The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 295

ihie view of the apostle's meaning, it is to 14; Pe. cvii. 26), may have s11g-g-l"!W'A tho be observed that the passage occurs, not in wo~rl; but B~. Paul here evidently me,ane the earlier books of Moses but in Deutero- by 1t the regions or the dead ima~ned as 0 nomy, which appears ne 'an appendix to subterranean, equivalent to 'the Hebrew them, containing for the most part long dis- Sheol, and. the _Greek •-,.a 17 ,. For use or courses in the style of the prophets, wherein the word m this sense, cf. Ps. lxxi. 20 the Law is, as it were, epiritualize<l, and its (which may have been present to his mind), univer,a doctrina opened out. In it we feel 'E,r -r~v a.{J6uu,,,v_;.71• -yij, -r&Aw a.vfr1a.-,l, ,u; ourselves as rising out of the region of strict cf. also Luke VIIL a, and Rev. ix. I 2 11 • legal exaction into a higher and more x.i 7 ; xvii. 8 ; XL 1, 3; in which P~"~ spiritual one. Observe also that the passage 71 fi{Juuuo, seems to denote the penal abode, before us is based on the idea of a people corresponding ~ the Greek idea of Tartarns; oircumcised in bee.rt, and loving the Lord but the word itself does not contain this with all the heart and nil the soul (vers. 6, idea, which is by no means intimated here. 20); on an ideal view of a state of favour It may be taken to denote Hades, into which and o.cceptance never realized in Jewish Christ "descended." Some commentators history, but such as we find often in the suppose the previous expression, " ascend prophetic writings (cf. Jer. xxxi. 81-84, into heaven to bring Christ down," to mean the famous passage referred to more than bringing him back to earth from heaven, once in the New Testament as having its whither he has ascended now. But the eventual fulfilment in Christ). Thus the mere fact of its coming first, as well ae the po.ssage before us is legitimately referred general sense of the passage, shows it to to by St. Paul, as an intimation in the refer rather t.o the Incarnation, and what Pentateuch itself of the "righteousness follows to the Resurrection. These were which is of faith." the two grand stages in the great work of Vere. 6-10.-:But the righteousness which redemption; both were required that "'the ie of faith spee.keth on this wise, Say not in righteousness which is of faith" might thine heart (in the original, It is not in effectually be brought "nigh nnto us." heaven, that thou shouldest say), Who shall The impossible task of effecting either waa o.soend into hee.ven t ( that is, to bring Christ not required of man ; God has done both down). The parenthesis is St. Paul's own : for us, and we have but to " believe in our the original has, after " heaven," and bring hearts," that "the word" of his grace may it unto us, that 10e may hear it and do it f be nigh us, in our mouth and in our heart, Or, Who eho.11 deeoend into the deep 1 (that that we may do it, Thus o.11 that was is, to bring up Christ ago.in from the dead). intimated or foreshadowed. by that old Ago.in the pare'!lthesis is St. Paul's; and he paeBBge in Deuteronomy is in il:B fullest has substituted •• into the deep" ( .ls -ri)v sense to us fulfilled. (It may be observed, fi{Ju,nrov) for" beyond the sea." The original in passing, that the application to the In- is, Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou oarnation of ,...,,.,ry,ryuv, etc., is, if correct, shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for one of the instances of St. Paul's rerognition us, and bring it unto us, that 10e may hear of the Divine pre-existence of oar Lord.) it, and do it? But what eaith it t The In ver. 9 the applicability of the words, word is nigh thee, in thy month, and in thy " in thy mouth, and in thine heart," to the heart (the original adds, that thou mayest gospel dispensation is shown: the two ex- do it; and the LXX., after "heart," has, and pressions, properly understood, denoting all in thy hands): that is, the word of faith, that is required of us. Confession of the whioh we preaoh; that (or, becawe) if thou Lord Jesus with the mouth must be taken shalt oonfess with thy mouth the Lord J"esus, to express generally, not only fearless e.vowsl and she.It believe in thine heart that God of the ChristiRn faith, but also consistent raised him from the dead, thou she.It be life, ncoording to the full meRning of our saved. l!'or with the heart man believeth Lord's words in Me.tt. :s:. 82 : Me.rk viii. SS ; unto righteousness; and with the mouth Luke x. 26 : xii. S, eto. Confe;;sion of the oonfession ia me.de unto salvation. The Lord Jesus with the mouth, too, would have apostle's purpose in vo.rying from the original a peculiar significance then, when Christians is obvious from his interposed comments, were often so sorely tempted to deny him ond from the nppliootion that follows. It under persecution (of. 1 Cor. xii. 8). We l!eems to bo as though he had said, " See mny observe also how "the mouth" is else- bow, with o slight alteration, the passage where regarded as the iudex of the heart: in Deuteronomy beoomos an exaot desorip- o.s the ml\in bodily organ whereby chf\l'Soter tion of our Christirm doctrine." The most is o,inced and expressed (ef. Mntt. xii. 3-1, mnrkod altorn1ion is U10 substitution of :17; xv. 11, eto.). 1''urther, the belief spoken "into the doop" for "beyond the seR." of is belie/ in t/16 heart-n living open,tivo Tho "se11," in tho original, to whioh the faith, not i.utelleotunl conviction only. Nor ierm "obyBB" is applicl\hlo (of. Job xxviii. is belief that God fflised the Lord Jesu~  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. Lorr. x.1-21.