was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh, 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of ho γενομένου εκ σπερματος Δαβιδ κατα σαρκα, 4 Του ὁρισθέντος διον Θεου εν δυνάμει, κατα πνευμα ἁγιω συνης, εξ αναςάσεως νεκρων liness, by the resurrection Ιησου Χριςου του Κυριου ήμων. from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. 7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be 5. Δι' ο ελαβομεν χαριν και αποςολήν εις ὑπακοὴν πίςεως εν πάσι τοις εθνεσιν, ὑπερ του ονόματος αυτου 6 Εν οις εςε και μεις, κλη του Ιησου Χριςου 7 Πασι τοις ουσιν εν Ρώμη, αγαπητοις Θεου, κλητοις, ἁγι 2. Who was born of the seed of David, with respect to the flesh. Zags flesh, sometimes denotes the human body, 1 Cor. vii. 28. sometimes the human mind, Rom. vii. 19. 2 Cor. vii. 7. and sometimes the whole man, John iii. 6.-Here being opposed to the spirit of holiness, it signifies our Lord's body. For, it cannot be thought, that he derived his human soul from his mother, because that would imply the divisibility of the soul of the parent. Beza, in his note on this verse, supposing that the word outros denotes the forma tion of our Lord's body, says, the Holy Ghost took of the substance of Mary's body, and formed it into a body for our Lord. He adds, that the ancients urged this text against Valentinus, Marcion, and the rest: some of whom affirmed, that our Lord's body was only imaginary; others, that it was formed of celestial matter, and sent into the body of his mother from heaven. But although the apostle, in this place, speaks only of our Lord's body, it does not follow, that he had nothing of the human nature but a body. The passages in which he is called a man, and the man Jesus Christ and our brother, and in which his sufferings are described, imply that he had a real human soul also. Ver. 4-1. Declared, ögior. The original word signifies to fix the boundaries of a thing, consequently to make it appear what it is. 2. With power. Locke understands this of the miraculous power, described Eph. i. 19, 20. whereby Jesus was raised from the dead. I rather think power denotes the strength of the evidence by which he was demonstrated to be the Son of God. 3. By bis resurrection from the dead. Here I have supplied the pronoun his, because the scope of the reasoning requires it to be supplied.—Jesus being put to death as a blasphemer, for calling himself Christ the Son of the blessed, God would not have raised him from the dead, if he had been an of David, with respect to foretold, was born of a woman de the flesh,2 4 BUT was declared1 the Son of God with power,2 with respect to the spirit of holiness, by HIS resurrection FROM the dead: EVEN Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 (A' 121.) From whom we have received grace, and apostleship, in order to the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, (veg) on account of his name ;3 6 Among whom, are also ye, the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all who are in Rome, to the beloved of scended from David, the king of Israel, with respect to his flesh, . 4 But was declared the Son of God, with great power of evidence, with respect to his holy spiritual nature, by his resurrection from the dead, after he had been crucified by the Jewish rulers for calling himself the Son of God, even Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 From whom, since his resurrection, I have received miraculous powers and apostleship, in order that through my preaching him as the Son of God, the obedience of faith may be given to him, among all the Gentiles, on account of his being the Son of God. 6 Among the number of which Gentiles, are also ye the called disciples of Jesus Christ. 7 Being thus commissioned, I write this letter to all who are in impostor; especially as he had often foretold his own resurrection, and appealed to it as a proof of his being the Son of God, John ii. 19. His resurrection therefore was a public testimony, borne by God himself, to the truth of our Lord's pretensions, which put the matter beyond all doubt. See Heb. i. 5. note 1. Ver. 5.-1. From whom we have received grace and apostleship. That is, the grace or favour of apostleship. See Gal. ii. 9. Eph. iii. 2. where the apostolic office is styled grace. Or, if grace and apostleship are taken separately, apostleship may signify the office, and grace the supernatural endow. ments bestowed on Paul, to fit him for that office. 2. In order to the obedience of faith. Either obedience from a principle of faith, or faith itself, called obedience simply, chap. xvi. 19. 3. On account of his name. Name here signifies the character of Christ, as the Son of God and Saviour of the world This name, Paul was appointed to bear, or publish before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel, Acts ix. 15. And it is on account of this name or character, that all men are bound to obey him. Ver. 7.-1. Unto all who are in Rome. This epistle being written to persuade the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles to embrace the gospel, as exhibiting the only effectual method of salvation, it was fitly addressed to the whole inhabitants of Rome, to the heathens as well as to the Jews and Christians. See ver. 13, 14, 15. saints: Grace to you, and peace from Godour Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ, for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with οις Χαρις ύμιν και ειρήνη απο Θε8 πατρος ήμων, και Κυριου Ιησε Χριςου. 8 Πρωτον μεν ευχαρίζω τῷ Θεῷ μου δια Ιησου Χριςου ὑπερ παντων ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἡ πιςις μων καταγγελλεται εν όλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ. 9 Μαρτυς γαρ μου εςιν ὁ & my spirit in the gospel of Θεός, ᾧ λατρευω εν τῷ πνευ his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, μαζι μου, εν τῷ ευαγγελιῳ του διου αυτου, ὡς αδιαλειπίως μνειαν ὑμων ποιουμαι. 