the passage originally occurs in the book from which it is quoted here. (Deut. 29:4.) The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear. [351]

      11, 12. The rejection of the gospel by the Jews, under the preaching of the apostles, almost every where resulted in turning the apostles to the Gentiles, and was thus the occasion of promoting the wider extension of Christianity.--Their fulness; their general acceptance of the gospel.

      14. My flesh; my kinsmen.

      16. The lump; the whole mass. The meaning is, that, inasmuch as now a small portion of the Jewish nation believed in Christ, so the time would come when all would be brought into his kingdom.

      17. And thou; referring, obviously to the Gentile convert.--Graffed; grafted.--The root and fatness; the strength and sustenance derived from the root.

      18. Thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. The meaning is, that the Christian church, to which the Gentile convert was admitted, being built upon the foundation of the Jewish church, the Gentile should not cherish feelings of pride and superiority in respect to his Jewish brother.

      23. They also; the unbelieving Jews. [352]

      25. The fulness of the Gentiles; the Gentiles generally.

      26. And so; and then.

      28. They are enemies; God treats them as enemies; that is, the Jewish people are, for a time, rejected, and the Gentiles received in their stead; but still God will ultimately restore them, out of regard to the promises which he made to their fathers.

      29. Without repentance; that is, on the part of God. He will, at all events, faithfully fulfil the promises which he makes.

      31. That is, the Jews reject the gospel now; but the course of divine providence, after bestowing mercy upon the Gentiles, will finally bestow it also upon them.

      32. That he might have mercy; with the design of finally having mercy, &c.

      33-36. Thus, in the conclusion of the doctrinal part of the Epistle, the writer expresses what may be regarded as the leading sentiment which he has been inculcating through the whole, viz., that no man can come to God with any merits of his own, or any claim whatever for recompense or reward; but that, as the goodness and mercy of God's alone originate all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, so his power and will are supreme in directing the disposal of them.

      1. Your bodies; yourselves.--A living sacrifice; wholly devoted to the service of God.

      2. Conformed to this world, in sinful character.--Transformed; changed.--Prove; exemplify. [353]

      5. One of another; one with another.

      6. The word prophecy, in the New Testament, generally refers to the public preaching of the gospel, in the exercise of the higher spiritual gifts. The specifications which follow, to v. 8, are to be understood as referring not to distinct and separate offices, as has been sometimes supposed, but to the different classes of duties which devolved upon the various individuals of the church, arising either from offices which they held, or from their peculiar characteristics or positions. The general meaning is, that, whatever may be the peculiar duties which the individual is called upon to perform, according to his talents or position or circumstances he should give himself cheerfully to the work, feeling that he is thus coöperating with all his brethren, and that his brethren are coöperating with him.

      7. Ministry; the service Of the church in respect to its temporal concerns.

      9. Without dissimulation; honest, sincere.

      16. Mind not high things; that is, they were not to set their hearts on what is high and honorable in the estimation of the world.

      17. Things honest; things reputable, praiseworthy. That is, the Christian is to have a constant regard for the aspect in which his conduct and character exhibit themselves to mankind.

      19. Give place unto wrath,--to the wrath of God; that is, leave the work of retribution to him. [354]

      20. Heap coals of fire upon his head; overwhelm him with shame and remorse for the injuries he has done you.

      1. Subject; obedient and submissive.--The higher powers; those of the civil government.

      2. Damnation; condemnation and just punishment.

      4. The minister of God; the servant, or instrument, employed by God. The duty of submission to the civil government, here urged in an absolute manner, is, of course, like all the other precepts of a similar character contained in the New Testament, to be understood with certain limitations and restrictions. The principal exceptions commonly made to the rule here laid down in general terms, are two:--first, that the civil authorities may be resisted when they require of the subject what is morally wrong; and, secondly, that, when their misgovernment and oppression become extreme and hopeless of reform, the community may depose them from their power. These cases are evidently not included in the view of the subject taken in this passage, as these directions plainly refer to the ordinary routine of civil government, in preserving order in the community, and administering law. The Jews were very prone to turbulence and sedition against the Roman government.

      5. For wrath; for fear of wrath, that is, of punishment.

      7. Custom; a species of tax. [355]

      11. Than when we believed; when we first believed.

      14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ; assume the spirit and character of the Lord Jesus Christ.

      1. To doubtful disputations; referring to such subjects as those discussed in the verses which follow.

      2. There was a difficulty in the minds of many Jews, in respect to eating animal food, lest they might sometimes eat the flesh of animals which had been offered in sacrifice to idols, and thus, as they supposed, be sharers in the sin of idolatry, or in other respects violate the Mosaic requirements in regard to ceremonial uncleanness. (See v. 14.) This subject is treated fully in 1 Cor. 8. There was also a disposition, manifested quite early in the history of the church, to imagine that voluntary penances and privations, and especially a rigid self-denial in the use of food, was either the mark that indicated, or the means to acquire, peculiar sanctity. Which of these two ideas is the one referred to by the apostle here has been considered uncertain. It would seem altogether probable that it was the former, for it is treated as the harmless prejudice of a weak-minded man, which the former was; while the latter is the seed and germ of the most dangerous fanaticism.--Herbs; vegetables.

