PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Romans
James Barmby [1822-1897] · 439,030 words · 478 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 301
and hns bought us with his precious blood. He ie enthroned ln our henrts; hP, givea laws to our life. 2. J eeus is rich unto all. We are ae81lred of "the unspeakable riches of Christ,n and are counselled to buy of him "gold tried in the fire, that we may be rich." If" all things are oure," it is because we are Christ's…
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trnly known him during his career of unbelief and persecution. It was when Jesus met him by the way that his hostility was overcome, thRt his heart wns melted, thnt bis nature was changed. But this was exceptional treatment. The Lord who, by o. supernatural appeara.noe and voice, called Saul to the knowledge of hims…
900 wordsSECTION 303The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 303
he sent out other seventy also. Defore he left the world he directed and sanctioned per- sonal agency in the ministry of the gospel. Paul instructed Timothy to comm.it the things he had received to faithful men, who should be able to teach others also; tbne arranging for a succession, not of a priesthood, but of a t…
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unfumi~hed on the world. Those who arc t.o influence mon must in the first place be !nfiuenl'~d by men. That community is_ rich which .cont.a.ins a lar~e amount of tonch- mg, qmckenmg power. One of our chief dangers 1s lest we should uverestimnte the power of money. There is much which C.'\nnot be purohased by materinl…
1,182 wordsSECTION 305The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 305
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1--4.-Israel's strength and weakness. The apostle returns a,,"ain t.o the tender solicitude for the spiritual welfare of Israel which he had already expressed in the beginning of the ninth chapter. He was no blind biiot. He could recognize the good qualities even of those from whom h…
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the rightoourness of God" (ver. 3). Thus it is plain t.hat sincerity &nd morality will not sa'l'"e the human soul or procure aooept.auce with God. The essential condition of i:..1lrnti,,n is faith. Faith will lead us to accept God's plan of salvation, and to be guided by his Word in our efforts to obtain it. St. Paul's…
922 wordsSECTION 307The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 307
Vars. 14, 15.-Four questions for every <Jhrisw.,,n. When the great heart of the Apostle Paul burned within:him as he wrote hie Epistles to the Churches, he threw aside ae it were, the calm and stately prose of the quiet thinker and careful writer. He becam; an orator. He saw before him--even in his prison cell-immortal…
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a heathen e11n grasp the ide11s of God's holiness and truth and purity, eo 11coustomod la he t-0 think of gods whose qualities are the very opposite of these, Even in our Christia:n land, unhappily, there are places i!1 our large cities eo ne~leoted and degraded that children ha'l"e grown up without bearing about Go…
892 wordsSECTION 309The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 309
the one true God. What a contrast to the helpless idols of heatheniillil ! How beautiful to think that God is a Spirit who is everywhere present, who knows all our circmm- stances, and to whom we can always draw near in the assurance that he beare us and le able o.nd willing to help ue I What a contrast to the unkno…
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~h'l"ery•~ lash still falls? How beautiful is that gospel which hM lifted woman out of her dq,rsdation; which has emancipated alroady so many millions of slaves; which ho.s abe>lished cannibalism in so many islands of the sea; which hl\s put n.n end to the imttee and other cruel ceremonies in India ; and which is draw…
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Christian land, make light of the blessings of the gospel, resist its invitat1one and eet at naught its counsele.-O. H. I. ' Vere. 1-11.-The freenea, of Balvation. The apostle's heart yeal'Il8 for hie people. For he recognizes their sincerity in much of their grievous mistakin.,.0 of the ways of God. They had zeal for…
856 wordsSECTION 312The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 312
l. Tm: U~-n-ERSALITY OF TITE GOSPF.L IS F:VIDENT FROM rrB VERY 1"Rl!:1!:NEBB, If the La~ h&d been able of itself to justify, it might hitve seemed as though the Gentiles were without hope. But when it is perceived thl\t the Law only lMds to Ohriet, and that in Christ a free forgivene..~ is granted to sinful man, at …
