Book of Romans - Christopher J.E. Johnson
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Author: Christopher J. E. Johnson Published: Feb 5, 2019 Updated: Jan 11, 2020 |
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Contents: Introduction
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Introduction
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-Matthew 28:19-20
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
-1 John 2:27
If you would like more information on these topics, I recommend the following resources here at creationliberty.com:
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Though Romans was not the first epistle (i.e. letter) written by Paul to the church, I believe the reason for its placement as the first book after Acts is for the easy-to-understand and widespread application of its doctrine, helping to lay for Christians a foundation that will give them the tools they need for evangelism. There are a number of books in both the Old and New Testaments that were written earlier than the others, but are placed later, and I believe that is due to their order of importance concerning the doctrine; that God was not concerned as much with their chronological order, knowing that the order in which one should obtain understanding and knowledge of His Word was far more important.
The King James Bible translators noted that this letter was written by Paul when he was in Corinthus (i.e. Corinth) and was delivered by Phebe, who was a member of the church in Cenchrea. (She will be mentioned in the last chapter.) In this letter, we will learn details of the hearts of people who live according to wicked and abominable sins, the justification of faith versus the false doctrine of works, the road to salvation, the contrasting nature of those who have been born again in Christ, how Christ paid the full price of sin, and many more basic instructions for the church which lays a foundation for learning and understanding the rest of the New Testament.
Chapter 1
[v1] Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
The phrase "separated unto the gospel" is Paul declaring that God has sanctified him (i.e. set him apart) according to the doctrine of Christ, and that his entire occupation (i.e. his daily job) was to bring the truth of the Word of God to the lost, and raise up the church with believers where there was no church. (Eph 4:11) Though the term 'missionary' is commonly used today, that is a Catholic term; the Bible uses the word 'apostle'.An apostle is one who is commissioned to an important duty or business, and apostleship was also used in Jewish society to send officers into distant provinces for various purposes. Today, an apostle, typically working in a group of at least two, will travel to a foreign land to start up a church in an area where the church does not exist, or will help existing churches to get organized and help them in times of trouble.
(Read "Is the One-Pastor Church System Biblical?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
It should be noted that Paul did not announce himself as "Pastor Paul" or "Apostle Paul," and the reason for this is because such titles of respecting a man's person were not used among one another in the church. Instead of giving himself a title, he simply stated his calling, so that all would understand not only what he claimed to do, but that they could also analyze the doctrine he was teaching them so they could clearly judge that what he taught was in perfect correlation with the Word of God, and thereby, they would know more surely that he was an apostle of Christ.
(Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v2] (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
The Lord God had given His Word that the light of the Messiah would go out to Gentiles, and that they would have salvation by faith. (Isa 49:6)[v3] Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
This connects to Paul's previous statement that he was called and sanctified as an apostle for Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 12:46), and was prophesied to come through the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16-18) and David. (2Ti 2:8)[v4] And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Christ was declared by the authority of God to be the Son of God, or rather, God the Father came to us in the flesh (John 14:8-11), by and through His Holy Spirit. (Mat 1:20) This is why He was called "Emmanuel," which means "God with us." (Mat 1:23) Jesus was proven by evidence to those who witnessed the resurrection of the dead, which was a sign of His coming (Eze 37:12-14), in the resurrection of men like Lazarus (John 11:43-44), in the resurrection of entire graveyards (Mat 27:50-54), and in Jesus Himself because He raised Himself from the dead. (John 2:19-21)[v5] By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
We who are born again in Christ have, through repentance and faith in Christ (Mark 1:15), received the grace of God (Jms 4:6, Eph 2:8), and Christ has given us what is commonly labeled today as "The Great Commission" (although I avoid using that phrase for various reasons, but a commission is a duty), which includes teaching of Christ's doctrine, evangelism, and baptism (Mat 28:18-20); all of which are duties that apostles must learn to perform, and it was by this commandment that Christ instituted apostleship.[v6] Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
Not that all those in the church of Rome were called to be apostles, because if all were apostles, there would be no stable teachers in a single location because all would be constantly traveling, and there would also be no system in place for charitable works, which we disciples of Christ are called unto. (1Co 13:2) The colon punctuation at the end of that sentence means there is more context in the next verse to know what specific calling Paul is referring to.[v7] To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those in the church of Rome were called to be saints, meaning that they were born again by the calling of the Holy Spirit to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing) towards God the Father and faith in Christ. Paul expresses his wish (i.e. desire) that they would have grace and peace from God and Christ.(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v8] First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
For those of us who are born again in Christ, we become joyous, excited, and thankful when we see new Christians stand up in boldness and teach the truth of Christ in the face of opposition.[v9] For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Paul wanted to offer evidence of his testimony, but since his prayers were made in private, which is in accordance with the doctrine of Christ (Mat 6:6), he could only offer that God is a witness to the truth of his statement, being unable to provide tangible evidence they could verify. It is not that Paul prayed non-stop, throughout his entire day, but contextually, it would be in his time of prayer, every morning and night, or various times throughout the day he was convicted to pray, he had not forgotten them, and made mention of them to the Lord.[v10] Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
Paul pleaded with the Lord God that He would give him the opportunity to go back and visit them, and later, he did get that opportunity. God allowed Paul to spend his final years with the church in Rome. (Acts 28:30-31)[v11] For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
This is not used in the sense of an extraordinary gift, like that of raising the dead or healing the lame, but of a spiritual gift which is in the knowledge, wisdom, and charity of the Holy Spirit. This is demonstrated by the fact that he told them it was so they would be "established," or that there would be a solid foundation for them to build upon, and that foundation should be in repentance of sin (2Co 7:10) and faith on the blood sacrifice of Christ (Acts 16:31), not in miracles, as Jesus said it is an evil people that sought after the signs of miracles (Mat 16:1-4), and that Paul later taught the Corinthian Christians they ought desire to prophesy (i.e. bring the Word of God to the people for their understanding) more than they ought to desire spiritual gifts. (1Co 14:1)[v12] That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
That, despite having diverse gifts, they were serving all the same God, to the end glory of Christ. (1Co 12:4-5) This further provides evidence that the spiritual gifts being referred to were those common, not uncommon (like raising the dead), as the comfort being described is a foundation of understanding in the doctrine of Christ, by which Paul would be comforted that they would stand fast in vigilance (1Co 16:13) against the false doctrines of men (Col 2:8) who sought to draw away disciples after their covetousness (2Pe 2:1-3); this being a great concern of Paul's, and one which he spent many years in tears warning the church about false preachers. (Acts 20:29-31)[v13] Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
Paul did not want them to think that he did not have a plan to come and see them, which gives us indication that they might have frequently requested his presence. However, he was "let hitherto" which means that he was prevented from coming to their location. Paul's desire was to grow more fruit in Rome, through the teaching of doctrine, and through the edification unto gifts of the spirit, raising them up as evangelists who would go forth and teach the Word, as he had done in many other countries.[v14] I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Some may misunderstand this verse as the debt was to the Greeks and Barbarians directly, but this is an indirect meaning. Paul was saying that he was a debtor to God, whereas God had given him authority and gifts of miracles, and therefore, he had a debted responsibility to the Greeks and Barbarians by God's calling, and to all who would hear the Word of God, whether they be wise who would hear, or the foolish who would reject the truth. (Mat 7:24-27)[v15] So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
This was in reference to his last statement, that he was a debtor to all others in his responsibility to them, and Paul is pointing out that he had the same responsibility to those in Rome; furthermore, that he was either impartial to all regions, or moreso, that he cared for all regions equally because all had the same need of the Gospel of Christ.[v16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
This is a lack of shame for the Gospel of Christ, that Paul was willing to teach it without shame, knowing the truth of the saving power and grace of God for the salvation of the lost. This indicates that there are those who do have the Gospel of Christ, but hold it with shame, either in that they hide it from others, and also, there are those who do preach it, but do so only in part, or vaguely, so that they will not be held accountable for their own sin, being hypocrites in their hearts. (Mat 7:1-5) This is why that, so often still today, we have many who preach the Gospel of Christ in church buildings, but they are vague and withhold specific doctrine, because they are ashamed of the Gospel, which is typically done because they have no repentance in their hearts. (Heb 5:12-14, Heb 6:1-3)[v17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
This could mean that faith is revealed from generation to generation, in that one generation bears fruit, and the fruit of that work will then in turn produce more fruit of their own to bring to faith others in their own generation. Or, this could mean that through the faith of God, that faith is revealed unto men, and therefore, that He has been faithful to men (i.e. He has blessed men with understanding, even while they were still in their sinful nature, reaching out to them first - Deut 7:9, 1Jo 1:8-9), so men can then, in turn, be faithful unto God and live by that faith. (Hab 2:4, Gal 3:11)[v18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
The wrath of God, in that He will judge all men (Rom 2:16), and the prophecy of His Word, which states that all men who reject repentance and faith (Mark 1:15), or in other words, those who do not "live by faith" will be sentenced to an eternity in hell and the lake of fire. There are many people in this world who know of this doctrine, but hold that truth, or in other words, they keep it to themselves and refuse to speak of the matter to others, and they do so in order to help them justify their sin. For example, they fornicate among one another in their wickedness, as Paul will address later in this chapter, but then justify themselves that they did no wrong, even though they know it was wrong in their hearts. (Rom 2:15)[v19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
As I referenced to in the last verse, Romans 2:15 points out that the law of God is written in their hearts, and that by their own consciences, they know the right and wrong of their actions. The proof of this is furthermore demonstrated by God showing them His great power and wisdom in the creation itself.[v20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Things we may find to be very simple, like grass, rocks, or trees, are beyond our understanding in their complexity; let alone those things which are alive, that have the blood in their flesh (Lev 17:11), which are so complicated in their structure and function, we could not fathom an intellect and power which could create such things. Thus, who the Lord God is, that is, His identity, is known to all the world; any man, woman, or child that has had any senses to interact with the creation, so that they cannot say "There is no God," without lying. (Psa 14:1)(Read "Everything You Need to Know About Atheism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Such wicked people know the very God who we (i.e. the disciples of Christ) worship, but not only do they not glorify Him as God, the ultimate authority over all creation and the final judge over all mankind, but they also become unthankful, in that they refuse to give thanks for the wonderful gifts they were given by the God who gives blessings, not only to the just and good, but also to the unjust and evil, who live in their sins. (Mat 5:45) Their imaginations became vain, in that they were useless things they imagined in their minds, creating false doctrines, philosophies, religions and idols, and their hearts were darkened.Ultimately, the vain imaginations that they create exist for the purpose of justifying sins. Evidence of such things can be seen in paganism, in which their mythology (i.e. imagined stories) exist about their gods, in which they say that their gods do such vile things, so they foolishly believe it justifies them to do the same vile things, or even in Evolutionism, in which atheistic men believe they are animals, and so if animals act in a certain way, they foolishly believe that it justifies them to act the same way. (Luke 16:15)
[v22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
In their own vain imaginations, they believe they have some sort of great stature (i.e. standing tall in self-worship - Luke 12:25), and profess themselves to be wise among men, but because of their arrogance, the blindness in their pride (Pro 16:18), they became fools, which is one who is destitute of reason or desire to understand. (Isa 1:18) Though they lift themselves up in their pride, claiming to be reasonable and understanding of all things, they have no reasoning nor understanding capability because they are blind, (Luke 6:39) which could be applied to many people, from a scoffing atheist to a false preacher.[v23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
The use of the word 'corrupt' in this context means that mankind is tainted with wickedness, or able to become tainted, whereas God is pure and uncorruptible. It is not only bad enough that mankind is corruptible, but they furthermore take the things of this world, that which God has created, and give them the glory that should rightfully belong to God. This is done in many ways across various religious philosophies, from witchcraft to Evolutionism, in which they all worship nature itself as a god.(Read "Evolutionism: Another New-Age Religion" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v24] Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Mankind did not become unclean because they believed in Evolutionism or witchcraft or any other such foolish religion, but rather, they turned to those religious philosophies because they were already unclean. They turn to those false religions and corrupt philosophies because they desire to fulfill the lusts of their hearts, and this verse names fornication and adultery as one of those primary lusts, which goes on in many religious institutions. Witches are well-known for sexual ceremonies to perform their magic, atheists revel in their denial of the Living God so they can have free sex, and other religious institutions, like Jehovah's Witness or Catholicism, have an extraordinarily high number of pedophiles and rapists among their leadership (which I have demonstrated by evidence in my books on those topics); thus, they dishonor the bodies they were given by God, and they deny God as an excuse to sin.(Read "Everything You Need to Know About Atheism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
This is not to say that they were able to make God into a liar, for God cannot lie (Tts 1:2), His Word is everlasting (Luke 21:33), and they have no power to change the Unchangable God (Mal 3:6), but they deceive the masses, making false claims about the Bible, attempting to change the truth into a lie, so that they can justify their wicked deeds. Instead of following the commandment of God and subuing the creation (Gen 1:28), which means that we should conquer the created things and bring them in subjection to us, they cross the line to serve creation, worshiping trees, rivers, and animals, pulling philosophies from them, acting as them, and dedicating themselves to them, while with their mouths, they speak heresies and blasphemies against the God who created all those things.[v26] For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Affections are those things on which we set our deepest passions, and the passions of these wicked men and women are set to things which are disgusting and repulsive. In this verse, lesbians are pointed out, in that those women cling to each other in sexual perversion which is against nature, meaning that they were created for a husband by the laws of God, with both functionality and desire for those things, but in rebellion against God, they have created a corrupt lust between women.(Read "Feminism: Castrating America" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v27] And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
The homosexuals/sodomites are the same as the perverted women in verse 26, that they burn in sexual lust towards one another in lewd abomination. That which is "unseemly" are those things which are not fit to their proper use as God created men, and also indecent, which means it is not good for any to see and hear the things they do and say, despite the fact that they flaunt their sin and shame openly. The "recompense of their error which was meet" means that those wicked deeds they have done in the perverted lusts of their heart (i.e. error) will result in them being rewarded (i.e. recompense) with that which is in accordance with (i.e. meet to) their deeds, which means they will earn an eternity in hell and the lake of fire if they do not repent (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing) and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 13:3)[v28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
As verse 21 said, they know of the Living God, but they do not glorify Him, nor do they like to think about Him and His commandments because His Word is the light which exposes their darkness; men love to live in darkness so they will not be revealed by the light. (John 3:19) Therefore, because they will not be humbled to repentance to acknowledge the truth (2Ti 2:25), God gives them over to their lusts to suffer the consequences of their deeds because they are reprobate, meaning their spirits are abandoned to their sin and lost to grace.[v29] Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Through Paul, the Lord God is telling us what is in the hearts of men who do these things. It does not matter if witches, atheists, evolutionists, pagans, homosexuals, lesbians, or anything else in between, might seem like a kind or pleasant people on the outside when you initially speak to them, because the Bible tells us that, inwardly, they are filled with an unjust mind to violate the divine laws of God (i.e. unrighteousness), and therefore, we should stop viewing things in the way we want to view them, and start viewing things the way God sees them through his omniscient (i.e. all-knowing) eyes. (Pro 21:2) In their hearts, these people are having sex with whoever they want whenever they want (i.e. fornication), departing from goodness and righteousness (i.e. wickedness), lusting after one another and idolizing material things (i.e. covetousness), having curses and ill will against others without any provocation (i.e. maliciousness), constantly being uneasy and discontent (i.e. full of envy), desiring to take away the lives of others (i.e. murder), having a heart that loves arguments and fights with others (i.e. debate), wanting to use lies and trickery to mislead others (i.e. deceit), having a generally evil nature in all things (i.e. malignity), and loving to use slander against others (i.e. whisperer).[v30] Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
These people also have in their hearts a love to speak evil and false things behind others' backs (i.e. backbiter), a hatred of all things that are good in God and His Word, a deep desire of unjust vengence with malice and ill will (i.e. despiteful), a worship and esteem of themselves in their own conceit (i.e. proud), a glorifying of themselves (i.e. boasters), a creative mind to do evil deeds, and a dishonor of rebelliousness towards their own father and mother.[v31] Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
In these people is a lack of understanding, a heart that cares nothing for the value of keeping their word in honesty (i.e. covenantbreakers), having no emotion for the loss or suffering of people who have done no wrong (i.e. without natural affection), a mind unable to be set at ease and peace (i.e. implacable), showing no mercy to those who oppose them (i.e. unmerciful).[v32] Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Because they know of God, they also know of His judgment, but they turn to the lusts of their flesh anyway, despite the consequences, and they are worthy of death, meaning that, according to the Old Testament laws in Jewish society, they would be stoned to death for their crimes. However, because we do not live under the Old Testament laws of Israel, and most of our governments do not punish many of those evils, these wicked men and women are free to continue in their wickedness without thought to the consequences, and also take pleasure in others who will do the same sins along with them, helping to excuse each other, as Paul will continue to point out in Chapter 2.Chapter 2
[v1] Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
This is a continuation from the first chapter, in which Paul is speaking to those who do deeds worthy of death under the Old Testament law, and "have pleasure in them that do them." These wicked people will lie and steal, but then when someone else lies about them or steals from them, they will take them to court to seek justice, angry against their neighbor for lying and stealing from them. This is what the Bible calls "hypocrites," that is, those which claim to be one way, but live a different way. This passage is not to say that we ought not to judge, as the Bible tells us that a spiritual man will judge all things (1Co 2:15), but rather, this is speaking to the hypocrites that are reprobates (i.e. given over to their sin), which do not judge themselves (1Co 11:31) with the same judgment as they judge others. (Mat 7:1-5)[v2] But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
Though wicked men and women will judge in hypocrisy, doing evil things against the innocent, we are reminded that the Living God will judge all men for everything they have ever said (Mat 12:36), thought (Gen 6:5, Mat 15:19), or done. (2Co 11:13-15)[v3] And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
This is addressing those who are hypocrites in judgment, condemning the adultery of others while looking in lust (Mat 5:28), condemning lies while lying and teaching false doctrines (Psa 12:2, Mat 15:8), etc. No one shall escape the Judgment Day of the Lord God, except those of us who have come to repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, and though we will also be judged, we will be judged according to Christ in the family of God, not having to face the great white throne judgment of God (Rev 20:11-12), from which sinners will be judged and thrown into hell and the lake of fire. (Rev 20:15)[v4] Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Although I have heard many preachers teach falsely that repentance is a work, they are ignorant of Biblical understanding because God gives men repentance. (2Ti 2:25) The goodness and longsuffering of God is demonstrated by nature itself (Rom 1:20), which leaves those wicked men without an excuse, as was stated in verse 1, and also proves to us that God has made effort to bring all mankind to repentance (2Pe 3:9), but mankind has the will to reject that which God has given them. (Rom 11:29)[v5] But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
An impenitent person is one who does not have a penitent heart, which means they have no repentance; that is, pain and sorrow of their sin. The Lord God has said that He will give His grace of salvation to those who have a contrite spirit (i.e. those who are broken-hearted over the sin - Psa 34:18), but those who are impenitent, having a proud heart of stone who will not repent, the Lord God will reject them. (Jms 4:6)[v6] Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
This means that God will pay (or reward) all mankind according to the things they do (1Co 3:13-14), and more details about this are given in the following verses.[v7] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Those who show patience, continuing to suffer hatred (Mat 10:22), ridicule, and persecution (2Ti 3:12) in this life for the sake of Christ, will receive eternal life. (1Jo 5:11) Those in the flock of Christ will receive everlasting life (John 5:24), honor (2Ti 2:20-21), and glory (Psa 73:24, 1Pe 5:4) according to the good will of God the Father.[v8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
That is, those who are contentious of heart against the truth of God's Word, which is not to be confused with contending for the faith (Jude 1:3). Those who have a contentious nature are those who follow sin in anger and hatefulness in opposition to the truth of Scripture, showing that they are not of Christ because, instead of reasoning out matters together in peace, they speak railing and false accusations, of which we have no such tradition in the church (1Co 11:16), and if anyone in the church acts in such a way, it is our duty to remove them from the church (Pro 22:10, Rom 16:17-18), that we might keep the church clean for the sake of Christ, and protect those who are babes in Christ.[v9] Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Continuing the description from verse 8, tribulation and anguish, which is extreme pain and distress, will come upon all those who do evil, and God not being a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35 - which will also be pointed out in verse 11) means that this rule is applied to both Jews and Gentiles throughout the world. Though we Christians suffer tribulation and anguish (Acts 14:22), we suffer it in the flesh temporarily in this life, not in our eternal souls, but the world will suffer tribulation and anguish of the soul in eternity (Mat 16:26), which will come on the Day of Judgment.[v10] But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Here, Paul reverts backs to a reaffirmation of verse 7, that those who are faithful to the Christian God of the Bible will be rewarded for their good works. Good works are not a requirement for salvation in Christ (Eph 2:8-9), but are a result of salvation (Acts 26:20), and those good works come with reward (1Co 3:12-14).[v11] For there is no respect of persons with God.
