PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans
Hodge, Charles, 1797–1878 · 193,921 words · 491 reading sections
185L
-6^ Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1836, by Chakles Hodge, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of New Jersey.…
28 wordsSECTION 2INTRODUCTION.
When Paul and the other apostles were called to enter upon their important duties, the world was in a deplorable and yet most interesting state. Both Heathenism and Judaism were in the last stages of decay. The polytheism of the Greeks and Romans had been carried to such an extent as to shock the common sense of mankin…
418 wordsSECTION 34 INTRODUCTION.
respect, it is said by ancient writers to have been superior to either of them. In the other cities mentioned, the majority of students were strangers, but in Tarsus they were the inhabitants themselves.* That Paul passed the early part of his life here is probable, because the trade which he was taught, in accordance …
557 wordsSECTION 4INTRODUCTION. 5
was thus a thoroughly educated man ; a man educated with a special view to the work which he was called to perform. We find, therefore, in this, as in most similar cases, that God effects his purposes by those instruments which he has, in the ordinary course of his providence, spe- cially fitted for their accomplishmen…
355 wordsSECTION 5ORIGIN AND CONDITION OF THE CHURCH AT ROME.
One of the providential circumstances which most effectually contri- buted to the early propagation of Christianity, was the dispersion of the Jews among surrounding nations. They were widely scattered through the East, Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece and Italy, especially at Rome. As they were permitted, throughout t…
145 wordsSECTION 66 INTRODUCTION.
pure theism of the Old Testament scriptures to any form of religion known to the ancients, could not fail to attract and convince multitudes among the pagans, wherever the Jewish worship was established. Such persons became either proselytes or " devout," that is, worshippers of the true God. Being free from the invete…
545 wordsSECTION 7INTRODUCTION. ^ 7
'nferred not only from the probabilities just referred to, but from other circumstances. When Paul wrote this epistle, the faith of the Romans was spoken of throughout the world, which would seem to imply that the church had already been long- established. Aquila and Priscilla, who left Rome on account of the decree of…
552 wordsSECTION 88 INTRODUCTION.
exclusively of this class ; many converts, originally Jews, were included in their numbers, and those belonging to the other class were more or less under the influence of Jewish opinions. The apostle, therefore, in this, as in all his other epistles addressed to congregations similarly situatea, refutes those doctrine…
547 wordsSECTION 9INTRODUCTION. . 9
of 'le Messiah's kingdom, and partly, no doubt, from the peculiar liard- shis and oppressions to which they were exposed. The prevalence of thiandisposition among them is proved by its being a matter of discus- sioiwhether it was even lawful to pay tribute to Caesar ; by their asser- tiorthat, as Abraham's seed, they w…
142 wordsSECTION 10TIME AND PLACE OF ITS COMPOSITION.
jiere are no sufficient data for fixing accurately and certainly the chmology of the life and writings of the apostle Paul. It is therefore, in lost cases, only by a comparison of various circumstances that an appximation to the date of the principal events of his life can be made. Wh regard to this epistle, it is plai…
301 wordsSECTION 11^^■^ENTICITY OF THE EPISTLE. '
That this epistle was wx.^g^ ^^^ ^^^ apostle Paul, admits of no rea- sonable doubt. 1. It in the h..^ place purports to be his. It bears his signature, and speaks througho. -^ j^-g ^ame. 2. It has uniformly been recognised as his. From tL apostolic age to the present time it has been referred to and quoted ,^ ^ regular…
450 wordsSECTION 12ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE. I
The epistle consists of three parts. The first, which includf^ the mt eight chapters, is occupied in the discussion of the doctrine <^f justifid- tion and its consequences. The second, embracing chapters 9, 10, l\j treats of the calling of the Gentiles, the rejection anr'^uture conversioi of the Jews. The third consist…
126 wordsSECTION 13INTRODUCTION. li
Ihod is equally applicable to all mankind, Gentiles as well as Jewis, eh. 1 : 1 — 17. Paul thus introduces the two leading topics of the episile. In order to establish his doctrine respecting justification, he first proves that the Gentiles cannot be justified by their own works, ch. 1 : 18 — 39 ; and then establishes…
543 wordsSECTION 1412 INTRODUCTION.
The doctrine of the gratuitous justification of sinners cannot lead to the indulgence of sin, because such is the nature of union with Christ and such the object for which he died, that all who receive the benefits of his death experience the sanctifying influence of his life, ch. 6 : I — 1 1 Besides, the objection in …
547 wordsSECTION 15INTRODUCTION. 13
easy, and adapted to all men. It should, therefore, agreeably to the revealed purpose of God, be preached to all men, ch. 10 : 6—21. The rejection of the Jews is not total ; many of that generation were brought into the church, who were of the election of grace, ch. 11 : 1 — 10. Neither is this rejection final. There …
170 wordsSECTION 16CONTENTS,
This chapter consists of two parts. The first extends to the close of V. 17, and contains the general introduction to the epistle. The second commences with v. 18, and extends to the close of the chapter : it con- tains the argument of the apostle to prove that the declaration contained in vs. 16, 17, that justificatio…
70 wordsSECTION 17CHAP. 1 : 1—17.
*Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to he an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, ^(which he had promised afore by his prophets irf the holy scriptures,) ^concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, *and declared to he the Son of God with power, accor…
329 wordsSECTION 1816 ROMANS 1: 1—17.
of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ^''For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith : as it is written, The just shall live by faith.…
47 wordsSECTION 19ANALYSIS.
This section consists of two parts. The first, from v. 1 to 7 inclusive is a salutatory address ; the second, from v. 8 to 17, is the introduction to the epistle. Paul commences by announcing himself as a divinely com- missioned teacher, set apart to the preaching of the gospel, v. 1. Of this gospel, he says, 1. That i…
417 wordsSECTION 20COMMENTARY.
(1) Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated ttnto the gospel of God. The apostle's original name was Saul, the demanded^ or asked for. It was common among the Jews and other oriental nations ■o change the names of individuals on the occurrence of any remarkable event in their lives, as in th…
66 wordsSECTION 21ROMANS 1 : 1—17. 17
32 : 28. This was especially the case when the individual was advanced to some new office or dignity, Gen. 41 : 45. Dan. 1 : 6, 7. Hence a new name is sometimes equivalent to a new dignity, Apoc. 2:17. As Paul seems to have received this name shortly after he entered on his duties as an apostle, it is often supposed, a…
569 wordsSECTION 2218 ROMANS 1 : 1—17.
It was peculiarly pertinent to the apostle's object to state, that the gospel which he taught was not a new doctrine, much less in consistent with writings which his readers knew to be of divine authority. This idea he therefore frequently repeats in reference to the method of salvation, ch. 3 : 21. 10 : 11, &c. ; the …
581 wordsSECTION 23ROMANS 1: 1—17. 19
declared has, in this case, that meaning-, maybe argued, 1. From its ety- molog-y. It comes from a word signifying- a limit or boundary^ and lite- rally means to set limits to, to define, and such, in usage, is its frequent signification. To define is nearly related both to appointing, and to nam- ing, declaring, exhib…
588 wordsSECTION 2420 ROMANS 1: 1—17.
fact that God was incarnate was proved, and his claims vindicated by the divine nature, which exhibited its power and glory in so many ways, in the words and works of Christ. In 1 Pet. 3 : 18, Christ is saitd to have been put to death as to thejlesk, but to have remained alive as to the Spirit^ by which Spirit he preac…
603 wordsSECTION 25ROMANS 1 : 1—17. 21
gifts, nfter that of his Son, is the influence of the Holy Ghost ; this, therefore, in the Bible, and in common life, is called, by way of eminence, grace. The word may be so understood here, and include all those influ- ences of the Holy Spirit by which Paul was furnished for his work. The two words grace and apostles…
576 wordsSECTION 2622 ROMANS 1: 1—17.
of Jesus Christ does not mean called hy Jesus Christ ,- but the genitive ex- presses the idea of possession, ' the called ones who belong to Christ,' ' Christ's called, or chosen ones.' (7) To all that be in Borne, beloved of God, called to be saints. As this verse contains the salutation, it is, in sense, immediately…
566 wordsSECTION 27ROMANS 1: 1—17. 23
called our Father, as he from whom all good ultimately comes ; and Jesus Christ is called Lord, as our Ruler, under whose care and protec- tion we are placed, and through whose ministration all good is actually- bestowed. (8) First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, &c. From this verse to the end of the…
564 wordsSECTION 2824 ROMANS 1 : 3—17.
prosperous journey^ ly the will of God, to come unto you. Not merely the fact that he prayed, but the subject of his prayers, evinced his inte- rest in the Roman Christians. If by any means now at length expresses the strength of the apostle's desire to see them, and implies that it had been, as he afterwards assures t…
581 wordsSECTION 29ROMANS 1 : 1—17. 25
fruit among them, as among other Gentiles. To have fruit, commonly means to derive advantage from; ch. 6 : 21,22, " what fruit had ye," i. e. w\yd.t advantage had ye. Many give the words this sense here, and understand the apostle as referring to personal benefits of some kind, which he wished to derive from preaching …
598 wordsSECTION 3026 ROMANS 1: 1—17.
