anoe of being written controversially age.inst them, but rather with the purpose of disoussing a. difficult question connected with the general snb-- jeot; e.nd the admonitions and warnings at the end of the Epistle do not seem to be directed against any classes of persons known to be then troubling the Roman Ohnrch, but are rather general ones in view of what was possible or probable there. The Epistle to the Galatians, written probably not long previously, resembles this in its general subject, and, as far as it goes, enforces the same doctrine; it shows signs of having been written when the apostle's mind was already full of thongh.e which pervade hie Epistle to the Romane. Its purpose is avowedly polemical, against the Judaiste who were bewitching the Galatian Church; and, in accordance with its purpose, it has a tone throughout of disappointment, indignation, reproof, and occasional sarcasm, such as is wholly absent from the Epistle to the Romane. The contrast between the two Epistles in this respect strengthens the internal evidence of the le.tter not having been composed with a polemical intention. The following considerations may help us to understand the apostle's real purpose in composing the Epistle when he did, and sending it to Rome. He had long entertained a deep and comprehemrive view of the meaning and purpose of the gospel, such as even the original apostles seem at first to have been slow to follow, or, at any rate, some of them in all cases to act up to. This appears from such passages as GaL ii. 6 and ii. 11, seq. He ever speaks of his comprehension of the gospel as having been a reve- lation to himself; not derived from man-not even from those who had been apostles before him. It was the clear revelation to himself of the mystery of which he so often speaks; even " the mystery of his will, accord- ing to the good pleasure which he bath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fnlness of times he might gather together in one a.11 things in Christ, both which a.re in heaven, and which are in earth, even in him " (Eph. i. 9. For a fuller view of what St. Panl means by "the mystery," cf. Eph. iii. 3-11; Col. i. 26, 27; eh. xi. 25; xvi. 25, seq.). Full of his grand conception of what the gospel was for all man.kind, which it was his special mission to bring home to the conscience of the Church, he had, since his conversion, been preachlng in accordance with it; he had met with much opposition to his views, much misconception of them, and much slowness to comprehend them; he has now planted Churches in Gentile centres, "from Jerusalem and round about as far as lliyricu.m," and fulfilled his appointed mission in those regions ; and has formed his definite plan of going without delay to Rome, in the hope of thence e::rlend- ing the gospel westward to the Gentile world. At snob a time, he is suit- ably moved to set forth, in a doctrinal treatise, and support by argument, his views of the fa.1'-rea.ohing signi.fioa.nce of the gospel, tha.t they might be fully understood and appreciated ; and he sends his treo.tise to Rome. whither he was just going, 11,nd which wo.s the metropolis of the Gentile world, and the centre of Gentile thought. But, thotigh thus sent in the II. INTRODUCTION TO
firBt plBOe to Rome for the enlightenment of tho Christiane there, it mn.y be 1mppoeed t.o have been int.ended ultimately for all the Ohurchee ; and the endenoo there is of the abeenoe of all mention of Rome throughout the Epistle, and aleo of the ooncluding chapters speoially addressed t.o Rome, in some ancient oopies (&11 to which, see note at the end of oh. xiv.), may le&d us to conclude that it wa.s, in fact, afterwards circulated genera.Uy, It may be observed further, with regard to the purpose of the Epistle, that, though based on Scripture and full of scriptural proofs and illustrations, it is by no means (as has been before observed) addressed in its argumel\t to Jews exclusively. It is rather, in its ultimate drift, a setting forth of what we may ea.II the philosophy of the gospel, showing how it meets human needs, a.nd satisfies huma.n yea.mingB, and is the true solution of the problems of erist.enoe, and the remedy for the present mystery of sin. And so it is meant for philosophers as well as for simple souls ; and it is sent, therefore, m the first pla.ee, to Rome, in the hope that it may reach even the most cultured there, and through them commend itself to earnest thinkers generally. For, says the apostle, "I am a debt.or to the Greeks and to the wise," as well as to barbari&ns and unwise;·" I am not ashamed of the gospel ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; t.o the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (eh. i. 14-16).
§ 9. DOCTRINB. 1. Meaning of " the nghteoumes, of God." .AB· to the doctrine of the Epistle, of which detailed explanation will be attempted in the notes, there is one leading idea., which, because of its importance, claims introductory notice-the idea expreesed by the phrase, " the righteousness of God." With this the apostle ( eh. i 17) announces the thesis of his coming argu- ment, and he has the thought of it ever before him. It is to be observed,' in the first place, that the expression in eh. i. 17 (a.s afterwards in eh. ill. 21, 22, 25, 26; L 3) is simply" God's righteousness" (8,KatolTW1J ®Eov). It is uua.l to interpret this as meaning man's imputed or forensio righteousness, which is from God-@Eov being understood as the genitive of origin. But if St. Paul mea.nt this, why did he not write -q iK @Eov OtKaiolTW1J, as he did in Phil iii 9, where he was speaking of the righteousness derived to man from God, in opposition to lp.Tfl' 8,Ka.t.O<l"W'l[V n,v lK voµ.ov P The phrase, in itself, suggests rather the sense in which it is continually need in the Old Testament, as denofuig God's own eternal righteousness. It is indeed contended, &B by Meyer, that it ca,unot have this sense in eh. i. 17, where it first OCCUl'B, beca,ue of be ,r[crru,,<; following, and the quotation from Ha.bakkuk, ·o ~ 8[1UUO<; be ,r[CJTEW'> {~o-ETai, But, as will be pointed out in the Exposition, be ,rurrEw'i (not -q be ,r{o-nw<;), which is conneobed in construction with &1roKaM1rrETa.£, cannot properly bo taken as defining the righteoUBness intended ; nor does the quotation from Habakkuk really of neceasity support this idea.. Reasons for this last assertion will be found THE EPIS'rLE OF PAUL TO 'l'HE ROMANS. x\