Respecting persons is sin and transgression of the law. (Jms 2:1-9) Respecting persons has to do with hearing one person over another based on title, lineage, rank, and/or wealth; or, the lack thereof, meaning that we also should not respect the persons of the poor as well as the rich. (Lev 19:15)(Read "Respecting Persons is Sin" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Those "in the law" or "without law" are those who either had the law of Moses (i.e. the Jews) or those who did not have the law of Moses (i.e. the Gentiles). The point being made here is that God is no respecter of persons, and therefore, whether someone had learned the law of God or not, both shall be judged according to their deeds.[v13] (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Of course, we know that a man is justified by faith, not by the works of the law, as Paul will conclude in the next chapter (Rom 3:28), but the parentheses around this text indicates this is a note about the context, and specifically, this is a condemnation of those Jews who hypocritically scoffed at the Gentiles for not having or keeping the laws of God, but the Jews themselves were not keeping the law of God either, even though they had access to it in writing. There are many in this world who will hear the law of God and will not come to repentance, to do the works that would show the repentance in their hearts (Luke 3:8), but on the other hand, those who do the law are justified, not because of their works (Gal 2:16), but because of their contrite spirit (i.e. humbled and broken-hearted because of sin - Psa 34:18), which is explained more in the next verse.[v14] For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
If the knowledge of the law and sin could only obtained by reading it from Scripture, then only those who visited Israel, learned Hebrew, and studied the Torah could be saved, but the fact that Gentiles, who did not have the written law of God in their possession, can do the things in the law of God, and do so naturally, showing shame and embarrassment for wrongdoing, they demonstrate the evidence of knowing God's law by the conscience He has given them.[v15] Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
God has written His law into the hearts of all men by the conscience they have. For example, I have spoken to many atheists who believe that rape is wrong (just as the Bible teaches it is wrong - Deut 22:25-27), but from an atheistic, evolutionary philosophy, rape cannot be justified to be wrong or evil. In fact, in their worldview, freely impregnating women would increase the population, just as it does in the animal kingdom, and thus, they are left without a justification for evil in the act of rape, or likewise, any other sin. However, what they refuse to acknowledge is that the God who created them put His law into their hearts, by which their conscience gives evidence that they know of the Living God, and as pointed out in the first chapter (Rom 1:18), they hold this truth in their unrighteousness, and so when atheists open their mouths to dispute moral issues, they have lost the argument before they speak because their conscience bears witness to God's law in that they argue for the good and moral things of God's law while trying to arguing against His law at the same time. (i.e. It's hopeless circular reasoning.)(Read "Everything You Need To Know About Atheism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v16] In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
There is nothing that is hidden from God. All the hearts of men are known to Him, and there is no thing that is kept secret from Him, meaning that if men portray themselves to be righteous on the outside, while they are corrupt inwardly, such secrets will be exposed on the Day of God's Judgment (Ecc 12:14), for both Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, male and female; there is no exception.[v17] Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
The Jews rested (i.e. stood upon or leaned upon) the law of God, and boasted of these things (Eph 2:8-9). Many who have boasted of such things have entered into hell's fire because they trusted they were righteous of themselves. (Luke 18:9-14)[v18] And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
The Jews were privileged to know the precise will of God by His Word, that they may know of sin (Rom 3:20), and be instructed in the ways of righteousness.[v19] And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
The Jews were confident (i.e. faithful) in themselves, that they were guiding the blind out of darkness and into the light of God.[v20] An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
The Jews prided themselves that they were the teachers of fools and babes into wisdom and truth of God's perfect law.[v21] Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Paul prefaced the previous verses to rebuke the Jews, that, in their hypocrisy, believing they were the teachers of the ignorant, they did not have the wisdom to see that they were not teaching themselves in the same way. They would preach to the Gentiles that stealing was sin, but they would steal, make excuses to ignore the poor (Mat 15:3-9), and extort the needy. (1Co 6:10)[v22] Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
The Jews would preach fervently to the Gentiles against fornication and adultery, but they would frequently engage in sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The Jews would preach the law of God with authority that the idolatry of the Gentiles was evil, but they were idolaters in their hearts. (Eze 14:3-8) Do parents lie while teaching truth to their children? Does a pastor preach against extortion while manipulating churchgoers to give him more? Many sins could be mentioned here, and if we Christians are going to teach, we need to make sure that we are not teaching as hypocrites, to put on a false outward appearance, to clean out the inside first, so the outside will be clean automatically (Mat 23:26), and that we will not be found to be hypocrites when teaching God's Word, or in the other words, we should live the way we claim to believe.[v23] Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
And it is not only with the Jews, but with churchgoers today that I see this same hypocrisy. Many who boast to live a life of good works are often living in sin and following the things of this world, and most often, the people they condemn are Christians who preach against their sinful deeds and religious traditions based on the doctrines of men. (Mark 7:7) This is not to say that a Christian will not or cannot sin (for we still have a body of corrupt flesh that we must discipline - 1Co 9:27), but that we ought to turn from sin, and live no more in it. (Rom 6:1-2)[v24] For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
I am not fully certain which passage this is referring to, although it is possible it comes from Isaiah 52:5. This is not to say that the Gentiles were right in the sight of God, because they did wickedness in His sight, but the Jews were worse than this because they took that which was holy of God and claimed it was of the Devil (i.e. blasphemy); for example, Christ was accused of being the Devil (Mat 12:24), even though Christ is God. (John 10:30, John 14:8-11) When one who knows and understands the law of God profanes it with knowledge, it is worse than those who have not learned the law of God. (Mat 6:22-23) Thus, just like many churchgoers and leavened pastors today, most Jews claimed to be of God while living according to the world and their corrupt religious traditions, speaking lies in hypocrisy, and just as they did such evil, the same evil will be among religious leadership in the latter times as well. (1Ti 4:1-2)(Read "The Godhead vs The Trinity" here at creationliberty.com for more details about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being one God.)
[v25] For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Meaning that the outward appearance of righteousness (1Th 5:22) is good and profitable if the good works are done with a pure heart, cleansed by Christ through repentance and faith; for only through Christ can we be cleaned inwardly, that our outward appearance would automatically match our inward condition. However, a hypocrite, which is one who gives an outward appearance of righteousness, while being corrupt inwardly (Mat 23:25-26), has a useless outward appearance that means nothing, just as circumcision means nothing without a purified heart. (Deut 10:16)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Circumcision" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v26] Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
That is, if those who are not of the lineage of the Jews keep the commandments of God, they are more worthy to be called Jews than those who are Jews and do not keep the commandments of God. Put another way, I've seen a number of so-called "charitable" organizations extort money for their own purposes, and yet, they continue to be called "charitable" organziations, whereas one man who brings food and clothing to the poor is more worthy to be called charitable, though his deeds are rarely seen by men. (Mat 6:1)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Charity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v27] And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
As the Jews thought they were the judges over the wicked, now that they are exposed to be the very wicked themselves, they should fully understand that they must have judges over them, and that God will appoint those who keep His commandments to judge over others.[v28] For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Though the Gentile is not of Jewish lineage in the flesh, in the spirit, under the law of faith, he is a Jew, or rather, what a Jew is intended to be.[v29] But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
This is what is meant when we who are of Christ are adopted into the family of Abraham, to become spiritual Jews, and become inheritors of the promise of the Jews. Paul will cover this more in chapter 11, when he gives the analogy of the branches graffed into the olive tree.Chapter 3
[v1] What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
The question that's being asked is a simple reasoning that anyone might having, namely, if salvation is by repentance and faith, and the blessings of inheritance also come with that, then what advantage is there to being Jewish? Why would anyone claim there was an advantage to circumcision? Would it not be better to be a Gentile under those circumstances? Paul goes on to answer that in the next verse.[v2] Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
The prophets (i.e. oracles) of God brought the Word of God to the people, that they would know the mind and will of God in all matters, and so they profited greatly from His infinite wisdom and understanding.[v3] For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Though the prophets of God were given to the Jews, their unbelief will not affect the impact of God's doctrine to the world.[v4] God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
God is true and every man is a liar. This is referring to Psalm 54:1, which states that God will save (justify) men who have faith in His name, and overcome the wicked in His judgment, meaning that when the wicked come against us, in which we have done no wrong, we ought to plead with God in prayer that He might judge the wicked and bring them to shame.[v5] But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
It's not that Paul was speaking as a man from his own mind, which is how some scoffers might prefer to take this, but rather, he is speaking in the manner by which a man would commonly speak, meaning what Paul is based on the fallacious arguments of a man who is an adversary against God. Paul is answering that fallacious argument, or in other words, he is answering the fool according to his folly (Pro 26:5), so the foolish will not think themselves to be wise in their conceited minds.The questions posed are saying that our sins commend (speak favorably of) the righteousness of God, meaning that through His great mercy, and the sacrifice of His Son for mankind, His wonderful righteousness is clearly demonstrated to all men. Paul then poses a question, asking if it would be correct for men to say that God, who is loving, merciful, and kind, is unrighteous to take vengeance? Of course, the question itself is completely unreasonable, and by very simple logic and understand, we can provide the same analogy in the instance of a courtroom and a judge; for example, if a man has murdered his wife and children in cold blood, and is sentenced to death, no one looks unfavorably upon the judge, nor calls the judge "unrighteous" for bringing vengeance upon the wicked because they know automatically that it is right and good for proven criminals to be punished.
[v6] God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
If God did nothing evil to those who are evil, taking vengeance upon them for their sin, then how can He be the judge over mankind? Logically, it would be impossible. If judges in our government did no evil in punishment unto evildoers, then there would be no justice in our society, and likewise, it is not possible for God to be the Holy Righteous Judge that He is unless he repays evil unto evildoers in punishment, and therefore, judgment must come, and there are consequences to our words and actions. (Mat 12:35-37, 1Co 3:10-15)[v7] For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
Paul is supposing a hypothetical situation, which is not to say that Paul was lying (i.e. "through my lie"), but he is, for the sake of argument, assuming for a moment that what he was saying was not true, as the Jews would have claimed in order to justify themselves. (i.e. It's easier for people call preachers like myself or Paul liars than to confess the truth of their sin.) Paul's doctrine was commonly called a "lie" by the Jews, and by others who hated the truth (which is something I can relate to as I often get the same accusations against my doctrine), but how is it that Paul could do the miracles of God by healing and raising the dead, and at the same time, God was glorified through Paul's works? Paul then asks why he is judged as a sinner, not by God, but by men; meaning that Paul was doing what was good in the sight of God, and so men, even by their own reasoning and conscience, know there is no reason to accuse him, and by that logic, he proves that they are false accusers.[v8] And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
We can see here that Paul is referring to those arguments made by wicked men, who make false accusations and false reports of their good deeds and doctrine, claiming in a childish manner that Paul would teach men to do evil for the sake of good; or, even in part, addressing those who falsely accuse Christians in the liberty of Christ, that one might sin freely and "that good may come" in the end, which is not the doctrine of Christ, but a false interpretation of Christ's gospel, and Paul will address that more in Romans 6:1-4. Though there were some who made such slanderous reports, there were others who instead claimed that Paul was a liar (as indicated in the previous verse), but would not say he did evil, because they could not refute the good works he did in Christ. He ends this verse with the phrase "whose damnation is just," meaning that those false accusers would have been correct to preach the damnation of such men if indeed they were teaching that which was evil, but this was not the case.[v9] What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Paul is saying that he and we (who are born again in Christ) are no better than the false teachers, as we are all sinners; only we were given the godly sorrow of repentance and faith by the Lord Jesus Chirst, and by His grace alone, have we had our understanding opened to see clearly. I have done many teachings in which I have rebuked the doctrines of false preachers, but I am no better than they because everything that I have done which is good has been given to me by the Lord God. There is no righteousness of ourselves. And thus, Paul concludes that, as faithful Gentiles unto God, who have been adopted into God's family, we are no better than the Jews, nor are we better than those who falsely accuse us because we are all under sin. The only condition by which we are better than they is that we have been given grace and had righteousness imputed into us (as Paul will point out in the next chapter in Rom 4:22-24), and that it is not of ourselves, but a gift given of God's great mercy.[v10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
[v11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
[v12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
[v13] Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
[v14] Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
[v15] Their feet are swift to shed blood:
[v16] Destruction and misery are in their ways:
This is also found in Isaiah 59:7.[v17] And the way of peace have they not known:
[v18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.
