The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 21

Vor. 2G.-J1'or this cauao God gave them lau.-obs Bo,c1µd(e.-, •.. ,l ,,_fi.,., a./56,c,µo( lrrn. up ('rrapllio11ee, as beforo) to vile aft'eotion■ Bot not so in Heh. vi. 8, where the word fa ( ,rd011 lvriµlu, l.e. "passions of infamy;" of. applied to barren lBnd. The pe.ssa.ges from nbove, .-ov a..-,µd(eo-Oa,). J!'or tho nee, on tho 2 Tifnothy and fitUB rna.y In themselves other hond, of the words .-,µ11, ond .-1µ,os to ~m1t the _sense of wnd,-£,c,,rni'11'J, but the pas- denote seemly and honoumble indulgence of sive one 1s more probable in view of the the soxuol oft'ectione, er. I These. iv. 4 (To common llSBge of the word. On the other lau-rov O'ICEVOS /C'TU0'8a, lv a:y,ao-µw ,cal .-,µij) hBnd, eh. xii 2 may be Bdduced in favom ond Heh. xiii. 4 (Tiµ,os lJ -ydµos Iv wao-,, ,cal of the e.cti vc seruie; for there the eomoe- ,;, ,col.-11 ltµlav.-os). J!'or their women changed qnence of the renewal of the, mind in Chris- the naturol uae into that which is against ti~ns is aai,d to be tbBt they may pr~, or nature. diacern (•is .-b Bo,c,µd(«v 6µiis), what is Ver. 27.-And likewise also the men, God's will; and hence it may seem probable leaving the natural use of the woman, that the want of Emch du=nment is denoted burned in their lust one toward another; here. The same passage also favo111B the men with men working that whioh is un- verb lio,c,µd(,111 being taken here in eense seemly, and reoeiving in themselves tha.t (1) given above, e.nd Jowett'e rendering or reoompenee of their error which was meet. the whole passage. It is, after all, uncertain; By the " recompense" ( ltv.-,µ,o-8/av) is meant nor does it follow that the Greek parono- here. not any further result, such BS disease =ia can be reproduced in English. or physical prostration, but the very fa.et of Vers. 29-31.-Being filled with an 11ll• their being given up to a state in which righteoumess, [fornication], wickedness, co- they c:m crnve and delight in such odious vetousnesa, malieiou■ness ; foll of envy, gratifico.tions of unnatural lust. It is the murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, a.v.-1µ10-0ta .-ijs ,rJ>..d.v11s av.-wv, the final judg- backbiters, hated of God, despitefnl (rather, ment on them for going astray from God. insolent), proud, boasters, inventon of evil And surely to the pure-minded there is no things, disobedient to parents, without more evident token of Divine judgment than 11llderstBD.ding, covena.nt-hreakers, withoui the spectacle of the unnatural cravings Bnd natural affection [implace.hle1 1llllllerciful.. indulgence of the sated sensualist. Here not personal uncleanness only, but Ver. 28.-A.nd even as they did not like to general and ntter disregard of moral re- have God in their knowledge, God gave them straints Blld obligations {too preYa.lent, doubt- over (1rapeliv,cev, as before) to a reprobate less, at that time in civilized heathendom), mind, to do those things whioh are not con- iB pointed out e.s the finn.l judicial L.sue. venient (i.e. unfitting or unseemly things). It The words used do not seem to be arranged is difficult to render in English o/,,c loo,clµa- on any exact system, but to have been o-av and a.oo,c,µov voiiv so as to retain the written down as they occurred to the writer, apparently intended correspondence between being intended to be BS comprehensive B.i the verb and the adjective. The verb lio,c,- possible. Among them those pnt above µd(e,v is capable of the senses (1) "to prove" within brackets rest on weak authority. (as in assaying meta.ls), and, generally,'' to Il>..eove{la, tr-.mslated here, BS usually else- discern," or" judge;" (2)" to approve," after where, "covetousness," menns generally" in- supposed proving. Jowett, in his commen- ordinate desire," not neces..sari.ly of riches; tary on this Epistle, eudea.volll's to retnin in and St. Paul seems generally to use it with English the correspondence between '11io,c(- reference to inordinate lust (cf. Eph. iv. 19; µauav nnd a.lio,c1µov by translating, "As they v. 3; Col. iii. 3; also 1 Thetio iv. 6 and 2 did not discern to have God in their know- Pet. ii. H ; and, for ,rll.eo••l<'f"IS, Eph. v. 5, ledge, God gave them up to o.n undiscemin!J The word 9eoO"TV")'eu, both from its formation mind," thus to.king the verb in sense (1), ( compnre 9eo</)<ll.1/,s e.nd </)<ll.o9eos, with other and the adjective in the same sense actively. instances), 1md its ordinary use in olMSical But it is at least doubtful whether a.11&,uµos Greek (it occurs here only in the New Te."ta- can be tukou in an active sense, which is not ment) must certainly be faken to mean "God- its cl11S11ica.l one. In the New Test=ent it hated," not "God-haters." It seems sngge,,--ted occurs 1 Cor. ix. 27; 2 Cor. xiii. 5, 6; 2 Tim. here by the previous 1<aTCL\iL\ous, being (we iii. 8; 'l'itus i. 16; Heb. vi. 8. In the first moy suppose) used commonly of the culatores of the above pnssagee tho word obviously who nre known to have been e. special pest mecms "rejected" (in the Authorizod Version of society e.t thnt period of Rom11.11 history. a oastaway), with reference to the oompnrison Alford quotes Tacitus, 'Ann.,' vi. 7, where of n compotitor in athletic contests bein., they nre called "Priuoipi quidem grati, et provod unworthy of the priz&--a sense cog~ Deo non;" also Philo, 'Ap De.w~.,• 1mte to the common one of the snmo ndjeo- .0.11(80>..01 11:al Oefos a.,ro,r,iµ,.,.o, xdp1Tos, ol "I• tivo ns applied to spurious met.,la, rejeottid a/rn)v bc<1vo, 81a.80>..11c~11 11ouou,_,.u r<wco.-e;-c- or worth1eBB aftor boing tested. In 2 Oor. 11lw,, OeOO"TU')'<•s .,.. r<al 9eoµ,o-eis 1r"""1. In xiii. 61 G, eithor sonse seems ndmissiblo- ver. SI the oollocntion of a.o-v11l.-ous and ...,,,.,... H THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [ea. r.1---32,