Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Romans 15:1

Clarke's Commentary

CHAPTER XV.

The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak, and each

strive to please, not himself, but his neighbour, after the

example of Christ, 1-3.

Whatsoever was written in old times was written for our

learning, 4.

We should be of one mind, that we might with one mouth glorify

God, 5, 6.

We should accept each other as Christ has accepted us, 7.

Scriptural proofs that Jesus Christ was not only the minister

of the circumcision, but came also for the salvation of the

Gentiles, 8-12.

The God of hope can fill us with all peace and joy in

believing, 13.

Character of the Church of Rome, 14.

The reason why the apostle wrote so boldly to the Church in

that city-what God had wrought by him, and what he purposed

to do, 15-24.

He tells them of his intended journey to Jerusalem, with a

contribution to the poor saints-a sketch of this journey, 25-29.

He commends himself to their prayers, 30-33.

NOTES ON CHAP. XV.

Verse Romans 15:1. We then that are strong — The sense of this verse is supposed to be the following: We, Gentile Christians, who perfectly understand the nature of our Gospel liberty, not only lawfully may, but are bound in duty to bear any inconveniences that may arise from the scruples of the weaker brethren, and to ease their consciences by prudently abstaining from such indifferent things as may offend and trouble them; and not take advantage from our superior knowledge to make them submit to our judgment.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

The use of Christian liberty (14:1-15:13)

Although Christians are free from religious rules and regulations such as those found in Moses’ law, some have difficulty living with such freedom. Because their faith is not strong, they have their own laws which they feel bound to keep. Other Christians should accept such people warmly into their fellowship and not argue with them about personal opinions (14:1).
Some of the Jewish Christians in the church in Rome had grown little in their faith and still kept old Jewish food laws, but stronger Christians ate any food at all. Paul warns the stronger Christians not to look down on their weaker fellows, and warns the weaker ones not to criticize those who feel free to eat anything. Christians are servants of the Lord, and he is able to uphold them even when their fellow Christians might think they will fall (2-4).
In addition to keeping food laws, some Jewish Christians observed special holy days. The principle of the individual’s responsibility to Christ again applies. Both strong and weak Christians recognize Christ’s lordship in such matters, and all should make up their minds about what they believe is right for them in the circumstances (5-6). Christians live not to please themselves but to please Christ, who bought them for himself through his death and resurrection. They are answerable to him for all their actions (7-9). Christ the Lord is the one who will judge his servants. Those servants have no need to judge each other (10-12).
It is better that all Christians, instead of judging each other, make sure they do not damage others by causing them to do wrong. Things that are harmless to some people are sinful to others (13-14). Weaker believers may feel that a certain action is wrong, but if they see stronger believers doing it and they follow their example, they sin against their conscience. The liberty of the stronger believers therefore becomes a cause of sin. It leads weaker believers to do what they feel is wrong, and this in turn could bring ruin to their Christian lives (15-16). The important things in the Christian life are not food and drink, but the things that bring about peace and upbuilding (17-19).
Happy indeed are Christians of strong faith whose consciences are not in bondage to laws and rules concerning matters of lesser importance. But in certain circumstances they should refuse to exercise the freedom that their consciences allow, so that their actions do not spoil the work of God in the lives of others (20-23).
The strong must have a sympathetic understanding of the weak, and not act to please only themselves. Christ is the perfect example of one who always acted out of consideration for others, no matter what it cost him (15:1-3). Through the Scriptures, as well as through the example of Christ, God encourages Christians to live in unity with one another (4-6).
Christ received all and served all, whether strong or weak, Jew or Gentile, and Christians must do the same (7-9). Jewish Christians should be thankful for Christ’s faithfulness in fulfilling the promises given to Israel. Gentile Christians should be thankful for his mercy in extending salvation to them (10-12). Both should rejoice together in the hope, joy and peace that God gives through the Holy Spirit (13; cf. 14:17).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

This is a recapitulation of all that was said in chapter 14 but sheds additional light upon the obligation of the strong toward the weak through the use of the word "bear," which is used here, not in the sense of endure, but in the sense of carry. Murray commented thus:

"Bear" is not to be understood in the sense of "bear with" frequent in our common speech but in the sense of "bear up," or "carry." John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), Vol. II, p. 197.

Thus the strong have a definite responsibility for the week and the obligation to see that they make it. He must, in a sense, carry them in a manner like that of a strong man carrying a little child. In no instance must his personal liberty as a Christian be allowed to interfere with duty toward the weak. The claim which the weak brother has upon the aid and encouragement of the strong is based upon his redemption in Christ and may not be rejected by the strong, regardless of what personal inclinations and Christian liberties of his own should be sacrificed to the fulfillment of that duty.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

We then that are strong - The apostle resumes the subject of the preceding chapter; and continues the exhortation to brotherly love and mutual kindness and forbearance. By the “strong” here he means the strong “in faith” in respect to the matters under discussion; those whose minds were free from doubts and perplexities. His own mind was free from doubt, and there were many others, particularly of the Gentile converts, that had the same views. But many also, particularly of the “Jewish” converts, had many doubts and scruples.

Ought to bear - This word bear properly means to “lift up,” to “bear away,” to “remove.” But here it is used in a larger sense; “to bear with, to be indulgent to, to endure patiently, not to contend with;” Galatians 6:2; Revelation 2:2, “Thou canst not bear them that are evil.”

And not to please ourselves - Not to make it our main object to gratify our own wills. We should be willing to deny ourselves, if by it we may promote the happiness of others. This refers particularly to “opinions” about meats and drinks; but it may be applied to Christian conduct generally, as denoting that we are not to make our own happiness or gratification the standard of our conduct, but are to seek the welfare of others; see the example of Paul, 1Co 9:19, 1 Corinthians 9:22; see also Philippians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 13:5, “Love seeketh not her own;” 1 Corinthians 10:24, “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth; also Matthew 16:24.

Living By Faith: Commentary on Romans & 1st Corinthians

15:1-3: Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, unto edifying. 3 For Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me.

In the previous chapter Paul said many things about strong and weak church members, though the exact word for strong (dunatos) occurs only once in this chapter and once in the previous chapter (14:4) where it has the sense of “able” (KJV). These three verses offer a summation concerning Christians who have different opinions on matters of judgment. The strong (Christians who are not offended by things that would trouble others) must “bear the infirmities of the weak.” This means the strong are to “not please themselves” (1b). Both the ASV and the KJV use the word “ought” (opheilo), a present tense verb that sometimes has the sense of a literal financial debt (this sense is often found in the gospels). In other places such as here, ought denotes a moral debt. Two other times in this letter Paul used this word (Romans 13:8 -“owe”; 15:27). One part of our moral debt is expressed in some unique ways by translators. In the NKJV the text says, “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak.” Translators of the NASB chose, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength.” A possible translation is “the weaknesses of the weak.” Infirmities (asthenema) is a rare word; it is found only here in the New Testament. Aristotle used it to describe “sickness,” but here the word has the sense of powerless. The mind has not reached a state of confidence where a person can do what strong Christians do or accept in matters of judgment. In cases such as this we must be patient with the weak (this subject is more fully discussed in the introductory notes to chapter 14). Here we may say the bearing and not pleasing ourselves are both present tense verbs. Please (areskeia) is used in verses 1, 2, and 3 (its use in verse 3 is especially important).

While part of our moral obligation (see the preceding paragraph) involves patience with weak brethren, another aspect of it is “edifying” (oikodome) each other (verse 2). We must strive to please others and not ourselves. In the previous chapter, Paul showed that we please others when we treat weak brethren with care and consideration. If weak Christians would be offended by certain acts or beliefs, those who are strong submit to their weaker brethren because of love. The strong never put weaker Christians in positions that would violate their conscience. Neither do strong Christians push their convictions on those who are weak. An illustration of this lifestyle is found in verse 3. Jesus did not please Himself (the text literally says “the Christ” instead of Jesus). As noted in the chart below, Paul quoted from Psalms 69:1-36. This psalm stresses the unselfishness of Christ; our Messiah did the dirtiest of jobs because He wanted to save man from sin and do heaven’s will. One of the passages describing the Lord’s service to others is Philippians 2:5-11. Jesus “emptied” Himself (He left behind His glory) and He “humbled himself.” Jesus’ humility ended with a shameful death on a cross. As His experience is described here, Paul said, “reproaches of them that reproached.” This is essentially the same word only it is used in two ways (first as a noun and second as a verb). The noun form is oneidismos. The thought is “Christ is the ultimate example of someone bearing the reproach of people because of His devotion to the will of God” (CBL, GED, 4:357). Jesus knew what needed to be done and He acted, and a similar thing must be done by all who are Christians. If we want to accomplish God’s will, we must put forth effort. We must know and do what is right. Part of this responsibility involves proper treatment of those who are weak and strong.

Psalms 69:9, the text quoted in Romans 15:3, is the second most quoted Psalm in the New Testament (the most quoted Psalm is Psalms 22:1-31). Scroggie (p. 117) shows how this Psalm relates to some Messianic verses in the New Testament.

There are several ways in which Jesus suffered reproach and He did not please Himself. Jesus fed thousands of people (John 6:1-12), but He did not make bread for Himself when He was hungry (Matthew 4:3-4). He stopped the flow of blood in a woman who had suffered for twelve years (Matthew 9:20-22), but He refused to stop the blood that ran from His body when He was beaten and crucified. The gospels clearly demonstrate that Jesus did not please Himself.

The end of Romans 15:3 contains a thought that is well explained by McGuiggan (p. 402). When Jesus was with people, He was really with them. He was not ashamed to be associated with the “sinners” of His day. The Lord chose to identify with the social outcasts and the social misfits in His world. He spent time with anyone who was interested in the gospel. Do we spend time with those who are interested in the gospel no matter who they are? If we do not, we are unlike the Lord.

We live in a time when some are secretly sympathetic with social outcasts and “misfits.” There are those who associate with the outcasts in the world until their real friends show up. When the “good people” come, the association with misfits and outcasts ends. This type of behavior is hypocritical and explicitly condemned in Scripture.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

1.We then who are strong, etc. Lest they who had made more advances than others in the knowledge of God should think it unreasonable, that more burden was to be laid on them than on others, he shows for what purpose this strength, by which they excelled others, was bestowed on them, even that they might so sustain the weak as to prevent them to fall. For as God has destined those to whom he has granted superior knowledge to convey instruction to the ignorant, so to those whom he makes strong he commits the duty of supporting the weak by their strength; thus ought all gifts to be communicated among all the members of Christ. The stronger then any one is in Christ, the more bound he is to bear with the weak. ⁽⁴³⁷⁾

By saying that a Christian ought not to please himself, he intimates, that he ought not to be bent on satisfying himself, as they are wont to be, who are content with their own judgment, and heedlessly neglect others: and this is indeed an admonition most suitable on the present subject; for nothing impedes and checks acts of kindness more than when any one is too much swallowed up with himself, so that he has no care for others, and follows only his own counsels and feelings.

(437) The word for “strong” isδυνατοὶ, “able,” which [Calvin ] renders potentes , powerful, or able. They were the more advanced in knowledge and in piety. They were to “bear,” βαστάζειν, in the sense of carrying or sustaining the infirmities of the weak, impotentium , “the unable,” ἀδυνάτων, such as were unable to carry their own burdens. The duty is not merely to bear with or tolerate weaknesses, (for this is not the meaning of the verb,) but to help and assist the weak and the feeble to carry them. The most literal rendering is —

“We then who are able ought to bear (or carry)
the infirmities of the unable.” — Ed.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Shall we turn to the fifteenth chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans.

In the fourteenth chapter Paul was dealing with the subject of walking in love within the body of Christ. Recognizing that we have differences of feelings, convictions, or opinions on the different issues involving the Christian walk. Paul said, "Those that are strong in the faith can eat meat, those who are weak in the faith have convictions against eating meat so they eat vegetables." But we need to recognize that people have different convictions, that not everybody is going to see the thing the right way like I see it.

You have got to respect the right of people to be wrong and not create a big dissension over the differences is basically what Paul is pleading for. That if we disagree, we disagree agreeably, that we not split over issues and get in a big controversy over these little issues. That is tragic how the church has been split and divided over the most ridiculous things. The encouragement in chapter 14 by Paul is to accept those weaker brothers in the faith. Don't get into arguments with them, and also, you should not flaunt before them your liberty because you might stumble them when they see the liberty that you have. So walk in love. If your eating meat stumbles the weaker brother, then for the sake of the Lord, don't eat meat in front of him. You have the liberty to eat the meat, then have it to yourself. Do it in your own home. But do not flaunt your liberties in such a way that you could offend a weaker brother and thus destroy one for whom Christ died, just because you are going to insist on exercising your liberty.

Now he is continuing in that very vein of thought as he begins the fifteenth chapter. And here he puts the final few touches on this subject, but chapter 15 is a continuation of this very subject of our treatment towards the differences within the body, and especially towards the weaker brothers.

We then that are strong [strong in the faith] ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves ( Romans 15:1 ).

I shouldn't just be thinking about my own pleasure, "I'm going to eat this prime rib; I don't care what he thinks." Well, if it is going to stumble and offend him, if I am strong in the faith and eating prime rib doesn't bother me spiritually, then I need to bear the infirmities of the weak. I need to put up with him and not live for my own pleasure.

Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up ( Romans 15:2 ).

So rather than willing to please myself, I should live to please others. As a Christian, many times we are called upon to live by the standards that other men have set. Not that we share those convictions, not that we would feel guilty if we did them, but walking in love, not living to please myself, but living, actually, to please the others, walking more rigid than I would if I was just following my own convictions. Paul gives to us, then, the example of Jesus Christ.

who did not please himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me ( Romans 15:3 ).

So Christ our example. He came not to please Himself, but when He came He said, "I do always those things that please the Father. For I came not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." A good rule is live to please God, not live to please myself. Living to please yourself can create a stumbling block for weaker brothers, so in love, because it would please God, be gracious. Don't exercise your liberty in such a way as to cause offense.

Now he goes on to another subject:

For whatever things were written before time [or aforetime] were written for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope ( Romans 15:4 ).

So the twofold purpose of the Word of God. The scriptures that were given to us a twofold purpose listed here. First of all, for our learning. The Bible was given to us to reveal God, for our learning about God, our understanding of God. That we, through the patience and the comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.

Now God and hope are inextricably connected together. There is no real hope apart from God. But it is amazing how that when you have God, hope is extended, hope is expanded. The psalmist said, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God" ( Psalms 42:5 ). He is our hope. All the way through, the hope of the believer is connected with God. So that God has given us the scriptures to understand His nature, His character, His faithfulness, so that we in the time of trouble will not despair. We will not give up, but we will continue to hope in that work of God and in that work of God's victory within our lives. That position of despair and hopelessness is not one that the Christian should find himself in. Like the psalmist found himself cast down, but he talked to himself about it, and said, "Why are you cast down? Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Why are you disquieted within me?" The reason why was because he forgot for a while that God was on the throne. When we forget that God is on the throne and ruling over lives, it is possible that we can get discouraged and upset over the situations. It is interesting how quickly we can forget that God reigns. How quickly we forget that it is His church. Suddenly we get all worried and get all concerned and we wonder, "What are we going to do?" Over and over the Lord reminds me that it is His church, and because it is His church, I have no business worrying about it. He can take care of it. He has created it and He is able to maintain it. And I don't have to lie awake at night wondering, "Oh, what are we going to do now? Or what are we going to do next?"

