The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 325

a state of sal vatlon of races or communities the apostle's m~aning in his use of the word). of men-of the Jewish race on the one In ~he LXX. 1t denotes any Divine secret, hand, and Gentile Ohorches on the other. which may o:r may not be made known to The whole _purport of this section of the m~n (~- Dan. ii. 18, 19, etc.; ,Job xi. 6; Epistle (oh. ix., x., xi.) seems to demand the W1sd. 11. 22; Eoolaa. xxii. 22; xxvii. 16). latter view. (As to o-1,, see on ver. 17.) Be- So also in the Gospels (Matt. xiii. 11 • Mark sides, if by the broken-off branches were iv. 11 ; Luke viii. 10) it is eaid to ~ ~ven meant simply individual unbelievers, how to the_ disciples to know the my~8 of could we explain their being "graffecl in the kingdom of heaven, bat to othera in again" (vers. 23, 24),seeingthatthecontem- p~:r~bles. In cla.ssi~al Greek µuo-T-1,p,a. were plated restoration ie regarded in vers. 25, 26 D1vme secrets (as in the Eleueinian ~ly.- 88 something that is to take place in the teries) which were revealed to the initiate<! possibly distant future, after "the folness alone. St. Paul nses the word with tb., of the Gentiles" has come in? Thus this same essential meaning; only he apeak3 of passage is really inelevant to any doctrines mysteries which had already been revealed about individual election and salvation that to himself and others by the Spirit, and lifts may have been built upon it. It is, how- ever in view the Divine pnrposes, previously ever, important as confirming the general unknown, for the salvation of mankind. view of Divine election not being inespec- Thns in Epb. i. 9, seq.; and iiL 3, a.e7. he tive of the conditions of human faith and speaks of the Divine pn:rpose t.o " gatbe~ in perseverance. one all things in Christ," and that "the Vers. 22, 23.-Behold therefore the good- Gentiles should be fellow-heirs," etc., &ii a neBB and severity of God: toward them that mystery, " not made known in other ages fell, severity (to be a warning to thee); but unto the sons of men," bnt now revealed ~ toward thee, God's goodness, if thou oon- the "holy apostles and prophets by the tinue in his goodness : otherwise thou a.lso Spirit." (The other passages in which St. aha.It be out oll'. And they, if they abide Paul uses the word are 1 Cor. iv. 1 ; xiii. 2; not still in their unbelief, shall be gra1f'ed Eph. v. 32; vi. 19; Col i. 26, 27; ii. 2; iv. in: for God is able to grail' them in again. 3; 1 Tim. iii. 9, 16; 2 Thesa.. ii. 7.) Here The reference here to God's power to graft' he announces the Divine purpose t.o save them in again may be suggested by the " all Israel '' at last through the csl.ling of apparent impossibility, from a human point the Gentiles 88 a myatery which has been of view, of the Jews 88 a nation, having revealed to himself and othe?B, and which rejeoted Christ in person, and being so in- he desires the Gentile Christians to be aware veterately set against the gospel 88 they of, lest they should be "' wise in their own were, ever coming into the Churoh. But conceits," i.e. pre=e on their present posi- "with God all things are possible" ( of. Matt. tion of privilege through ignorance of what xi.x. 26; Mark x. 27; Luke xvili. 27). Nay is in store for Israel. -so the thought goes on-it would seem Vers. 25-27.-J'or I would not, brethren, in itself more likely, and according to the that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, nature of things, that the Jews should be lest ye should be wise in your own oonceits; brought into the Churoh, which is really that hardnsss (,r"pa,O'll'; see ver. 8) in part their own, and the true fulfilment of their is happened to Iaraal, until the fulnBIIII of the own ore.oles, thau that Gentiles, who bad Gentiles be come in. And so a.II Israel llhall ho.d no similar preparation, should have be saved. niis 'Io-pa:i,;1.. here mnst mean the been so. whole nation; not, as Calvin explains. "com- Ver. 24.-For if thou wait out out of that plebitur sa.lus totiw Israel Dei [i.e. of tha whioh was by nature a wild olive tree spiritual Israel, 118 in Gal. vi. 16] quam e:s: ( a-yp1e>.1.Cou), and wast gra1fed contrary to utrisque [i.e. with Jews and Gentiles] et11- Jl6ture into a good olive tree (1<e&A>.1e>.afou): ligi oportet: " for "Israel" must surely be how much rather shall these, which be understood in the same sense as in the pre- branohes by nature, be graffsd into their oeding veme, where it denotes the Jewish own olive tree t In what follows next the nation 88 opposed to the Gentiles. ;:!a,thj- eventual coming of the Jewish nation into o-eTa,, as seems required by the whole con- the Ohuroh is not only anticipated as pos- text, means coming into the Churob (cf. sible or probable, but foretold prophetically. Aots ii. 47, 'O Ii~ ,cJp,9s ,rporreT/8,. Tots St. Paul announces it 88 a "mystery," whioh O'G>(oµllfOuS 1<a8' ;,µlpaY -rfi l,c,r>..,,rr(~). As it his readers mo.y be ignorant of, but whioh ii written, There shall oome out of Zion the he wishes thom to know. By the word Deliverer, and shall turn away ungod.l.iD.ess p.uo-,,.f,p,011, o.s used by St. Paul, is meo.ut from J'aoob: and this ii my covenant unto something hidden from mo.n in the Divine them, when I shall take awa.y their sins. counsels till me.de knowu by revelation (soe I Referring, 1\8 throughout the Epistlo, to tile Cor. ii, 7, 10; xv. 51: I\Ucl, iu this Epistlo, oh. Old Testrunent r.r oonfirmatiou, St. Pl\ul xvi. 25, 26·-B p11es11ge whioh oxpre&Sce clearly he,e, 1111 in formei instanoes, oombllltili pu,  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [ou. n.1-86,