905 wordsSECTION 313The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 313
atonement, But further, these men VJere his fellow-crruhttryrrvm. Surely the condition of our" kinsmen according to the flesh" must be uppermost in our tho11ghts, and each man's efforts naturally commence at his own house, his own nei"hbourhood his rmn ~ation. Then, tfae'!/ we:e the descendants of men signally ~Ned …
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1.1ame motive actuates &ll these. Yet the'.I"" all bear witness to man's anxioty to b righte,..,u~ in the sight of the Supreme Deing, and those l\re l\bnormally constituted who IU'e never conscious of this yMrning. It Wll8 not this strong desire for righteous- ness which the apostle tried to alter in the Jews, but the …
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Chrlstif1':1ity. In order to obviate the pretence of the gospel being a system complicated to ex~m11;1e and conform to, the ~po_stle ~uotes from_ J?euteronomy (using the passage in ll JUst16able, though Bltered s1gn16ca.t10n) to exh1b1t the simplicity a.nd brevity of the gospel requirements. Nothing impracticable is de…
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The text fnrnisbes the basis for auoh a statC1ment of univ-ers&l salvability, In its clel\r enuncinti,)n of the nature of God. By imflication it negatives many theorlea when It RS!;erts that" the same Lord is Lord of all,' and the following olause oontaine mensuro- less rornfort for e'l'ery anxious pmying heart. He …
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use of the word II riches" to describe the mercies of God In redemption. He felt he he.d to publish a purpose of God rich !n _wi~on:i, love, and power, dwarfing all b•irmm 11ystems of reform. The Lord of Cbrist1amty 111 IIO supremely glorioU11 that it wae a. relief to tum away from human poverty in thought ancl means, …
892 wordsSECTION 318The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 318
his roundabout way, going a.bout to establish his own righteousness, wl\s I\ delusion, a sna.re, a loss, and not a. gain, for it kept him long years from Christ. Let us be clonr that we a.re not under a. simila.r delusion. Let us give up self-righteousneea and ta.ke God's better wav. II. A RISEN SAVIOUll IB THE END…
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tho Sanheclrln? Was Joeeph of Arimatbrea noble a.a he gave bis heart to the dP,8piw1 Saviour, but continued afraid to confess him? Neither man became nobla until the Crucifixion brought decision, and they vied with each other what respect they C1Juld show to the remains of their great Master. Or would Saul of Tarsua ha…
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dist.ing11igJuid from any natural reflective enlightenment; while thi\t • heariu"' cometh by the \Vord of God,' ariseth out of a.n express revela.tion uttered from heaven~ in oon4 tnu:t t-0 every system, devioe, or imagination of unassisted human reason," 1 This being ~o, we can underatand how the apostle quotes the…
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neslgnable principles of stated recurrence, and in definite cycles, nay, if they appeared frequently, though unfixcdly,-they would enter, or seem to enter, into the procession of the laws of nature, e.nd thus lose their proper 1lSe and character. What follows? ~t ~ol!ows that miracles cannot be presented to every succe…
810 wordsSECTION 322The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 322
mc-nt; but d. lllntt. ii. 12, Xp,,p.aT1tr9/...,.u tation of 'l'Ov >.. .. cl., auTou, but intended to 1<aT' r,rap ; 11l<a0 Luke ii. 26; Acts x. 22; euforoo the idea of the impoaaibilit.y of HL'h. nii. 5; xi. 7) unto him t I h&ve left the fin11,l rejection of tho r,1oe of lsmol to myself seven thoUBaD.d men, who h&ve …
1,127 wordsSECTION 323The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 323
in tho Now Toeta.ment roforring to the heart for 1r11.pd.1r-ru,µ.a., Bnt the word 1111 used in (of. espeoio.lly John xii. 40, T.-r6,PM>K<V English, is not equivalent. ir we retain 11bTw11 Toli, 6,POCJAµ.ol,s, 1<0:I ,,..,,tf,pu,1<,v 11.b-riiJv the re~dering " fall," we mnst nndent&nd -r¾/11 1<11.p8lav). And such hnrc…
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i~ thP ~nme w0rd Rs in ver. 11) my :lleah (i.e. "• . , to n1n.rry ml/ kindred). and may aave some of them. A gentle scion to the wildest st.ook, To the Gentiles, whom he now directly And make conceive a bark of bBBer kind eddrPl!l!l'S. he thus intimates that, though By bud of nobler re.oe." ' he is espe'Cially thei…