God is in control. Now I need to bring that into my own life. I need to realize that God is in control, that God is going to work. Not to get upset, not to get discouraged, not to be in turmoil, for the Lord reigns, and He shall bring to pass His work, if I just patiently wait for Him. And that is the problem, isn't it? That thing called patience. We are exhorted in reading of the Old Testament saints to realize that they through faith and patience inherited the promises of God. And again, we were told that we have need of patience that after we have done the will of God we might obtain the promise. There is that time after I have done all that I can do in following the will of God, there is that time where I have to then by faith, patiently now wait for God to do His work. Now there is where I am tempted to meddle and mess things up, because I don't wait for God. Somehow He always seems to be slow according to my calculations. Of course, when it all works out, I realize He was right on time. I was fast. But that is because I am impatient. I want God to do His work in their life right now. "God, I don't want to wait for a week. I don't want to wait for a month. God, help me. I don't want, like Abraham, to wait for thirteen years. I can't take that, Lord."

So we have need of patience, and through the patience and the comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.

Now the God of patience ( Romans 15:5 )

And isn't He patient? God is so patient, and another word for it is long-suffering. God is so long-suffering. He is so patient to bring to pass His purposes, but that is because God is outside of our time dimension. God lives in the eternal. I live in seconds. Of course, now in milliseconds, the scientists have divided them down. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. God lives in eons, eternity. And a thousand years is as a day to the Lord; a day is as a thousand years. And Lord, it has been so long. When is Jesus coming back? It has only been a couple of days. What is your hurry? Because God is outside of the time dimension, and we move in this dimension of time, it seems that God is so patient in bringing to pass His kingdom, His work upon the earth. So we continue our prayer, "O God, give us patience, right now."

The God of patience and consolation [the God of comfort He is called] grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Jesus Christ ( Romans 15:5 ):

How are we to be? We are to be patient with one another. As God is the God of patience and consolation, so we are to be to each other. We are to be comforting to one another, and we are to be patient with one another.

Now there is an interesting thing. I appreciate God's patience with me. I am thankful for that. However, I am not so patient with Him. I appreciate other people's patience with me, but I am not always so patient with them. Now, as you would that men should do unto you, that is the way you should do to them likewise; comfort, be patient, according to Christ Jesus.

That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God ( Romans 15:6-7 ).

Now, the church, as we minister to each other in the love of Jesus Christ and through the Word of God, we do glorify God through this life of love, consolation, patience with one another, and we are to receive then one another. How? As Christ received us. Now, how did Christ receive you? Were you absolutely the ideal, perfect person? Did He say, "Go out and clean up your act and then I will accept you?" No, He received us with all of our imperfections. Isn't it amazing how horrible our sins look when someone else is committing them? How blind we are to our own faults. How astute we are in being able to pick out the flaws of others, but as Jesus said, "First take the four-by-six out of your own eye, and then you can see more clearly to take the splinter out of your brother's eye" ( Luke 6:42 ).

But why is it that I have such a hard time seeing the four-by-six in my own eye, yet I can see so clearly that splinter in your eye? It is all a matter of love. Love covers a multitude of sins, and I just love myself so much I don't pay any attention, you see. I am to love you as I love myself, and if I love you as I love myself, then I won't be seeing and picking at all the little flaws in you. But I will then receive you even as Christ has received me.

It was interesting during the counter culture revolution, the hippie period, there were many churches that were willing to receive the hippies and allow them to fellowship with them if they would go out and get a haircut and a three piece suit, a white shirt and a tie. "You will be welcome, come on in. Now you look like us and we will receive you." But it was amazing how many churches were unwilling to receive them with their long hair, dirty jeans, and the whole hippie attire. Conform to my standards, live like I want people to live around me, and I will accept you as my friend and my associate. You are welcome. But that is not how we are to receive each other. We are to receive each other with our differences. And that love that we have in Christ should be greater than any difference that we possess; it should be the unifying power within the body of Christ.

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers ( Romans 15:8 ):

In other words, He came to the Jews because God had made the promise to the fathers that He would send the savior unto them, the seed of David, the seed of Abraham. He came to minister unto those whom God had made the promise.

And that the Gentiles might glorify God; as it is written ( Romans 15:9 ),

I love Paul. He makes a statement, and then he begins to back it up with scripture. When you can back up your statements with scriptures, three or four references, for in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established, it shows me one, Paul's vast working knowledge of the Old Testament. He is grabbing scriptures out of several different books, putting them all together on the same subject. This fellow is a walking topical index. Give him a subject and he will quote you all of the scriptures from the Old Testament that deal with that particular subject. So he is introducing the fact that Christ came directly to the Jews, and yet, the prophecy expanded beyond the Jews to the ministry to the Gentiles. He came to confirm the promises to the fathers, which He did. But then, "that the Gentiles might glorify God through the mercies that they received; as it is written,"

For this cause I will confess thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name ( Romans 15:9 ).

Isaiah 42:6-7 .

And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people ( Romans 15:10 ).

Deuteronomy 32 .

And again, Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people ( Romans 15:11 ).

Of course, you all know where that one is, Psalm 117 .

And again, Isaiah said, There shall be a root out of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust [or hope] ( Romans 15:12 ).

Isaiah 11 .

So he is putting together all of these various prophecies out of the Old Testament relating to the gospel coming to the Gentiles through the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Now Paul said,

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing ( Romans 15:13 ),

Again, the subject of hope which comes from the scriptures, the God of all hope. Hope is one of the most important things. We must not lose hope in God. He is the God of all hope. May He fill you. The result of hope is joy and peace. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted?" You see, he is talking about depression and unrest. The opposite of that is joy and peace. The result of the hope that we have is joy and peace in believing. In believing what? The scripture of God, the Word of God. Our belief is based upon the fact that God said it. The result of that belief is joy and peace.

Now people oftentimes put their faith in the joy and peace, or in a feeling that they have. "Are you a child of God?" "Oh yes." "How do you know you are a child of God?" "Oh, I feel such peace in my heart. Oh, I have such joy. I know I'm saved because I have never felt such joy." Oh, wait a minute. It isn't believing in the joy and the peace, it is believing in the Word of God. You see, if you say that you are saved because you have such peace and joy in your life, you may wake up tomorrow morning on one of those Mondays, and it is one miserable day and you feel horrible. You knew you shouldn't have gone to Bob's after the service and had onion on the hamburger. Now you are suffering for it and you are irritable, and you're upset. What does that say? "Oh, I am not saved today, because I don't have the joy and I am all irritable." You see, the faith is not in the feeling. It is not believing in a feeling. It is believing the Word of God, what God has said. And so my faith is founded in the fact of God's Word. It doesn't change, feelings do. My feelings are changeable.

As you get my age even the weather can change you. I can wake up in the morning and tell you how long the fog is going to last by how much my knee is aching. Stupid things that you can tell the weather by your body.

Feelings can change. They can be altered. The Word of God is forever established. And because my salvation and relationship with God is predicated upon His sure Word, my relationship with God never changes. It is established, and so it is the believing that has brought me the peace and the joy.

Paul said after fourteen days tossed in the ship, "Be of good cheer, for this night the angel of the Lord stood by me, and he assured me that though the ship is destroyed there will not be the loss of life. I believe the Word of the Lord." Paul was cheerful. He was happy. He was encouraging them to be cheerful when they had lost all hope of ever being saved. They had given up hope of ever being rescued, of ever coming out of this alive. And to have a guy getting up and whistling and smiling, they probably wanted to have him walk the plank. "Be of good cheer." "Are you kidding, man? I am so seasick. Fourteen days bobbing like a cork on the Mediterranean, haven't seen the sun and the stars." He didn't say, "Be of good cheer. I feel good today. I have a peace in my heart." No, "I have the Word of the Lord and I believe the Word of the Lord." So the faith is established and it is solid and it is secure, because it is established in the Word and in the scriptures.

So be careful of that. It is an easy trap to fall into where people get faith in their feelings. And it is interesting, we have to express so often by feelings an experience that we had. We use our feelings to express the experience, but in expressing our experience of say, salvation, "Oh, I had such peace. I never felt such peace in all of my life. Oh, I felt like there was just warm water poured over the top of my head and just down over me whole body, and I just felt this great warmth all over me." As we are expressing our experiences, then people get in their mind, "Well, I have got to have that kind of experience or I am not saved. Because when he was saved it was like lights turning on. Strobe lights flashing and glory, and I haven't seen the strobes yet, so I can't be saved." Because we describe our salvation by the experiences of feelings or whatever we have, people began to relate to the feelings rather than to the Word of God. You can't do that.

I am saved because God's Word declares that if thou shall confess with thou mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and thou shalt be saved. I know I am saved because here is where God said it. I can point right to it and thus, it doesn't waver, it doesn't change, it doesn't alter with my feelings.

Again, I love the way Paul can just get right to the heart of the issue, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,"

that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit ( Romans 15:13 ).

It is the Holy Spirit who makes the Word of God real to my heart. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches me God's truth. He leads me into all truth. He shows me the things of God. He makes the Word of God alive in my heart. So through the work of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God in my life, hope abounds. "Thanks be unto God who hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." A blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. A living hope, a blessed hope, an abounding hope that we have through the Word.

I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able to admonish one another ( Romans 15:14 ).

I am confident, brethren, that you are capable of doing this, full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able, capable of admonishing one another.

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God ( Romans 15:15 ),

Now I know that you can admonish each other and yet, you have all knowledge. And yet, because of the grace God has given to me, I am writing boldly now these things to you.

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the good news of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost ( Romans 15:16 ).

Paul, writing to the Gentiles, is declaring unto them that they are accepted by God, the offering up of the Gentiles. That would be the offering of their praises and worship unto God. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit is accepted to God. You don't need the priesthood, you don't need the washings and the cleansings of the law, but God accepts you because of the work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God that is given to us.

I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by the word and deed ( Romans 15:17-18 ).

Paul the apostle had a very powerful ministry among the Gentiles. It was more than just the ministry of the Word, it was the Word confirmed by the work of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Mark, the last verse, it says, "They went everywhere preaching the Word, the Holy Spirit working with them confirming the Word with signs following." Paul, when he wrote to the Corinthians, said, "My speech was not with the enticing words of man's wisdom but with the demonstration and the power of the Spirit." Paul, in the beginning of this epistle to the Romans, declared that he desired to come to them that he might impart unto to them some spiritual gift to the end that they both might be built up. Paul's ministry was in word and in deed.

The Word of God is wonderful, it is important, it is powerful, it is alive, sharper than a two-edged sword, but it has to also work in our lives and be demonstrated through our lives. Many times what I say is totally lost on the ears of the hearers because of what I am. If the Word doesn't work in my life and I cannot demonstrate the power of the Word of God through my life, then all of the principles in the world, if they are not practical, don't work no matter how good a principal they may be; they are of no value. It is the Holy Spirit that takes the Word and then makes the Word operable in my life and the deeds then are demonstrated--that of love, that of power. And the Holy Spirit can manifest Himself in many different ways.

Paul said, " I really don't speak of anything except what the Lord has wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed." Jesus appealed to His works as the verification of the truth of what He said. Philip said, "Lord, just show us the Father and it sufficieth us." Jesus said, "Have I been so long a time with you Philip, and haven't you seen Me? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. How is it that you are saying, 'Show us the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? And the works that I do I don't do of Myself, but the Father that dwells in Me, he does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me, or else believe for the very works' sake" ( John 14:9-11 ).

Jesus spoke of how His works testified of Him. And so our lives are witnesses of that work of God and His Holy Spirit in us. Our lives are a greater witness than our words. We have always thought of our words as witnesses and we have always thought as witnessing in a verbal sense. Verbalizing my faith to someone else. Verbalizing their need for Jesus Christ. But a greater witness than your words are your works wrought through the Holy Spirit in love. "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, that ye love one another." So it is important that our deeds match the glorious gospel that we proclaim through the Word.

Paul here declares the deeds work,

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God ( Romans 15:19 );

It must have been exciting to have been around Paul and to see those mighty signs and wonders that were wrought by the Holy Spirit and the power of the Spirit in his life.

So Paul says,

so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ ( Romans 15:19 ).

Or, I have preached the full gospel of Christ.

Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation ( Romans 15:20 ):

It is always rather amusing to me how many people feel called to start churches close around Calvary Chapel here. I must . . . I guess I shouldn't, but I do . . . I do oftentimes question their motivation. It would appear that they're seeking to build upon another man's foundation, because we have stacks of letters of people all over the United States begging for us to start Calvary Chapel ministries in their area because there is such a total dearth of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me the Holy Spirit is sort of not really using talent efficiently by calling them all within a few miles radius of Calvary Chapel here. As though we didn't have the Word and the Spirit of God working here, so they feel that they have got to come close by here, rather than going where there was a true need. Of course, they know that I am offensive and I shoot from the straight, and all of these people getting upset, so they can always pick up the disgruntles around and get a good start with a new fellowship. I have problems with this.

Paul said, "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named. I don't want to build upon another man's foundation."

I really believe that every church needs an excuse to exist. I think that you have to be presenting to the people a different ministry than what they can receive elsewhere. Or else you really don't have any right to exist. Now, I do believe that God has a purpose for many varieties of churches, because there are many varieties of people. Some people do need a highly emotional, highly charged kind of a meeting. God knows that, and so we need churches that are highly emotional and supercharged. There are some people who need things extremely quiet and reverent and very somber. They like the incense and the psyche of the candles, and so has the ritual churches where they can go and touch God and feel blessed. But every church needs an excuse for being. I don't believe that it is good to have four struggling full gospel churches in a little community, all of them just barely struggling to make it. In fact, some of them hardly making it the pastor is all living on starvation wages. I think that they all should go together and have one strong work. Why duplicate the efforts? And to have twenty-two Southern Baptist churches . . . I think it is thirty-seven now in Tucson, Arizona. It seems to me they would be better if they combined and had one strong work rather than thirty-seven starving pastors. I think you have to have an excuse to exist. You are offering to the people something they can't get in another church.

Paul sought to preach Christ where He wasn't heard of. He didn't want to come in and build on another man's foundation. He wanted to go where there was a true need, and that is commendable.

But as it is written ( Romans 15:21 ),

You see, he uses even as scripture based for this. Paul is so filled with the knowledge of the Word of God. I love it.

I love reading Spurgeon. That guy was like Paul. He used just all the way through scripture and scripture examples. And oh how I love his sermons, because they are so chalked full of the Word of God.

But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. [ Isaiah 52:15 ] For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you ( Romans 15:21-22 ).

Because I've been wanting to go where there is a need, where people had not heard, I have really been hindered coming to you.

But now, having no more place in these parts ( Romans 15:23 ),

Hey, that is quite a witness. I've told everybody around here so I've got to move on.

and having a great desire these many years to come to you; Whenever I take my journey to Spain, I intend to drop by: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. But now I go to Jerusalem to minister unto the saints ( Romans 15:23-25 ).

Now Paul was in Corinth when he wrote this. He had gone to Corinth and to the churches in Macedonia to collect an offering to take to the poor saints in Jerusalem to help them in their need. He had written to the church in Corinth to take up a collection before I get there, I don't want any offerings taken while I am there, but each man as he has purposed in his own heart so let him give, but I want to take it to the church in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem had experienced some real financial problems. Probably stemming from that early communal sharing where everyone sold their possessions and brought the money and laid it at the disciples' feet. And in time, it ran out. So they were left without property and all, they had sold it. So they were in a sad state in Jerusalem, and Paul is seeking to take them help.

So I'm going unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them truly ( Romans 15:25-27 );

This was a good thing that they did.

for they are debtors. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, it is their duty also to minister to them in carnal things ( Romans 15:27 ).

So they have benefited spiritually and so it is only proper that they minister to the carnal needs, or the fleshly, or the body needs.

When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain. And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ ( Romans 15:28-29 ).

The fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. I know when I come that is the way I am going to come. Why? Because that is the way Paul went everywhere. Just in the fullness. His life overflowed.

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me ( Romans 15:30 );

Paul here is requesting that they join with him in his prayers for himself. I think that one of the great, great blessings, and they sort of pyramid, it has a pyramidal effect, that the more your ministry influences more people, the more people that you have praying for you. The more people you have praying for you, the more effective and broader is the base of your ministry.

It is such a thrill to go places like we went to Tucson this last week. There was close to a 1,000 people who came out there on Tuesday night in Tucson. Afterwards, as I was shaking hands, person after person said, "Oh, you don't know what a blessing your ministry has been (The Word for Today). I eat breakfast with you every morning. Or you go with me to work every day. My life has been so blessed and I want you to know I am praying for you." All over the country there are people praying for us. We got a beautiful letter from a body of believers in Siberia. And one of the persons speaks English, and so they have our tapes and he listens and then translates it for these people in Siberia. And they smuggled a letter out and said, "We in Siberia are praying for you and those in Calvary Chapel." Now how does that make you feel? Siberian believers praying for you. God help us, are we praying for them? They need, I'm sure, our prayers much more than we need theirs. That just made me really feel humbled and convicted, because I haven't always remembered to pray for those blessed believers in Siberia, and that is where you usually end up if you are a true believer in Russia. There are a lot of believers in Siberia, a lot of beautiful Christians up there in Siberia praying for you. God help us, let's return the favor. Let's pray for them.

But Paul here is asking now for prayers of the people. "Join me in my prayers for me," Paul is saying.

That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted by the saints ( Romans 15:31 );

Paul wasn't on the best of terms with those in Jerusalem, not because he didn't want to be, but they were just always suspicious of him. It seemed that wherever Paul went there was trouble with the Jews, and for him to go right back to Jerusalem when he came back, they said, "Now, Paul, the rumor is going around about your preaching among the Gentiles. Look, behave yourself while you are here. Don't create problems now. Here is a couple of guys and they need to take their vows so they can observe the feast, and why don't you sponsor them and just show everybody that you are a good Jew. Be good, Paul." And so Paul was trying to be good and the Jews caught him anyhow, and were going to kill him. But they were concerned whenever Paul would come around, because he was so straightforward. He wasn't always that welcomed even within the church, and so he is going to take them some money. "So pray that they will accept the money and me."

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen ( Romans 15:32-33 ).

Paul is asking that they might pray, that they might come to them with joy according to the will of God. Jesus, when Paul probably had one of the nights of greatest discouragement, he kept arguing with the Lord over the issue that he was sure that if he could preach to the Jews they would listen. God said, "Get out of here. They won't listen to you." Paul was obedient and he got out, but he always felt that the Lord was wrong in that issue. "If the Lord would just let me preach to them. I know where they are coming from, Lord. I know how they feel. I was one of them, Lord, and if I could just share with them . . . " Paul's moment came. He was there in the temple, going through the purification rites with these two fellows he was sponsoring and some of the Jews from Asia saw him. They said, "This is the guy who has been preaching to the Gentiles that they don't have to follow Moses' law, they can be saved by just believing." They stirred up the Jews and grabbed him and were beating him to death when Lucius, the captain of the Roman guard, came down and rescued Paul. And he got back on the porch of the Antonio Fortress overlooking the temple mount, Paul said to them, "Hey, can I speak to these people?" My big moment, my big chance. The fellow says, "Do you speak Greek?" Paul said, "Of course." "I thought you were an Egyptian." "No, you have the wrong guy." He said, "Go ahead and speak to them."

Paul said, "Brethren, hearken unto me." My big moment, and Paul started to say, "You know me. You know where I am from. I was around here. I was zealous just like you guys are. Man, I figured to wipe out the church. I was just ready to murder anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. In fact, the high priest sent me to Damascus with letters of authority to imprison those who called upon the name of the Lord. While I was on the road, there was a bright light from heaven and the voice spoke to me and said, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And I said, 'Who are You, Lord, that I might serve You?' He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting and I am going to send you to the Gentiles.'" Now the minute he said Gentiles, the thing exploded. The people began to take off and tear their clothes and wave them in the air, throw dirt in the air and scream, "Kill him, kill him."

Now, he was talking to them in Hebrew, and the captain of the Roman guard didn't understand him. He said, "Get him inside before they kill him," and he said, "What in the world did he say to those people that made them so incensed? Scourge him. Find out what he said." As they got ready to scourge Paul, he said, "Is it customary to scourge a Roman citizen who hasn't been condemned?" So the executioner went in and said, "You had better be careful. That guy is a Roman Citizen." The captain came out and said, "Are you a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "You bet I am." He said, "I am too. I had to buy my citizenship. It cost me quite a bit." Paul said, "I was free born."

Now he had his moment, it ended in a riot. Not the revival he was hoping for, and Paul, no doubt, was discouraged. And that night the Lord came and stood beside him and said, "Paul, be of good cheer." Now when the Lord says, "Be of good cheer," you're down. You don't say, "Be of good cheer" to a person who is happy. You say it to a person who is sad. "Be of good cheer, for as you have borne witness of Me here in Jerusalem," Paul you had your day, you bore witness of Me here, "so must you also bear witness of Me in Rome." Did you say Rome? Been wanting to go to Rome, by the will of God. So the Lord is declaring to Paul now, "It's My will that you go to Rome now."

Paul began the journey to Rome. He had a little detour in Caesarea a couple of years. And then when he went to Rome, it was not as he expected. He didn't have to pay his own passage, he was taken care of by the Roman government, room and board. God had a few people He wanted to save on the island of Malta, and so God parked the ship at Malta in order that Paul might have opportunity to witness to the governor and many of the people before going on to Rome. "But pray that I might come by the will of God."

"

Contending for the Faith

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

The strong are those who are strong enough in conscience to understand that exercising a liberty is not a sin. They are scrupulous in exercising a liberty, but they are not unnecessarily scrupulous. To be sure, no Christian guided by the word of God is without scruples, but this man understands and accepts his liberties in Christ. In Paul’s examples in chapter fourteen, the strong-conscienced brother recognizes no distinction between clean and unclean meats. He recognizes no distinction between what might have been previously offered to an idol (1 Corinthians 10:25-29). He recognizes one’s freedom as an individual to esteem one day above another. As Lard says, "We (the strong— AWB) are therefore hampered by no scruples in indifferent matters" (431).

ought to bear: "To bear" (basta/zein) is not to be understood in the sense of "bear with" or "put up with" as it is frequently used in modern parlance. Instead, it means "to support as a burden. It is used with the meaning…to bear a burden, whether physically, as of the Cross, John 19:17, or metaphorically in respect of sufferings endured in the cause of Christ…of sufferings borne on behalf of others" (Vine, Vol. 1 100). Other passages owning the same usage are Romans 11:18 and Galatians 5:10; Galatians 6:2; Galatians 6:5.

the infirmities of the weak: "Infirmities" (a)sqenh/mata) refer to "those scruples which arise through weakness of faith. The strong must support the infirmities of the weak… by submitting to self restraint" (Vine, Vol. 2 257). Thus, the strong are to carry the burdens of those with weak consciences by sacrificing their liberties and practicing self-restraint. Lard observes:

One or the other of the parties must yield, the strong to the weak or the weak to the strong. The weak cannot yield without a violation of conscience; the strong can; and God has ordained that in an indifferent case, conscientious scruples shall prevail over the want of them (431).

and not to please ourselves: The strong must do what is good for others. They must not selfishly demand their rights and so destroy "the work of God" (14:20). To the Corinthians, Paul says:

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend (1 Corinthians 8:9-13; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:24).

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The strong ought to take the initiative in resolving the tension between the strong and the weak. They need to be willing to limit their Christian liberty if by doing so they can reduce the problems of their brethren. The weak need knowledge, and the strong need love. Paul was not saying that the strong must determine to put up with the weak. He meant, "Those of us who are strong must accept as our own burden the tender scruples of the weak." [Note: Revised English Bible.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. The importance of pleasing one another 15:1-6

Paul now developed the key concept to which he referred in chapter 14, namely, putting the welfare of others before that of self (cf. Galatians 6:2). This is love. He cited the example of Christ who lived free of taboos and unnecessary inhibitions but was always careful to bear with the weaknesses of others.

Barclay's Daily Study Bible

Chapter 15

THE MARKS OF THE FELLOWSHIP ( Romans 15:1-6 )

15:1-6 It is the duty of us who are strong to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please our neighbour, but always for his good and always for his upbuilding in the faith. For the Anointed One of God did not please himself, but, as it stands written, "The insults of those who were insulting you fell upon me." All the things that were written long ago were written to teach us, so that, through our fortitude, and through the encouragement which the scriptures give, we may hold fast to our hope. May the God who inspires us with fortitude, and gives us encouragement, grant to you to live in harmony with one another as Christ Jesus would have you to do, so that your praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may rise from a united heart and a united voice.

Paul is still dealing with the duties of those within the Christian fellowship to one another, and especially with the duty of the stronger to the weaker brother. This passage gives us a wonderful summary of the marks which should characterize that fellowship.

(i) The Christian fellowship should be marked by the consideration of its members for each other. Always their thoughts should be, not for themselves, but for each other. But this consideration must not degenerate into an easy-going, sentimental laxity. It must always be designed for the other person's good and for his upbuilding in the faith. It is not the toleration which tolerates because it is too lazy to do anything else. It is the toleration which knows that a man may be won much more easily to a fuller faith by surrounding him with an atmosphere of love than by attacking him with a battery of criticism.

(ii) The Christian fellowship should be marked by the study of scripture; and from that study of scripture the Christian draws encouragement. Scripture, from this point of view, provides us with two things. (a) It gives us the record of God's dealing with a nation, a record which is the demonstration that it is always better to be right with God and to suffer, than to be wrong with men and to avoid trouble. The history of Israel is the demonstration in the events of history that ultimately it is well with good and evil with the wicked. Scripture demonstrates, not that God's way is ever an easy way, but in the end it is the only way to everything that makes life worth while in time and in eternity. (b) It gives us the great and precious promises of God. It is said that Alexander Whyte sometimes had a habit of uttering one text when he left some home during his pastoral visitation; and, as he uttered it, he would say: "Put that under your tongue and suck it like a sweetie." These promises are the promises of a God who never breaks his word. In these ways scripture gives to the man who studies it comfort in his sorrow and encouragement in his struggle.

(iii) The Christian fellowship should be marked by fortitude. Fortitude is an attitude of the heart to life. Again we meet this great word hupomone ( G5281) . It is far more than patience; it is the triumphant adequacy which can cope with life; it is the strength which does not only accept things, but which, in accepting them, transmutes them into glory.

(iv) The Christian fellowship should be marked by hope. The Christian is always a realist, but never a pessimist. The Christian hope is not a cheap hope. It is not the immature hope which is optimistic because it does not see the difficulties and has not encountered the experiences of life. It might be thought that hope is the prerogative of the young; but the great artists did not think that. When Watts drew "Hope" he drew her as a battered and bowed figure with one string left upon her lyre. The Christian hope has seen everything and endured everything, and still has not despaired, because it believes in God. It is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human achievement; it is hope in the power of God.

(v) The Christian fellowship should be marked by harmony. However ornate a church may be, however perfect its worship and its music, however liberal its giving, it has lost the very first essential of a Christian fellowship if it has lost harmony. That is not to say that there will not be differences of opinion; it is not to say that there will be no argument and debate; but it means that those who are within the Christian fellowship will have solved the problem of living together. They will be quite sure that the Christ who unites them is greater by far than the differences which may divide them.

(vi) The Christian fellowship should be marked by praise. It is no bad test of a man to ask whether the main accent of his voice is that of grumbling discontent or cheerful thanksgiving. "What can I do, who am a little old lame man," said Epictetus, "except give praise to God?" The Christian should enjoy life because he enjoys God. He will carry his secret within him, for he will be sure that God is working all things together for good.

(vii) And the essence of the matter is that the Christian fellowship takes its example, its inspiration and its dynamic from Jesus Christ. He did not please himself. The quotation which Paul uses is from Psalms 69:9. It is significant that when Paul speaks of bearing the weaknesses of others he uses the same word as is used of Christ bearing his Cross (bastazein, G941) . When the Lord of Glory chose to serve others instead of to please himself, he set the pattern which every one who seeks to be his follower must accept.

THE INCLUSIVE CHURCH ( Romans 15:7-13 )

15:7-13 So, then, welcome one another as Christ welcomed you, that God may be praised. What I mean is this--Christ became a servant of the Jewish race and way of life for the sake of God's truth, not only to guarantee the promises which the fathers received, but also that the Gentiles should praise God for his mercy. As it stands written: "Therefore I will offer praise to God among the Gentiles and I will sing to your name." And, again it says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles with his people." And, again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him." And again Isaiah says: "There shall live the scion of Jesse, even he who rises up to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles set their hopes." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may overflow with hope.

Paul makes one last appeal that all people within the Church should be bound into one, that those who are weak in the faith and those who are strong in the faith should be one united body, that Jew and Gentile should find a common fellowship. There may be many differences but there is only one Christ, and the bond of unity is a common loyalty to him. Christ's work was for Jew and Gentile alike. He was born a Jew and was subject to the Jewish law. This was in order that all the great promises given to the fathers of the Jewish race might come true and that salvation might come first to the Jew. But he came, not only for the Jew, but for the Gentile also.

To prove that this is not his own novel and heretical idea Paul cites four passages from the Old Testament; he quotes them from the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, which is why they vary from the translation of the Old Testament as we know it. The passages are Psalms 18:50; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalms 117:1; Isaiah 11:10. In all of them Paul finds ancient forecasts of the reception of the Gentiles into the faith. He is convinced that, just as Jesus Christ came into this world to save all men, so the Church must welcome all men, no matter what their differences may be. Christ was an inclusive Saviour, and therefore his Church must be an inclusive Church.

Then Paul once again goes on to sound the notes of the Christian faith. The great words of the Christian faith flash out one after another.

(i) There is hope. It is easy in the light of experience to despair of oneself. It is easy in the light of events to despair of the world. Someone tells of a meeting in a certain church at a time of emergency. The meeting was constituted with prayer by the chairman. He addressed God as "Almighty and eternal God, whose grace is sufficient for all things." When the prayer was finished, the business part of the meeting began; and the chairman introduced the business by saying: "Gentlemen, the situation in this church is completely hopeless, and nothing can be done." Either his prayer was composed of empty and meaningless words, or his statement was untrue.

It has long ago been said that there are no hopeless situations; there are only men who have grown hopeless about them. It is told that there was a cabinet meeting in the darkest days of the last war, just after France had capitulated. Mr. Churchill outlined the situation in its starkest colours. Britain stood alone. There was a silence when he had finished speaking, and on some faces was written despair, and some would have given up the struggle. Mr. Churchill looked round that dispirited company. "Gentlemen," he said, "I find it rather inspiring."

There is something in Christian hope that not all the shadows can quench--and that something is the conviction that God is alive. No man is hopeless so long as there is the grace of Jesus Christ; and no situation is hopeless so long as there is the power of God.

(ii) There is joy. There is all the difference in this world between pleasure and joy. The Cynic philosophers declared that pleasure was unmitigated evil. Anthisthenes made the strange statement that he would "rather be mad than pleased." Their argument was that "pleasure is only the pause between two pains." You have longing for something, that is the pain; you get it, the longing is satisfied and there is a pause in the pain; you enjoy it and the moment is gone; and the pain comes back. In truth, that is the way pleasure works. But Christian joy is not dependent on things outside a man; its source is in our consciousness of the presence of the living Lord, the certainty that nothing can separate us from the love of God in him.