[v19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
That is, the law preaches to those who are under it, namely, those who have not been born again in the Lord Jesus Christ and cleansed by the washing of His blood. As Paul will later write to the Galatians, the law is the teacher that brings us to Christ, and then we are no longer under that teacher once we have been given the grace of salvation through our repentance and faith. (Gal 3:21-25) Thus, when scoffing atheists are proven to know of God, or the Jews are found guilty before the God they claim to serve, the law is the teacher that stops the mouths of those who justify their sin, and clearly demonstrates their guilt before the Holy and Righteous Living God.[v20] Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Those guilty of sin cannot earn their way into heaven by doing good works because no amount of good works can wash away the evil from their spirits. It would be as if a man fell into a mud pit, covered in filth, and in order to get clean, he charitably gives away soap to the poor and needy; that makes no sense. Again, no amount of good works will make a man clean. The law is only the knowledge of sin, not the salvation from sin, because nothing but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can wash away sins. (1Pe 1:18-19)[v21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
The righteousness of God is manifested (i.e. made plain, clear and open to the understanding) in those who have not the law, and by their consciences they provide evidence that the law of God is truth and defines good and evil. (Rom 2:15) It is a common mistake for Christians to try and convince unbelievers of the truth of Scripture, when in fact, the unbeliever, by their own conscience, is evidence that testifies of God's law and their guilt before the Holy Judge. The law (i.e. the Torah, the first five books of the Bible) and the prophets (i.e. the major and minor books of the prophets which follows the Torah) have witnessed that these things are true also, demonstrating that the truth of God is timeless, which is why Paul quoted from a number of passages showing that these things were written hundreds or thousands of years prior to that time, and certainly, thousands of years prior to our own.[v22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
That is, there is no spiritual difference between Jew or Greek, male or female, poor or rich (Gal 3:28), for as we have already established, God is no respecter of persons (Deut 1:17), but is merciful to those who come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing) in humility, who have a contrite spirit (Psa 34:18), and gives the grace of His salvation to all those who believe on the saving blood of Christ.[v23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
The only man who has existed without sin is Jesus Christ, who was not a man in the same sense that we are (meaning that we are created beings), but is God (John 10:30, Mat 1:23, John 14:8-9, 2Co 5:16), and therefore we worship Him in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24) With the exception of Christ, there is no man who can honestly say that he has not sinned (1Jo 1:10), and therefore, every man and woman on this earth has fallen short of God's glory, that is, the righteousness and blessings of His Kingdom, and therefore, all need the Savior.[v24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Justification (i.e. salvation) can only come through Christ's gift of grace; there is no other way to obtain eternal life. Grace is only given to the humble man who repents and believes on Christ, but God resists the proud of heart. (Jms 4:6)[v25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
A 'propitiation' means that Christ's blood continually pays for the sins of those who believe, and that our sins are not forgiven and purged by our own works of righteousness, but by His righteousness, as Paul will explain more in the next chapter. (Rom 4:22-25)[v26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Paul is not declaring his own righteousness, as some Jews may have wanted to believe, but rather, he is declaring the righteousness of God and Christ, so that God will be seen as just among men, to put to shame the slanderers against His Holy Name, and that He will also justify (i.e. save) those which truely believe in Jesus, meaning that they do not just draw close to Christ with their mouths only (Mat 15:8), but that their lives and doctrine are consisent with a servant of Christ. (John 8:31)[v27] Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
The word 'boast' in this context would be used as in to glorify of the merits of a thing. What justification would anyone have to boast of righteousness in themselves, knowing that none has kept the whole of the law? No one can do so, and thus, such boasting of righteousness is not permitted in the church because righteousness is only imputed to us by Christ. What law would give us justification to boast of righteousness? (Jms 2:10) What works could we do that would justify us to boast? Therefore, if we boast anything, we should only boast of being born again in Christ and justified by His grace (Gal 6:14), operating under the law (i.e. rule) of faith.[v28] Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
If a repentant man has faith in Christ, there are no works necessary for his salvation; it is granted to him as a gift, which is not earned. (Rom 6:23)[v29] Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
The Lord God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles, for all those who repent and believe. (Mark 1:15)[v30] Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
There is only one God in this world; all others are false. That means there is only one path to salvation, for both Jew and Gentile, and that is through the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13)[v31] Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
The law is not abandoned, but fulfilled, and therefore, having a heart of repentance and faith in Christ, we are renewed that, by our good works, we establish (i.e. confirm with evidence) the law, so that by the law, others would come to Christ. (Gal 3:24)Chapter 4
[v1] What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Was it that Abraham discovered something special in this world, or performed some special feat, that made him so well-favored with God? No.[v2] For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
A man may find glory among men for works done, which is why people are so heavily praised when they donate time or money to a charity, to be seen among men, and thereby, they have their reward (Mat 6:2), that is, the glory for their works. However, none can justify themselves by their works in the sight of God because, as already established in previous chapters, there are none righteous (Rom 3:10), and all are liars before God. (Rom 3:4)[v3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
This is referring to Genesis 15:6. Justification (i.e. salvation), righteousness, and favor from God all come by faith, not by works, which is why a man cannot be saved by simply being born a Jew.[v4] Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Those who do work on a job earn a wage. The wage is a debt owed by the employer to the employee; it is not a gift from the employer. The employer can be sued for the wages if they are not paid, which means, once the work is done, the wages are a debt owed. When an employer pays his workers, it cannot be called grace by any means.[v5] But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
This is not to say that we who are of Christ do not perform good works, nor is it to say that we do not demonstrate our faith by our good deeds (Luke 3:8), but this is a foundational explanation of faith versus works, and grace versus debt. Under this law of faith, a man can be saved even on his death bed, and the Lord God would show him mercy if he came to repentance and faith on the hour of his death, but in most religious cults, because they require specific works to be performed, a man cannot be saved in the hour of his death, though many lie in an attempt to comfort a dying man and his family, standing on pretense, rather than confessing their actual religious beliefs, namely, that they believe that dying man cannot be saved. Those who will be saved must trust in the Living God that He will give His grace to the humble of heart (Jms 4:6), if they will believe on His Son who shed His own blood for their souls.(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism," "Corruptions of Christianity: Mormonism," and "Corruptions of Christianity: Jehovah's Witnesses" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v6] Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
impute (v): to charge; to attribute; to set to the account of; to reckon [count] to one what does not belong to him
(See 'impute', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Jan 31, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v7] Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
This is referring to Psalm 32:1. Iniquity is sinful action, and therefore, sins are forgiven, not worked away. This is not to say that "sins are covered" in the sense that there is an outer coating to fool onlookers, but rather, on the Day of Judgment, the faithful have their sins covered, like the covering of a robe, so that when judged, the Lord God will only see the righteousness of His Son, and those who are guilty of sin will be pardoned by the grace of Christ.[v8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
blessed (adj): happy; prosperous in worldly affairs; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God
(See 'blessed', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Jan 31, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v9] Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
The word 'reckoned' in this context means the same as 'imputed, which is to apply something to someone's account, meaning that Abraham's faith was accounted to him for righteousness.If justification were only by lineage, meaning that you would have to be born into a particular family to be saved, which would be outside of your control, then in what way could we reason with the Scripture when it says that God is merciful? Furthermore, how could we reason that rightousness is imputed by Christ unto men if God only imparts blessings unto those of a particular bloodline? It should be noted that Abraham was not a Jew, a Hebrew, or an Israelite when he was justified by God, as those terms did not yet exist. Abraham was righteous, not because he was sinless, or did a lot of good works (though he did do many), but by his faith was he counted as righteous, just as we will be counted (reckoned or imputed) with the same righteousness as Abraham if we are faithful.
[v10] How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Abraham was not born into circumcision, meaning that he was neither born automatically circumcised, nor was he circumcised by someone else as a child, and furthermore, Abraham never receive any promises based on circumcision. Rather, Abraham was given promises by God BEFORE he was ever circumcised, and therefore, by his faith while in uncircumcision, Abraham received the grace of God. (Gen 17) Therefore, as Paul will teach the church in Corinth, "circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing." (1Co 7:19)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Circumcision" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v11] And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
That is, Abraham received a sign, and an outward symbol, which was intended to reflect that faith which was within. It was a symbol of the righteousness God had imputed to Abraham, but circumcision was not a source of righteousness in itself; otherwise, how could women be saved? Women were not circumcised; therefore, circumcision is nothing when it concerns the law of faith. (1Co 7:17-19) Even those who were uncircumcised could become children of Abraham in the spiritual sense through faith, not by works of righteousness or being born into a particular lineage.(I am aware that pagan cultures have a type of "female circumcision" that is unbiblical and dangerous, and it is something commonly practiced in the Muslim religion; read "Islam: Religion of Terror" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
All who are of faith in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, are a part of the same family of God. Abraham walked faithfully towards God before he was circumcised, and therefore, faith is of the heart, not of the loins. (Deut 10:16)[v13] For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
God gave the Jews a gift, which was the knowledge of God's will through His prophets and His law, but the Jews became prideful of themselves, and thought themselves to be righteous of their own traditions and culture, and ignored the fact that God's law and prophets was a privilege, not a right, and thus, their haughty spirits were blinded to the fact that the promise of God was made to the faithful, not just to Israel, as God had promised Abraham that he would become the father of "many nations," not just Israel. (Gen 17:4-5)[v14] For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Meaning that if heirs (i.e. those who inherit or are entitled to possess) to the Kingdom of God were only by lineage, then there is no need for faith, and without faith, God's promises would be a lie. Under that circumstance, Jesus would not have taught "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), rather, He would have taught, "Becoming a Jew is the way, the truth, and the life," but we know that salvation is by faith, not by bloodline, therefore the way to salvation is by Jesus Christ, not by becoming a Jew.[v15] Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
The law works (or produces) wrath, meaning the wrath of God, because the law cannot justify sinners. This is not to say that God is angry because of His law, nor is He angry with those who keep it; rather, judgment is passed on all men by the law, but salvation is by grace.The second part of this verse seems to be a Jewish expression, not to be taken in a straight-forward way because all men are liars and have come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), and therefore, it does not mean that, without the law, no one transgresses the law, but rather, this is referring specifically to the WRITTEN law of God, that there is no transgression of the written law of God without the law in general; meaning that there is a natural law in their hearts (Rom 2:15), and a conscience that bears witness to God's written law, by which all men will be held accountable to that natural law, even if they do not know the written law of God. Thus, Paul is referring back the context of the rest of the book of Romans, in which all men will be held accountable to God's law, even without access to the Torah (i.e. the first five books of the Bible).
[v16] Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Therefore, the seed of the promise is all of us who have a repentant heart given to us by God (2Ti 2:25), and believe on His Son for our salvation. (Rom 10:9) There is an old song I remember children singing in church buildings growing up, and I believe it was created by those who better understood the Word of God than many do today, which would say, "Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you." For those of you who may be familiar with that song, you may now better understand it because the seed of Abraham is not for those who were given the gift of God's law, to have the knowledge of sin, but rather, to anyone (Jew or Gentile) who lives by faith, and only by faith can a man be adopted into the seed of Abraham.[v17] (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Again, this is from Genesis 17:4-5, in which "many nations" demonstrates the fact that it is more than just Israel. As we see today, it would be impossible for Abraham's physical seed to be the father of many nations, but rather, in the spiritual sense, by faith, meaning that those who are of Christ throughout the nations would be children of God.
quicken (v): to make alive; to revive from death; to make alive in a spiritual sense
(See 'quicken', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Jan 31, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v18] Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Whereas Sarah laughed in disbelief, and God was displeased with her laugh (Gen 18:10-15), Abraham laughed with joy and excitement, believing that God would cause Sarah to conceive and bear a son in her old age, and his laughter pleased God. (Gen 17:17) It was not by right of lineage and bloodline that righteousness was imputed, but it was by Abraham's belief in God's Word that righteousness was imputed.[v19] And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
The aging of the body is a natural thing, but it was hope in the power and words of God, faithfulness that He would do as He said, and it was that faithfulness that was pleasing to God. Through that faith alone, God gave Abraham blessings of justification and righteousness.[v20] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Abraham walked boldly in that which God promised He would do for him, as we also should walk. He was not weak in the faith, as some Christians might be when they worry about the things on which we have promises in Scripture.[v21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
God said He would do it, and Abraham believed.[v22] And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
God gave Abraham righteousness by that faith, not of works.[v23] Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
That is, Genesis 15:6 was not written just for Abraham's sake, but for ours also.[v24] But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
If we hold steadfast in the faith of God's promises to us. When He promises that if we repent and believe the Gospel of Christ, and His resurrection from the dead, that we will be saved on the Day of Judgment, we should be bold in the faith that not only can He perform it, but He will perform it because He cannot lie. (Tts 1:2) When He promises that if we will seek His righteousness, He will provide our basic needs like food and clothing, then we should be bold in the faith that He will perform it. (Mat 6:28-33)[v25] Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
If justification was not by faith, then Christ's sacrifice would be meaningless. He was crucified for our sins, and was raised from the dead so we would be saved on the Day of Judgment by faith, not of works.Chapter 5
[v1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Through faith in His Word, we have no enmity with God, but we have peace by the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though we are vile and worthless, not worthy of any grace, by His kindness and mercy we are granted grace through faith, and by His promise (Heb 13:5), we have peace knowing our souls are secure in Christ.[v2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We gain access to God's grace through our faith in His Word. The hope being mentioned here is the hope of eternal life in His Kingdom of rest, which is also sometimes called the glory of God. (e.g. John 11:40)[v3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
tribulation (n): severe affliction [grief]; distresses of life, vexations, trouble and distress which proceed from persecution
(See 'tribulation', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Jan 31, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Through the patience in dealing with each person, no matter which false belief they adhere to, we gain experience with each one, gaining a more grounded understanding of how to talk with them, how to discern what they need to hear, and knowing when to depart. Through that experience, it increases our understanding of God's Word, and how everything in His Word is true; that His Word rightly calls out the sins and fallacies of every man, and through that, it increases our hope that every word of the promises of His glory are also true.[v5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Hope, which is firmly grounded in faith, gained through experience by patience in tribulation, will make us bold, and unashamed, relying firmly on the love of God, given to us by the Holy Spirit.[v6] For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
When we were weak, ignorant, foolish, without understanding, and unable to help ourselves, Christ died for us ungodly people, and healed and converted us. (Mat 13:15) His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary was done in God's proper timing, meaning that it was foretold in Scripture, and was fulfilled according to prophecy.[v7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
This is not to say that there are any who are righteous and good, for all righteousness must be imputed to men by the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 4:22-24), but rather Paul is speaking to those men who the world views as good or righteous. It is rare that anyone would be willing to give up his own life for a righteous man, and even more rare that someone would give up his life for a good man (i.e. someone less righteous than the righteous man).[v8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Yet, for the most wicked, the most perverted, filthy, disgusting sinners, those who are despised by our societies, for murderers, thieves, harlots, liars, adulterers, and all other sins of the flesh—for those people, Christ gave His his life, showing a love, mercy, and charity that is beyond any man.[v9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
The wrath of God is what we deserve as our punishment, but we are pardoned from that wrath through that sacrifice of the blood of Christ for our sins. (1Th 5:9) Christ died for us in our broken state, and now, being born again and renewed by the Holy Spirit, it is certain we will be saved from wrath.[v10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
We were reconciled to God by the blood of Christ, but much more are we reconciled to God through the life of Christ, not to be misunderstood as His life on earth, but His eternal nature, His life at the right hand of the throne of God, continually making intercession on our behalf. (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25)[v11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
The word 'atone' generally means to be together as one, and it is used in this context similar to the word 'reconcile' that was mentioned in the previous verse, in that payment was made for a crime and peace was established between two parties. Not only did God save us by the blood of Christ when we were His enemies, and not only is Christ making continual intercession for us at the right hand of God, but we also have His atonement now, not having to wait for death and judgment, that we can be blessed by the Lord God today as children of our Heavenly Father. (2Co 6:17-18)[v12] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
It was by Adam that sin entered into the world, and death being the wages of sin (Rom 6:23), therefore, death also entered into the world. That sin is inherited, and we are all guilty of that sin, so therefore, death comes to us all.This is one of the primary reasons the religious philosophy of Evolutionism cannot coincide with Scripture. Not only is it a lie about the history of this world, but those who try to combine Evolutionsim with the Bible have to teach the opposite of Scripture, namely, that God created death, and that sin came after death, which is heresy, and I would even say it is a form of blasphemy, in which death is blamed on God instead of man.
