2. Had promised afore (spoernyyetNato). Only here in the New Testament. Rev., He promised afore. Paul’s Old Testament training is manifest. Naturally, in beginning the more precise description of the new revelation, he refers first to its connection with ancient prophecy. The verb ézayyéAropat means more than to proclaim. It occurs frequently, and al- ways in the sense of profess or promise. See Mark xiv. 11; Acts va. 531 Tim. it..10; vi.-21.
Prophets. Not limited to the prophets proper, but includ-
ing all who, in the Old Testament, have prophesied the Gospel —Moses, David, ete. Compare Heb. i. 1.
In the holy scriptures (év ypadais dylas). Or, more strictly, 7 holy writings. The scriptures would require the article. See on John vy. 47; ii. 22. Here again the absence of the article denotes the qualitative character of the phrase— books which are holy as conveying God’s revelations. On dy.os holy, see on Acts xxvi. 10. This is the only passage in which it is applied to scriptures.
3. Concerning His son. Connect with promised afore. Christ is the great personal object to which the promise re- ferred.
4. Declared (opiuc9évros). Rev., in margin, determined. The same verb as in the compound separated in ver. i. Ben-
4 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. L
gel says that it expresses more than “separated,” since one of a number is separated, but only one is defined or declared. Compare Acts x. 42; xvii. 31. It means to designate one for something, to nominate, to instate. There is an antithesis be- tween born (ver. 8) and declared. As respected Christ’s earthly descent, He was born like other men. As respected His divine essence, He was declared. The idea is that of Christ’s enstate- ment or establishment in the rank and dignity of His divine sonship with a view to the conviction of men. This was re- quired by His previous humiliation, and was accomplished by His resurrection, which not only manifested or demon- strated what He was, but wrought a real transformation in His mode of being. Compare Acts ii. 86; “God made,” ete.
With power (év duvdper). Lit. an power. Construe with was declared. He was declared or instated mightily ; in a striking, triumphant manner, through His resurrection.
Spirit of holiness. In contrast with according to the flesh. The reference is not to the Holy Spirit, who is nowhere desig- nated by this phrase, but to the spirit of Christ as the seat of the divine nature belonging to His person. As God is spirit, the divine nature of Christ is spirit, and its characteristic qual- ity is holiness.
Resurrection from the dead (avactdcews vexpav). Wrong, since this would require the preposition é« from. Rev., cor- rectly, of the dead. Though this resurrection is here repre- sented as actually realized in one individual only, the phrase, as everywhere in the New Testament, signifies the resurrection of the dead absolutely and generically—of al? the dead, as exemplified, included, and involved in the resurrection of Christ. See on Philip. iii. 11.
5. We have received (éAdBouev). Aorist tense. Rev., we recewed. The categorical plural, referring to Paul, and not in- cluding the other apostles, since the succeeding phrase, among aid the nateons, points to himself alone as the apostle to the Gentiles.
Cu. L] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 5
Grace and apostleship. Grace, the general gift bestowed on all believers: apostleship, the special manifestation of grace to Paul. The connecting «al and, has the force of and in particular. Compare ch. xv. 15, 16.
For obedience to the faith (eis trraxonv mictews). Rev., unto obedience of faith. Unto marks the object of the grace and apostleship: 7 order to bring about. Obedience of faith is the obedience which characterizes and proceeds from faith.
Nations (éSveow). Or Gentiles. Not geographically, con- trasting the inhabitants of the world, Jew and Gentile, with the Jews strictly so called, dwelling in Palestine, but Gentiles distinctively, for whom Paul’s apostleship was specially insti- tuted. See on Luke ii. 32, and compare on 1 Pet. ii. 9.