(iii) There is peace. The ancient philosophers sought for what they called ataraxia, the untroubled life. They wanted all that serenity which is proof alike against the shattering blows and the petty pinpricks of this life. One would almost say that today serenity is a lost possession. There are two things which make it impossible.

(a) There is inner tension. Men live a distracted life, for the word distract literally means to pull apart. So long as a man is a walking civil war and a split personality, there can obviously be for him no such thing as serenity. There is only one way out of this, and that is for self to abdicate to Christ. When Christ controls, the tension is gone.

(b) There is worry about external things. Many are haunted by the chances and the changes of life. H. G. Wells tells how in New York harbour he was once on a liner. It was foggy, and suddenly out of the fog loomed another liner, and the two ships slid past each other with only yards to spare. He was suddenly face to face with what he called the general large dangerousness of life. It is hard not to worry, for man is characteristically a creature who looks forward to guess and fear. The only end to that worry is the utter conviction that, whatever happens, God's hand will never cause his child a needless tear. Things will happen that we cannot understand, but if we are sure enough of God's love, we can accept with serenity even those things which wound the heart and baffle the mind.

(iv) There is power. Here is the supreme need of men. It is not that we do not know the right thing; the trouble is the doing it. The trouble is to cope with and to conquer things, to make what Wells called "the secret splendour of our intentions" into actual facts. That we can never do alone. Only when the surge of Christ's power fills our weakness can we master life as we ought. By ourselves we can do nothing; but with God all things are possible.

THE WORDS REVEAL THE MAN ( Romans 15:14-21 )

15:14-21 Brothers, I myself am quite sure that you, as you are, are full of goodness and replete with all knowledge and well able to give good advice to one another. I write to you with a certain amount of boldness, as it were, with the purpose of reminding you of what you already know. My ground for doing so is the God-given grace which made me the servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, and gave me the sacred task of telling the good news, and my aim in doing so is to make the Gentiles an offering acceptable to God, an offering consecrated by the Holy Spirit. Now, in Christ, I have good reason to take a legitimate pride in my work in God's service. I can say this for I will not venture to speak of anything other than the things which Christ has wrought in me, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring the Gentiles into obedience to him. Thus from Jerusalem right round to Illyricum, I have completed the announcing of the good news of God's Anointed One. But it has always been my ambition to announce the good news, not where Christ's name has already been preached, because I want to avoid building on another man's foundation. but as it stands written: "Those to whom the good news has not been told shall see; and those who have not heard will understand."

Few passages reveal Paul's character better than this. He is coming to the end of his letter and is wishing to prepare the ground for the visit that he hopes soon to pay to Rome. Here we see something at least of his secret in winning men.

(i) Paul reveals himself as a man of tact. There is no rebuke here. He does not nag the brethren at Rome nor speak to them like some angry schoolmaster. He tells them that he is only reminding them of what they well know, and assures them that he is certain that they have it in them to render outstanding service to each other and to their Lord. Paul was much more interested in what a man could be than in what he was. He saw faults with utter clarity, and dealt with them with utter fidelity; but all the time he was thinking, not of the wretched creature that a man was, but of the splendid creature that he might be.

It is told that once when Michelangelo began to carve a huge and shapeless block of marble, he said that his aim was to release the angel imprisoned in the stone. Paul was like that. He did not want to knock a man down and out; he did not criticize to cause pain; he spoke with honesty and with severity but always because he wished to enable a man to be what he could be and never yet attained to being.

(ii) The only glory that Paul claimed was that he was the servant of Christ. The word he uses (leitourgos, G3011) is a great one. In ancient Greece there were certain state duties called liturgies (leitourgiai, G3011) which were sometimes laid upon and sometimes voluntarily shouldered by men who loved their country. There were five of these voluntary services which patriotic citizens used to undertake.

(a) There was choregia ( G5524) , which was the duty of supplying a chorus. When Aeschylus and Sophocles and Euripides were producing their immortal dramas, in each of them a verse-speaking chorus was necessary. There were great festivals like the City Dionysia when as many as eighteen new dramatic works were performed. Men who loved their city would volunteer to collect, maintain, instruct and equip such a chorus at their own expense.

(b) There was gumnasiarchia. The Athenians were divided into ten tribes; and they were great athletes. At certain of the great festivals there were the famous torch-races in which teams from the various tribes raced against each other. We still speak of handing on the torch. To win the torch-race was a great honour, and there were public-spirited men who at their own cost would select and support and train a team to represent their tribe.

(c) There was hestiasis. There were occasions when the tribes met together to share in a common meal and a common rejoicing; and there were generous men who undertook the task of meeting the expense of such a gathering.

(d) There was archetheoria. Sometimes the city of Athens sent an embassy to another city or to consult the oracle at Delphi or Dodona. On such an occasion everything had to be done in such a way that the honour of the city was maintained; and there were patriotic men who voluntarily defrayed the expenses of such an embassy.

(e) There was trierarchia. The Athenians were the great naval power of the ancient world. And one of the most patriotic things that a man could do was voluntarily to undertake the expenses of maintaining a trireme or warship for a whole year.

That is the background of this word leitourgos ( G3009) . In later days, as patriotism died, such liturgies became compulsory and not voluntary. Later the word came to be used of any kind of service; and later still it came to be used especially of worship and service rendered in the temple of the gods. But the word always had this background of generous service. Just as a man in the ancient days laid his fortune on the altar of the service of his beloved Athens, and counted it his only glory, so Paul laid his everything on the altar of the service of Christ, and was proud to be the servant of his Master.

(iii) Paul saw himself, in the scheme of things, as an instrument in the hands of Christ. He did not talk of what he had done; but of what Christ had done with him. He never said of anything: "I did it." He always said: "Christ used me to do it." It is told that the change in the life of D. L. Moody came when he went to a meeting and heard a preacher say: "If only one man would give himself entirely and without reserve to the Holy Spirit, what that Spirit might do with him!" Moody said to himself: "Why should I not be that man?" And all the world knows what the Spirit of God did with D. L. Moody. It is when a man ceases to think of what he can do and begins to think of what God can do with him, that things begin to happen.

(iv) Paul's ambition was to be a pioneer. It is told that when Livingstone volunteered as a missionary with the London Missionary Society they asked him where he would like to go. "Anywhere," he said, "so long as it is forward." And when he reached Africa he was haunted by the smoke of a thousand villages which he saw in the distance. It was Paul's one ambition to carry the good news of God to men who had never heard it. He takes a text from Isaiah 52:15 to tell his aim.

"Ye armies of the living God,

His sacramental host,

Where hallowed footstep never trod,

Take your appointed post."

PLANS PRESENT AND FUTURE ( Romans 15:22-29 )

15:22-29 And that is why on many occasions I found the way to come to you blocked. But now, since I have no longer a sphere for work in these areas, and since for many years back I have had a great desire to come to you, when I shall go to Spain I hope to see you on my way through; and, I hope, after I have first enjoyed your company for a while, to be sped on my way by you. But at the moment I am on my way to Jerusalem, to render some service to God's dedicated people there. For Macedonia and Achaea re solved to make a contribution to the poor among God's dedicated people in Jerusalem. For that was their resolve and indeed they owe a debt to them. For if the Gentiles have received a share in spiritual blessings they also owe a debt to render service to them in material things. When I have completed this business, and when I have duly delivered the gifts to them intact, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I do come to you, I will come bringing a full blessing from Christ.

Here we have Paul telling of an immediate and of a future plan.

(i) His future plan was to go to Spain. There were two reasons why he should wish to go there. First, Spain was at the very western end of Europe. It was in one sense the then limit of the civilized world, and the very fact that it was such would lure Paul on to preach there. He would characteristically wish to take the good news of God so far that he could not take it farther.

(ii) At this time Spain was experiencing a kind of blaze of genius. Many of the greatest men in the Empire were Spaniards. Lucan, the epic poet, Martial, the master of the epigram, Quintilian, the greatest teacher of oratory of his day, were all Spaniards. Above all, Seneca, the great Stoic philosopher, who was first the guardian and afterwards the prime minister of Nero, was a Spaniard. It may well be that Paul was saying to himself that if only he could touch Spain for Christ tremendous things might happen.

(iii) His immediate plan was to go to Jerusalem. He had had a plan which was very dear to his heart. He had arranged for a collection to be taken from his young churches for the poor in the Church of Jerusalem. There is no doubt that that collection would be necessary. In a city like Jerusalem much of the available employment must have been connected with the Temple and its needs. All the priests and the Temple authorities were Sadducees, and the Sadducees were the supreme enemies of Jesus. It must therefore have happened that many a man, when he became a Christian in Jerusalem, lost his job and was in sore need. The help the younger churches could give was much needed. But there were at least three other great reasons why Paul was so eager to take this gift to Jerusalem.

(a) For himself it was the payment of a debt and a duty. When it had been agreed that Paul should be the apostle to the Gentiles, one injunction had been laid upon him by the leaders of the Church--that he would remember the poor ( Galatians 2:10). "Which very thing," said Paul, "I was eager to do." He was not the man to forget a debt, and now that debt was about to be paid, at least in part.

(b) There was no better way of demonstrating in the most practical way the unity of the Church. This was a way of teaching the young churches that they were not isolated units but members of a great Church extending throughout all the world. The value of giving to others is that it makes us remember that we are not members of a congregation but of a Church which is worldwide.

(c) There was no better way of putting Christianity into practical action. It was easy enough to talk about Christian generosity; here was a chance to turn Christian words into Christian deeds.

So Paul is on the way to Jerusalem, and he is planning a journey to Spain. As far as we know he never got to Spain, for in Jerusalem he encountered the trouble which led to his long imprisonment and his death. It would seem that this was one plan of the great pioneer which never was worked out.

OPEN-EYED INTO DANGER ( Romans 15:30-33 )

15:30-33 Brothers, I call upon you by the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, to strive along with me in prayer to God for me; for I need your prayers that I may be rescued from those in Jerusalem who do not believe, and that the help that I am bringing to Jerusalem may prove acceptable to God's dedicated people there. I want you to pray that by God's will I may come to you with joy, and enjoy a time of rest with you. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

We came to the end of the last passage by saying that as far as we know Paul's plans to go to Spain were never realized. We know for a certainty that when he went to Jerusalem he was arrested and spent the next four years in prison, two in Caesarea and two in Rome. Here again his great character comes out.

(i) When Paul went to Jerusalem he knew what he was doing and was well aware of the dangers that lay ahead. Just as his Master steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem ( Luke 9:51) so also did Paul. The highest courage is to know that something perilous awaits us and still to go on. That is the courage that Jesus showed; that is the courage that Paul showed; and that is the courage that all Christ's followers must show.

(ii) In such a situation Paul asked for the prayers of the Christian Church at Rome. It is a great thing to go on knowing that we are wrapped in the warmth of the prayers of those who love us. However far we are separated from those we love, we and they can meet around the mercy-seat of God.

(iii) Paul leaves them his blessing as he goes. It was no doubt all that he had to give. Even when we have nothing else, we can still bear our friends and loved ones in prayer to God.

(iv) It was the blessing of the God of peace that Paul sent to Rome and it was with the presence of the God of peace that he himself went to Jerusalem with all its threats. The man who has the peace of God in his heart can meet all life's perils unafraid.

-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

Gann's Commentary on the Bible

Romans 15:1

Ch. 15:1-13 still following the theme of ch. 14 -

Reconciliation of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians

We who are strong -- Paul aligns himself with those he identifies as strong in faith, and he reveals that the division in the Roman church was not simply between Jews and Gentiles. - NLTSB

strong...weak -- For modern English readers, to label the two perspectives “strong” and “weak” is to prejudice the groups. This was not Paul’s intent. The strong group referred to those who had been freed from a rule or ritual-oriented religious life. - Utley

to bear . . The word means “to pick up and carry a weight.” It is used of carrying a pitcher of water (Mark 14:13), of carrying a man (Acts 21:35), and figuratively of bearing an obligation (Acts 15:10). The strong are not to simply tolerate the weaknesses of their weaker brothers; they are to help the weak shoulder their burdens by showing loving and practical consideration for them (Galatians 6:2; cf. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22; Philippians 2:2-4). - MSB

the able -- The word rendered “able” is the same word as that rendered “mighty” in E. V. of e.g. Luke 24:19; Acts 18:24; 1 Corinthians 1:26; and “strong” in E. V. of 2 Corinthians 12:10. It seems to convey the thought of strength and something more; the resources and opportunities of strength. Able thus best represents it. Bp Lightfoot (on Philippians 2:15) suggests that it may have been a favourite title for themselves amongst the persons here contemplated; and so that there is irony in its use here. - CBSC

infirmities [scruples].. weaknesses.

the weak -- Lit. the unable; in contrast to “the able” just above. Same word as Acts 14:8, (E. V. “impotent.”)

The term “the weak” (adunates, without strength, cf. Romans 8:3) is different from the term astheneō in rom 14:1-2, rom 14.21 (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:7, 3x in 1 Corinthians 8:10-12; 1 Corinthians 9:22), which also means without strength. - Utley

The contrasting terms are δυνατός (dynatos, “able, empowered, possible, strong”) and ἀδύνατος (adynatos, “without power, unable, impossible, weak”). - CPNVC

and not just please ourselves ..” This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE with the NEGATIVE PARTICLE, which usually means stop an act in process. Self-centeredness is a sure sign of immaturity; following Christ’s example (cf. v. 3; Philippians 2:1-11) is the sign of maturity. Again, it is the strong who were being addressed (cf. Romans 14:1, Romans 14:14, Romans 14:16, Romans 14:21-22). This is not to imply they had all the responsibility in maintaining the fellowship. The weak are addressed in Romans 14:3, Romans 14:20, Romans 14:23; Romans 15:5-6-7. - Utley

” This is a specific instance of the general principle in Gal 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens.”

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

We then that are strong,.... Meaning not only ministers of the Gospel, who are men of strong parts, great abilities, mighty in the Scriptures, valiant for the truth on earth, and pillars in God's house; for though the apostle includes himself, yet not merely as such, but as expressing it to be his duty in common with other Christians; and the rather he does this, to engage them to the practice of it: but the stronger and more knowing part of private Christians are here intended; the Apostle John's young men, who are strong, in distinction from little children, or new born babes, that are at present weaklings; and from fathers who are on the decline of life, and just going off the stage; see 1 John 2:12; when these young men are in the bloom and flower of a profession, in the prime of their judgment, and exercise of grace; who are strong in Christ, and not in themselves, in the grace that is in him, out of which they continually receive; who are strong in the grace of faith, and are established and settled in the doctrine of it; and have a large and extensive knowledge of the several truths of the Gospel; and, among the rest, of that of Christian liberty:

ought to bear the infirmities of the weak; of them that are weak in faith and knowledge, particularly in the knowledge of their freedom from Mosaical observances: their "infirmities" are partly their ignorance, mistakes, and errors, about things indifferent; which they consider and insist on, and would impose upon others, as necessary and obliging; and partly the peevishness and moroseness which they show, the hard words they give, and the rash judgment and rigid censures they pass on their brethren, that differ from them: such persons and their infirmities are to be borne with; they are not to be despised for their weakness; and if in the church, are not to be excluded for their mistakes; and if not members, are not to be refused on account of them; since they arise from weakness, and are not subversive of the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel: they are not to be treated as wicked men, but as weak brethren; and their peevish tempers, morose dispositions and conduct, their hard speeches and censorious expressions, are patiently to be endured; they should be considered as from whence they arise, not from malice and ill will, from a malignant spirit, but from weakness and misguided zeal, for what they take to be in force, when it is abolished: moreover, they are to be complied with in cases not sinful, as the apostle did in circumcising Timothy, Acts 16:3, and purifying himself according to the law, Acts 21:26; and so to the weak he became weak, to gain some, 1 Corinthians 9:22, and therefore could urge this exhortation by his own example with greater force; and which he represents, not only as what would be honourable, and a point of good nature, and as doing a kind action, but as what "ought" to be; what the law of love obliges to, and what the grace of love, which "bears all things", 1 Corinthians 13:7, constrains unto; and which indeed if not done, they that are strong do not answer one end of their having that spiritual strength they have; and it is but complying with the golden rule of Christ, to do as we would be done by, Matthew 7:12:

and not please ourselves: either entertain pleasing thoughts of, and make pleasing reflections on their stronger faith, greater degree of knowledge, superior light and understanding; which being indulged, are apt to excite and encourage spiritual pride and vanity, and generally issue in the contempt of weaker brethren; nor do those things, which are pleasing and grateful to themselves, to the offence and detriment of others; for instance, and which is what the apostle has reference to, to gratify their appetite, by eating such meat as is forbidden by the law of Moses, to the grieving of the weak brethren, wounding their consciences, and destroying their peace; these things should not be done; stronger Christians should deny themselves the use of their Christian liberty in things indifferent, when they cannot make use of it without offence.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.   2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.   3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.   4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

      The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to consider and condescend to the weakest.