(Read "Evolutionism: Another New-Age Religion" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Both statements are true, though they appear to be contradictory on the surface. There is no sin put on the account of a man without the law of God present in the knowledge of man, however, until the law was written down, sin was still in the world. The only reason a man would suffer death by sin, even without the written law, is if they were a law unto themselves, which is further evidence to demonstrate that the law of God is written on the hearts of men that manifests itself by their consciences. (Rom 2:15)[v14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Again, those who did not have the written law were still held accountable because their consciences were witness to the law in their hearts. This is not to say that the children of Adam were without sin, nor that they never sinned throughout their lives, but even those who lived a cleaner, more righteous life (i.e. those "that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression") in dedication to God (e.g. Moses, Daniel, David, etc) were still subject to death, and it can even be demonstrated that children, or babies, who have not reached an age of accountability for their sin, are still subject to death, demonstrating its inheritance.(Read "The Age of Accountability Concerning Children" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
The figures of Adam and Moses were prophetic of Christ, which is denoted by the phrase "him that was to come." As Adam was the first man, so Christ is called the second Adam, or the last Adam (1Co 15:45), by which we are born again spiritually into that lineage. Moses was representative of the deliverance of Christ; whereas Adam represented Christ's first coming, Moses represented Christ's second coming through his deliverance of the Hebrews out of Egypt.
[v15] But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Meaning that the free gift of eternal life through Christ works in a similar way, but not the same as sin and death. Whereas by Adam death came to all mankind, by Christ, life comes to those who repent and believe on Him. (Mark 1:15)[v16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Whereas all it took was one sin for death to come to all men, by one sacrifice, all sins are covered.[v17] For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
If not for the hand of God to intervene, death is a guarantee for all men because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23); wherefore, the gift of grace is also a guarantee for those who repent and believe on Christ. This is the assurance we have in Jesus, to trust Him at His Word that, once we have been born again, we cannot be UN-born again, and that our souls are secure in the spiritual lineage (i.e. family) of God. (Heb 13:5, 1Jo 3:14, 1Jo 3:24) Just as we can be assured a guarantee that the sun will rise and set according to the Word of God (Gen 8:22), so the saints can also be assured a guarantee that, by the grace of God, we are saved unto life.[v18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
The inheritance of sin came from one transgression, and it would serve reason that one transgression should have one punishment, but as pointed out, the punishment has passed to all. However, Adam could not save himself, and his punishment would have been eternal, which means he could not pay it himself, and so it was left to Christ to pay it for him, whereby one punishment was paid for one transgression, and now that it has been paid, all men can be forgiven all sin through repentance and faith in Christ. In summary, the reason all sin can be covered by the blood of Jesus is because Jesus paid for the first original sin.[v19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Adam sinned, and we all became disobedient, but Christ died and rose from the dead, and through repentance and faith, we have the remission (i.e. forgiveness) of sins (Luke 24:47), and are made righteous by His blood.[v20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
God gave the Jews His written law, that by their doctrine, the world would know of their offense. The law was not given as a means to become righteous of themselves, nor as a path to heaven, but rather, the law was given so that men might come to repentance and be faithful to the great mercy of God; drawing them to the savior. (Gal 3:24) God's grace is greater than sin, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven of a man, except those who profess that the grace and mercy of the Holy Spirit is of the devil, which is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. (Mark 3:29)[v21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin has brought death for the last six thousand years, since the beginning of this world, and so now Paul, along with myself, and the rest of the brethren of the church that have lived in every generation, would pray that grace would come to as many as possible, even to those who would read this, that all would come to repentance (2Pe 3:9), and would gain the righteousness of Christ and eternal life in His name. (John 10:27-28)Chapter 6
[v1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Paul is commenting on richness of God's grace, and how kind and merciful the Lord God is, that all who would repent and believe would be given His grace. Because God is so merciful, His children should not continue in their sins, causing His grace to have to pour out continually on the individual Christian because of his/her disobedience.[v2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
This is not speaking in terms of the flesh, for we are not dead to sin in the flesh when our heart still beats, and the flesh still being under the law of sin, but rather, this is speaking in terms of the spirit, which has been washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and that if our spirit is dead to sin, we should not live a lifestyle of sin while living in the flesh. Our lives should reflect the condition of our spirits. The world will live a lifestyle of sin, not only doing many wicked deeds, but also loving people and things that promote and glorify those same wicked deeds, which is what Paul mentioned in Romans 1:32, but those of us born again in Christ should love the things God loves, and hate the things God hates, not saying that we are without sin (1Jo 1:8), but that we repent (i.e. have godly sorrow) of that sin (2Co 7:9-10), and do not live a lifestyle of it, meaning that we are not comfortable living in or around sin.[v3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Baptism is not a work that saves anyone, as so many false religions teach, but rather, baptism is a commandment for Christians after they are saved, and it is symbolic of the death and resurrection of the spirit in Jesus Christ. When we are submerged into the water, that represents our death, and when we come up again, it represents our being born into the family of God anew, which alludes to the phrase "born again." So when we are submerged into water and brought back up in name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19), we are baptized into the death of Christ, as Christ was put to death on the cross.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Baptism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The coming up out of the water is a symbol of our resurrection in the spirit, just as Christ was raised from the dead, and so because we have been born anew, we ought to live in the newness of that life in Christ under our Heavenly Father. This will take a lot of effort since we still exist within our corrupt flesh (Rom 7:24), which will die with the world someday, but our spirit will live eternally.[v5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
The root of those who God has planted, who hear and understand the Word of God, go deep into good ground (Mat 15:13, Mat 23:13), and those who have been born again will die a death of the flesh, just as Christ did, not in the same manner, but the general understanding of death, for death comes to all in different ways according to God's will. There is also a resurrection coming in which those who are of Christ will also be resurrected unto life, just as Christ was resurrected unto life.[v6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Because we are born again in the spirit through Christ, and that our flesh is destroyed, we who are of the spirit should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, living in them, making provision for them (Rom 13:14), which is to plan it, prepare for it, and live according to it, indulging in sin willingly as the world does.[v7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
This is not to be taken in the sense of a death in the flesh; which is not to say that one who dies is freed from all their committed sins, otherwise, no one could be judged and condemned of sin after death, but many will be raised from the dead in the final day to destruction, meaning that they had no repentance and faith in Christ, and will be turned away from His kingdom. Rather, this is taken to mean that those who are dead in Christ are freed from sin in the spirit, and they will not be held accountable for sin on the Day of Judgment because the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them (Rom 4:20-22), and therefore, we should live a life according to the righteousness given to us.[v8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
We died as He did, we rise as He did, and we will live as He lives, and where He lives also, that is, in His (i.e. our) Father's house. (John 14:2-3)[v9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
As Christ was raised from the dead once, and dies no more, so we will be raised from the dead once, and die no more. As death has no more dominion over Him, so death will have no more dominion over us, as the last enemy to be destroyed by God is death itself. (1Co 15:26)[v10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
In a sense, this is a rebuke to those who teach that one can lose their salvation and then regain it. When we are born again, we die unto sin and are born anew in the spirit, and thus, we cannot be unborn and then re-reborn again; that's foolishness, nonsensical, and opposed to the general principles of Christ. (John 10:28-29, Rom 8:38-39) As Christ died to sin once, so we also die to sin once when we are born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and whereas Christ lives unto God, so shall we.[v11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
To 'reckon' within ourselves means to reason or argue a point within our minds and come to a logical conclusion, based on the evidence available to us, which in this instance would be correlating doctrine. We are to reckon that we ought to be dead unto sin, meaning that we, being dead to sin through Christ, does not mean we are sinless (1Jo 1:10), but that we should have no fellowship with sin (Eph 5:11), and that we should depart from sin (2Co 6:14-18); turning to the light of Christ in our words and deeds, which should be the outward reflection of our inward heart of repentance and faith. (Mat 3:8)[v12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
This is not a commandment to prevent the existence of sin in our mortal bodies, as Paul will explain in upcoming chapters that the flesh serves the law of sin, but rather, we should not let sin reign, which means to rule over and control us. Therefore, because we are dead to sin and live unto Christ, we ought not to sin, which is not to say that a Christian will never sin, for a Christian to commit one sin and lose his salvation is false doctrine that is founded in works rather than grace, but because of the grace of God, we ought to war against the flesh and bring it into submission (1Co 9:24-27), not allowing the flesh to rule over our bodies; we should struggle against sin, through fasting, prayer, and other efforts to bring the thoughts of our imagination in obedience unto Christ. (2Co 10:5)(Read "Do Christians Sin?, The Biblical Understanding of Fasting", and "The Biblical Understanding of Prayer" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
To 'yield' means to give up or to give way to unrighteousness, meaning that we ought not to lay down and give up the fight, allowing our flesh to sin freely, but we should continue to persist in the fight daily, suffering the affliction, grief, and pain with the children of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin. (Heb 11:25)[v14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
This is not to say that it is impossible for sin to have dominion (i.e. power or authority) over man, as most of the world is given over to sin and kept under the law (Gal 3:23), but because we are bought with a price (1Co 7:23), being under the grace of God which surpasses all sin, through Christ we may have victory over sin, that it would not control us, but that we would rule over the flesh by His power, rather than trying in futility to rely on our own ability. If our own ability could not keep us from sin before we were saved, why is it we think that our own ability is sufficient after we are saved? Therefore, I say again: repentance, prayer, and fasting are vital components to living a life pleasing to the Lord God.[v15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
To the born again elect, having the grief and godly sorrow of repentance in our hearts, if we do commit sin, it is painful to us because we know that we are under the grace of God. Knowing that God's forgiveness stretches farther than man's sin, and that He will forgive us of any of our transgressions, we know that we ought not to sin because we do not want to take advantage of the great love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.[v16] Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Notice that it does not say "sin unto death, or obedience unto life," but rather, "sin unto death, or obedience unto righteousness." This is not to be understood in that obedience makes us righteous in the sight of God, because righteousness is imputed to us (Rom 4:11), but rather, obedience makes us righteous in the sight of men, just as it did with Abraham (Rom 4:1-3), but our righteousness in the sight of God is given to us through faith, and it is the gift of God. Thus, grace covers both sin unto death and obedience unto unrighteousness, but because we are delivered, after Christ has healed and converted us, we ought to turn from sin and turn to God, now being adopted children into His family (2Ch 7:14), and not take advantage of His great kindness.[v17] But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
The phrase "from the heart" is very important here because it is from a heart of repentance and faith that the Word of God is obeyed. Many people obey "that form of doctine" (i.e. the Gospel of Christ) for carnal reasons, meaning that they believe their salvation is dependent upon their obedience, even though they may claim the opposite with their mouths, but those who are children of God obey the His Word from the heart, liberally by faith, that is, the faith which He has authored (Heb 12:2), and this means that the obedience is then based on the merits of God, and not ourselves, meaning that we have obedience through the conviction of His Holy Spirit, and not from our own volition (i.e. our own power or will).[v18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
That is, Christ freed us from sin, and so our spirits are washed clean, and we became servants of righteousness, not because of our works, but because of the repentance, faith, and righteousness He gave to us. If we Christians lack any of these things, then we need to discipline ourselves, and go to God in prayer, that He would give us more of them.[v19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Because of the infirmity of their flesh, or in other words, because of the corruption of their flesh leaving them weak in the faith, knowledge, and wisdom of God, had spoken the previous verses in a manner which was easy for all to understand, even to those who are weak in the faith, wrestling with the basics of sin. For as we have yielded to sin in times past, so now, we ought to turn away from that sin, and yield all the members of our body to righteousness, which takes a firm dedication and discipline. Let our eyes not look upon things that are unclean (Psa 101:3), but look to that which is pleasing to God. Let our ears turn away from wicked voices, and turn them unto those who preach the Gospel. (2Ti 4:3-4) Let our hands not service sin, but build that which is edifying to the church. (1Co 3:9-11) Let our mouths not speak vanity, but speak boldly those things which pertain to the worship of Christ.[v20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Before our faith in Christ, we had no concern for God's righteousness, and until we were converted (i.e. turned and changed) by Christ, our understanding was locked. (Gal 3:23-25) Some may boast that they had a concern for righteousness in the sense that they cared what others around them thought, or that they kept themselves clean in the sight of men, but when it came to their hearts, they were wicked, having thoughts that were sinful continually. (Gen 6:5, Rom 1:28-32)[v21] What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
There was no good fruit in those things, and when we look back in our lives before we were saved, we are ashamed of our words and actions. There was only corrupt fruit that came out of our hearts at that time, and we know that if we had not been saved from that corruption, our place would have been death and hell. (Mark 9:43-44)(Read "Hell Is Real And Many People Are Going There" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
The works we do unto the holy things of God gives witness to His Holy Spirit within us, that we are the servants, friends, and children of God. (1Pe 2:15-16, Jms 2:23, 2Co 6:17-18) It is evidence that we have been made free from sin, and by His power, we can put a stop to sin, walking in the Spirit, putting to death the affections and lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:22-26); knowing that we will receive a crown of glory and everlasting life. (1Pe 5:4)[v23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages are the reward earned from works, and thus, by sin, man earns death, but the grace of God to us, which He gives to those who have embraced the gifts of repentance and faith, is His mercy, which overcomes death, granting us eternal life through faith in the blood sacrifice of His Son.Chapter 7
[v1] Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Paul is speaking those who have been born again in Christ and know the law, which at the time were mostly Jews, who were raised up with knowledge of the law. The analogy that is about to be presented is the law binding a husband and wife being similar to the relationship between the law itself and mankind.[v2] For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
So as long as a man or woman is alive, they are bound to their spouse, and if they are bound, they are not permitted by the law to marry another until the spouse is dead. So in the case of the woman, once her husband has died, she is free from obligations to her deceased husband, and she can freely marry another.(Read The Biblical Understanding of Weddings & Marriage here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v3] So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Once death comes, there is no offense against the law if the widowed person chooses to remarry; there is no adultery committed in that circumstance.[v4] Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
That is what it means to be born again; our spirits are raised up anew through Christ. (Col 2:12, Rom 6:4) Because we are alive in the spirit, we (i.e. the church) are metaphorically married to Christ, obedient and bound unto Him, because we were loosed from the bondage of the law.[v5] For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
When we lived in the flesh, before our spirit was cleansed by Christ and born again, we sought sin to be our guide and comfort, living for sin, wherefore, the only authority we had over us was the law, which was written in our hearts. (Rom 2:15)[v6] But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Now that we are dead to sin and born again anew in Christ, we serve as the body of Christ to our Lord, as the bride to the groom, not under the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit.[v7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
This is not to say the law is wrong or bad in any sense, as is the manner of some is, in which they sometimes claim that the law of God does not apply to those who are born again. Knowing the law means that we know the will of God (Rom 3:1-2), and knowing the will of God is good for our admonition (1Co 10:11), to know what is pleasing to Him (Rom 12:2), and how we should live to glorify and honor Him. (Col 3:23)[v8] But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
concupiscence (n): lust, the coveting of carnal things, an irregular appetite for worldly good, an inclination for unlawful enjoyments
(See 'concupiscence', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Apr 9, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
Some may take Paul's sentence the wrong way, in that outside the law there is no sin, but that does not make any sense contextually; rather, Paul is saying that without the law, meaning that, without conviction of the law to restrain us from evil deeds, we believed that all our actions were acceptable and justified, as if sin were dead and not actively living in our members from day to day. This is why, when it comes to those who are not of Christ, many people like to believe they are a "good person," when God tells us that none are good. (Rom 3:10-12) In other words, sin was alive and well in us before we were born again, but we did not acknowledge it. Now that we have been born again, we not only acknowledge the sin of our flesh, but we do not turn from it in service of the law (which is what the world attempts to do that they might acheive the impossible goal of working for righteousness), rather, we turn from sin for the faithful service to Christ, as Paul concluded in the last chapter. (Rom 6:22)
