The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 134

indispute.bly denoting universe.lity of effect, of t~e a.tonemen_t, in all its depth, ilf beyond 88 of the 1rap&.1r-ro,µa, so also of 311a.C.,µa. our1oomprehens1on now(eeeabove on v,sr. 9), But there is no verb to me.ke clear the force yet it III important for 1111 to obeerTe the of the preposition elr. It may denote the ve.rlou11 aspects in which it i11 presented to result to whioh e. oe.me tends, without im- us in Scripture. Here the idea suggested plying its inevite.ble accomplishment. Thus is that of Christ, e.s the BepreSP,Utati ve of (oh. vii. 10), Ebple,,, µ.01 I, lv-ro:>..¾, l, ,Is (.,¾J,,, humanity, BBtisfying Divine right.eousn88B a6-r71 ,b Odva-rov, where the so.me preposi- by perfect obedience to the Divine will, e.nd tion expresses both the intended r881llt of thus offering to God for mau wha man had life and the aotue.l result of death. lost the power of ofl'ering (et. P11. :i:L 10, Ver. 19.-l'or as through the one man'• " Lo, I co~e to fnlfl.l thy will. 0 my God ; " diaobedienoe the many were made dnn81'11 1 and Heb. 1x. H; x. 9, et ,eq. ; e.lso Phil. ii. so also through the obedienoe of the One 8, "became obedient unto death, even the shall the many be me.de righteom. Ail to death of the crose "). the significance of ol 1r0Mol, see under ver. Vere. 20, 21. -Moreover Law entered 15. The phrase, if to.ken as equive.lent to (rather, came in bende:i), that the tr81p8.18 1rd11-res, would seem here to imply even might abound. But where sin abounded. more than in ver. 15: for there it was only gre.oe did much more abound ( or, did abound so.id the.t "the gift ... abounded unto the ezceedingly): that u sin reigned in death. many;" here an e.ctue.l result is expressed even so might grace reign through right- by the future, 6l1ta101 1<a-ra<rra6f,tro11Ta1. But eoumess unto eternal life through 1esua even so the universe.lity of fine.I salve.tion Christ our Lord. Here 11&µos (though with- need not necesse.rily follow. The pbra.ee is, out the article; see under ver. 13) refel'l! to " she.11 be constituted righteous," and might the MOBBic Le.w, the purpose of which in only mean that all will be put into the the economy of redemption is thus inti- position of justified persons, capable as such mated, so e.s to complete the view. It we.a of salvation, just as e.11 he.d, through the God's purpose from the first that grace first tre.nsgression, been put into the posi- shonld in the end trinmph over sin; but in tion of sinners, liable e.s such to condem- the mean time law came in (cf. rpoa.,,..a-,, nation ; and the future tense might be in the cognate passage, Gal iii. 19). For taken to denote the continue.nee, through what end? Not in itself to accomplish the e.11 future ages, of the availing effect of purpose, not to interfere with it.I e.ccom- the accomplished atonement. Further, pwhment, but e.s e.n intervening dispenm- it may be remarked that if universal tion to prepare for its e.ccomplishment, by. fine.I salvation did seem to follow from convincing of sin. and me.king it exceedmg the pe.ssage before us, it would still have sinful, e.nd so establishing the need of, e.nd to be understood consistently with the exoiting e. craving for, redemption. This pUl'port of oh. vi., vii., e.nd viii., whioh intervening preparatory office of the Mosaic follow. In them the pre.otioe.l result to the Law is set forth more at length in Gal iii. believer of his jmtifl.oation through Christ 19-26; e.nd the working of the principle is treated; e.nd renunciation of sin, " living of le.w to this end in the human consciau&- after the Spirit," is postulated e.s the con- ness is e.ne.lyzed in oh. vii of this Epistle. dition for attaining the life eteme.1. Hence, if the doctrine of "eterne.1 hope" be sound .Additional Note on 11er. a. (and who ce.n fail to desire that it should be The significance of the words " life n and so?), it must ha to some unknown reconcilia- "death," e.e used in St. Paul's Epistles and tion beyond the limits of the present life elsewhere, demands peculiar attention. They that we must look in the oa.se of those who evidently bear a sense in many places dif• have not fulfl.lled the necessary conditions ferent from that of ordinary nee; and this here. Thus, further, the doctrine cannot In e.ooorde.noe with our Lord's own recorded legitimately be allowed to affect our view language, as, for instance, in his memorable of our responsibilities now. To us the only words to Martha, given in John ri 25, 26. doctrine distinctly revee.led on the subject The following considerations may aid our of snl vntion is that it is in this present life comprehension of wh11t is meant. The mys• that we a.re to me.ke our "onlling and terious principle or )?Otency of life, eTen in eleotion sure." Two we.ye nre put before the oommon aoceplation of the term, varies us-the way of life, e.nd the wny of death: not only in degree, but in kind ; e.nd the the one loo.ding to (o,~ alcf,11,os, the other to 81\me living organism may be at the sw:ne rco:>..a,r,s al~11,os. In vers. 6-10 (ns else- time alive with respe<it to iQS own mode of where, seo note on ob. iii. 25) it we.s through vit&lity, and dead with respeot to some the death, the blood, of Obrist thnt we were higher one whioh vivifies others. The plant, ea.id to he.vo boon r0<'<l11oiled to God; here while al!Te with rospe<it to its own kind of it ls through his ob8dietl06, opp<111ed to the ma, is dead to the highar life of ll<'ntien* dilobBdillflOII of Adam. Though the doctrine beings. Tile brute betust, whifo aliva wiila llOJIANB, K  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO 'l'HE ROMANS. [en. v. 1-21.