2. To the beloved of God, to the called, (see Rom. ix. 7. note,) to the saints. See Ess. iv. 48. These are the honourable appellations which God anciently gave to the Jewish nation, as his people and church. But they now belonged to the disciples of Christ, as the visible church of God, substituted in place of the Jews. By these honourable appellations, therefore, the Christians at Rome were distinguished from the idolatrous inhabitants of the city, and from the unbelieving Jews; the whole being comprehended in the general description, All who are in Rome. 3. Grace to you. In the apostolic benedictions, grace signifies the influences and fruits of the Spirit, the favour and protection of God, the pardon of sin, the enjoyment of eternal life; all which are called grace, because they are gratuitously bestowed by God. 4. And peace. The usual salutation among the easterns was, Peace be to you, by which they meant every kind of worldly felicity. But in Paul's writings, peace signifies that satisfaction which results from being in friendship with God. Thus Rom. v. 1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. It also signifies the happiness of heaven, called, Philip. iv. 7. The peace of God, which passeth all comprehension. In this sense, I think, it is used in the apostolic benedictions, and Rom. ii. 9.-Because most of the Roman brethren were unacquainted with Paul, he judged it necessary, in the inscription of his letter, to assure them that he was an apostle called by Jesus Christ himself, and that he was separated to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, in fulfilment of the promises which God had made by the prophets in the scriptures, that the gospel should be preached to them. These circumstances he mentioned, to remove the prejudices of the believing, as well as of the unbelieving Jews, who he knew were displeased with him for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. Withal, because the church of Rome had not been planted by any apostle, he instructed them in some particulars concerning the nature Rome; and more especially to those who are the beloved of God, on account of their faith, to the called seed of Abraham, to the saints by profession. May grace be multiplied to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 And first, I thank my God through Jesus Christ, on account of all of you, who have embraced the gospel, that your faith in Jesus Christ is so conspicuous, that it is spoken of throughout the whole Roman empire. 9 In saying, I am thankful for your conversion, I speak the truth; for I call God to witness, whom, with the utmost earnestness, I serve in the ministry of the gospel of his Son, that constantly I make affectionate mention of you. and character of Christ, which it was of great importance for them to know. Ver. 8.—1. I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for all of you. In the beginning of his epistles, Paul generally subjoined to the apostolic benediction, a solemn thanksgiving for the faith, charity, patience, and other virtues of the brethren to whom he wrote, to make them sensible of their happy state, and to lead them to a right improvement of the advantages which they enjoyed as Christians. 2. That your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. The faith of the Romans, which occasioned so much discourse, was their turning from idols. An event of this kind could not fail to be spoken of with wonder through the whole empire, as there were multitudes of strangers continually coming to Rome from the provinces, who on their return home would report what they had seen. For this the apostle thanked God, because the conversion of the Romans encouraged the inhabitants of other cities to forsake the established idolatry. Besides, Rome being the metropolis of the world, the conversion of so many of its inhabitants, brought no small credit to the evidences of the gospel. Ver. 9.-1. For God is my witness. The Roman brethren being mostly Jews, this solemn asseveration concerning the mention which the apostle made of them in his prayers, was intended to convince them that their conversion was as much the subject of his thanksgiving to God, as the conversion of the Gentiles. 10 Making request (ifby any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God) to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the bar 10 Παντοτε επι των προσευ χων μου δεόμενος, ει πως ηδη ποτε ευοδωθήσομαι εν τῷ θε ληματι του Θεου, ελθειν προς ὑμας. 11 Επιποθώ yap ιδειν ύμας, ἵνα τι μεταδω χαρισμα ύμιν πνευματικον, εις το ςηριχθήναι μας 12 Τούτο δε εςι, συμπαρα κληθηναι εν ύμιν δια της εν αλληλοις πιςεως, ὑμων τε και εμε. 15 Ου θελω δε μας αγνοειν, αδελφοι, ότι πολλακις προεπεμην ελθειν προς ύμας, (και εκωλύθην αχρι του δευρο) ἵνα καρπον τινα σχω και εν υμιν, καθως και εν τοις λοιποις επ νεσιν 14 Έλλησι τε και βαρβα barians, both to the wise, ροις, σοφοις τε και ανοήτοις οφειλετης ειμι and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach 15 Οὕτω το κατ' εμε προ Ver. 11.1. That I may impart to you some spiritual gift. That many of the brethren at Rome were already possessed of spiritual gifts, is evident from Rom. xii. where directions are given them concerning the exercise of these gifts. A number of the Roman brethren having been converted in the east, may have received spiritual gifts from one or other of the apostles; and with respect to the rest, St. Paul proposed to enrich some of them with these gifts on his coming to Rome. Ver. 12.—1. Mutual faith both of you and me. As often as the apostles communicated spiritual gifts to their disciples, it was a new proof to themselves of the divine presence with them, and an additional confirmation of their mission from God in the eyes of others, both of which, no doubt, gave them great joy. Ver. 14.1. Το the Greeks and to the barbarians. Under the name of Greeks, the Romans were comprehended, because they were now become a learned |