1,061 wordsSECTION 325The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 325
a state of sal vatlon of races or communities the apostle's m~aning in his use of the word). of men-of the Jewish race on the one In ~he LXX. 1t denotes any Divine secret, hand, and Gentile Ohorches on the other. which may o:r may not be made known to The whole _purport of this section of the m~n (~- Dan. ii. 18, 19…
1,070 wordsSECTION 326The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 326
~('{'S. nnd quotff freel~·. perhaps from obtained meroy through their unbelief (or, m,•morv. The m&in oita\ion is from 11!&. ditobedienoe): even ao have the■e aho now fu. 20: 21. mth Rn Addition from Isa. xYii. not believed (or, obeyed), that through your 9. the LXX. being followed. The <'imtfons meroy (i.e. the mercy …
1,031 wordsSECTION 327The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 327
sttll persist tn going e.bout to eete.blieh their (of. eh. H. 4._1rAo6-ror ?7jr Xl"ltrrh,rro,; Eph. own rightoouenoes inetend of submitting I. 7,_ -rlw ,r"A.0U'TOV -rijr x&ptTOf aln-oii. O,..rmii- themselves to the righteoUBDeS! of God. He ne.t1on of the three subetantiv811 is l!llgg1;Bted shuts them up for the prese…
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of his &ut.hority snd of hie acceptance with the Father. Ho roee ae the Mediator and the Representati'l'e &nd the Forerunner of his people. TI. 'l'HE Al'PLTOATION OF THIii PRINOIPLE IS SEOUBED BY THE OPERATIONB OF THlll HoLl: SPIRIT. The Church professes, in the ancient Creed, to "believe in the Holy Ghost., the Lo…
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men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of BMl" (ver~. 3 4). How little Elij11h knew of the true state of affairs I '£here is ~lw:ays a great danger, even amoni:;t those who are most ze:1loue for the truth, of deprec1a.t10g or under-estim'l.tin,,. the "''""I that is in others. Want of charity to others may somet…
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by Christi1ms who owe so much to them ; but they are still the ohosen people of God, bringing blessings even in their fall to those that despise them. II. '!'HEIR F ~ PROSPECTS. 1. There i.s hope for Israel in the promises Qf God1, As =ly as_ Goo predict.ad the dispersion of the Jews, and that came to pass, so surely …
937 wordsSECTION 331The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 331
Vere. 38-86.-The wnsearchable things of God. These words may be taken as a fitting conclusion to the doctrinal or argumentative part of the Epistle. As we see how the apostle shows first of all, in the condition of both the heathen and the ,Jewish world, tho.t all have Hinned, and that all needed a Divine Saviour; and …
921 wordsSECTION 332The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 332
believet-h o~ him should not perish, but h11ve everlasting life" I W71osoever I In that word there is ho~ for the guiltiest of sinners who will repent of his sin, and believe on the Lord Je.."1ls Christ. &, t11hil~ ,oe speak qf the unsearchable things qf God, we do not t ~ tM agnostic positioA. We do not say that God i…
976 wordsSECTION 333The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 333
Vera. 11-16.-Ho~ much m°:el ~lindness and hardness have come upon Israel, so that they have reJected their Chnst, e.nd consequently God has rejected them. They he.ve stumbled, and have missed the way of life. But have they stumbled that they might permanently fall? Can God not work to some other, some better end than t…
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of CbrM, and its ext-ension, to wb.ioh tbe apostle looks, and to which he would have them l<x,k. They, his readers, were now, in place, 111! it were, of the unbelieving brnelit<'S, entrui:-t<'d with the living power; it WM for them, in oonjuuctlon with the belienng Jews, to make known Mh-at.ion t-0 the world. We hav…
861 wordsSECTION 335The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 335
they "were disobedient to God." Tbeirs was a negative diacipline to fit them for the reception of tbe truth. They were "ebut up unto disobedience," that they miaht be prepared to receive unmerited mercy at the bands of God. And tbe discipline did its work. For them there ea.me 11 " fulnese of the times." They became si…
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But man has neither known hia Maker's mind, nor certainly has he counselled him with '11"isdom. And yet did the e.rro~nt Ismelite think to have merited aught from God? as though he had given him, forsooth, by his vain services, that it must be recompensed him again? This was indeed to arrogate to himself that knowledge…