[v9] For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Meaning that we believed that we were alive outside of the law, having wealth and goods, living in our lusts, thinking that we were in need of nothing, being willingly ignorant that we were wretched, poor, naked, blind, and miserable. (Rev 3:17) But once the commandments of God were put in front of us, we knew our guilt, not in the sense that sin was dead and alive again, but that sin was always there, and so in our minds sin revived, and we saw ourselves as dead men, hopelessly condemned to hell.[v10] And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
When we were given over to the lust of the flesh, and we looked upon the commandments of God, knowing that not only have we violated those laws countless times, but that there was no way for us to keep the whole of the law, we saw God's law not as a life raft to save us from drowning, but as an anchor tied to our leg, dragging us to the depth of the abyss, which is why the law serves an instructor that leads men to Christ. (Gal 3:24)[v11] For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Before we were saved by Christ, sin deceived us, and upon viewing the commandments of God, we were pricked in our hearts that we had been betrayed by sin, and thereby it destroyed us. This is how we are brought to the understanding that, before we were saved, that we were vile, worthless, and deserving of death (Rom 1:32), so that we cry out in tears of godly sorrow (2Co 7:9-10) to Jesus Christ to save us. (Rom 10:13)[v12] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
The deceiver is sin, not the law. We may have viewed the law in that way, as a murderer and deceiver, which is how many people will view it in willful ignorance, rejecting the thought that they are guilty of crimes against God. The law is good and holy and just, but sin is the murderer, and it takes the Holy Spirit of God to open a man's eyes to this truth. (Col 1:18)[v13] Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
That which is good and holy and just does not work death in us, but before we are saved, we see the matter through our own eyes only. (Pro 30:12) Paul says "sin, that it might appear sin" in that sin would be exposed as the deceiver and murderer, not God's holy law; rather, God's law told us the truth, that we might see our sin as the wickedness that it is, and know our exceeding sinful nature, that we might confess our wretchedness in the sight of God (Rom 10:10, Gal 3:24), and plead for his mercy by the blood of Jesus. (Eph 1:7)[v14] For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
We who are born again in Christ know that the law is of the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore, it can never be the cause of sin or death. This is also not to say that Paul was carnal at the time he wrote this because He was a born again child of God, called as an apostle and teacher to the rest of the church, and since he is writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God would not have allowed him to identify as a man sold under sin, but rather, the identification of 'I' he is using is to speak from the perspective of the flesh, which is still corrupt even after our spirits are born again, and so in the sense of the flesh, he is speaking from the perspective of a man who was under sin at one time, sold under sin, as we all once were.[v15] For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Speaking as a man who was raised under the law, having knowledge of God's commandments, but being carnal, he is testifying that those things which he would not allow to be done was that which he did, meaning that he lived as a hypocrite. Even with the law of God written in his heart, those things which he knew to be good to do are those things which he would not do, and those things he hated are the very things he did, which is often done by unbelievers and churchgoers alike, in which they judge others for the same unrighteous things they do on a regular basis. Thus, before salvation came, we judged others in unrighteousness without judging ourselves first (Mat 7:1-5), and we did those things we hated in others, not viewing our own wickedness as sin because we were willingly blind to our own wrongdoing.[v16] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Or in other words, the law of God written in his heart is telling him, by his conscience, that a certain thing is wrong, and that he would not do a certain thing, but if he did that certain thing anyway, knowing that it was wrong to do, then the logical conclusion was that the law was not at fault for the wrongdoing. If there was a sin which he would commit that he would not desire to commit, doing the very things which he hated, then the obvious conclusion is that the law is good, and that it is sin in our members which is evil, proving the point he made in verse 13.[v17] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
It is sin in the members of the flesh that commits the offense, not the spirit who is born again in Christ. This is what is meant by 1 John 3:9, which says that "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God," and that is referring to "whosoever" in the sense of the spirit, not the flesh. Before we were saved, our spirits were corrupt, and therefore, we were blind to the fact that sin was sin, or being willingly ignorant that our wicked deeds were vile, but after we are baptized by the Spirit of God, then our spirits are clean, and though the flesh is still corrupt and sin is still in the members, we can now clealy see sin for the sin that it is. Therefore, when a Christians sins, it is the sin in the flesh that is causing the problem, and the flesh must be disciplined (1Co 9:24-27); it is not the spirit of he who has been cleansed by Christ that sinned, but just because the spirit is cleansed, it does not justify the sin of the flesh, as Paul already pointed out in the last chapter. (Rom 6:1-2, Rom 6:15)[v18] For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
There is the "me" of the spirit, and the "me" of the flesh, in that both the flesh and the spirit exist together while we live in this world, but being born again in Christ, our spirit is now cleansed while our flesh is still corrupted with sin, and that is the struggle we live with every day, having to bring our flesh into submission (1Co 9:26-27), and bringing every thought captive unto Christ. (2Co 10:5) The will Paul had for good to be done was present within him even before he was saved and converted, which is the law of God written on a man's heart (Rom 2:15), but how to do good is something a man cannot find without the Spirit of God working in Him, which means that, though a man might believe he does good, without the Lord Jesus Christ, their works can never be good, which is why Christ told us that many would come to Him on the Day of Judgment and tell Him of all their good works, but He will profess to them that they are workers of wicked deeds. (Mat 7:21-23)[v19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Again, his mind would not have him to do the evil things which he ended up doing anyway, despite the eduction he received in the knowledge of God's will, and those things which his mind consented were good, he would not do.[v20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
His education in the law taught him to do right, but he did evil instead, and therefore concluded that it was sin that lives in the members of his flesh that led him into sin.[v21] I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
This is not to say a specific law of God, or a commandment, but rather, this is to be taken in the sense of a natural law based on the corruption of sin in the flesh, that when a man would do something good, evil is with him while he does it, which is a contradiction because good and evil cannot coexist in unity, and therefore, the born again spirit and the corrupt flesh clash against one another. There are many works that men do which they believe to be good, but because of the blindness of sin being the sin that it is, they do not understand when the Bible teaches that there is none righteous (Rom 3:10), and evil is present with them, even while they do that which the world would perceive and praise to be "good."[v22] For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
We who are born again in Christ delight in God's laws after the "inward man," which is the identity of the spirit, as opposed to the outward man, which is the identity of the flesh. We delight in the commandments of God not because of ourselves, but because of Christ's cleansing blood, and His Holy Spirit that gives us understanding. (1Co 2:14)[v23] But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
The law of the mind is the spirit, which is contrary to modern-day classifications from materialists in which they believe that all thinking is done through and by the brain, without considering the spirit of a man. (i.e Materialists do not believe in spirits.) The brain is part of what is known today as the "nervous system," which is like a complex series of wiring that allows the body to operate according to the natural laws of God, and it gives our spirits (i.e. our minds) capability to react in our bodies and inteact with the material world. (i.e. To cut out a part of the brain that services memory does not destroy memory itself, because memory is of the spirit, but rather, cutting out the memory functions of the brain severs the body's capability to express the thoughts and reasons of the spirit.) The law of the members, which is sin, wars against the law of the mind, which is the born again spirit in truth and righteousness of Christ, and therefore, we fight a daily war against the sin of the flesh, in which our flesh attempts daily to deceive us and bring us into captivity.(Read "Psychology: Hoodwinked by the Devil" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
This never-ending cycle of sin and death, flowing through the members of our flesh, which we must live in day after day, year after year, only leading up unto our death; who can save us from such a thing?[v25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The answer is the Lord Jesus Christ, and that most men do not trust in Him by faith to help them overcome the flesh and bring their bodies into submission. Our flesh wars against His commandments and tries to drag us down into sin, and we must battle daily against it. Paul is not saying here that he serves the law of sin, but speaking metaphorically, our body obeys her husband, which is sin, while our spirit obeys her husband, which is Christ, and we will be warring between two selves (1Pe 2:11) until the day of our death, in which we will be free from the flesh, and our spirits saved by faith through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:8)Chapter 8
[v1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
These verses are very important for Christians because I have had many conversations with brethren who have been worried that a sin they committed while in Christ made them unsaved, and there are many false preachers out there who teach that a Christian will not or cannot sin, which is not true. (1Jo 1:9-10) Condemnation is the act of declaring a man guilty of sin, and thereby, punishment for that sin, but one who commits a sin of the flesh does not necessarily walk after the flesh because 'to walk' means to live according to, or to follow after. You will notice that Paul did NOT say there is no condemnation of those who "have no flesh in them," which is in correlation to the previous chapter where he demonstrated that, though our spirits are cleansed by Christ, we still live in our flesh which follows the law of sin, but rather, if we sin, we do not live in that sin by following after it; we repent (i.e. have grief and godly sorrow) of our sin, and confess it to God in truth, whereby He forgives us of our sin, being a Heavenly Father of great mercy, and that we ought not to take advantage of His mercy, causing his grace to abound because of our sin. (Rom 6:1-2) Those of us in Christ do err in sin, but we do not live by it and we work to turn from it, so that we live (i.e. walk) according to the Holy Spirit of God because we have laid a foundation of repentance and faith in our hearts. (Heb 6:1)[v2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
This is defined in the previous chapter, whereas sin is the bringer of death, the deceiver that kills us, and lives in our members of the flesh, the Spirit of Christ has made us free from that condemnation.[v3] For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
The law, being holy, good, and just, was not enough to save mankind, in that we could never purify ourselves in our filthiness of sin, but through the holy, cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, we are purified in the spirit, that when our flesh dies, our spirit will live forever with Him. (John 14:1-4) God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth in the likeness of sinful flesh, not that He was sinful in any way, for He, being God, cannot sin (Num 23:19), and therefore, His sacrifice provided the necessary purification of sin, which is condemned in the flesh.[v4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
That is, what the law was intended to do, to make us holy, good, and just, being fulfilled in us through Christ, and that not of ourselves, but by Him we are sanctified. (1Co 6:11) Therefore, we are given power and conviction over our flesh, that we are not led into a life of sin, to not live in it, but rather, to repent of sin and turn from it, because His seed is in us, which, once again, is the correct interpretation of 1 John 3:9, not that a man in Christ will never sin, but that he cannot go on living in such a manner with the Spirit of God convicting him to righteousness.[v5] For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
The word 'mind' is used in the verb format, which in this context means to give attention to things of the flesh, focusing one's thoughts on sinful thoughts and deeds. Again, this is not to say that we who are born again in Christ never have a sinful thought, but we are commanded to bring those thoughts into subjection unto Christ (2Co 10:5), for we, being of the Spirit of God, should mind the things of His Holy Spirit.[v6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Not that a man can be spiritually minded of himself, because that takes the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit to change us, but rather, without Christ, men are carnally (fleshly) minded, and fulfill the lusts of their flesh willingly, without remorse. Therefore, we should consider our thoughts, and take every effort to be spiritually minded, focusing on the things of the Spirit of God, and what is pleasing to Him.[v7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
The word 'enmity' means something that is an enemy or hostile towards a particular person, place or thing, and therefore a mind that is focused on fulfilling the lusts of the flesh is an enemy of God. (Jms 4:4) Anyone who believes or teaches that a man can be converted (i.e. turned or changed from a carnal mind to a spiritual mind) of himself, without the power of the Holy Spirit of God, teaches falsely because all minds are carnal until God converts them, and they cannot be fully subject to God's law, no matter how much they try to live that way. (Heb 10:10-12) If such a thing were possible, then there would have been no need for Jesus Christ.[v8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Which is not to be taken as those who live in a body of flesh, as we all do; if that were the case, then no one could please God, but rather, those who "walk after the flesh," living according to the law of sin, being carnally minded, cannot please God in any way, despite how many "good works" they claim to do. (Mat 7:21-23) Mankind, and most especially churchgoers and other zealots of false religions, may want to claim they please God by their works and their songs, but no deed can please God without a man first coming to repentance and faith in Him. (Mark 1:14-15, Amos 5:23-24)[v9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
That is, though we who are the elect in Christ may live in a body of the flesh, we do not walk according to the flesh, but rather, we walk according to the spirit, which has been regenerated by the Holy Ghost. That is one of the ways in which we also provide evidence to others of our salvation, that they may see that we do not live in, live of, or live for sin (i.e. those sins by which the world generally lives by), and that we are not carnally minded, which is also why, as I have experienced many times, we make others uncomfortable with our words and deeds, which, in turn, is also why some people do not like being around those who are born again because, without the Spirit of Christ, we are not of the same yoke. (2Co 6:14-18)[v10] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Not that our bodies die instantly once we have been born again and received God's Spirit, but that our body is condemned, doomed to die in sin, but our Spirits are preserved and cleansed for the Day of Judgment when God will accept us into His Kingdom, seeing only the righteousness of Christ on our spirits.[v11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
The word 'quicken' means "to revive." Paul is referring to the day in which there shall be the resurrection of the dead; that the bodies of men will rise from the dead, just as Christ was raised from the dead. (1Th 4:15-18) This is also another verse which proves that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one, as Jesus said He would raise Himself from the dead (John 2:19-21), the Holy Spirit is also said to have raised Jesus from the dead, showing that Christ and the Spirit are two separate entities and one at the same time.(Read "The Godhead vs The Trinity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Meaning that we owe God everything, being bought with a great price (1Co 6:20), not in the sense that we have to work the debt off, because the debt was paid by Christ; rather, our debt was paid, and the value of that debt was so expensive, no man could pay it. With that knowledge, it stands to reason that we are not in debt to the flesh in any way, so therefore, we ought not to live according to the law of sin in the flesh.[v13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Not to say that our works save us, because no man can be saved by the deeds of the law (Rom 3:20), but rather, those who have come to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will do works worthy of the godly sorrow in their hearts. (Luke 3:8) Therefore, the works are additional evidence of those who are in Christ, who do not live after the flesh, which is not of themselves, as Paul pointed out earlier. It is by the Spirit of Christ, without which none can please God, even with their works; that we ought to mortify (i.e. bring into subjection) the deeds of the body, which is done with a spiritual mind, rather than a carnal one, and that can only be done by the Holy Spirit of God seeded into the spirit of a man.[v14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
We, being in the flesh, still do err sometimes, and commit sins, but we are led by the spirit of God to repentance, never justifying sin, but always confessing those sins, not towards men, as some false religions do, but towards God (2Co 7:9-10), which is only possible by the Spirit of God.[v15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The spirit of bondage is in contrast to the spirit of liberty mentioned in previous chapters, meaning that we have not received a spirit that should fear the punishment of hell for our sin, seeking to do works to "make up for sin," as so much of the world does, like the Catholics drinking blood from the cup of devils (1Co 10:21), or the Jews doing the oblations and sacrifices in the temple which Christ has done away with (Heb 10:11), but that we ought to repent (i.e. have grief and sorrow) of our sin to our Heavenly Father (i.e. 'Abba' is the arabic word for "father"), crying out in sorrow unto Him (Rom 10:13), and going directly to Him (Mat 6:8-9), being under the Spirit of His adoption of us as children, crying to him that we have done wrong against Him, and with that, He gives us mercy, understanding, and guidance, as any good father would do.[v16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Some have accused Scripture of being in contradiction by the Bible speaking of the Spirit of God as "itself," claiming that the word 'itself' makes the Holy Spirit an object rather than a person. However, the word 'itself' is used in a variety of contexts, including that which is a neutral pronoun, meaning that it has no gender, and even though God has given Himself a masculine gender in title only, He is not of the flesh, and therefore, has no gender, but masculine gender is applied to Him in terms of authority, rather than description. Therefore, the word 'itself' is appropriate here when speaking of the Spirit of God, who is without gender, and when we are raised unto Christ etenerally, we will also be without gender.The verse is speaking of our spirits bearing witness, but not by ourselves, and not of ourselves, but that God's Spirit bears witness with our spirit, showing us to be the children of God, that we turn from sin, not living a life according to the lust of the flesh.