      I. We must bear the infirmities of the weak,Romans 15:1; Romans 15:1. We all have our infirmities; but the weak are more subject to them than others--the weak in knowledge or grace, the bruised reed and the smoking flax. We must consider these; not trample upon them, but encourage them, and bear with their infirmities. If through weakness they judge and censure us, and speak evil of us, we must bear with them, pity them, and not have our affections alienated from them. Alas! it is their weakness, they cannot help it. Thus Christ bore with his weak disciples, and apologised for them. But there is more in it; we must also bear their infirmities by sympathizing with them, concerning ourselves for them, ministering strength to them, as there is occasion. This is bearing one another's burdens.

      II. We must not please ourselves, but our neighbour, Romans 15:1; Romans 15:2. We must deny our own humour, in consideration of our brethren's weakness and infirmity.

      1. Christians must not please themselves. We must not make it our business to gratify all the little appetites and desires of our own heart; it is good for us to cross ourselves sometimes, and then we shall the better bear others crossing of us. We shall be spoiled (as Adonijah was) if we be always humoured. The first lesson we have to learn is to deny ourselves, Matthew 16:24.

      2. Christians must please their brethren. The design of Christianity is to soften and meeken the spirit, to teach us the art of obliging and true complaisance; not to be servants to the lust of any, but to the necessities and infirmities of our brethren--to comply with all that we have to do with as fare as we can with a good conscience. Christians should study to be pleasing. As we must not please ourselves in the use of our Christian liberty (which was allowed us, not for our own pleasure, but for the glory of God and the profit and edification of others), so we must please our neighbour. How amiable and comfortable a society would the church of Christ be if Christians would study to please one another, as now we see them commonly industrious to cross, and thwart, and contradict one another!--Please his neighbour, not in every thing, it is not an unlimited rule; but for his good, especially for the good of his soul: not please him by serving his wicked wills, and humouring him in a sinful way, or consenting to his enticements, or suffering sin upon him; this is a base way of pleasing our neighbour to the ruin of his soul: if we thus please men, we are not the servants of Christ; but please him for his good; not for our own secular good, or to make a prey of him, but for his spiritual good.--To edification, that is, not only for his profit, but for the profit of others, to edify the body of Christ, by studying to oblige one another. The closer the stones lie, and the better they are squared to fit one another, the stronger is the building. Now observe the reason why Christians must please one another: For even Christ pleased not himself. The self-denial of our Lord Jesus is the best argument against the selfishness of Christians. Observe,

      (1.) That Christ pleased not himself. He did not consult his own worldly credit, ease, safety, nor pleasure; he had not where to lay his head, lived upon alms, would not be made a king, detested no proposal with greater abhorrence than that, Master, spare thyself, did not seek his own will (John 5:30), washed his disciples' feet, endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, troubled himself (John 11:33), did not consult his own honour, and, in a word, emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation: and all this for our sakes, to bring in a righteousness for us, and to set us an example. His whole life was a self-denying self-displeasing life. He bore the infirmities of the weak,Hebrews 4:15.

      (2.) That herein the scripture was fulfilled: As it is written, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me. This is quoted out of Psalms 69:9, the former part of which verse is applied to Christ (John 2:17), The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the latter part here; for David was a type of Christ, and his sufferings of Christ's sufferings. It is quoted to show that Christ was so far from pleasing himself that he did in the highest degree displease himself. Not as if his undertaking, considered on the whole, were a task and grievance to him, for he was very willing to it and very cheerful in it; but in his humiliation the content and satisfaction of natural inclination were altogether crossed and denied. He preferred our benefit before his own ease and pleasure. This the apostle chooses to express in scripture language; for how can the things of the Spirit of God be better spoken of than in the Spirit's own words? And this scripture he alleges, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me. [1.] The shame of those reproaches, which Christ underwent. Whatever dishonour was done to God was a trouble to the Lord Jesus. He was grieved for the hardness of people's hearts, beheld a sinful place with sorrow and tears. When the saints were persecuted, Christ so far displeased himself as to take what was done to them as done against himself: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Christ also did himself endure the greatest indignities; there was much of reproach in his sufferings. [2.] The sin of those reproaches, for which Christ undertook to satisfy; so many understand it. Every sin is a kind of reproach to God, especially presumptuous sins; now the guilt of these fell upon Christ, when he was made sin, that is, a sacrifice, a sin-offering for us. When the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, they fell upon him as upon our surety. Upon me be the curse. This was the greatest piece of self-displacency that could be: considering his infinite spotless purity and holiness, the infinite love of the Father to him, and his eternal concern for his Father's glory, nothing could be more contrary to him, nor more against him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him, especially considering for whom he thus displeased himself, for strangers, enemies, and traitors, the just for the unjust,1 Peter 3:18. This seems to come in as a reason why we should bear the infirmities of the weak. We must not please ourselves, for Christ pleased not himself; we must bear the infirmities of the weak, for Christ bore the reproaches of those that reproached God. He bore the guilt of sin and the curse for it; we are only called to bear a little of the trouble of it. He bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the infirmities of the weak.--Even Christ; kai gar ho Christos. Even he who was infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, who needed not us nor our services,--even he who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, who had reason enough to pleas himself, and no reason to be concerned, much less to be crossed, for us,--even he pleased not himself, even he bore our sins. And should not we be humble, and self-denying, and ready to consider one another, who are members one of another?

      (3.) That therefore we must go and do likewise: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning. [1.] That which is written of Christ, concerning his self-denial and sufferings, is written for our learning; he hath left us an example. If Christ denied himself, surely we should deny ourselves, from a principle of ingenuousness and of gratitude, and especially of conformity to his image. The example of Christ, in what he did and said, is recorded for our imitation. [2.] That which is written in the scriptures of the Old Testament in the general is written for our learning. What David had said in his own person Paul had just now applied to Christ. Now lest this should look like a straining of the scripture, he gives us this excellent rule in general, that all the scriptures of the Old Testament (much more those of the New) were written for our learning, and are not to be looked upon as of private interpretation. What happened to the Old-Testament saint happened to them for ensample; and the scriptures of the Old Testament have many fulfillings. The scriptures are left for a standing rule to us: they are written, that they might remain for our use and benefit. First, For our learning. There are many things to be learned out of the scriptures; and that is the best learning which is drawn from these fountains. Those are the most learned that are most mighty in the scriptures. We must therefore labour, not only to understand the literal meaning of the scripture, but to learn out of it that which will do us good; and we have need of help therefore not only to roll away the stone, but to draw out the water, for in many places the well is deep. Practical observations are more necessary than critical expositions. Secondly, That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. That hope which hath eternal life for its object is here proposed as the end of scripture-learning. The scripture was written that we might know what to hope for from God, and upon what grounds, and in what way. This should recommend the scripture to us that it is a special friend to Christian hope. Now the way of attaining this hope is through patience and comfort of the scripture. Patience and comfort suppose trouble and sorrow; such is the lot of the saints in this world; and, were it not so, we should have no occasion for patience and comfort. But both these befriend that hope which is the life of our souls. Patience works experience, and experience hope, which maketh not ashamed, Romans 5:3-5; Romans 5:3-5. The more patience we exercise under troubles the more hopefully we may look through our troubles; nothing more destructive to hope than impatience. And the comfort of the scriptures, that comfort which springs from the word of God (that is the surest and sweetest comfort) is likewise a great stay to hope, as it is an earnest in hand of the good hoped for. The Spirit, as a comforter, is the earnest of our inheritance.

Kelly Commentary on Books of the Bible

The circumstances under which the epistle to the Romans was written gave occasion to the most thorough and comprehensive unfolding, not of the church, but of Christianity. No apostle had ever yet visited Rome. There was somewhat as yet lacking to the saints there; but even this was ordered of God to call forth from the Holy Ghost an epistle which more than any other approaches a complete treatise on the fundamentals of Christian doctrine, and especially as to righteousness.

Would we follow up the heights of heavenly truth, would we sound the depths of Christian experience, would we survey the workings of the Spirit of God in the Church, would we bow before the glories of the person of Christ, or learn His manifold offices, we must look elsewhere in the writings of the New Testament no doubt, but elsewhere rather than here.

The condition of the Roman saints called for a setting forth of the gospel of God; but this object, in order to be rightly understood and appreciated, leads the apostle into a display of the condition of man. We have God and man in presence, so to speak. Nothing can be more simple and essential. Although there is undoubtedly that profoundness which must accompany every revelation of God, and especially in connection with Christ as now manifested, still we have God adapting Himself to the very first wants of a renewed soul nay, even to the wretchedness of souls without God, without any real knowledge either of themselves or of Him. Not, of course, that the Roman saints were in this condition; but that God, writing by the apostle to them, seizes the opportunity to lay bare man's state as well as His own grace.

Romans 1:1-32. From the very first we have these characteristics of the epistle disclosing themselves. The apostle writes with the full assertion of his own apostolic dignity, but as a servant also. "Paul, a bondman of Jesus Christ" an apostle "called," not born, still less as educated or appointed of man, but an apostle "called," as he says "separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets." The connection is fully owned with that which had been from God of old. No fresh revelations from God can nullify those which preceded them; but as the prophets looked onward to what was coming, so is the gospel already come, supported by the past. There is mutual confirmation. Nevertheless, what is in nowise the same as what was or what will be. The past prepared the way, as it is said here, "which God had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, [here we have the great central object of God's gospel, even the person of Christ, God's Son,] which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (ver. 3). This last relation was the direct subject of the prophetic testimony, and Jesus had come accordingly. He was the promised Messiah, born King of the Jews.

But there was far more in Jesus. He was "declared," says the apostle, "to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" ( ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν , ver. 4). It was the Son of God not merely as dealing with the powers of the earth, Jehovah's King on the holy hill of Zion, but after a far deeper manner. For, essentially associated as He is with the glory of God the Father, the full deliverance of souls from the realm of death was His also. In this too we have the blessed connection of the Spirit (here peculiarly designated, for special reasons, "the Spirit of holiness"). That same energy of the Holy Ghost which had displayed itself in Jesus, when He walked in holiness here below, was demonstrated in resurrection; and not merely in His own rising from the dead, but in raising such at any time no doubt, though most signally and triumphantly displayed in His own resurrection.

The bearing of this on the contents and main doctrine of the epistle will appear abundantly by-and-by. Let me refer in passing to a few points more in the introduction, in order to link them together with that which the Spirit was furnishing to the Roman saints, as well as to show the admirable perfectness of every word that inspiration has given us. I do not mean by this its truth merely, but its exquisite suitability; so that the opening address commences the theme in hand, and insinuates that particular line of truth which the Holy Spirit sees fit to pursue throughout. To this then the apostle comes, after having spoken of the divine favour shown himself, both when a sinner, and now in his own special place of serving the Lord Jesus. "By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith." This was no question of legal obedience, although the law came from Jehovah. Paul's joy and boast were in the gospel of God. So therefore it addressed itself to the obedience of faith; not by this meaning practice, still less according to the measure of a man's duty, but that which is at the root of all practice faith-obedience obedience of heart and will, renewed by divine grace, which accepts the truth of God. To man this is the hardest of all obedience; but when once secured, it leads peacefully into the obedience of every day. If slurred over, as it too often is in souls, it invariably leaves practical obedience lame, and halt, and blind.

It was for this then that Paul describes himself as apostle. And as it is for obedience of faith, it was not in anywise restricted to the Jewish people "among all nations, for his (Christ's) name: among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ" (verses 5, 6). He loved even here at the threshold to show the breadth of God's grace. If he was called, so were they he an apostle, they not apostles but saints; but still, for them as for him, all flowed out of the same mighty love, of God. "To all that be at Rome, beloved of God, called saints" (ver. 7). To these then he wishes, as was his wont, the fresh flow of that source and stream of divine blessing which Christ has made to be household bread to us: "Grace and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (ver. 7). Then, from ver. 8, after thanking God through Jesus for their faith spoken of everywhere, and telling them of his prayers for them, he briefly discloses the desire of his heart about them his long-cherished hope according to the grace of the gospel to reach Rome his confidence in the love of God that through him some spiritual gift would be imparted to them, that they might be established, and, according to the spirit of grace which filled his own heart, that he too might be comforted together with them "by the mutual faith both of you and me" (vv. 11, 12). There is nothing like the grace of God for producing the truest humility, the humility that not only descends to the lowest level of sinners to do them good, but which is itself the fruit of deliverance from that self-love which puffs itself or lowers others. Witness the common joy that grace gives an apostle with saints be had never seen, so that even he should be comforted as well as they by their mutual faith. He would not therefore have them ignorant how they had lain on his heart for a visit (ver. 13). He was debtor both to the Greeks and the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise; he was ready, as far as he was concerned, to preach the gospel to those that were at Rome also (ver. 14, 15). Even the saints there would have been all the better for the gospel. It was not merely "to those at Rome," but "to you that be at Rome." Thus it is a mistake to suppose that saints may not be benefited by a better understanding of the gospel, at least as Paul preached it. Accordingly he tells them now what reason he had to speak thus strongly, not of the more advanced truths, but of the good news. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (ver. 16).

Observe, the gospel is not simply remission of sins, nor is it only peace with God, but "the power of God unto salvation." Now I take this opportunity of pressing on all that are here to beware of contracted views of "salvation." Beware that you do not confound it with souls being quickened, or even brought into joy. Salvation supposes not this only, but a great deal more. There is hardly any phraseology that tends to more injury of souls in these matters than a loose way of talking of salvation. "At any rate he is a saved soul," we hear. "The man has not got anything like settled peace with God; perhaps he hardly knows his sins forgiven; but at least he is a saved soul." Here is an instance of what is so reprehensible. This is precisely what salvation does not mean; and I would strongly press it on all that hear me, more particularly on those that have to do with the work of the Lord, and of course ardently desire to labour intelligently; and this not alone for the conversion, but for the establishment and deliverance of souls. Nothing less, I am persuaded, than this full blessing is the line that God has given to those who have followed Christ without the camp, and who, having been set free from the contracted ways of men, desire to enter into the largeness and at the same time the profound wisdom of every word of God. Let us not stumble at the starting-point, but leave room for the due extent and depth of "salvation" in the gospel.