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dcnoy, By the strength of the inwara impulse. There must be 11 "call " a necessity within ratified by compulsion without. By the way they have be,,,n led. 'Haa not the ~loudy pillar guided our steps, th_e road ~i.og bloc~ed in other directions? Our post 1s to be abandoned only when II higher poait1on manifeetly offers …
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and pm'E' 11nd beneficent it may beoomr, and by his sROrifioo opened the kingdom of be11ven to all believen. Woll may we rc'joice in his work I Our High Prloat before the throne AAnct:ilies all who come 't-0 God through him. At the jubilee fuetivltiea tho Queen of Hawaii claimed preoedenoo as a sovereign, and, her ored…
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knowlodgo e.nd close accees to, Goel, ancl omitting to cultivate the appropriat'l grar= nnd cluties, II. 'l'um LAW AND AIM 01!' GoD'B GOVERNMENT 18 RWHTEOUK"S'Y.RR. HP.rn W'J ail<'.,end to that eesentinl a.ttribnte of God which is the guide and end r,f his de.aliw, 8 with his cren~ures. Well-~eiag cannot be separated …
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<>stablish his own righteousness; for years he had been taking that" roundabout way;" but he had been led by his internew with his risen Lord to see in the crucified Nazareno the Messiah of promise, and he had accepted salvation from hie holy hands. No 11rra.ngement of God prevented any Jew from entering the charmed…
948 wordsSECTION 341The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 341
Vere. 11-32.-Israel'sfuture. In the section now before 11B we find the apostle passing from the judicio.l blindness which had come upon hie countrymen to its provi- dential purpose. For God co.n make the wrath of man to praiee him, and the remainder of that wrath he co.n restrain (Pe. lxxvi. 10). Hence the blind cour30…
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get consecrnted to God as he has been I In this way the apostle follows up hie i;:u~estoo hope, enlarges it, and makes it the fountain of enterprise, ,vith e. view to t-hc- <X1 nversion 0f the Jewish race. Wo should not forget that the moat influential and life-gi:ring individual who ever lived in this world was a J…
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Vere, 33-86.-God, his own last End in everything. The apostle has been throwina a very clear providential light upon God's dealings with his ancient people. He ha,; shown how their unbelief and fa.II were permitted in order to the ga.tberin,, in of the Gentiles; o.nd that tho Gentiles thus brought In are to gird the…
1,274 wordsSECTION 344The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 344
CH.A.P'IER XII. epeaking of him.self, he does not mean t.o say that grace had made him what he was in Ter.1-ch.:Jiv.23.-ID. HoBTATOBY. (See spite of himself, bnt that grace had not l!IIllllll&?'Y of CODients, p. :rrii.) It is St. Paul's been in vain, because he himself had worked way t.o EiUJJPlemeni hie doctrinal tr…
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ilnm juvo.tur cwhortntinnibue," Dongel), that the tr!l'n.slation given aJ,,,vr, bein~ drA<, t,, :,e pre■ent :,our bodie1 a living aaoriflce, the ongm~l.) It is a rnatt,Jr ,,f no impr,rtanr,P, holy, aooeptable unto God, which is your for exege81S that ancient authr,riti-,3 l~av13 it reasonable service, Tho vorb 1rapa11-…
1,116 wordsSECTION 346The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 346
~'"«:> l1shi~ The perfuct CbrietiRn oha- Ml'?ied out in I Oor. xll. U', aeq. In lllph. l'Rl'ter is n,,t fonu«:>d All Rtonoeon oonwreion i. 22 I\Ild iv. 15, 16, Chr'ait ia rel(Vded (<'( Phil. iii. 12, ~q.; see also pret"i,,us noto ~omewhat di1fereutly, as the exalted Head on <'h. -.i. IS. with reference to r11p1aTGVE…
1,063 wordsSECTION 347The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 347
they might speBk hBstily Bnd with e. viow ~~ means mpplied hy Prr,virlP,nce and a to self-dlsplBy (see 1 Oor. xiv. 29-33), Bnd spmt ?f generosity might c,mtribute. Th" tbBt there WBs o fnrther gift of r,,&,cp,o-tr n~msgivers of !he Church had their BpP..cial ,rvevµd-ro,v required for distinguishing be- gift a_nd fnnc1;…
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Paul himsl'lf (2 Tim. i. 6) I\Ild of the I John iv, I), and tho Churches a1·0 to pretibytl'n; (1 ir:im. iv. 14). appears to ha\'e oxl'rcise judgment in testing them, If thoy b,.,en aoromparued-perhaJlll 11\Uctionoo-br taught an,:hing oontmry to the received prophtty (1 Tim. iv. H.). PC'ni..,ns Unis doctrine; if they…
