The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 217

not for the elN:'t only. but for all m1mkind; other oreature, ■hall be able to ■eparate u1 <If. on c-h. v. IS). how ahall he not with from the love of God, whioh ii in Christ him al~o freely give 118 ( i.e. grant us of his J'esu1 our Lord. In theee two oonoluding fr-ee grac-e) all things! (w..£1-ra,oorresponding versos the thought is distinctly extended to •~p ...,.,.,..,,.). Who shall l&y anything from oiroumstancea of trinl to all powers, t~ th~ charge of God'• elect! (Not, of rourse, buman or superhuman, the.t ma.y lie con- rueamng that the elect, in 'l"irtue of God's ceived ILS Rssaulting ue through tbem, or in c-.hoic-e of them, cannot, though sinful, be auy way opposing us. But it is still ad voree chnrgro with sin; but that no possible powers and infiuenoes, not our own foilnre ad,t>rsary-again .-ls---<.'lln be ronreived as m perseverance, that are in view. It is not nrrnigning those whom God himself accepts necessary to define what is exaotly mee.nt as justified. Observe that the word here is by each of the expressions in these verses. l1<>..•1<.,.;;,,,, not 1e>..11.,.aw as in ver. 2S. Cf. Matt.. Enough to say that who.t is meant is, that XA. 16; nii. 14; no>..>..ol "YBf' ••<r• 1<>.11.,.ol, nothing whatever, in heaven or earth, or a>..l-yo, ~~ l1e>..,~-roi. Many may be caUed to uuder the eB.lth, oan thwart God's good a state of sal,ation, but not all of them purpose for us, or sepe.mte us from his love. elwren finally, as fulfilling the purpose of their calling.) It is God th&t j1llltifteth. The following para.phra.stio summary of Who is he that condemneth ! It is Christ this important che.pter, free from the en- that died, yea rather, tha.t is risen again, cumbrance of notes, mny help to a clearer who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. A different perception of its drift and sequence of punctuation of these two verses is preferred thought:- bv some. and seems more nataral and more forcible; tbns: Who shall charge God's elect 1 Ver. 1.-There is then no condemnation God t.elw just.ijie[h ? W7w is he tlw.t con- to them that are in Christ Jesus. demneth ? Christ tJJho died 1 etc. A similar Ver. 2.-For a new law-the law of the answering a question by asking another is Spirit of life-is introduced into their being, found below in ver. 35. The further thought by virtue of which they are freed from their iE thns implied the.t, if neither God che.rges, old state of bondage to the law of sin and nor Chrut, tbe Judge, condemns, who can death. do either ? The apo:,-tle next goes on to Ver. 8.-A.nd this because of what God my that, there being none to charge and himself did for mankind in his oum Son, condemn ns at la.st, so also there is none Christ, who, in our very flesh, and in behalf the.t can remoi,e ns from our state of accept- of mankind; did what man himself was ance now. For who or what can possibly powerless to do-triumphed over sin and prove Etronger than Christ's love, which h.a.s condemned it. called ns to it? The enumeration that Ver. 4.-A.nd in us too (united to him by follows of thing!! that might possibly be faith, and b.&ving spiritua.lly died and risen 8llpp08lld to remove UB shows again that it age.in with him) the requirement of the Law is not; Olll' own sins, but external circnm- is fulfilled, so the.t it forfeits its claim to sta.Dce6 of tri&l, that are being viewed e.11 condemn us now; but only on this condition along as powerless to hinder our salvation. in ourselves, the.t we walk not after the Vere. 35-39.-Who &hall separate '118 from flesh, but after the Spirit. the lave of Christ! (i.e. the 1.ore of Christ to Vere. 5-8.-For there e.re two tf,povf/µa.n u. and iil the S11,II1e sense "the love of God" in us still, of the flesh e.s well as of the klow; cf. Toii lrymi,rcwTos 7/JU&S in ver. 37). Spirit; the one tending to death and the Shall tribulation, or wtreu, or perseoutillll, other to life; and it is only those who give or fa.mine, or nekedo••• or peril, or sword 1 themselves t.o the latter that can share in As ii is written, 7or thy sake we a.re killed the life to which it tends. all the day long; we a.re &D0011I1ted u lheep Ver. 9.-And yon can give yourselves to fDr the alaughter. (This quotatio':1 of Ps. this, if you are true Christiane; if the Spirit xliv. 22 mav be introduced as showmg that of Christ dwells in you, without which you such tria.lB have ever been the lot of God's e.re not his. 11<:rva.nts, and did not separate the ~inb of Ver. 10.-So our condition is this: We c,Jd from God.) llay, in &ll thne thing■ we have within us the Spirit, which is life; are more than conqueror• (inr,p1111ei.,µ.,,,-we but we have the body clinging to us still, not only conquer in spite of them; we con- which is death-stricken because of sin. qutr all the more because of them; cf. eh. Ver. 11.-Dut if the Spirit of him who v. 3, etc., and eh. viii. 28) through him tb.&t raised up Christ from the dead be in us, ho lond m. Par I am pemwled, tb.&t neither will quicken our mortal bodiea too, delivering death, nar life, nor angel.I, nor prinoipalitie1, us ut Jut, through the same vivifying Spirit, n.ar poyer1, nor thing• prelS!lt, nor thing• from all lingering power of death over us. lo ornoe. ur height, nor 4eptb. nor any ·ver. 12.-Tbe conclwdon 1, (u has 1Jcc11. on. vm. 1-39.) THE EPISTLE Of<' PAUL TO THE ROMANS.