There is no need of dwelling now on "salvation" as employed in the Old Testament, and in some parts of the New, as the gospels and Revelation particularly, where it is used for deliverance in power or even providence and present things. I confine myself to its doctrinal import, and the full Christian sense of the word; and I maintain that salvation signifies that deliverance for the believer which is the full consequence of the mighty work of Christ, apprehended not, of course, necessarily according to all its depth in God's eyes, but at any rate applied to the soul in the power of the Holy Ghost. It is not the awakening of conscience, however real; neither is it the attraction of heart by the grace of Christ, however blessed this may be. We ought therefore to bear in mind, that if a soul be not brought into conscious deliverance as the fruit of divine teaching, and founded on the work of Christ, we are very far from presenting the gospel as the apostle Paul glories in it, and delights that it should go forth. "I am not ashamed," etc.

And he gives his reason: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith." That is, it is the power of God unto salvation, not because it is victory (which at the beginning of the soul's career would only give importance to man even if possible, which it is not), but because it is "the righteousness of God." It is not God seeking, or man bringing righteousness. In the gospel there is revealed God's righteousness. Thus the introduction opened with Christ's person, and closes with God's righteousness. The law demanded, but could never receive righteousness from man. Christ is come, and has changed all. God is revealing a righteousness of His own in the gospel. It is God who now makes known a righteousness to man, instead of looking for any from man. Undoubtedly there are fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, and God values them I will not say from man, but from His saints; but here it is what, according to the apostle, God has for man. It is for the saints to learn, of course; but it is that which goes out in its own force and necessary aim to the need of man a divine righteousness, which justifies instead of condemning him who believes. It is "the power of God unto salvation." It is for the lost, therefore; for they it is who need salvation; and it is to save not merely to quicken, but to save; and this because in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed.

Hence it is, as he says, herein revealed "from faith," or by faith. It is the same form of expression exactly as in the beginning of Romans 5:1-21 "being justified by faith" ( ἐκ πίστεως ). But besides this he adds "to faith." The first of these phrases, "from faith," excludes the law; the second, "to faith," includes every one that has faith within the scope of God's righteousness. Justification is not from works of law. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith; and consequently, if there be faith in any soul, to this it is revealed, to faith wherever it may be. Hence, therefore, it was in no way limited to any particular nation, such as those that had already been under the law and government of God. It was a message that went out from God to sinners as such. Let man be what he might, or where he might, God's good news was for man. And to this agreed the testimony of the prophet. "The just shall live by faith" (not by law). Even where the law was, not by it but by faith the just lived. Did Gentiles believe? They too should live. Without faith there is neither justice nor life that God owns; where faith is, the rest will surely follow.

This accordingly leads the apostle into the earlier portion of his great argument, and first of all in a preparatory way. Here we pass out of the introduction of the epistle. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (ver. 18). This is what made the gospel to be so sweet and precious, and, what is more, absolutely necessary, if he would escape certain and eternal ruin. There is no hope for man otherwise; for the gospel is not all that is now made known. Not only is God's righteousness revealed, but also His wrath. It is not said to be revealed in the gospel. The gospel means His glad tidings for man. The wrath of God could not possibly be glad tidings. It is true, it is needful for man to learn; but in nowise is it good news. There is then the solemn truth also of divine wrath. It is not yet executed. It is "revealed," and this too "from heaven." There is no question of a people on earth, and of God's wrath breaking out in one form or another against human evil in this life. The earth, or, at least, the Jewish nation, had been familiar with such dealings of God in times past. But now it is "the wrath of God from heaven;" and consequently it is in view of eternal things, and not of those that touch present life on the earth.

Hence, as God's wrath is revealed from heaven, it is against every form of impiety "against all ungodliness." Besides this, which seems to be a most comprehensive expression for embracing every sort and degree of human iniquity, we have one very specifically named. It is against the "unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." To hold the truth in unrighteousness would be no security. Alas! we know how this was in Israel, how it might be, and has been, in Christendom. God pronounces against the unrighteousness of such; for if the knowledge, however exact, of God's revealed mind was accompanied by no renewal of the heart, if it was without life towards God, all must be vain. Man is only so much the worse for knowing the truth, if he holds it ever so fast with unrighteousness. There are some that find a difficulty here, because the expression "to hold" means holding firmly. But it is quite possible for the unconverted to be tenacious of the truth, yet unrighteous in their ways; and so much the worse for them. Not thus does God deal with souls. If His grace attract, His truth humbles, and leaves no room for vain boasting and self-confidence. What He does is to pierce and penetrate the man's conscience. If one may so say, He thus holds the man, instead of letting the man presume that he is holding fast the truth. The inner man is dealt with, and searched through and through.

Nothing of this is intended in the class that is here brought before us. They are merely persons who plume themselves on their orthodoxy, but in a wholly unrenewed condition. Such men have never been wanting since the truth has shone on this world; still less are they now. But the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against them pre-eminently. The judgments of God will fall on man as man, but the heaviest blows are reserved for Christendom. There the truth is held, and apparently with firmness too. This, however, will be put to the test by-and-by. But for the time it is held fast, though in unrighteousness. Thus the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against (not only the open ungodliness of men, but) the orthodox unrighteousness of those that hold the truth in unrighteousness.

And this leads the apostle into the moral history of man the proof both of his inexcusable guilt, and of his extreme need of redemption. He begins with the great epoch of the dispensations of God (that is, the ages since the flood). We cannot speak of the state of things before the flood as a dispensation. There was a most important trial of man in the person of Adam; but after this, what dispensation was there? What were the principles of it? No man can tell. The truth is, those are altogether mistaken who call it so. But after the flood man as such was put under certain conditions the whole race. Man became the object, first, of general dealings of God under Noah; next, of His special ways in the calling of Abraham and of his family. And what led to the call of Abraham, of whom we hear much in the epistle to the Romans as elsewhere, was the departure of man into idolatry. Man despised at first the outward testimony of God, His eternal power and Godhead, in the creation above and around him (verses 19, 20). Moreover, He gave up the knowledge of God that had been handed down from father to son (ver. 21). The downfall of man, when he thus abandoned God, was most rapid and profound; and the Holy Spirit traces this solemnly to the end ofRomans 1:1-32; Romans 1:1-32 with no needless words, in a few energetic strokes summing up that which is abundantly confirmed (but in how different a manner!) by all that remains of the ancient world. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man," etc. (verses 22-32.) Thus corruption not only overspread morals, but became an integral part of the religion of men, and had thus a quasi-divine sanction. Hence the depravity of the heathen found little or no cheek from conscience, because it was bound up with all that took the shape of God before their mind. There was no part of heathenism practically viewed now, so corrupting as that which had to do with the objects of its worship. Thus, the true God being lost, all was lost, and man's downward career becomes the most painful and humiliating object, unless it be, indeed, that which we have to feel where men, without renewal of heart, espouse in pride of mind the truth with nothing but unrighteousness.

In the beginning ofRomans 2:1-29; Romans 2:1-29 we have man pretending to righteousness. Still, it is "man" not yet exactly the Jew, but man who had profited, it might be, by whatever the Jew had; at the least, by the workings of natural conscience. But natural conscience, although it may detect evil, never leads one into the inward possession and enjoyment of good never brings the soul to God. Accordingly, in chapter 2 the Holy Spirit shows us man satisfying himself with pronouncing on what is right and wrong moralizing for others, but nothing more. Now God must have reality in the man himself. The gospel, instead of treating this as a light matter, alone vindicates God in these eternal ways of His, in that which must be in him who stands in relationship with God. Hence therefore, the apostle, with divine wisdom, opens this to us before the blessed relief and deliverance which the gospel reveals to us. In the most solemn way he appeals to man with the demand, whether he thinks that God will look complacently on that which barely judges another, but which allows the practice of evil in the man himself (Romans 2:1-3). Such moral judgments will, no doubt, be used to leave man without excuse; they can never suit or satisfy God.

Then the apostle introduces the ground, certainty, and character of God's judgment (verses 4-16). He "will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: to them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile."

It is not here a question of how a man is to be saved, but of God's indispensable moral judgment, which the gospel, instead of weakening asserts according to the holiness and truth of God. It will be observed therefore, that in this connection the apostle shows the place both of conscience and of the law, that God in judging will take into full consideration the circumstances and condition of every soul of man. At the same time he connects, in a singularly interesting manner, this disclosure of the principles of the eternal judgment of God with what he calls "my gospel." This also is a most important truth, my brethren, to bear in mind. The gospel at its height in no wise weakens but maintains the moral manifestation of what God is. The legal institutions were associated with temporal judgment. The gospel, as now revealed in the New Testament, has linked with it, though not contained in it, the revelation of divine wrath from heaven, and this, you will observe, according to Paul's gospel. It is evident, therefore, that dispensational position will not suffice for God, who holds to His own unchangeable estimate of good and evil, and who judges the more stringently according to the measure of advantage possessed.

But thus the way is now clear for bringing the Jew into the discussion. "But if [for so it should be read] thou art named a Jew," etc. (ver. 17.) It was not merely, that he had better light. He had this, of course, in a revelation that was from God; he had law; he had prophets; he had divine institutions. It was not merely better light in the conscience, which might be elsewhere, as is supposed in the early verses of our chapter; but the Jew's position was directly and unquestionably one of divine tests applied to man's estate. Alas! the Jew was none the better for this, unless there were the submission of his conscience to God. Increase of privileges can never avail without the soul's self-judgment before the mercy of God. Rather does it add to his guilt: such is man's evil state and will. Accordingly, in the end of the chapter, he shows that this is most true as applied to the moral judgment of the Jew; that uone so much dishonoured God as wicked Jews, their own Scripture attesting it; that position went for nothing in such, while the lack of it would not annul the Gentile's righteousness, which would indeed condemn the more unfaithful Israel; in short, that one must be a Jew inwardly to avail, and circumcision be of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, whose praise is of God, and not of men.

The question then is raised in the beginning ofRomans 3:1-31; Romans 3:1-31, If this be so, what is the superiority of the Jew? Where lies the value of belonging to the circumcised people of God? The apostle allows this privilege to be great, specially in having the Scriptures, but turns the argument against the boasters. We need not here enter into the details; but on the surface we see how the apostle brings all down to that which is of the deepest interest to every soul. He deals with the Jew from his own Scripture (verses 9-19). Did the Jews take the ground of exclusively having that word of God the law? Granted that it is so, at once and fully. To whom, then, did the law address itself? To those that were under it, to be sure. It pronounced on the Jew then. It was the boast of the Jews that the law spoke about them; that the Gentiles had no right to it, and were but presuming on what belonged to God's chosen people. The apostle applies this according to divine wisdom. Then your principle is your condemnation. What the law says, it speaks to those under it. What, then, is its voice? That there is none righteous, none that doeth good, none that understandeth. Of whom does it declare all this? Of the Jew by his own confession. Every mouth was stopped; the Jew by his own oracles, as the Gentile by their evident abominations, shown already. All the world was guilty before God.

Thus, having shown the Gentile in Romans 1:1-32 manifestly wrong, and hopelessly degraded to the last degree having laid bare the moral dilettantism of the philosophers, not one whit better in the sight of God, but rather the reverse having shown the Jew overwhelmed by the condemnation of the divine oracles in which he chiefly boasted, without real righteousness, and so much the more guilty for his special privileges, all now lies clear for bringing in the proper Christian message, the. gospel of God. "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets" (verses 20, 21).

Here, again, the apostle takes up what he had but announced in chapter 1 the righteousness of God. Let me call your attention again to its force. It is not the mercy of God., Many have contended that so it is, and to their own great loss, as well as to the weakening of the word of God. "Righteousness" never means mercy, not even the "righteousness of God." The meaning is not what was executed on Christ, but what is in virtue. of it. Undoubtedly divine judgment fell on Him; but this is not "the righteousness of God," as the apostle employs it in any part of his writings any more than here, though we know there could be no such thing as God's righteousness justifying the believer, if Christ had not borne the judgment of God. The expression means that righteousness which God can afford to display because of Christ's atonement. In short, it is what the words say "the righteousness of God," and this "by faith of Jesus Christ."

Hence it is wholly apart from the law, whilst witnessed to by the law and prophets; for the law with its types had looked onward to this new kind of righteousness; and the prophets had borne their testimony that it was at hand, but not then come. Now it was manifested, and not promised or predicted merely. Jesus had come and died; Jesus had been a propitiatory sacrifice; Jesus had borne the judgment of God because of the sins He bore. The righteousness of God, then, could now go forth in virtue of His blood. God was not satisfied alone. There is satisfaction; but the work of Christ goes a great deal farther. Therein God is both vindicated and glorified. By the cross God has a deeper moral glory than ever a glory that He thus acquired, if I may so say. He is, of course, the same absolutely perfect and unchangeable God of goodness; but His perfection has displayed itself in new and more glorious ways in Christ's death, in Him who humbled Himself, and was obedient even to the death of the cross.

God, therefore, having not the least hindrance to the manifestation of what He can be and is in merciful intervention on behalf of the worst of sinners, manifests it is His righteousness "by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (ver. 22). The former is the direction, and the latter the application. The direction is "unto all;" the application is, of course, only to "them that believe;" but it is to all them that believe. As far as persons are concerned, there is no hindrance; Jew or Gentile makes no difference, as is expressly said, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the [passing over or praeter-mission, not] remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus" (verses 23-26). There is no simple mind that can evade the plain force of this last expression. The righteousness of God means that God is just, while at the same time He justifies the believer in Christ Jesus. It is His righteousness, or, in other words, His perfect consistency with Himself, which is always involved in the notion of righteousness. He is consistent with Himself when He is justifying sinners, or, more strictly, all those who believe in Jesus. He can meet the sinner, but He justifies the believer; and in this, instead of trenching on His glory, there is a deeper revelation and maintenance of it than if there never had been sin or a sinner.

Horribly offensive as sin is to God, and inexcusable in the creature, it is sin which has given occasion to the astonishing display of divine righteousness in justifying believers. It is not a question of His mercy merely; for this weakens the truth immensely, and perverts its character wholly. The righteousness of God flows from His mercy, of course; but its character and basis is righteousness. Christ's work of redemption deserves that God should act as He does in the gospel. Observe again, it is not victory here; for that would give place to human pride. It is not a soul's overcoming its difficulties, but a sinner's submission to the righteousness of God. It is God Himself who, infinitely glorified in the Lord that expiated our sins by His one sacrifice, remits them now, not looking for our victory, nor as yet even in leading us on to victory, but by faith in Jesus and His blood. God is proved thus divinely consistent with Himself in Christ Jesus, whom He has set forth a mercy-seat through faith in His blood.

Accordingly the apostle says that boast and works are completely set aside by this principle which affirms faith, apart from deeds of law, to be the means of relationship with God (verses 27, 28). Consequently the door is as open to the Gentile as to the Jew. The ground taken by a Jew for supposing God exclusively for Israel was, that they had the law, which was the measure of what God claimed from man; and this the Gentile had not. But such thoughts altogether vanish now, because, as the Gentile was unquestionably wicked and abominable, so from the law's express denunciation the Jew was universally guilty before God. Consequently all turned, not on what man should be for God, but what God can be and is, as revealed in the gospel, to man. This maintains both the glory and the moral universality of Him who will justify the circumcision by faith, not law, and the uncircumcision through their faith, if they believe the gospel. Nor does this in the slightest degree weaken the principle of law. On the contrary, the doctrine of faith establishes law as nothing else can; and for this simple reason, that if one who is guilty hopes to be saved spite of the broken law, it must be at the expense of the law that condemns his guilt; whereas the gospel shows no sparing of sin, but the most complete condemnation of it all, as charged on Him who shed His blood in atonement. The doctrine of faith therefore, which reposes on the cross, establishes law, instead of making it void, as every other principle must (verses 27-31).