1,083 wordsSECTION 349The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 349
Ohrlstlo.ns for ea.eh other, i1 a. specio.l form or ~era. J8- ·21.-;-It it be possible, as mnch rno.nlfesto.tion of generu.l d-ycl11"1, In it there u lieth 1n Jon, live peaoeably with all men. should be over the warmth of family e.ffec- Avenge not your■elve1, beloved, but give tion, <r.-opyfi): in honour preferring one…
1,072 wordsSECTION 350The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 350
1:n. 5:l. Cf. 11lso rs. xi. 6; H11b. iii. 5); 1B intended, ill he.rdly teMble. Heaping and thii; ('Speci111ly RS it OC<'Un! here 11lmost coals of fire on e. peraon'e head would imml'<liRtely 111\(,r "Vengeanoo is mine." bo 11n unu11tnl'lll WIiy of denoting the Hc>n(.'(' l:bryl'Cll'tom and other F11thers. as softenin…
854 wordsSECTION 351The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 351
The vigorous understanding of St. Paul preserved him from that sentimental form of re.ligion which many, professing to be his followers, h~ve adopted and ::vlvc,cated. It will not do to treat men, to regard ourselvc~, as poeseeHm~ only a spiritual nature. We havo body as well as soul. r:i;h~ most ethereal _and ecsta…
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& !'en~ of the holiness of the Being who was appl'Ollched. All who officiated were to be cer<'monially clean. The substance, of which these symbols were the shadow wna holiness, spiritu11l purity, freedom from iniquity. There is nothing upon which g:Mter !'tress is laid than the reqnirement that every offering to God …
830 wordsSECTION 353The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 353
tntlon, 11 danger, against which it is prudent to be warned. It was, no doubt, easier to undereto.nd this dissuasion in the earliest days of Christianity than it is now. "This world I" "this age I "-what a fulness, an awful fulness of meanin" this expression m1JBt have had for a Christian of the first century I Not …
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The Holy Spirit imparts new &ffections, new principles, new desires; encourages to nPw 11-ssociati0ns, and inspires with new aims and hopes. III. AK n.-ui:rcE!,r&?>--r; viz. by following the apostolic instructions the Christian will pr,we what l1'.xi.'s will is. It seems a somewhat singular motive to present, Yet t<…
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Christian moralists reckoned pride among the eeven deadly lliDll. There waa an Gdditional reason for this apostolic caution in the case of the early Christie.Ill!. There were imparted to IllBny of them very remarkable and striking gifts, in BOme instances of a miraculous charaoter. Within the boundary of these BOOietie…
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Vers. ~ - G r @ e afld gifts. It is prosumed that every member not only refre.i.ns from disparaging or envying the offices of fellow-members, but fulfils his own office. And it is also presumed that, as there is no member in the human body without a function, so, in Christian society, the Creator and Lord has a.ssig…
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l'ELLOWB. It Is observable that every several admonition in thie pasaage bas reference to benefits to be conferred upon others. The Chrietian ie called to look not npon hill own things, but also upon the things of others. This is the lesaon whi~h Christianity has from the beginning been inculcating; and modem society i…
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Yet tbel'C' is a nist amount of tet1ching power in many Christian congroge.tioua, whioh needs to lx> rnlled out, S.'\nctified, 1md employed in tho holy cause of roliglon, 8, By erhortation, or con~le.tion. T,•achin.,. appeals to tho uuderstauding; exhortation to the heart, the conscience., the will. We are reminded …
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h!ltr~d which prevail around them;· whilst in tho most civilized c<,mmuniticR ther'! are multitudes who prefer ~h~ir own p_leasure · and interest ~ all beside. Christianity reveals to us the true prmc1ple of umversal brotherhood, basing it upon the Fatherhor,d of God and the redemption of Christ. 'l'he apostle of love,…
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sympathy nnd pity. Now, there are many clMses whom it is espeoie.lly desirablo thnt "·e, &!' Christians, t'1iould de.al with in this spirit and temper. For inste.nce, the young, the de.stitute, the afflicted, the wayward. All of these need to be approe.ohed in the spirit commended in this p&ssage; not in a hard, cold, …
861 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.