The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 10

the c-oml'<' ,,f wl ,it'h the d,letrinc rropoundc>d hie relation to tho Father from otomlty, like b shown t0 l'C' in RN'ONRnre with thC\ Old the Ad-yos (and probably tho µ.ovo'l'•"~s 111~,) Tefltament., Rnd in fact Rnt.ioipRt.ed th,:,rein. of St. John. (2) With :roferenoe to hiR In- This is, indeed, R prominent point in the carnation, !1-s being; conoeivod by tho Holy ~nN'lll tent'hing of Rposllt'B Rnd evangelists. Ghost; as m Luke 1. So, 41b ir4 1,,-b -y•vvJJµ,vo11 They Rnnounoo the g<>spel ns the fulfilment s.,,,ov 1t;l.,i9',a-..,.a, 11lbs e,ou. (8) Wlt.h refer- of propb<"Cy. nnd the true completion of nil ence to the position nBSigned to the Meseio.h the nnoient dispenBRtion; nnd it is to the in psalm ana prophecy, n.s the Bon exnlted Old Tei,t&mpnt thnt, in nddrcssiog Isrnclit{'..", to the right b&nd of God, and crowned with they ever in the fil'8t plnoo nppenl. Thus glory. It is with the last of these threo St. Peter (A<'t.s ii. 14: iii. 1$; iv. 11); thus references that the title is used in tho Stephen (.At'tB vii.); thus St. Paul nt Epistle to the Hebrews ; where the ideal of Antioch in Pi,idia, at ThcssaJ.onica, and sonship, found in the Old Testament,, nud before Agrippa (Act.s riii. 16; xvii. 2; xxvi. imperfectly typified by the theoretic position 6, 22); thus Philip to the Ethiopian of the theocratic kings, is regarded u pro- pl'OBClyte (Aots viii. 35); thus A polios at phetic, and pointing to Christ, in whom Corinth (Acts xviii 28). Our Lord himself a.lone it is shown to be fulfilled. Hence in had done the same, 6S in Matt. v. 17 ; Luke that Epistle his exaltation to the re.nk and iv. 21; xxiv. 27, 44; John v. 39. All this dignity of Son is regarded ns subsequent to ii! important· RS showing how the old and h~ human obedience, and even the con- new dispensations are regarded together e.s sequence and reward of it. It was "becauso parts of a whole, the old one being but the o/ the suffering of death (li,/r. ,,-b ..-&fh,µa needful preparation for a fulfilment in the BavuTOu)" that he has been "crowned with new, and so becoming intelligible; and glory and honour" (Heb. ii. 9); it was after thus how "through all the ages one etem11l he had made a purification of sins thnt purpose runs." There ...-a.s also a provi- he "sat down on the right h.o.nd of the dential preparation in the Gentile world, Majesty on high," having "inherited" the.t though not so direct and obvious, and though, '' more excellent name "-the name of Son of course, not siJnilarly noticed in addresses (Heh. i 4). It is by no means implied that to disciples of the Law. But St. Pe.nl in- the said Epistle does not recognize a true timates it; 88 in his speech on Areopagns, Sonship of Christ before his exaltation ; he and also. as will be seen, in this Epistle. wesallalong "the Son" (cf. Heh. v. 7, Kal..-Ep Even the gospel (it may be further observed) ~" vlos, (p.al]ev, etc.), though not enthroned i.tJ set forth 88 but a further stage of progress aa such orer mankind and all oree.tion till towards a final consummation. u the dawn after his resurrection ; and, further, the only of a coming daybreak. We have still essential doctrine of his pre-existent and but an earnest of our inheritance ; the eternal Bonship, in the first of the senses· " earnest expectation of the creature" still noted above, is distinctly taught ( as in eh. i. awaits "the manifestation of the sons of 3), though not there by the use of the term God." Meanwhile, in the revelation already '' Son." All we say is the.t this word is made through Christ, and the redemption used in the Epistle to the Hebrews to denote accomplished by him, we are taught to Christ's position and office as the royal cling io our faith in a Divine purpose High Priest of humanity, flxalted, after throughout the world's perplexing history- suffering, to the right hand of God, rather that of resolving at last all discords into than his original Divine Personality ; such eternal h.e.nnooy, &Dd making manifest "one being the significance of the title in the great love, em.bracing all." This grand prophetic anticipations of the Messiah. Now, view of a providf:ntial order leading to a this being eo, and it being the promises final consummation (though how and when made " through his prophets in the Holy we know not) pe"adee St. Paul's writings, Scriptures concerning his Son" the.t are and should be kept in mind fur a proper being spoken of in the passage before us, it understandiDg of this Epistle. God's pro- may seem at first most probable that the idea mises through hie prophets in Holy Scripture here implied by the word " Bon " is the are eaid tu have 1-n "concerning hie Son;" same u in the Epistle to the Hebrews, e.nd and a 9 uesti.on Lence Prises DB to the el[l].Ct no more. We ought, however, to take further .!ieil8e lD which "hi,i Son " is to be here into account what St. Paul himself seems to underat.ood; a con1,ideration of which ques- signify by the term when he uses it elee- tion may help onr interpretation of the where. It does not follow that bis own expreuion in the following veree, which is conception of its significance was oonflned not without difficnlty, Toii /Jpur8l11,,-os vlou to what was apparent in "the prophets." 0,ou ,,, lfova.JJ,Et. We may diatingoish be- Beading them in the light of the gospel tween three eeD.1!88 in which Christ is called revelatiou, he rnay have seen in their "tl,e Son of God." (1) With refercnco t.o language more implic<l thnn it distinctly hi,, !Jivir.e prt>-exilltenct, ihc, term axprt~ijing expressoo. and himself inteuded to imply orr. r. 1-32.J THE EPJS'fLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 3