But this is not the full extent of salvation. Accordingly we do not hear of salvation as such in Romans 3:1-31. There is laid down the most essential of all truths as a groundwork of salvation; namely, expiation. There is the vindication of God in His ways with the Old Testament believers. Their sins had been passed by. He could not have remitted heretofore. This would not have been just. And the blessedness of the gospel is, that it is (not merely an exercise of mercy, but also) divinely just. It would not have been righteous in any sense to have remitted the sins, until they were actually borne by One who could and did suffer for them. But now they were; and thus God vindicated Himself perfectly as to the past. But this great work of Christ was not and could not be a mere vindication of God; and we may find it otherwise developed in various parts of Scripture, which I here mention by the way to show the point at which we are arrived. God's righteousness was now manifested as to the past sins He had not brought into judgment through His forbearance, and yet more conspicuously in the present time, when He displayed His justice in justifying the believer.

But this is not all; and the objection of the Jew gives occasion for the apostle to bring out a fuller display of what God is. Did they fall back on Abraham? "What shall we then say that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God." Did the Jew fancy that the gospel makes very light of Abraham, and of the then dealings of God? Not so, says the apostle. Abraham is the proof of the value of faith in justification before God. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. There was no law there or then; for Abraham died long before God spoke from Sinai. He believed God and His word, with special approval on God's part; and his faith was counted as righteousness (ver. 3). And this was powerfully corroborated by the testimony of another great name in Israel (David), in Psalms 32:1-11. "For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding-place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."

In the same way the apostle disposes of all pretence on the score of ordinances, especially circumcision. Not only was Abraham justified without law, but apart from that great sign of mortification of the flesh. Although circumcision began with Abraham, manifestly it had nothing to do with his righteousness, and at best was but the seal of the righteousness of faith which he had in an uncircumcised state. It could not therefore be the source or means of his righteousness. All then that believe, though uncircumcised, might claim him as father, assured that righteousness will be reckoned to them too. And he is father of circumcision in the best sense, not to Jews, but to believing Gentiles. Thus the discussion of Abraham strengthens the case in behalf of the uncircumcised who believe, to the overthrow of the greatest boast of the Jew. The appeal to their own inspired account of Abraham turned into a proof of the consistency of God's ways in justifying by faith, and hence in justifying the uncircumcised no less than the circumcision.

But there is more than this in Romans 4:1-25 He takes up a third feature of Abraham's case; that is, the connection of the promise with resurrection. Here it is not merely the negation of law and of circumcision, but we have the positive side. Law works wrath because it provokes transgression; grace makes the promise sure to all the seed, not only because faith is open to the Gentile and Jew alike, but because God is looked to as a quickener of the dead. What gives glory to God like this? Abraham believed God when, according to nature, it was impossible for him or for Sarah to have a child. The quickening power of God therefore was here set forth, of course historically in a way connected with this life and a posterity on earth, but nevertheless a very just and true sign of God's power for the believer the quickening energy of God after a still more blessed sort. And this leads us to see not only where there was an analogy with those who believe in a promised Saviour, but also to a weighty difference. And this lies in the fact that Abraham believed God before he had the son, being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able to perform. and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. But we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. It is done. already. It is not here believing on Jesus, but on God who has proved what He is to us in raisin, from among the dead Him who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification (verses 13-25).

This brings out a most emphatic truth and special side of Christianity. Christianity is not a system of promise, but rather of promise accomplished in Christ. Hence it is essentially founded on the gift not only of a Saviour who would interpose, in the mercy of God, to bear our sins, but of One who is already revealed, and the work done and accepted, and this known in the fact that God Himself has interposed to raise Him from among the dead a bright and momentous thing to press on souls, as indeed we find the apostles insisting on it throughout the Acts. Were it merely Romans 3:1-31 there could not be full peace with God as there is. One might know a most real clinging to Jesus; but this would not set the heart at ease with God. The soul may feel the blood of Jesus to be a yet deeper want; but this alone does not give peace with God. In such a condition what has been found in Jesus is too often misused to make a kind of difference, so to speak, between the Saviour on the one hand, and God on the other ruinous always to the enjoyment of the full blessing of the gospel. Now there is no way in which God could lay a basis for peace with Himself more blessed than as He has done it. No longer does the question exist of requiring an expiation. That is the first necessity for the sinner with God. But we have had it fully in Romans 3:1-31. Now it is the positive power of God in raising up from the dead Him that was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justifying. The whole work is done.

The soul therefore now is represented for the first time as already justified and in possession of peace with God. This is a state of mind, and not the necessary or immediate fruit of Romans 3:1-31, but is based on the truth of Romans 4:1-25 as well as 3. There never can be solid peace with God without both. A soul may as truly, no doubt, be put into relationship with God be made very happy, it may be; but it is not what Scripture calls "peace with God." Therefore it is here for the first time that we find salvation spoken of in the grand results that are now brought before us in Romans 5:1-11. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." There is entrance into favour, and nothing but favour. The believer is not put under law, you will observe, but under grace, which is the precise reverse of law. The soul is brought into peace with God, as it finds its standing in the grace of God, and, more than that, rejoices in hope of the glory of God. Such is the doctrine and the fact. It is not merely a call then; but as we have by our Lord Jesus Christ our access into the favour wherein we stand, so there is positive boasting in the hope of the glory of God. For it may have been noticed from chapter 3 to chapter 5, that nothing but fitness for the glory of God will do now. It is not a question of creature-standing. This passed away with man when he sinned. Now that God has revealed Himself in the gospel, it is not what will suit man on earth, but what is worthy of the presence of the glory of God. Nevertheless the apostle does not expressly mention heaven here. This was not suitable to the character of the epistle; but the glory of God he does. We all know where it is and must be for the Christian.

The consequences are thus pursued; first, the general place of the believer now, in all respects, in relation to the past, the present, and the future. His pathway follows; and he shows that the very troubles of the road become a distinct matter of boast. This was not a direct and intrinsic effect, of course, but the result of spiritual dealing for the soul. It was the Lord giving us the profit of sorrow, and ourselves bowing to the way and end of God in it, so that the result of tribulation should be rich and fruitful experience.

Then there is another and crowning part of the blessing: "And not only so, but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation." It is not only a blessing in its own direct character, or in indirect though real effects, but the Giver Himself is our joy, and boast, and glory. The consequences spiritually are blessed to the soul; how much more is it to Teach the source from which all flows! This, accordingly, is the essential spring of worship. The fruits of it are not expanded here; but, in point of fact, to joy in God is necessarily that which makes praise and adoration to be the simple and spontaneous exercise of the heart. In heaven it will fill us perfectly; but there is no more perfect joy there, nor anything. higher, if so high, in this epistle.

At this point we enter upon a most important part of the epistle, on which we must dwell for a little. It is no longer a question of man's guilt, but of his nature. Hence the apostle does not, as in the early chapters of this epistle, take up our sins, except as proofs and symptoms of sin. Accordingly, for the first time, the Spirit of God fromRomans 5:12; Romans 5:12 traces the mature of man to the head of the race. This brings in the contrast with the other Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we have here not as One bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, but as the spring and chief of a new family. Hence, as is shown later in the chapter, Adam is a head characterized by disobedience, who brought in death, the just penalty of sin; as on the other hand we have Him of whom he was the type, Christ, the obedient man, who has brought in righteousness, and this after a singularly blessed sort and style "justification of life." Of it nothing has been heard till now. We have had justification, both by blood and also in virtue of Christ's resurrection. But "justification of life" goes farther, though involved in the latter, than the end of Romans 4:1-25; for now we learn that in the gospel there is not only a dealing with the guilt of those that are addressed in it; there is also a mighty work of God in the presenting the man in a new place before God, and in fact, too, for his faith, clearing him from all the consequences in which he finds himself as a man in the flesh here below.

It is here that you will find a great failure of Christendom as to this. Not that any part of the truth has escaped: it is the fatal brand of that "great house" that even the most elementary truth suffers the deepest injury; but as to this truth, it seems unknown altogether. I hope that brethren in Christ will bear with me if I press on them the importance of taking good heed to it that their souls are thoroughly grounded in this, the proper place of the Christian by Christ's death and resurrection. It must not be, assumed too readily. There is a disposition continually to imagine that what is frequently spoken of must be understood; but experience will soon show that this is not the case. Even those that seek a place of separation to the Lord outside that which is now hurrying on souls to destruction are, nevertheless, deeply affected by the condition of that Christendom in which we find ourselves.

Here, then, it is not a question at all of pardon or remission. First of all the apostle points out that death has come in, and that this was no consequence of law, but before it. Sin was in the world between Adam and Moses, when the law was not. This clearly takes in man, it will be observed; and this is his grand point now. The contrast of Christ with Adam takes in man universally as well as the Christian; and man in sin, alas! was true, accordingly, before the law, right through the law, and ever since the law. The apostle is therefore plainly in presence of the broadest possible grounds of comparison, though we shall find more too.

But the Jew might argue that it was an unjust thing in principle this gospel, these tidings of which the apostle was so full; for why should one man affect many, yea, all? "Not so," replies the apostle. Why should this be so strange and incredible to you? for on your own showing, according to that word to which we all bow, you must admit that one man's sin brought in universal moral ruin and death. Proud as you may be of that which distinguishes you, it is hard to make sin and death peculiar to you, nor can you connect them even with the law particularly: the race of man is in question, and not Israel alone. There is nothing that proves this so convincingly as the book of Genesis; and the apostle, by the Spirit of God, calmly but triumphantly summons the Jewish Scriptures to demonstrate that which the Jews were so strenuously denying. Their own Scriptures maintained, as nothing else could, that all the wretchedness which is now found in the world, and the condemnation which hangs over the race, is the fruit of one man, and indeed of one act.

Now, if it was righteous in God (and who will gainsay it?) to deal with the whole posterity of Adam as involved in death because of one, their common father, who could deny the consistency of one man's saving? who would defraud God of that which He delights in the blessedness of bringing in deliverance by that One man, of whom Adam was the image? Accordingly, then, he confronts the unquestionable truth, admitted by every Israelite, of the universal havoc by one man everywhere with the One man who has brought in (not pardon only, but, as we shall find) eternal life and liberty liberty now in the free gift of life, but a liberty that will never cease for the soul's enjoyment until it has embraced the very body that still groans, and this because of the Holy Ghost who dwells in it.

Here, then, it is a comparison of the two great heads Adam and Christ, and the immeasurable superiority of the second man is shown. That is, it is not merely pardon of past sins, but deliverance from sin, and in due time from all its consequences. The apostle has come now to the nature. This is the essential point. It is the thing which troubles a renewed conscientious soul above all, because of his surprise at finding the deep evil of the flesh and its mind after having proved the great grace of God in the gift of Christ. If I am thus pitied of God, if so truly and completely a justified man, if I am really an object of God's eternal favour, how can I have such a sense of continual evil? why am I still under bondage and misery from the constant evil of my nature, over which I seem to have no power whatever? Has God then no delivering power from this? The answer is found in this portion of our epistle (that is, from the middle of chapter 5).

Having shown first, then, the sources and the character of the blessing in general as far as regards deliverance, the apostle sums up the result in the end of the chapter: "That as sin hath reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life," the point being justification of life now through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is applied in the two chapters that follow. There are two things that might make insuperable difficulty: the one is the obstacle of sin in the nature to practical holiness; the other is the provocation and condemnation of the law. Now the doctrine which we saw asserted in the latter part ofRomans 5:1-21; Romans 5:1-21 is applied to both. First, as to practical holiness, it is not merely that Christ has died for my sins, but that even in the initiatory act of baptism the truth set forth there is that I am dead. It is not, as in Ephesians 2:1-22, dead in sins, which would be nothing to the purpose. This is all perfectly true true of a Jew as of a pagan true of any unrenewed man that never heard of a Saviour. But what is testified by Christian baptism is Christ's death. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized unto Jesus Christ were baptized unto his death?" Thereby is identification with His death. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." The man who, being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, or Christian baptism, would assert any license to sin because it is in his nature, as if it were therefore an inevitable necessity, denies the real and evident meaning of his baptism. That act denoted not even the washing away of our sins by the blood of Jesus, which would not apply to the case, nor in any adequate way meet the question of nature. What baptism sets forth is more than that, and is justly found, not in Romans 3:1-31, but inRomans 6:1-23; Romans 6:1-23. There is no inconsistency in Ananias's word to the apostle Paul "wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord." There is water as well as blood, and to that, not to this, the washing here refers. But there is more, which Paul afterwards insisted on. That was said to Paul, rather than what was taught by Paul. What the apostle had given him in fulness was the great truth, however fundamental it may be, that I am entitled, and even called on in the name of the Lord Jesus, to know that I am dead to sin; not that I must die, but that I am dead that my baptism means nothing less than this, and is shorn of its most emphatic point if limited merely to Christ's dying for my sins. It is not so alone; but in His death, unto which I am baptized, I am dead to sin. And "how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" Hence, then, we find that the whole chapter is founded on this truth. "Shall we sin," says he, proceeding yet farther (ver. 15), "because we are not under the law, but under grace?" This were indeed to deny the value of His death, and of that newness of life we have in Him risen, and a return to bondage of the worst description.

In Romans 7:1-25 we have the subject of the law discussed for practice as well as in principle, and there again meet with the same weapon of tried and unfailing temper. It is no longer blood, but death Christ's death and resurrection. The figure of the relationship of husband and wife is introduced in order to make the matter plain. Death, and nothing short of it, rightly dissolves the bond. We accordingly are dead, says he, to the law; not (as no doubt almost all of us know) that the law dies, but that we are dead to the law in the death of Christ. Compare verse 6 (where the margin, not the text, is substantially correct) with verse 4. Such is the principle. The rest of the chapter (7-25) is an instructive episode, in which the impotence and the misery of the renewed mind which attempts practice under law are fully argued out, till deliverance (not pardon) is found in Christ.

Thus the latter portion of the chapter is not doctrine exactly, but the proof of the difficulties of a soul who has not realised death to the law by the body of Christ. Did this seem to treat the law that condemned as an evil thing? Not so, says the apostle; it is because of the evil of the nature, not of the law. The law never delivers; it condemns and kills us. It was meant to make sin exceeding sinful. Hence, what he is here discussing is not remission of sins, but deliverance from sin. No wonder, if souls confound the two things together, that they never know deliverance in practice. Conscious deliverance, to be solid according to God, must be in the line of His truth. In vain will you preach Romans 3:1-31, or even 4 alone, for souls to know themselves consciously and holily set free.

From verse 14 there is an advance. There we find Christian knowledge as to the matter introduced; but still it is the knowledge of one who is not in this state pronouncing on one who is. You must carefully guard against the notion of its being a question of Paul's own experience, because he says, "I had not known," "I was alive," etc. There is no good reason for such an assumption, but much against it. It might be more or less any man's lot to learn. It is not meant that Paul knew nothing of this; but that the ground of inference, and the general theory built up, are alike mistaken. We have Paul informing us that he transfers sometimes in a figure to himself that which was in no wise necessarily his own experience, and perhaps had not been so at any time. But this may be comparatively a light question. The great point is to note the true picture given us of a soul quickened, but labouring and miserable under law, not at all consciously delivered. The last verses of the chapter, however, bring in the deliverance not yet the fulness of it, but the hinge, so to speak. The discovery is made that the source of the internal misery was that the mind, though renewed, was occupied with the law as a means of dealing with, flesh. Hence the very fact of being renewed makes one sensible of a far more intense misery than ever, while there is no power until the soul looks right outside self to Him who is dead and risen, who has anticipated the difficulty, and alone gives the full answer to all wants.