truly powerful in saving men/ To every one that believeth. Emphasis must be laid upon both members of this clause. The gospel is thus effi- cacious to every one, without distinction between Jew and Gentile ; and to every one that believeth, not who is circumcised, or who obeys the law, or who does this or that, but who…
602 wordsSECTION 31ROMANS 1 : 1—17. 27
See the constant opposition between the just and the unjust ,- between those who can, and those who cannot answer the demands of law. The word, therefore, expresses together with the idea of excellence that of a claim or title to its consequent rewards ; in other words, it expresses the whole state or condition of thos…
555 wordsSECTION 3228 ROMANS 1: 1—17.
tion of the more concise phrase " righteousness of God." 5. This inter- pretation is entirely suitable to the context. The efficacy of the gospel is attributed to the fact that a meritorious and saving excellence is there- in revealed, and M^hich God offers as the ground of the sinner's depend- ence in preference to an…
461 wordsSECTION 33DOCTRINES.
1. The apostolic office, except as to what was peculiar and extraordi- nary, being essentially the same with the ministerial office in general, Paul teaches, 1. That ministers are the servants of Christ, deriving their authority from him, and not from the people ; 3. That their calling is to preach the gospel, to which…
77 wordsSECTION 34ROMANS 1: 1—17. 29
dience of faith ; 4. That their field is all nations j 5. That the design of all is to honour Christ ; it is for his name, vs. 1 — 5. 2. The gospel is contained, in its rudiments, in the Old Testament. It is the soul of the old dispensation, v. 2. 3. Christ is the Alpha and Omega of the gospel. In stating the sub- st…
395 wordsSECTION 35REMARKS.
1. Ministers should remember that they are "separated unto the gos- pel," and that any occupation which, by its demands upon their atten- tion, or from its influence on their character or feelings, interferes with their devotion to this object, is for them wrong, v. 1. 2. If Jesus Christ is the great subject of the go…
114 wordsSECTION 36?0 ROMANS 1 : 13—32.
pray to him, to look for blessings from him, and recognise him as the mediator between God and man, vs. 1 — 8. 3. Christians should remember that they are saints ; that is, persons separated from the world and consecrated to God. They therefore can- not serve themselves or the world, without a dereliction of their cha…
307 wordsSECTION 37CHAP. 1 : 18—32.
*^For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ^'•^because that which may be known of God is manifest in them ; for God hath showed it unto them. ^"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, …
165 wordsSECTION 38ROMANS 1 : 18—32. 31
chaiig'ed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the crea- ture more than the Creator, who is hlessed for ever. Amen, ^epo^ ^j^jg cause God gave them up unto vile affections : for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature : ^^and likewise also the men, leaving the nat…
189 wordsSECTION 39ANALYSIS.
The apostle, having stated that the only righteousness available in the sight of God is that which is obtained by faith, proceeds to prove that such is the case. This proof required that he should, in the first instance, demonstrate that the righteousness which is of the law, or of works, was insufficient for the justi…
327 wordsSECTION 4032 ROMANS 1: 18—32.
The inference from the established sinfulness of the Gentile world, Paul does not draw, until he has substantiated the same charge against the Jews. He then says, since all are sinners before God, no flesh can be justified by the works of the law, ch. 3 : 20.…
47 wordsSECTION 41COMMENTARY.
(18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodli- ness, and unrighteousness of men, &c. The connexion of this verse with the preceding, and consequently the force of the particle/or, will be per- ceived, if it is remembered that Paul had just asserted, that those only who were just by faith, could …
469 wordsSECTION 42ROMANS 1 : 18—32. 33
.&c., and its duties, John 3 : 21. 1 John 1 : 6, "who do not the truth," &c. Such is probably its meaning here. The word rendered to hold, in the sense of having in possession, is so used in 1 Cor. 7 : 30. 15 : 2. Luke 8 : 15, &;c. If this sense be adopted here, the word truth must be un- derstood objectively, for the …
573 wordsSECTION 4334 ROMANS I: 18—32.
tion in the external world. This manifestation is perpetual and univer- sal. It is from the creation of the world. These words may indeed be rendered hy the creation, &c., but not consistently with the latter part of the verse ; nor do they, when thus rendered, give so pertinent a sense. These invisible things are seen…
557 wordsSECTION 44ROMANS 1: 18—32. 35
pressions include every act of worship. The former refers to the recog-- nition of all the divine perfections, the latter to the acknowledgment of God as the source of all good. To regard God as possessed of all ex- cellence, and as the giver of all good, is true piety. Instead of thus rendering unto God the homage an…
538 wordsSECTION 4536 ROMANS 1 : 18—32.