      3. Despise him, &c.; regard him with contempt, as weak and narrow minded.--Judge him, &c.; condemn him as guilty of idolatry.

      5. The days here referred to were probably the various fasts and feasts of the Jewish law.--Let every man, &c.; that is, let every one do what he thinks right, without molestation from others.

      6. The meaning is, since each one, in regard to these outward observances, goes forward in what he deems his duty, under the influence of an honest [356] desire to please and obey God, he ought not to be condemned.

      8. Whether we live,--whether we die; that is, in all the circumstances and avocations of life.

      11. Every knee shall bow to me; to me only, meaning that Christians, in such cases as this, are responsible to God, and not to one another.

      13. That no man put a stumbling-block, &c.; wound the feelings or the conscience of a brother.

      14. To him it is unclean; that is, he ought to act in such cases according to his own convictions of duty.

      15. Thy meat; thy food.

      17. Is not meat and drink. Piety does not consist in these outward and ceremonial observances.

      18. Serveth Christ; takes such a course as he supposes will be acceptable to Christ, whatsoever it may be.

      19. Edify another; encourage and aid him in his Christian progress.

      20. All things indeed are pure; that is, there is really no moral contamination to be contracted from food.--With offence; under such circumstances as to occasion offence; that is, to distress or wound a Christian brother.

      22. Hast thou faith; enlightened and confident belief on these subjects.

      23. Is damned; is condemned; that is, he is in the wrong. The meaning is, that, if he does what is really innocent, when he supposes it not to be go, he incurs guilt and condemnation. [357]

      1. Not to please ourselves; not to act merely with reference to pleasing ourselves.

      3. Since Christ endured reproach and suffering for us, we ought to have a kind and tender regard for each other.

      5. According to Christ Jesus; in accordance with the Spirit manifested by him.

      6. With one mind and one mouth; with one mind and one voice.

      8. Was a minister of the circumcision; of the Jewish people. In his mission to this world, he fulfilled the designs and promises of God in respect to the Jews.

      9. And that the Gentiles, &c.; that is, he came for the benefit of the Gentiles also, that they might find mercy in God, in accordance with what was always his design, as is shown from the passages quoted in the verses which follow.

      15. The grace; the trust or commission, viz., the one mentioned in the next verse.

      17. Which pertain to God; to the kingdom of God. [358]

      19. Illyricum was beyond Macedonia, towards the north.

      22. For which cause; that is, on account of having been engaged in giving the publication of the gospel the greatest possible extension.

      23. No more place; that is, none specially requiring his presence and labors.

      24. Thitherward; towards Spain.

      25. To minister unto the saints; to minister to their wants, by carrying a contribution. The circumstances of this contribution are referred to in Acts 24:17. 1 Cor. 16:1-4. 2 Cor. chap. 8: 9:

      28. Sealed to them; secured to them.

      1. A servant of the church. A class of female officers is supposed to have existed in the early Christian church. The name here translated servant corresponds to the word deaconess.--Cenchrea. This was the eastern port of Corinth,--that is, the one communicating with the Egean [359] Sea,--and was at a distance of a few miles from the city. The mention of Phebe as the bearer of the Epistle, confirms the supposition that this Epistle was written while Paul was at Corinth.

      3. Priscilla, and Aquila. The circumstances attending Paul's first acquaintance with them are stated Acts 18:2, 3. They were then at Corinth. It appears that they had now returned to Rome.

      4. Laid down their own necks; exposed themselves to the most imminent dangers.

      5. The church that is in their house. It is uncertain whether this is to be understood as referring to the Christian members of their family, or to a religious assembly accustomed to convene in their house. A similar expression is used in connection with them in 1 Cor. 16:19.--The first fruits of Achaia. The first convert from Achaia.

      7. My kinsmen; meaning, perhaps his fellow-countrymen.--Fellow-prisoners. They had been joined with him at some one of the numerous occasions on which Paul had been imprisoned.

      13. His mother and mine; intimating that she had been a mother to him in kindness and regard.

      18. Their own belly; their own earthly and carnal propensities. [360]

      21. Timotheus; Timothy, who was at this time Paul's companion, as appears from Acts 20:4.--Lucius; probably Luke, the author of one of the Gospels, and of the book of the Acts, who includes himself in Paul's company at this time in narrating his history. (Acts 20:5.) There was, however, another Lucius, a Cyrenian, mentioned Acts 13:1.

      22. Who wrote this epistle; at Paul's dictation. The forms of the letters, and the nature of the writing materials, employed in ancient times, made writing much more laborious then, than it is now. Paul seems generally to have employed an amanuensis.

      23. Mine host; at Corinth. For some further account of Gaius, see 1 Cor. 1:14. The Third Epistle of John was addressed to an individual of this name.--The chamberlain; the treasurer.

      Written to the Romans, &c. Many of the Epistles have notes of this sort appended to them, evidently by a later hand, as of course they could not have originally formed a part of the Epistle. When and by whom they were added, is not known. They are not considered as forming a part of, the inspired volume, and are, accordingly, sometimes omitted. [361]

[AINT 325-361]