[v17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Children receive inheritance from their father, and therefore, since we are the sons and daughters of God, alongside the Son of God, who is Jesus Christ, then we will inherit the same, living with him in that inheritance (John 14:1-4) Many churchgoers believe in a false narrative today that being born again in Christ means only to have love, joy, peace, and happiness, but the whole truth is that to live for Christ also means we will be hated by the world (John 15:18), and that through grief, pain, sorrow, and suffering, we would enter the Kingdom together with Christ, who also suffered (Acts 14:22, Ecc 1:18), which is not to say that we do not ever experience the love, joy, and peace of Christ, but that love, joy, and peace is not a lure by which we attempt to drawn in converts because they must be converted by the Holy Ghost through repentance by the hearing of the law. (Gal 3:21-25)[v18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Though we suffer and grieve, once we see the glory and reward of that which will come at the end of this world, and throughout eternity, our sufferings and grief will seem trivial, barely worth mention. (1Co 2:9)[v19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
This is not to be understood in the common sense of the word 'creature', which typically refers to animals (and I had mistakeningly taught that at one time), but rather, this is the general word 'creature', from the base word 'create', meaning that which was created, and contextually, Paul is referring to the Gentiles (Mark 16:15, Mat 28:19, Col 1:23), using this term is not to be taken as an insult, but as a distinction between Jew and Gentile, while still including Jews among them, for all men are "creatures" of the Living God, which means this was meant as an appeal to the Jews to remember that the Gentiles were created just as the Jews were created, and that we all come from the same blood lineage from Noah. This is not to say that all men are looking for the manifestation of the sons of God, which is the appearance of the saints with Christ during His second coming, but those Jews who understand the Scrpitures look for the manifestation, and those Jews and Gentiles who are born again in Christ look for the same, being those sons of God that will inherit the kingdom and reign with Christ. (Rev 20:4-6)[v20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Those creatures, meaning those Gentiles, who live in their idolatrous practices, do willingly continue in the vanity of their idols and rituals, but they were not willingly made captive to that vanity because the Devil (i.e. Satan) has made them captive to those vain things by his will (2Ti 2:25-26), and without the Lord God to give them repentance, they will never be free, and though God is not willing than any of them perish (2Pe 3:9), they reject that repentance and continue in the false peace and false joy of their vanity. (Luke 12:51) Or in other words, this is not to say that the people did not willing choose idolatry, because the certainly did choose it by their own will, but rather, they were not made slaves to it by their own will, not having an inward desire to be controlled by it, but have come under the power of Satan by God's will, in that the Lord allowed Satan to take captives as judgment on those who, in the pride of their heart, will not hear the truth. (Acts 28:27)[v21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
That is, those who have come to repentance and faith in Christ shall be delivered from the prison of the flesh, which grieves us daily, and free from all afflictions of the world, to live forever with God. This is also a reminder to the Jews that the Gospel of Christ is gone out into the entire world, and that they have a duty to preach repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:44-47) to all the nations because this is the will of God.[v22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
The groans and travailing in pain is compared to that of a woman in labor, ready to give birth to a child. (Isa 21:3) Once the Son of God returns, that pain will be relieved, just as the pain is relieved and joy is experienced once a child is born, knowing that much pain will have to come before the end, but there is "earnest expectation" for that end result of Christ's return.[v23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Which is supporting evidence concerning the corruption of the flesh, and that it follows the law of sin, which causes the creation to suffer. Paul is referring to "ourselves" as the Jews, and "they" as the Gentiles, and all of us groan, which is to mourn in pain and sigh in affliction, because we wait for the day of adoption and redemption, in which we will be clothed with glory of Christ, and brought into the kingdom of God. (2Co 5:1-5) This is not to say that we who are born again in Christ are not already a part of the family of God, for we are his children (Gal 3:26), but the adoption refers (i.e. "to wit," which, in this context, means to join together two ideas) to the redemption of our bodies, in which we are given spiritual bodies like the angels have. (Mat 22:30)[v24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Hope is a product of faith, and therefore, we are saved by hope in the sense that we hope because we have faith in Christ. This hope also helps us in our afflicted state, being pained and grieved daily, knowing that the end is coming, and we are given some comfort. (1Th 4:15-18) The world does not have the same hope that we have because they do not believe, and that the faith which Christ has authored in us (Heb 12:2), and therefore, they often mock the hope that we have because they cannot see it; not to say that we see it yet, but we hope for the things we do not yet see. (Heb 11:1)[v25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Our hope exists for that which has not yet occurred, and therefore, because of our faith in that, we wait for it with patience, despite out sufferings, for the love of God has been seeded into our hearts, and through our tribulations, we gain patience because if we did not suffer, there would be no need for patience. (Rom 5:3-5, 2Th 1:3-10)[v26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
This is not to say that we cannot know how the manner in which we ought to pray because the Bible instructs us on that matter (Mat 6:9-13), but rather, we do not know what specifically we ought to pray for, meaning that our finite persepctive cannot comprehand God's infinite perspective. Though infirmities can be used to mean a weakness and feebleness of the body, which is its common use among mankind, and though the Spirit of God does help us in our times of physical need, the context of this verse more refers to the infirmities of our minds, that our knowledge is limited and our understanding dim, and because of this, we do not know how to pray as we should, being feeble of mind, knowing not the deep things of God. (1Co 2:10) Therefore, being ignorant children, the Spirit of God interceeds on our behalf, mediating with God in our favor, with a rumbling sound that cannot be spoken by the lips of men.It should also be noted that this verse is used by the charismatics who speak their demonic gibberish, which they falsely call "speaking in tongues," yet, they do not understand the verse because, if they did understand it, they would know what they are doing is wrong. They interpret this to mean that the Spirit is speaking through them in languages that men do not readily understand, but notice that it says the Spirit itself makes "intercession for us," not through us or with us, and that the Spirit is making "groanings which CANNOT be uttered" (i.e. spoken), and therefore, if the charismatics and pentecostals believed this verse, they would cease their satanic gibberish and repent of lusting after signs and miracles, rather than following Christ. (Mat 16:4)
(Read "Charismatic Gibberish vs Speaking in Tongues" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
The Lord God, who ponders all things in the hearts of men (Pro 21:2), knows the mind of the Holy Ghost because they together are one God, but still two separate entities at the same time, and the Spirit mediates on our behalf, just as Christ does because Christ sent the Spirit unto us. (John 14:15-18) This is also another verse which proves that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also one, because the Bible also tells us there is one mediator between God and men. (1Ti 2:5, Gal 3:20)(Read "The Godhead vs The Trinity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
That even though we suffer in pain and grief, the Lord God is still our Father, and He takes no pleasure in the suffering of His children. Therefore, we need to strengthen our faith through the hearing of His Word (Rom 10:17), and trust in Him that He will deliver us from our afflictions, sometimes working through our afflictions, and that all the evil things which befall us will work together for good according to God's purpose. However, there are contingencies to this promise, namely, that it only applies to those who love God (i.e. by keeping His commandments, John 14:15, Rev 3:19), and to those called by the Holy Spirit according to God's purposes, which includes all who are born again in Christ.[v29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
That is, God knew us before we were conceived in our mother's womb, just like He told Jeremiah (Jer 1:5), and therefore, He predestinated us, or in other words, He predetermined us and ordained us before we were ever born into this world, to conform us to Jesus Christ, that we might live as He lived. Though we are created and born into this world, the difference is that Jesus was not created, but was also born into this world; the firstborn not meant in the sense that Jesus was created, but rather, firstborn in used the sense of position of authority (not lineage), that He is higher than the kings of the earth, as defined in Psalm 89:27.This verse has also been misused by certain false religions that try to say that free will or choice does not exist because we are "predestined." This is a simple misunderstanding about time, and that while in time, we have choice, and outside of time, all our choices have been made; therefore, from our perspective (inside of time) we have a free-will choice, but from God's perspective (outside of time), we are predestined. (Eph 1:4, Eph 1:13-14, Ecc 3:14-15)
(Read "Predestination vs Free Will" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v30] Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Meaning that, those who have been born again in Christ have been called unto ministry, that is, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in evangelism, to educate the world of His doctrine, and to the charitable works of His Holy Spirit. Those who have been called are also those who are justified, meaning that God only calls those who He saves, and in the Kingdom of Heaven, we will share in the glory of Christ. (2Th 2:14)[v31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
If we have been born again in Christ, and God has called us, then He is for us, meaning that He watches over us, guiding and protecting us (Psa 17:4-9), and therefore, we should consider who can be against us. Shall we fear feeble, wretched mankind with their vain imaginations? (Heb 13:6) Shall we fear Satan and his minions which are powerless worms in the presence of the Holy God? (Isa 14:12-20) Such faith comes with time in the study of God's Word (Rom 10:17, 2Ti 2:15), but the children of the Almighty God, the All-Powerful Creator, should fear for nothing (Phl 4:6-7) except the Lord God. (Psa 111:10)[v32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Paul poses a thought that if God has given everything to man, even delivering up His own Son to die for us, then what is it that we believe God will not give to us if we ask Him? Do not misunderstand, this is not free reign to receive anything that is asked, for men can ask for that which is against God's Word and will, which is not necessarily given, and men can also have their requests denied out of chastening of their sin, but if we fear God and keep His commandments, seeking the righteousness of Christ first and foremost (Mat 6:28-34), looking to use all things we have in charity for the the Gospel of Christ's Kingdom, God will give us those things we ask of Him, as a father gives his dedicated children those things they ask of him out of love. (Mat 21:21-22)[v33] Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Though the elect of God, the born again Christians, may stumble and fall on the path we walk, though we might bring charges against ourselves by sinful deeds, even such that God may need to chasten His children to bring them to repentance (Rev 3:19), with punishments that may even involve the law, a child of God will come to repentance and be brought back into the fold (Luke 15:4-7), and that no matter what charges mankind might put upon God's elect, it is God who has justified that child of God, which no one can take away, as Paul is about to conclude in the next few verses.[v34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
More specifically, Paul is challenging our reasoning to ask: Who condemns the children of God? Condemnation is being used in this context as judgment of guilt in a court of law, and though all mankind is condemned by the Word of God, being sentenced to death and hell, by His Word and His great mercy, we Christians are saved, and thus, if anyone has come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing) and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e. that He died for sins and rose from the dead), then no man can condemn us. (John 10:28-29) They may attempt to do so with words only, but their words are vanity. Therefore if a man has been saved, he cannot be unsaved, nor can he be condemned unto hell and the lake of fire by any man because that saved soul has been bought with a great price, and he is no longer belongs to himself or the Devil (John 8:44-45), but has become a child of God and belongs to Him. (1Co 6:19-20)(Read "False Converts vs Eternal Security" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
If anything could seperate the born again children of God from the love of Christ, then Christ could not be God. In the example of a good father, what can separate a child from his love? As with the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), the very fact that even the son was so repentant of his wrongdoing, that he believed he was no longer worthy to be called his father's son, but forgiveness and mercy is not up to the repentant, but to the one on the receiving end of that repentance, and thus, the father immediately forgave his son and welcomed him home. We who are God's elect cannot be un-born again; once we've been born into His family, there is no changing that fact, and though we ought not to sin (Rom 6:1-2), as any father commands his child unto obedience, there is nothing that can separate us from our Heavenly Father's love.[v36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Paul is referring to Psalm 44:22 because he is referring to those sheep which were taken to the temple for the slaughter as a sacrifice for sin.[v37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
He says "nay," or "no," because we are not just dumb sheep meant for nothing else but slaughter. This is not to say that the sheep were not sent to slaughter, nor that the world would not see us that way, nor that we would not be persecuted unto death, but that we are not just sheep set for torture and suffering, but rather, we are more than conquerors over sin through the Lord Jesus Christ who loved us with His great mercy.[v38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
God's love has conqured death, and there is nothing in this life, be it angels (or fallen angels), princes and kings (i.e. principalities), authorities (i.e. powers), things present and future, and Paul continues the description in the next verse.[v39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The tallest mountain, nor the deepest sea, nor any creature of this world can separate God from His beloved children who have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. I too am convinced of this same thing, and though there are many false preachers who claim that a man can lose his salvation, it is because he has no understanding of this love, the authority of God, the price of Christ's blood, nor the beauty of a repentant soul receiving the pardoning of his sin.Chapter 9
[v1] I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Paul says this to preface the next verses because some may write him off as a heretic before reading his account and seeking to understand it. He makes sure the reader understands that the truth of his words were backed up by the conscience of the Holy Spirit of God in him to say these things, or in other words, these are his convictions given to him by the Spirit of God.[v2] That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
This is the grief and affliction of being pained within, and Paul points out that his sorrow weighs heavy inside.[v3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
By accursed, Paul means that he wished that, for the sake of his brethren (i.e. the Jews), that he was separated from Christ, which would leave him to the punishment of eternal doom and destruction on their behalf, if only they would come to believe on Christ. His love for them was so great, he was willing to be a sacrifice for them, that they would be saved from coming Day of Wrath.[v4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
All the knowledge of the will of God, and His merciful promises unto them, having been given glory in the service of Him, to who our adoption concerns; meaning that we are spiritually adopted into the family of Jews, to be heirs of the promises to the children of faith among the Israelites, which is according to the will of God.[v5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
That Paul was willing to give himself over, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to those Israelites, of whom the promise of the Messiah was given, and of whom God had blessed unto the end of the world. He also mentions that the fleshly body of Christ came from the lineage of the Jews, which he also honors.[v6] Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
This is not to say that all Jews are the children of God because the Word of God is true in all parts, not just for the promises unto blessing and salvation, but also the promises unto curses and damnation. Just because a man is born a Jew, does not make him a Jew, and so those that are Israel in the spirit (by grace through faith) are distinguished from those who are Israel in the flesh only.[v7] Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
The Jews believe that because they are born into a Jewish blood lineage, they are therefore secure with God, being physical children of Abraham, but they are not the spiritual seed of Abraham, which are those who have come to repentance and faith; they are adopted into the Abraham's lineage. Paul refers to Isaac here because he was the son promised to Abraham by faith, and that we are also the promised seed by faith. (Gal 4:28)[v8] That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
If salvation were by lineage, then everyone would have to be born a Jew, or one could say that if you were born a Jew, you would have no need for repentance and faith, which is how a lot of the world treats the matter nowadays. Yet, this same attitude existed 2000 years ago as well because most Jews did not have understanding then, as most still do not have understanding now (Ecc 1:9), which is why Jesus spoke to them in parables. (Mat 13:13)[v9] For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
[v10] And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
This is in reference to Jacob and Esau, which also correlates to Isaac and Ishmael. (i.e. Ishmael was conceived by the handmaid of Sarah by Abraham via Sarah's request because of her doubts that God would give her a child by her husband. - Gen 16:1-4) One of the children is the seed of promise that lives by faith, while the other is the seed of corruption that lives in doubt.[v11] (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Before conception, the children were predestined, their actions outside of time being known to God, but He put them in the same situation, under the same conditions with equal opportunity, to demonstrate to us that it does not matter from what lineage one is born, whether Jew or Gentile, that God's power and mercy surpass all, and that the election (i.e. the elect, those justified by faith) are certainly secured in salvation, not of ourselves, but by the Holy God. Those of Abraham's seed can be corrupt, and those of a Gentile seed can be saved, but it all comes down to repentance and faith.[v12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
This was the prophecy of Jacob ruling over Esau (Gen 25:23), even though Esau was the older brother. (Gen 25:24-26) Esau was stronger than Jacob (Gen 25:27), but Jacob desired the things of God (Gen 25:29-34), even to the point that Jacob did evil (i.e. lied and deceived) to get the blessings and inheritance of God. (Gen 27:1-29) God did not justify Jacob's sin, but he did justify Jacob's soul because of Jacob's faith, and though Jacob was chastened by God and forced into a form of exile to save his life (Gen 27:42-46), Jacob was also blessed as a child of God.However, once Jacob met his brother Esau again later in his life, Jacob came to Esau in great humility (Gen 33:1-3), bringing many gifts to him, whereby showing that Jacob was serving Esau, not the other way around. Thus, Paul is explaining the full meaning of the prophecy, not that Esau (i.e. Edom) would always serve Jacob (i.e. Israel) in the flesh, because there were even times, like during the Babylonian captivity, in which Israel was decimated and mocked by Edom (Psa 137:7), but rather, the full meaning of the prophecy is that the seed of promise, in the spiritual sense, would rule over the seed of corruption, there is a coming day in which the elect, the saints of God, born again in the Lord Jesus Christ, will reign over all the nations of the world. (Rev 20:4-6)