gines of America. The further men have departed from the teachings oi divine revelation, however made, and the more they have relied on their own understanding, tne more deplorably besotted and foolish have they become. And it matters little under what external circumstances this departure is made, the result is always…
555 wordsSECTION 46ROMANS 1 : 18—32. 37
vidence and Spirit, and gave them up to the dominion of their own wicked passions. The construction of this verse is rather doubtful. It may be construed, as by our translators, 'he delivered them to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts,' or ' he gave them up to the unclean lusts of their hearts ;' the words r…
598 wordsSECTION 4738 ROMANS 1 : 18—32.
therefore employed to express assent to the prayers offered by one in the name of others. (26) For for this cause God gave them up to vile affections^ &c. This verse repeats, in a more definite form, the idea of v. 24. The reasons why Paul refers in the first instance to the sins of uncleanness, in illus- tration and …
538 wordsSECTION 48ROMANS 1: 18—32. 39
of the verb rendered they did not like means, 1. To test or prove ,- 2. To approve, to judge worthy, 1 Cor. 16: 3, "whom ye shall approve;" 3. To discern or decide upon. The second signification seems best suited to this passage. ' They did not think it of any account to retain the know- ledge of the true God.' Reprob…
548 wordsSECTION 4940 ROMANS 1: 18—32.
word rendered judgment, as well as the corresponding Hebrew term, is used in a very wide sense in the Scriptures, for any thing which God has ordained or commanded ; as in the frequent phrase, " thy judgments," in the Old Testament. Hence it includes the law of God. This is its meaning here, ' they know the law of God …
285 wordsSECTION 50DOCTRINES.
1. The punitive justice of God is an essential attribute of his nature. This attribute renders the punishment of sin necessary, and is the foun- dation of the need of a vicarious atonement, in order to the pardon of sin- ners. This doctrine the apostle assumes as a first principle, and makes the basis of his whole expo…
246 wordsSECTION 51ROMANS 1 : 18—32. 41
has come down to them, need the gospel. In point of fact, the light which they enjoy does not lead them to God and holiness, vs. 21 — 23. 6. Error (on moral and religious subjects) has its root in depravity. Men are ignorant of God and duty, because they do not like to retain him in their knowledge, vs. 21, 28. 7. Go…
217 wordsSECTION 52REMARKS.
1. It lies in the very nature of sin, that it should be inexcusable, and worthy of punishment. Instead, therefore, of palliating its enormity, we should endeavour to escape from its penalty, vs. 18, 33. 2. As the works of God reveal his eternal power and Godhead, we should accustom ourselves to see in them the manifes…
266 wordsSECTION 5342 ROMANS 2 : 1—16.
favour, Eccl. 7 : 26. Prov. 22 : 14 ; to be abandoned to them, as the marfe of reprobation. 8. To take pleasure in those who do good makes us better, as to de- light in those who do evil is the surest way to become even more degraded than they are themselves, v. 32…
53 wordsSECTION 54CONTENTS.
The object of this chapter is to establish the same charges against the Jews, which had just been proved against the Gentiles, and to show that they also were exposed to the wrath of God. It consists of three parts. The first contains an exhibition of those simple principles of justice upon which all men are to be judg…
112 wordsSECTION 55CHAP. 2: 1—16.
^Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judg- est ; for.wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things, ^gyt -y^e are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ^And thinkest thou this, O man, tha…
281 wordsSECTION 56ROMANS 2 : 1—16. 43
tamed in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves : *^which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) ^^in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ accordi…
409 wordsSECTION 57COMMENTARY.
(1) Therefore thou art inexcusable, 0 man, whosoever thou art thatjudg- est, &c. In order to feel the force of the apostle's reasoning, it should be remembered that the principal ground on which the Jews expected accept- ance with God, was the covenant of God with Abraham, in which he promised to be a God to him and hi…
117 wordsSECTION 5844 ROMANS 2: 1—16.
tion to their great progenitor. We cannot sufficiently admire the skill with which Paul conducts his argument against this ground of confidence. He does not even name the Jew, and say, 'Therefore, O Jew, thou art inexcusable,' &c. He begins at such a distance, that the prejudices of his readers are not at all aroused. …
545 wordsSECTION 59ROMANS 2: 1—16. 45
John 8 : 15, 16, " Ye judge after the flesh ; my judgment is true." The connexion between this and the prAvious verse is thus obvious, * Ye judge one way, but God judgeth another.' The word rendered judgment often means condemnation j ch. 3: 8, " whose condemnation is just;" 1 Cor. 11 : 29, 34, and frequently elsewhere…
559 wordsSECTION 6046 ROMANS 2: 1—16.
liar forbearance of God toward them, so far from being an evidence that God would ultimately spare them, would, by being abused, greatly ag- gravate their condemnation. " After thy hardness," &c. i. e. ' through, or on account ofthj hard and impenitent heart ;' see Eph. 1 : 5, 7. 3 ; 3, &c. The word rendered to treasur…
567 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1851). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.