The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 413

from its f'08it.ion and from the following to Jewish de.ye of obligntion in geucrcil is verse, to him that ~at,,tl,. God hath re- not inconsistent with the npp1neut oondem- 1.'efred him to himself in Christ., whosoeYcr DA.tion of the obscrvnnoo of suoh days by may sit in iudgment on him. We obserrn Ohristia.ns in Ge.I. iv. 1md Col. ii. For soo lhHt the verb orporr,~413...-o is the Mmo ns in whRt ha.s boon said nbove o.bout the drift of ver. 1 and in oh. xv. 7. Col. ii. 16 &nd of l Tim. iv. 8, eto. When Yer. 4.-Wbo art thou that judgest an- the obsermnces oame to be insisted on ns other man's servant 1 (observe the cmphntio obligatory on principle, it wo.s a different positiun of <ro) to hi& own lord he standeth thing from mere consoientious scrupulosity. or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand: Let every man be fully persuaded (for the for the Lord (better supported than God, as verb in tliis sensa, of. oh. iv. 21) in his own in tl.ie Textus Receptus) is able (or, ha3 mind. To St. Paul himself the observo.nce f'('ff't"") to malce him Btand. The standing or or non-observance of the days referred to falli"!f here spoken of may be taken to mean was I\ matter in itself or no importe.nce. mnding firm in, or falling from, a st.ate of He was content that caoh person should act gr&l'E' ( cf. eh. xi. 20, 22), ra the.r than aocept- up to his own conscientious convictions on ance or rejection at the last jndgment. •• For the subject. God is able," etc., seems to require this Ver. 6.-B:e that regardeth the day, re- meaning. The non-abstainer's freedom does gardeth it unto the Lord (omit, as ill- not endanger his position ; for God is snpported, O.B well as unnecessary, and hti powerfnl to sustain him, and to God alone that regardeth not, etc.) ; he that eateth, he is accountable. eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God Ver. 5.--0ne ma.n esteemeth one day thanks ; and he that ea.teth not, to the Lord above another: another esteemeth every heeateth not, and giveth God thanks. Both day alike (literally, OM juilgei.h day beyond- parties are supposed to be equally desirous or, ,,, comparuon unJh-day: aMther juilgei.h of serving God. The eater of whatsoever eee,y dag. For ,q,lvE"' in the sense of is set before him is so, a.s is shown by "estimaie," cf. Acts :xiii. 46; xvi 15 ; xxvi. his thanking God for it-observe "for he 8. For sense of 7apc1 with aoonsative, cf. giveth,'' etc.-and no creature of God can i. 25; Luke :rill. 2. Days being here only be polluting "if received with thanks- briefly referred to in a chapter the ma.in giving" (1 Tim. iv. 5); the abstainer gives snbject of which is meat., some have sup- thanks too; and so his dinner of herbs is posed fa,J,..day, only to be meant ; in which also hallowed to him. (Though it is not case the sense might be that some make U necessary to confine the thought to the a DeCelEIU'Y point of oonscience to abstain practice of saying grace before meat, this is from food. or from certain kinds of food. on doubtless in view as expressing the asserted pi.rticnlar days, while others make no such thankfnlness. For proof of the custom, cf. distinction between days u e. matter of Matt. xv. 36: Acts xx.vii. 35 ; l Cor. x. 30; -ntial import. But a comparison with ri 24; l Tim. iv. 4, 5.) The general prin- Gal iv. 10 and Col ii. 16 sngge11ts rather ciple on which, in ea.ting and drinking, as e. general reference to days of observance in all beside, Christiuns are of necessity under the Jewillh Law. The same class of suppo~ed to o.ct, and which both parties o.re weak brethren with Jewish prejudices tho.t to be credited with desiring to carry out, is was scrupulous abont meats would be likely set forth in vers. 7, 8, 9, which follow. to be also scrupulous about days and see.sons ; Vera. 7, 8.-For none of us liveth to him- e.nd if scruples on the latter head seem to self, and none dieth to himself. For whether be mentioned only incidentally in this we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether chapter, it may be because the others were we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we at that time mainly conspicuous, e.nd live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. threatening to disturb ibe peace of the The mention of dying as well as living unto Church. One view that has been ta.ken the Lord, though it does not seem needed is that this short allusion to observance of by the context, makes complete the view of days is introduced only in the way of iUns- the entire devotion of redeemed Christians tration e.nd argument ; it being supposed to him; an<l introduces the thought, which that difference of practice with regard to follows, of their union with him in his own day■ fll(U allowed without disput.e, and that deo.th us well a.a in his life. what St. Paul means to say is, "You do Ver. 9.-For to this end Christ both died eserc:iae mutual u,Jerance in this matter; and lived (so certainly, rather than, as in the extend the same principle to the ma~r of 'l'extus Reeeptus, died, and ro1e, and revived. meats, to which it is equally applicable. His Uving means here his entering on the This view of the meaning of the, puBBge heavenly life after the human death), tha\ wonld derive llllpport from the readiDg of he might be Lord both of the dead and flving. -yi,.p at the beginning of ver. 5, whieh rellts "Nam mortem pro salute noetra. obouudo °" !air authority. The llllJIPOIIOO zeferellll0 dolllinium aibi acquisivit qnod neo worte on. xrv. 1-23.) TUE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE HOMANS. 411