[v13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
[v14] What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
This is Paul posing a question as if speaking from the opposition; shall a man say that God is unrighteous because he hated Esau? Shall we say that God chose one over the other because of his works? God forbid, or rather, we should never think such a thing because God is never unrighteous in his nature, nor ever without mercy for the faithful, nor does he justify His children by their works.[v15] For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
This is in reference to Exodus 33:19, in which God declares to Moses that He will bestow grace on those He chooses by His will. God is compassionate on those who are repentant (Psa 34:18), and merciful to those who are faithful (Heb 4:16), and therefore, it is the will of God that we repent and believe the Gospel. (Mark 1:15)[v16] So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
It is not by the will of men that salvation comes, nor is it by the works of men that salvation comes, but purely by the mercy of God, and Paul is pointing out that this has been proven from the very beginning of Scripture throughout the past 6,000 years of mankind's history. This is why Paul had said earlier that there are none righteoues, there are none that seek God, and there are none that do good (Rom 3:10-20) because mankind, being corrupt in their sin, cannot help themselves, to which God desires for them to be humbled to godly sorrow (i.e. repentance) of their wrongdoing (2Pe 3:9), but many reject it. (Mat 7:13-14)[v17] For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
This is in reference to Exodus 9:16. Though God takes no pleasure in giving such rich blessings to a man with such a prideful and violent heart (Rev 3:17), He raised up the Pharoah to a ruling position over the Hebrews, so that all the world would know of His power and might to save His people, and that the children of promise might better know the mercy and protection of God.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Pride" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v18] Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
This is not to be misunderstood in that God randomly chooses some people unto destruction by the chance flip of a coin, but rather, He further hardens their already hardened hearts for particular purposes, even so others might come to faith. Pharoah's heart was already filled with sin and corruption, so the preaching of God's mercy fell on his deaf ears, and thus, God hardened Pharoah's heart even more, so that an example would be set for all men. In contrast, God is not willing that any man would perish, but that everyone across the world would come to repentance (2Pe 3:9), and God has stated clearly that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11), but God is also holy, just, and true, and cannot tolerate sin of any kind because He is the Judge of all men, and so He is ready and willing to pour out His great mercy on mankind, but they must come to repentance of sin and faith in His Son; if they do not, then He may choose by His will to make an example of them, just as He did with Pharaoh, and though we might only see the surface, we do not know the full extent of the vile hearts of such men, which God knows and judges righteously and perfectly (Psa 94:1-4), while showing patience and kindness to many, even to the wicked while they still live. (Mat 5:43-48)[v19] Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Paul is posing questions by which men may object to this reasoning. This is the question often posed by atheists and other men ignorant of the truth, but is worded in such a way that many will fail to miss the meaning. The question could be phrased, "If no one can resist the will of God, then why does He find fault with any man?" The question is designed as an attempt of foolish men to reason an excuse to not be held accountable for sin; claiming that if they think evil thoughts and do wicked deeds, it's not really their fault because God made them that way.[v20] Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Who are we to tell God that He's wrong? Who are we to answer His statements, replying as if we have knowledge? Paul, being familiar with Isaiah 45:9-10, was quoting the same, in which Isaiah, by the Holy Spirit, put those who mock to shame, speaking of a pot that said to the potter that he had no hands with which to make the pot, and the absurdity of such a statement, that is, for the creation to question the creator. With modern technology, it would be like a car saying to the driver, "Who are you to drive me?" or a computer saying to the user, "I don't think you programmed me the right way." Furthermore, Isaiah goes on to give an example of a child who questions his father, saying, "Who brought you into this world?" or addressing his mother as "woman," instead of her honorific title of mother, demanding evidence of her, "What have you brought forth into this world?" Certainly, any typical child knows such a mocking question to one's parents would incur their wrath very quickly, and if a man chooses to reply against God, he may find himself at the receiving end of that wrath, just as Pharaoh did, or even as Job did, although the difference is that Job repented and found God's mercy. (Job 42:2-6)[v21] Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
The analogy in this context is meant to show the purposes and design of a potter in creating a vessel. The purpose of a vessel, whatever shape it is, is to glorify the potter, demonstrating his handiwork, and is made to a particular purpose, which also glorifies the potter, where a man who buys a vase for his wife, with her being pleased with the vase, would give glory to the maker of the vase. One pot may be crafted to hold plants to beautify a home, and another pot made be used as a toilet, a receptical for the waste of others to keep the home clean; both types of pots are made from the exact same lump, and both were designed to glorify the potter. Likewise, man was made of the dust of the ground and the breath of life from the Lord God, and though we are made from the same lump for different functions, it is man who corrupts the design of the Creator, and hardens his own heart through his sin; therefore, mankind is responsible for his own corruption, but by grace, God gives him a way to be regenerated because a broken vase cannot fix itself.[v22] What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
What the ignorant scoffer does not recognize is that God has been longsuffering with His creation, which is itself mercy and grace that helps lead us to salvation, and even Peter told the brethren this same thing, reminding them that Paul taught this as well. (2Pe 3:15-16) Those vessels of wrath, who have chosen the path of destruction, were shown the love of God, as He had been patient with them, protected them, and provided for them (Mat 5:44-45), despite the fact that they spit in His face within their hearts. (Luke 16:15)[v23] And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Not that the vessels were created unto mercy, nor that the vessels of destruction were created unto destruction, meaning that before sin came into the world, there was no need for mercy or destruction (because death came by sin, Rom 5:12), but that before we were saved we all were vessels who fitted ourselves unto destruction, and yet those of us who came with grief and godly sorrow of our wrongdoing (i.e. repentance) and faith in the Son of God for the payment of our sins, we vessels of destruction have been filled with God's mercy, and He had prepared beforehand to pour out to us the riches of His glory in Christ's Kingdom.[v24] Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Us wicked and vile Gentiles, who were considered unworthy of the things of God, were also called (Rom 8:30), as the faithful were filled with mercy to become adopted into the seed of promise. A question mark is put at the endd of this sentence because it was part of Paul's reasoning with the readers, beginning by questioning "What if" in verse 22, which is not to say that such a thing is to be questioned, but rather, it is to be reasoned out that the nature of the Holy and Merciful God would do such a thing for all men who come to Him in humility.[v25] As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
Osee is Hosea, and this refers to Hosea 2:23. Therefore, God has fulfilled the promise of His prophecy, that throughout the earth, those who were not born into Jewish heritage by blood, would be granted mercy and become heirs of the Kingdom of God, being born into the spiritual Jewish lineage by the blood of Christ.[v26] And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
This refers to Hosea 1:10, which is to say that those Gentiles, who are not called the sons of God, will be called the sons of God by the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.[v27] Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
Though there be many children of Israel, few will find the way to eternal life, as Jesus also said. (Mat 7:13-14) A remnant in this context is a small number, only a few, and even to this day, there is a small number who are saved according to the election of grace (Rom 11:5), whereas many claim to be under grace, many of them are not. (2Co 11:12-15)(Read "False Converts vs Eternal Security" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v28] For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
With the context of verse 27, it stands to reason that this work is speaking of the work of grace on the humble remnant of the elect, whereas grace is not given to prideful masses. (Jms 4:6) Therefore, the word 'short' is not to be taken in relation to time, but rather, distance and/or measure of quantity, like a piece of ribbon cut into a fraction of length, so that many of the children of Israel (i.e. vessels fitted to destruction) shall be cut off (Mat 7:13-14) for the sake of the remnant (i.e. vessels filled with mercy).[v29] And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
This is a reference to Isaiah 1:9, which says the "Lord of hosts," defining the Hebrew word 'Sabaoth' as "hosts," which is to be understood as God having power over armies of angels. Without the grace of the Lord God, what better are we than the Sodomites and Gommorites? We are not any better than they, and so if that be the case, why are we not destroyed? Therefore Sodom and Gommorah were not destroyed because of their deeds, but that they would not hear the truth of God's mercy, nor would they believe they were in need of repentance.[v30] What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Though we did not follow after righteousness, we were imputed righteousness by Christ through faith. (Rom 4:22-24) That is why we have not been destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, which shows God's great mercy, even if only one can be saved, just as He saved Lot and his two daughters out of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen 19)[v31] But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
On the other hand, Israel followed after righteousness, doing the good works, which is unlike Sodom and Gomorrah who did not do good works, but Israel did not attain righteousness by their good deeds because righteousness can only be imputed to us through Christ by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9), and therefore, Israel did not attain righteousness because the majority would not believe Christ.[v32] Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
The Jews believed they were righteous because of their deeds, or because the blood of Abraham ran through their veins, but many of them were not of Abraham's seed of promise because they did not live by faith as Abraham did. The stumblingstone is Christ, and they stumbled when He came to them.[v33] As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
That is, it is written in Isaiah 8:14. Christ is a rock of offense, in that the Jews were offended by His doctrine, but those who believe His doctrine shall not be ashamed, and He will give to them His Holy Spirit (1Jo 2:27), who will teach them those doctrines, so that they will preach them without shame (2Ti 2:15), so long as they study and continue in the Word of God. (John 8:31-32)Chapter 10
[v1] Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Paul is not preaching in opposition to the Jews, but rather, he is preaching this knowing that the truth is the only way the Jews could be saved, to help them if at all possible. Paul demonstrated this by his willingness to go through suffering and death for their sakes, that they might believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.[v2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Meaning that they have great passion towards God, but not according to truth and understanding by the Word of God. They have spent too long teaching for doctrine the commandments of men (Mat 15:8-9), making the Word of God of no effect unto the people through their traditions (Mark 7:13), and sadly, this is still a major problem that exists today, but few churchgoers can discern that there is any problem, expressing their passion towards God, but not according to knowledge. (1Co 2:14)[v3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Some readers may be confused at the accusation that they are ignorant of God's righteousness because they Jews do proclaim that God is righteous, but again, Paul is not referring to the physical nature, but the spiritual nature. This means that the Jews are ignorant (as many churchgoers today are ignorant), not of the concept of God's good nature, but of the justification of Christ by the filling a repentant man with mercy. Instead of coming to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow) of their wrongdoing before God, as a humble child would come before his father, they go about to setup their own righteousness (as many people today still do), believing falsely that by following commandments, they would become righteous (e.g. they believed keeping the Sabbath would make them righteous, or keeping the feasts would make them righteous), instead of submitting to Him in the humility of repentance, and by faith, asking Him to fill them with His righteousness.(Read "Keeping the Sabbath is Not a Christian Requirement" & "Should Christians Observe Jewish Passover?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
As Paul has already established in previous chapters, the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), and that the end of the law is death because sin kills us (Rom 7:11), but Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, in that He, the Potter, fills our vessel with mercy (Rom 9:21-23), and will do so for all those who believe on Him for that.[v5] For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
This is in reference to Leviticus 18:4-5, in which God commanded the Jews to walk according to the law, to do the things God had commanded them, and then they would "live by them," meaning that they would have long and prosperous lives as a reward for doing the good deeds and demonstrating their obedience to God, but if they do not those things which are written in the law, they would not have the blessings of God. However, the problem is that the Jews believed that their obedience to the law of God made them righteous, thereby attributing righteousness unto themselves, and not trust in God for righteousness to imputed to them by His grace, and thus, for any man to believe that keeping the law and ordinances of God brings him justification is nothing more than arrogance, pride, and a lie, denying the fallen condition of men. (1Jo 1:10)[v6] But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
This is taken from Deuteronomy 30:11-14, which was concerning the knowledge of God, as Paul had prefaced in verse 2 that the Jews were passionate without understanding, meaning that their passion is in vain because they do not acknowledge the truth. They should not be questioning in their hearts who would ascend unto heaven and come again to bring them knowledge, for they already had the knowledge they needed in the Word of God delivered to them by Moses and the prophets. Therefore, there is no need to seek out mystical secrets from various places, as they had done by merging with the pagan doctrines of Babylon (which is where the hexagram symbol of witchcraft [which they falsely call the "Star of David" ✡] and Kabbalah came from), but rather, God in heaven sent His Word, His Son, and His Spirit down to them that they may have knowledge.[v7] Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
Nor should the Jews say in their hearts that one would go to the very depths of the ocean, metaphoriaclly referencing to a place they are not able to tread, to gather knowledge for them, because God had already blessed them with His Word. This is similar to the situation of Lazarus in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16:19-31), in which the rich man burning in hell pleaded that Lazarus would be sent back as a spirit to warn the rich man's brethren of the horrors of hellfire, that the preaching of Lazarus's spirit would bring them to repentance (v30), but Abraham said (v31), "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead," meaning that they already had all the information they needed to be saved from hellfire if they would but look at it, and come to repentance to acknowledge the truth. (2Ti 2:24-26)[v8] But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
The righteousness of faith mentioned in verse six was given to the Jews as well as the Gentiles, and that faith was kept by the line of Seth, through Noah, to Moses, to David, and now to us Gentiles who are born again in Jesus Christ. We are all brethren of the seed of the same family; that spiritual family who is repentant of our sin and faithful to God, namely in Christ Jesus our Lord, wherefore the Jews are also without excuse, having been given knowledge that they should live according to the same faith as Abraham, but in the pride of their hearts, they reject that faith, and thus, God will reject them. (Jms 4:6-10)[v9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
That is, to confess before men that you serve the Lord Jesus Christ with a sincere heart, which is not to mean the heat of joyous passion, as many fall prey to the trap of a false gospel of receiving the word quickly with joy (Mat 13:20-21), but if a repentant man believes in his heart that Christ was crucified to pay for his sin, and that Christ was raised from the dead, that repentant man will be saved. This is also not to say that one must speak special words with his mouth to be saved because that would eliminate the possibility for a mute man have salvation, and it would become a doctrine of works that would contradict the doctrine of Jesus, but rather, this is meant that a man who has a working mouth confesses the truth, which is only possible by the help of the Holy Ghost (1Co 12:3), and therefore, confession of Christ is the natural response of a man's tongue after he has been regenerated in the Holy Spirit because he has a newfound desire put within him for all to come to repentance, telling them the truth that they might have the same justification in Christ. (Mat 10:27)[v10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Faith pleases God, and from that belief, God gives us favor and grants us His mercy. Faith is produced in the heart, which is where God looks when He judges us. (Pro 21:2) Although this verse is often misused out of context to mean that anyone who confesses they are a sinner is saved, or anyone who says "Jesus is Lord" is saved, but that is not the case; rather, the confession being made here is the open confession of Christ to family, friends, and neighbors. Even though repentance of sin and faith in Christ (Heb 6:1) go hand-in-hand with open confession of Christ, contextually (as Paul will continue to point out in the next verse), this is referring to the confession of Christ, in which a man who has been regenerated by they Holy Ghost has been given a desire to express Christ openly so that others would come to understand His mercy and believe on Him for their own salvation.[v11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
This may not be referring to one passage in particular, since the unashamed nature of those who are of the seed of faith is mentioned many times throughout Scripture (e.g. Psa 25:2, Psa 119:46, Isa 50:7, etc), but Paul is also alluding to Romans 9:33, in which he referred to Isaiah 28:16.[v12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For all that call upon the name of the Lord, that is, to bawl, to cry out unto the Lord God with a broken heart, He will draw nigh unto them (Psa 34:18), and He is not respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), so no matter what bloodline a man is born into, whether Jew or Greek, whether bond or free, whether male or female, by repentance and faith in Christ, all receive the same grace, no one being better than another. (Gal 3:28)[v13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This is in reference to Joel 2:32. As I pointed out in the previous verse, in this context, the word 'call' is an intransitive verb, which is a verb used without a direct object, meaning that it is not simply "speaking" the name of Jesus that saves a man, anymore than teaching a parrot to say "Jesus" will save the bird.
