THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

[This Epistle was written from Corinth early in A.D. 58. St. Paul had gone to Corinth soon after writing his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, and stayed there about three months (Acts xx., 2, 3, p. 272). That the difficulties in the Corinthian Church were adjusted, and the controversies with the Judaizers abated, may be inferred from the tranquil and hopeful tone of the Epistle to the Romans, and from the fact that he feels free to give himself to new activities on a larger scale than ever. After one more pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to lay at the feet of the Church there a gift of Christian love from the Gentile Churches of his planting, he intends to penetrate to the western limits of the Empire (Acts xix., 21, p. 270, Rom. i., 13, p. 396, Rom. xv., 22-29, p. 424). Rome was of necessity the vantage ground for this new mission, and he must win the Roman Christians to its support. The time had come also for him to fix in a written form, uncontroversially, the spiritual product of the last stormy years. Rightly understood, it would put an end to all strife between Jewish and Gentile Christians, and secure from all a favorable reception for his Gospel and his Apostleship. He has to explain two related facts, (1) the substitution of the Gospel for the Law, (2) the substitution of the Gentiles for Israel. He must vindicate (1) his teaching, (2) his Apostleship to the Gentiles. In the Introduction he leads up to the statement of this double subject. In the First Part he establishes the first fact and justifies his teaching. In the Second Part he establishes the second fact and defends his Apostleship. In conclusion he adds some practical reflections on what he has said, with a special application to the condition of the Roman Church, and explains why he has written.]

Introduction. Address. His Thanksgiving for their faith, and his desire to come into personal relations with them. For he is their Apostle, and the Gospel he preaches is the Gospel of God's power in Christ to bring all who trust Him into perfect harmony with His own Righteousness. I. I-17.

PAUL, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated for the gospel of God which He promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures con

I. 3

cerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David as to the flesh, and who was declared to be the Son of God with power, as to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead; Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all the nations for His name's sake; among whom are ye also called to be Jesus Christ's: to all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if by any means now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift so that ye may be established; that is, that I with you may be encouraged among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, and was hindered hitherto, that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles. I am debtor

both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is God's power for salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein is revealed a righteousness from God beginning with faith and leading on to faith, as it is written, But the righteous shall have life from faith.

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First Part.-The Vindication of his Teaching as to the Substitution of the Gospel for the Law.

1. 18-8. 39.

1. All Men, Jews and Gentiles equally, Need Salvation :— (A.) The Corruption of the Gentile world.

(B.) The Jew, though he knows God's Law better, keeps it still Nor can circumcision save him. The Law itself condemns I. 18-3. 20.

less.

him.

[A.] For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hinder the truth in their unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is manifest in them, for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of Him, His everlasting Power and Divinity, since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through His works, so that they are without excuse; because that, knowing God, they glorified Him not as God, neither gave thanks, but were brought to folly in their reasonings and their senseless heart was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the worship of the incorruptible God for that of the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and fourfooted beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, as those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever: Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions and unnatural sins.And even as they did not think God worthy to be kept in knowledge, God gave them up unto an unworthy mind, to do those things which are not fitting, as those who are filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malig

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nity; slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: who, well knowing the ordinance of God, that they who make a practice of such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also applaud them that make a practice of them.

[B.] Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest makest a practice of the same things: and we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that make a practice of such things. But reckonest thou this, O man who judgest them that make a practice of such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, ignoring the fact that the goodness of God is to lead thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life but unto them that are factious and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned under law shall be judged

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by law; for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when Gentiles who have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; in that they shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them, in the day when God judgeth the secrets of men according to my gospel by Jesus Christ. But if thou bearest the name of a Jew, and restest upon the law, and gloriest in God, and knowest His Will, and art able to discriminate nicely between lawful and unlawful, being instructed out of the law, and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,-thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples? thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written. For circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision? And the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, shall judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,