Romans 8:1-39 displays this comforting truth in its fulness. From the first verse we have the application of the dead and risen Christ to the soul, till in verse 11 we see the power of the Holy Ghost, which brings the soul into this liberty now, applied by-and-by to the body, when there will be the complete deliverance. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." A wondrous way, but most blessed! And there (for such was the point) it was the complete condemnation of this evil thing, the nature in its present state, so as, nevertheless, to set the believer as before God's judgment free from itself as well as its consequences. This God has wrought in Christ. It is not in any degree settled as to itself by His blood. The shedding of His blood was absolutely necessary: without that precious expiation all else had been vain and impossible. But there is much more in Christ than that to which too many souls restrict themselves, not less to their own loss than to His dishonour. God has condemned the flesh. And here it may be repeated that it is no question of pardoning the sinner, but of condemning the fallen nature; and this so as to give the soul both power and a righteous immunity from all internal anguish about it. For the truth is that God has in Christ condemned sin, and this for sin definitely; so that He has nothing more to do in condemnation of that root of evil. What a title, then, God gives me now in beholding Christ, no longer dead but risen, to have it settled before my soul that I am in Him as He now is, where all questions are closed in peace and joy! For what remains unsolved by and in Christ? Once it was far otherwise. Before the cross there hung out the gravest question that ever was raised, and it needed settlement in this world; but in Christ sin is for ever abolished for the believer; and this not only in respect of what He has done, but in what He is. Till the cross, well might a converted soul be found groaning in misery at each fresh discovery of evil in himself. But now to faith all this is gone not lightly, but truly in the sight of God; so that he may live on a Saviour that is risen from the dead as his new life.

Accordingly Romans 8:1-39 pursues in the most practical manner the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. First of all, the groundwork of it is laid in the first four verses, the last of them leading into every-day walk. And it is well for those ignorant of it to know that here, in verse 4, the apostle speaks first of "walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." The latter clause in the first verse of the authorised version mars the sense. In the fourth verse this could not be absent; in the first verse it ought not to be present. Thus the deliverance is not merely for the joy of the soul, but also for strength in our walking after the Spirit, who has given and found a nature in which He delights, communicating withal His own delight in Christ, and making obedience to be the joyful service of the believer. The believer, therefore, unwittingly though really, dishonours the Saviour, if he be content to walk short of this standard and power; he is entitled and called to walk according to his place, and in the confidence of his deliverance in Christ Jesus before God.

Then the domains of flesh and Spirit are brought before us: the one characterized by sin and death practically now; the other by life, righteousness, and peace, which is, as we saw, to be crowned finally by the resurrection of these bodies of ours. The Holy Ghost, who now gives the soul its consciousness of deliverance from its place in Christ, is also the witness that the body too, the mortal body, shall be delivered in its time. "If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by [or because of] his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Next, he enters upon another branch of the truth the Spirit not as a condition contrasted with flesh (these two, as we know, being always contrasted in Scripture), but as a power, a divine person that dwells in and bears His witness to the believer. His witness to our spirit is this, that we are children of God. But if children, we are His heirs. This accordingly leads, as connected with the deliverance of the body, to the inheritance we are to possess. The extent is what God Himself, so to speak, possesses the universe of God, whatever will be under Christ: and what will not? As He has made all, so He is heir of all. We are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.

Hence the action of the Spirit of God in a double point of view comes before us. As He is the spring of our joy, He is the power of sympathy in our sorrows, and the believer knows both. The faith of Christ has brought divine joy into his soul; but, in point of fact, he is traversing a world of infirmity, suffering, and grief. Wonderful to think the Spirit of God associates Himself with us in it all, deigning to give us divine feelings even in our poor and narrow hearts. This occupies the central part of the chapter, which then closes with the unfailing and faithful power of God for us in all our experiences here below. As He has given us through the blood of Jesus full remission, as we shall be saved by this life, as He has made us know even now nothing short of present conscious deliverance from every whit of evil that belongs to our very nature, as we have the Spirit the earnest of the glory to which we are destined, as we are the vessels of gracious sorrow in the midst of that from which we are not yet delivered but shall be, so now we have the certainty that, whatever betide, God is for us, and that nothing shall separate us from His love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Then, in Romans 9:1-33; Romans 10:1-21; Romans 11:1-36, the apostle handles a difficulty serious to any mind, especially to the Jew, who might readily feel that all this display of grace in Christ to the Gentile as much as to the Jew by the gospel seems to make very cheap the distinctive place of Israel as given of God. If the good news of God goes out to man, entirely blotting out the difference between a Jew and a Gentile, what becomes of His special promises to Abraham and to his seed? What about His word passed and sworn to the fathers? The apostle shows them with astonishing force at the starting-point that he was far from slighting their privileges. He lays down such a summary as no Jew ever gave since they were a nation. He brings out the peculiar glories of Israel according to the depth of the gospel as he knew and preached it; at least, of His person who is the object of faith now revealed. Far from denying or obscuring what they boasted of, he goes beyond them "Who are Israelites," says he, "to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all God blessed for ever." Here was the very truth that every Jew, as such, denied. What blindness! Their crowning glory was precisely what they would not hear of. What glory so rich as that of the Christ Himself duly appreciated? He was God over all blessed for ever, as well as their Messiah. Him who came in humiliation, according to their prophets, they might despise; but it was vain to deny that the same prophets bore witness to His divine glory. He was Emmanuel, yea, the Jehovah, God of Israel. Thus then, if Paul gave his own sense of Jewish privileges, there was no unbelieving Jew that rose up to his estimate of them.

But now, to meet the question that was raised, they pleaded the distinguishing promises to Israel. Upon what ground? Because they were sons of Abraham. But how, argues he, could this stand, seeing that Abraham had another son, just as much his child as Isaac? What did they say to Ishmaelites as joint-heirs? They would not hear of it. No, they cry, it is in Isaac's seed that the Jew was called. Yes, but this is another principle. If in Isaac only, it is a question of the seed, not that was born, but that was called. Consequently the call of God, and not the birth simply makes the real difference. Did they venture to plead that it must be not only the same father, but the same mother? The answer is, that this will not do one whit better; for when we come down to the next generation, it is apparent that the two sons of Isaac were sons of the same mother; nay, they were twins. What could be conceived closer or more even than this? Surely if equal birth-tie could ensure community of blessing if a charter from God depended on being sprung from the same father and mother, there was no case so strong, no claim so evident, as that of Esau to take the same rights as Jacob. Why would they not allow such a pretension? Was it not sure and evident that Israel could not take the promise on the ground of mere connection after the flesh? Birthright from the same father would let in Ishmael on the one hand, as from both parents it would secure the title of Esau on the other. Clearly, then, such ground is untenable. In point of fact, as he had hinted before, their true tenure was the call of God, who was free, if He pleased, to bring in other people. It became simply a question whether, in fact, God did call Gentiles, or whether He had revealed such intentions.

But he meets their proud exclusiveness in another way. He shows that, on the responsible ground of being His nation, they were wholly ruined. If the first book in the Bible showed that it was only the call of God that made Israel what they were, its second book as clearly proved that all was over with the called people, had it not been for the mercy of God. They set up the golden calf, and thus cast off the true God, their God, even in the desert. Did the call of God. then, go out to Gentiles? Has He mercy only for guilty Israel? Is there no call, no mercy, of God for any besides?

Hereupon he enters upon the direct proofs, and first cites Hosea as a witness. That early prophet tells Israel, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-ammi were of awful import for Israel; but, in presence of circumstances so disastrous, there should be not merely a people but sons of the living God, and then should Judah and Israel be gathered as one people under one head. The application of this was more evident to the Gentile than to the Jew. Compare Peter's use in1 Peter 2:10; 1 Peter 2:10. Finally he brings in Isaiah, showing that, far from retaining their blessing as an unbroken people, a remnant alone would be saved. Thus one could not fail to see these two weighty inferences: the bringing in to be God's sons of those that had not been His people, and the judgment and destruction of the great mass of His undoubted people. Of these only a remnant would be saved. On both sides therefore the apostle is meeting the grand points he had at heart to demonstrate from their own Scriptures.

For all this, as he presses further, there was the weightiest reason possible. God is gracious, but holy; He is faithful, but righteous. The apostle refers to Isaiah to show that God would "lay in Zion a stumbling-stone." It is in Zion that He lays it. It is not among the Gentiles, but in the honoured centre of the polity of Israel. There would be found a stumblingstone there. What was to be the stumbling-stone? Of course, it could hardly be the law: that was the boast of Israel. What was it? There could be but one satisfactory answer. The stumbling-stone was their despised and rejected Messiah. This was the key to their difficulties this alone, and fully explains their coming ruin as well as God's solemn warnings.

In the next chapter (Romans 10:1-21) he carries on the subject, showing in the most touching manner his affection for the people. He at the same time unfolds the essential difference between the righteousness of faith and that of law. He takes their own books, and proves from one of them (Deuteronomy) that in the ruin of Israel the resource is not going into the depths, nor going up to heaven. Christ indeed did both; and so the word was nigh them, in their mouth and in their heart. It is not doing, but believing; therefore it is what is proclaimed to them, and what they receive and believe. Along with this he gathers testimonies from more than one prophet. He quotes from Joel, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. He quotes also from Isaiah "Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." And mark the force of it whosoever." The believer, whosoever he might be, should not be ashamed. Was it possible to limit this to Israel? But more than this "Whosoever shall call." There. is the double prophecy. Whosoever believed should not be ashamed; whosoever called should be saved. In both parts, as it may be observed, the door is opened to the Gentile.

But then again he intimates that the nature of the gospel is involved in the publishing of the glad tidings. It is not God having an earthly centre, and the peoples doming up to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. It is the going forth of His richest blessing. And where? How far? To the limits of the holy land? Far beyond. Psalms 19:1-14 is used in the most beautiful manner to insinuate that the limits are the world. Just as the sun in the heavens is not for one people or land alone, no more is the gospel. There is no language where their voice is not heard. "Yea verily, their sound went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." The gospel goes forth universally. Jewish pretensions were therefore disposed of; not here by new and fuller revelations, but by this divinely skilful employment of their own Old Testament Scriptures.

Finally he comes to two other witnesses; as from the Psalms, so now from the law and the prophets. The first is Moses himself. Moses saith, "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people," etc. How could the Jews say that this meant themselves? On the contrary, it was the Jew provoked by the Gentiles "By them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you." Did they deny that they were a foolish nation? Be it so then; it was a foolish nation by which Moses declared they should be angered. But this does not content the apostle, or rather the Spirit of God; for he goes on to point out that Isaiah "is very bold" in a similar way; that is, there is no concealing the truth of the matter. Isaiah says: "I was found of them who sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me." The Jews were the last in the world to take such ground as this. It was undeniable that the Gentiles did not seek the Lord, nor ask after Him; and the prophet says that Jehovah was found of them that sought Him not, and was made manifest to them that asked not after Him. Nor is there only the manifest call of the Gentiles in this, but with no less clearness there is the rejection, at any rate for a time, of proud Israel. "But unto Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

Thus the proof was complete. The Gentiles the despised heathen were to be brought in; the self-satisfied Jews are left behind, justly and beyond question, if they believed the law and the prophets.

But did this satisfy the apostle? It was undoubtedly enough for present purposes. The past history of Israel was sketched inRomans 9:1-33; Romans 9:1-33; the present more immediately is before us inRomans 10:1-21; Romans 10:1-21. The future must be brought in by the grace of God; and this he accordingly gives us at the close of Romans 11:1-36. First, he raises the question, "Has God cast away his people?" Let it not be! Was he not himself, says Paul, a proof to the contrary? Then he enlarges, and points out that there is a remnant of grace in the worst of times. If God had absolutely cast away His people, would there be such mercy? There would be no remnant if justice took its course. The remnant proves, then, that even under judgment the rejection of Israel is not complete, but rather a pledge of future favour. This is the first ground.

The second plea is not that the rejection of Israel is only partial, however extensive, but that it is also temporary, and not definitive. This is to fall back on a principle he had already used. God was rather provoking Israel to jealousy by the call of the Gentiles. But if it were so, He had not done with them. Thus the first argument shows that the rejection was not total; the second, that it was but for a season.

But there is a third. Following up with the teaching of the olive-tree, he carries out the same thought of a remnant that abides on their own stock, and points to a re-instatement of the nation, And I would just observe by the way, that the Gentile cry that no Jew ever accepts the gospel in truth is a falsehood. Israel is indeed the only people of whom there is always a portion that believe. Time was when none of the English, nor French, nor of any other nation believed in the Saviour. There never was an hour since Israel's existence as a nation that God has not had His remnant of them. Such has been their singular fruit of promise; such even in the midst of all their misery it is at present. And as that little remnant is ever sustained by the grace of God, it is the standing pledge of their final blessedness through His mercy, whereon the apostle breaks out into raptures of thanksgiving to God. The day hastens when the Redeemer shall come to Zion. He shall come, says one Testament, out of Zion. He shall come to Zion, says the other. In both Old and New it is the same substantial testimony. Thither He shall come, and thence, go forth. He shall own that once glorious seat of royalty in Israel. Zion shall yet behold her mighty, divine, but once despised Deliverer; and when He thus comes, there will be a deliverance suited to His glory. All Israel shall be saved. God, therefore, had not cast off His people, but was employing the interval of their slip from their place, in consequence of their rejection of Christ, to call the Gentiles in sovereign mercy, after which Israel as a whole should be saved. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? or who hath first liven to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever."

The rest of the epistle takes up the practical consequences of the great doctrine of God's righteousness, which had been now shown to be supported by, and in no wise inconsistent with, His promises to Israel. The whole history of Israel, past, present, and future falls in with, although quite distinct from, that which he had been expounding. Here I shall be very brief.

Romans 12:1-21 looks at the mutual duties of the saints. Romans 13:1-14; Romans 13:1-14 urges their duties towards what was outside them, more particularly to the powers that be, but also to men in general. Love is the great debt that we owe, which never can be paid, but which we should always be paying. The chapter closes with the day of the Lord in its practical force on the Christian walk. In Romans 14:1-23 and the beginning ofRomans 15:1-33; Romans 15:1-33 we have the delicate theme of Christian forbearance in its limits and largeness. The weak are not to judge the strong, and the strong are not to despise the weak. These things are matters of conscience, and depend much for their solution on the degree to which souls have attained. The subject terminates with the grand truth which must never be obscured by details that we are to receive, one another, as Christ has received us, to the glory of God. In the rest of chapter 15 the apostle dwells on the extent of his apostleship, renews his expression of the thought and hope of visiting Rome, and at the same time shows how well he remembered the need of the poor at Jerusalem. Romans 16:1-27; Romans 16:1-27 brings before us in the most. instructive and interesting manner the links that grace practically forms and maintains between the saints of God. Though he had never visited Rome, many of them were known personally. It is exquisite the delicate love with which he singles out distinctive features in each of the saints, men and women, that come before him. Would that the Lord would give us hearts to remember, as well as eyes to see, according to His own grace! Then follows a warning against those who bring in stumbling-blocks and offences. There is evil at work, and grace does not close the eye to danger; at the same time it is never under the pressure of the enemy, and there is the fullest confidence that the God of peace will break the power of Satan under the feet of the saints shortly.

Last of all, the apostle links up this fundamental treatise of divine righteousness in its doctrine, its dispensational bearings, and its exhortations to the walk of Christians, with higher truth, which it would not have been suitable then to bring out; for grace considers the state and the need of the saints. True ministry gives out not merely truth, but suited truth to the saints. At the same time the apostle does allude to that mystery which was not yet divulged at least, in this epistle; but he points from the foundations of eternal truth to those heavenly heights that were reserved for other communications in due time.