call (v): to pray to or worship; to utter a loud voice; to bawl
bawl (v): to weep, to wail; to cry loud, as a child from pain or vexation
(See 'call' & 'bawl', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Apr 18, 2019 [webstersdictionary1828.com])
Those who receive the gift of grace and eternal life cry out to God from a broken-hearted state, in which they have been brought low and acknowledged their sin, confessing to God their lost nature, calling out to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Thus, whosoever is given this repentance (2Ti 2:25), having a contrite spirit as described in Psalm 34:18, which means a spirit that is broken-hearted because of his wrongdoing against God, the Lord God has promised He will save them, and bring to them the Holy Spirit for their education (1Jo 2:27), but those who will not come to repentance will not receive grace, as God has specifically said that He will not give grace to the proud of heart (Jms 4:6), allowing only those who are as children in humility into His Kingdom. (Luke 18:17)
(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Because godly sorrow produces the result of salvation through faith (2Co 7:9-10), and therefore when they call upon the name of the Lord, that shows their faith in Him, and that understanding of faith comes from those who hear of it, and they must have someone preach (teach and proclaim publicly) those things, which demonstrates that those who have been born again in Christ through repentance and faith also preach the same unto the lost.[v15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
That is why Jesus gave us commandment to go into the world and teach His gospel to everyone who would hear. (Mat 28:18-20) Paul is referring to Isaiah 52:7, not that Christ came to bring peace to the world, because Jesus stated clearly that He came to bring division (Luke 12:51), to separate the sheep from the goats (Mat 25:32), but rather, the teaching He brought was peaceful, that His sacrifice on the cross brings us peace in the spirit (1Th 5:23-24, Rom 3:16-18), and that his burden is light (i.e. weighs little), bringing rest unto our souls. (Mat 11:29-30)This is not to be taken in the new-age sense, that positive-sounding messages must be preached, being more concerned with making people feel good than teaching the truth, but rather, this is taken in the sense that when men fall on their knees in tears, crying out, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37-38), we can give them the glad tidings of the gospel of peace, that they need not labor for saving grace because Jesus Christ offers it freely to the humble of heart, that they may have eternal life and peace in Christ. (1Jo 5:13)
[v16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
That is, many will listen, some will hear, but few will obey. Paul then refers to (Isaiah 53:1), meaning, who among the Jews would hear the report of Christ and believe, and likewise, who among the people today will hear our report and obey the truth?[v17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
That faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and by our preaching repentance and remission of sins to the people (Luke 24:47), the law will be the teacher which brings them to faith in Christ. (Gal 3:24)[v18] But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Paul now references to Psalm 19:4, which is the context of even the heavens declaring the glory of God, reinforcing the fact that, as Paul pointed out in Romans 1:18-20, the creation itself declares the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Likewise, by the law of God written on the consciences of men, they would also have the truth revealed unto them. (Rom 2:15) Therefore, neither Jew nor Gentile have an excuse when standing before God, meaning that one cannot stand before God and claim they never heard a preacher, for the very creation itself, and their own consciences, preached unto them the truth.[v19] But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
Even if it were reasonable for the Gentiles to claim ignorance (although they are held accountable to their consciences), it is certain that Israel has no excuse, having the knowledge of the will of God in the Torah and the prophets, which also preached the righteousness of faith unto them. Therefore, we foolish Gentiles, unworthy of the least of God's attention (Psa 8:4), came to us in our broken state and saved us, raised us up to be prophets to show the light of Christ unto the world (2Co 4:6), which should have been the duty of the Jews, but because Christ was a stumblingblock to them (Rom 9:32-33), therefore, it brought them to hateful jealousy, which was the primary motivation of many of the religious leaders who persecuted Paul, and it is also the primary motivation of many of the religious leaders who have persecuted my wife and I in our time in ministry, as many Christians will suffer the same.[v20] But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
This is referring to Isaiah 65:1, in that those who did not seek the Lord, which is not to say that any man seeks God of himself (Rom 3:11), but that these are Gentiles who were not raised with the understanding of the will of God through His law. The Jews inquired of God continually (Eze 14:3), but the Gentiles did not inquire of God, and yet, He showed Himself unto them out of His great lovingkindness, seeing that there was much more desire for the things of God from the Gentiles than from the Jews.[v21] But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
This is referring to the next verse, Isaiah 65:2, in which God rebuked Israel for the rebellious way they lived their lives, walking after their own thoughts and imaginations, while hypocritically claiming with their mouths only that they served the Lord God (Mat 15:7-9), and sadly, many churchgoers live and speak in the same hypocrisy as the Jews did in the days of Paul, but few can discern the matter because, as I have stated previously, such things are only discerned by the Holy Spirit of God (1Co 2:14), to those who are called according to His purpose.Chapter 11
[v1] I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
This is a continuation from the last chapter in which God had said to Israel that they were disobedient and gainsaying, and that they would not see nor hear the truth despite the fact that God made Himself known them even when they refused to listen. God has not cast away His people entirely, because even Paul had been born again in Christ, which was evidence that God was still longsuffering with the Jews, and that they could still have the things He promised them if they would repent (i.e. have grief and godly sorrow) of their sin.[v2] God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
God has not abandoned Israel in favor of the Gentiles, not should it be that any Gentile would puff himself up to claim that God would not hear the cries of the Hebrews if they come to the same repentance.[v3] Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
The verse being referred to is 1 Kings 19:14. This was during a time in which Jezebel had persecuted the prophets of God in 1 Kings 18:4.[v4] But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
This is in reference to 1Kings 19:18, in which God had corrected Elijah. From Elijah's perspective, there was no one else who understood the truth of God's Word, and therefore, he felt he was alone, and made statements to that effect, but God revealed to him the whole truth.[v5] Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Just as in the days of Elijah, the majority of Jews did not believe; there was no repentance and faith found in Israel except for seven thousand people. Though there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Jews, there were only a small fraction that were of the seed of faith which Paul mentioned in previous chapters.
remnant (n): residue; that which is left after separation; that which remains after a part is done
(See 'remnant', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved June 3, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v6] And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
In simple terms, grace is goodwill, kindness, and love that is given freely as a gift, and thus, if something is given as a gift, by definition, it cannot be wages that are earned by work. If something is a wage that is earned by work, then it cannot be grace that is given freely.
grace (n): favor; good will; kindness; the free, unmertied love and favorable influence of God; the application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner
(See 'grace', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 19, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
In another example, Catholics teach that you have to do the rituals of the Eucharist to receive the grace of God, but again, that is a nonsensical doctrine. One cannot say that you must do rituals to receive grace, otherwise, as Paul said, "grace is no more grace," meaning that the function of grace ceases to exist the moment works are made a condition to receive it.
(Read Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
In context, Paul is explaining that the Jews believed they received God's grace because they kept ordinances, but grace is only received through repentance (i.e. godly sorrow of wrongdoing) and faith. Therefore, it should not be said that the Jews have obtained grace by their works, nor should it be said that the Jews cannot be converted unto reptentance and faith that they might obtain God's grace.
[v7] What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Because most of Israel would not hear God's Word, and because they killed and buried the very prophets they claimed to honor, God's patience had run out with with them, and so the Gospel and the light of His understanding is now given to the Gentiles; not that God has forsaken His people, but the Word of God is given to others, not only for their sakes, but also to demonstrate to the Jews that the seed of Abraham is of faith, not of works or lineage. The end of this verse has no punctuation because the end of the sentence does not come until the next verse, with a note Paul put in the middle to further explain the context.[v8] (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
This is referring to Isaiah 29:10, and it specifically means that God's prophets and rulers would have no understanding; God is opening the understanding of the Gentiles that they would come to repentance since there were those among the Gentiles who desperately sought to have what the Jews took for granted. God has, until the day that Paul wrote of these things, blinded the Jews, meaning that they are unable to see Christ's fulfillment of the prophecy, and that in the pride of their hearts, they refuse to acknowledge their own wrongdoing, and still to this day, as I write these notes, the blindness of the Jews continues.[v9] And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
This verse is a little difficult to understand for new Christians because by "David," it is meant "Christ," who is sometimes referred to as "David" because the Jews referred to the promised Messiah as "the Son of David." (Mat 12:23) So the word of "David" (i.e. Christ) was given by the prophet Malachi in reference to the table, and the table is in reference to the altar upon which sacrifices were made in the temple. So in Malachi 1:12, it says that the Jews profaned the table of the Lord, polluting the meat thereon, not that they corrupted it physically, making it unfit for consumption, but they spiritually corrupted it because of their wicked deeds, turning to the lusts of the flesh and the idolatry of the world, while coming to the altar to make sacrifices to God to put on an outward appearance of "holiness," only to return to their sin without remorse (i.e. without repentance), which is an abomination in God's sight. (This is another passage that brings to light the vital importance of godly sorrow unto salvation - 2Co 7:10).(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v10] Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
This is referring to Psalm 69:23. Their eyes are not darkened physically, because most Jews can see with their eyes, but their understanding is darkened, and their backs are bowed, or bent, down, meaning that they serve other nations in subjection, just as they were made subject to bow before the Babylonians, and later the Romans, and later the Germans, and many were spread out around the world to bow to the various nations in which they lived, and still today they bow to the United Nations.[v11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
To help understand this more clearly, it could be said, "Has God blinded them for the express purpose that they would destroyed?" Of course, the answer is "No." The purpose of us Gentiles coming to salvation in Christ is that we would provoke the Jews to jealousy, that they might understand their error and repent. One might say that we Gentiles are treated as nothing more than tools, but to that I say, Amen and praise God, that we Gentiles, who are nothing but dogs, would be privileged enough to receive the scraps from the Master's table (or even the Jews' table) is far more than we deserve, and I can say that I am grateful for God's mercy on us. (Mark 7:26-29) Yet, the Lord God, in His great mercy, gave us new promises through our Lord Jesus Christ; better promises that surpass that which the Jews received. (Heb 8:3-6)[v12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
By "the world," it is meant the Gentiles, which is not to say that the fall of the Jews blessed the entire world, but rather, those specifically who are born again through repentance and faith in Christ. These riches are not referring to physical wealth, which should not be the core desire of a Christian (Pro 23:4), but rather, the riches the Gentiles received were the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3:8), meaning that they are great and numerous, far beyond our reckoning, and cannot be searched through and accounted for by men in the flesh; they will be revealed to us in the day we are translated into His Kingdom (Col 1:13), showing us how large of a family we have waiting for us in heaven, how much wisdom, understanding, and knowledge has been charitably given unto us, and how much Christ has done to prepare for and sustain His servants both on earth and in heaven.Thus, if the glory of Christ is spread out abundantly to the Gentiles who have been converted, how much more abundant shall His glory be when the Israelites have the veil lifted off their eyes and they are saved in the end?
[v13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
That is, Paul was exalting the duty he was given, not magnifying himself as a Jew above the Gentiles, because he was a humble servant of the Gentiles, but the God-appointed duty and office of an apostles was magnified (i.e. raised up and made great) for a purpose, which he goes on to say in the next verse.[v14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
This is not meant in terms of the sin of emulations, which are the works of the flesh that manifest themselves in contention and strife of the wicked (Gal 5:20), because it is never the Spirit of God that provokes or tempts a man unto sin, but rather, this is emulation of passion in a positive sense, in which the Jews would see the praise-worthy examples and sound doctrine of those who profess Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, and that, if God would give it to them, they might hear the call to repentance and be converted. (2Ti 2:25)[v15] For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
Not that the entire world is automatically brought into union with God, which is the false doctrine of the new-age ecumenical movement, but rather, the Gentiles of the world who are converted unto Christ through repentance and faith. Thus, if we have received the gift of eternal life (John 3:15), the promises of Christ's Kingdom (John 14:2-4), and abundance of wisdom and spiritual understanding (Jms 1:5-7), why would the Jews receive any less than us Gentiles in the latter days in which Christ will open their understanding and save them? As Paul writes later, in the spirit, there is no Jew nor Gentile, for those who have repentance and faith in Christ are one family of spiritual lineage. (Gal 3:28)[v16] For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
The firstfruit is referring to Christ (1Co 15:20), and the analogy is the firstfruit of something like wheat, which is used to make a lump of dough to make bread; thus, if the firstfruits is good, then that which is prepared by the firstfruits is also good. This is not to say that, because the root (i.e. Christ) is holy, therefore all Jews are holy, but rather, those Jews who have been converted through repentance and faith in Christ, no matter where they are scatted throughout the world, and no matter what miserable position they might be in among any nation; they are brethren, the elder sister of the younger sister, which is the Gentile church. (Sng 8:8)[v17] And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
This analogy seems to be taken from Jeremiah 11:14-16, which describes the faithful nation as "a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit," but because the majority "wrought lewdness" and did other such evil, the Lord God had caused a great noise of fire and "the branches of it are broken." Thus, verse 17 is not describing that the Jews have been cut off from Israel, but is describing this good and holy tree which the Lord God has established through the seed of faith, the elect children of God, and that those which are broken off, those Jews who rejected Christ and the faithful, would be replaced by those Gentiles who also believed, and therefore, being graffed into the same tree, would partake of the same root, bringing forth the same rich fruits. (Mat 13:23)[v18] Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
That is, boast not against the branches that were broken off. We who are graffed into that tree are not better than those who were broken off (Rom 3:9), and therefore, we ought not to boast (to brag and glory in oneself) over them (1Co 1:31), but to pity and grieve for that which was lost, persuading them that they should repent and turn to God, and then do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:20) For if we were to boast against them, we do so in the corruption of our own pride and arrogance because, it is through the Jewish prophets, and Jesus, who was also Jewish, that we now have the Gospel, and that our understanding has been opened; therefore, we have not propelled the Jews to understanding, but they have propelled us to understanding, which means that it is a very sad thing that, while spending their lives dedicated to the faith which they have taught us, the teachers would be blind, and subjected to hell and the lake of fire because of their pride and unbelief in the very doctrine which they teach, but do not understand.[v19] Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Paul writes, "Thou wilt say then," not as a counter argument to his point, but that those who are born again, who also understand the concept he is preaching, would rightly conclude what is said in this verse. Therefore, it is preferable that we say God had broken off the rebellious and unbelieving branches for our sakes; as the farmer would tear off the useless branches, and graff in branches that would bear fruit. God has been merciful to us that He would give us the opportunity to partake in that which was reserved for the Jewish people, that He might work in us to save others.[v20] Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Meaning that it is good (i.e. "Well") that we say such things because now we are graffed in to that wonderful tree by our faith in Christ's shed blood. Therefore, we ought not to be highminded, being prideful, looking down our nose at the branches cut off, but rather, we ought to fear God for reasons Paul goes on to explain.[v21] For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
The Lord God can strip us of our blessings, protection, and understanding just the same as He did to the unbelieving Jews who walked about in their own arrogance. Therefore, in the godly sorrow of repentance, we ought to humble ourselves before God the Father, and pray that those who were broken may have their understanding opened, and come to repentance, that they would receive mercy the same as we have received. (1Pe 3:9)[v22] Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
Not that a man is cut off from the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ because that is permanent once a man has been born again, as Paul had already stated three chapters earlier that he was persuaded no man could be separated from the love of God once they had become a child of God (Rom 8:38-39), but the favor of God can be stripped away from those who do not continue in His Word (John 8:31), and those who do not believe, or have a false faith that is based on hypocritical outward appearances (Mat 23:27), shall be cut off forever.[v23] And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
The word 'again' is used to mean that those broken branches which were cut off can be restored though repentance of sins and faith in Christ. The Jews have the same opportunity as every other person in this world; that if they will come to repentance (i.e. godly sorrow) of their sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah He is, then they which are broken can be saved. (2Pe 3:9)[v24] For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
The blessings and wisdom of God was originally meant for the Hebrew people, but God has been merciful to allow all of us to participate in those blessings. He brought us into His church, even though we were unnaturally suited towards it, meaning that we were raised under pagan unbelief, but the Jews, who have the law and prophets, would be more naturally brought under the blessings of God, therefore, we ought not to boast, but be humbled in the great mercy and privilege God has shown us.[v25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
That is, we ought not to think ourselves wise in the fantasies of our imaginations and opinions, being willingly ignorant of this knowledge which is not understood by many people in this world. A conceited person is someone who operates according to their own imagined assumptions, and therefore, Paul is answering prideful fools according to their folly, lest they think themselves to be wise in their arrogance. (Pro 26:5, Pro 26:12) The blindess of Israel, in that they turn from God unto their own idols even unto this day, has happened to them for their unbelief, but also so that the complete harvest of Gentiles would be brought into God's Kingdom.[v26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Paul is referring to Isaiah 59:20, in that the Lord Jesus Christ will open the understanding of the Jews in the final days of this world, and they would finally come to rejoice in Him. (Psa 14:7) This is not to say that all Jews throughout the history of this world would be saved, nor anyone who lives in the nation of Israel, but again, this is referring to the final days in which God will open the understanding of all remaining Jews.[v27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
This refers back to Jeremiah 31:31-34, in which God foretold that He would make a new covenant (agreement or contract) with the house of Israel which was different than the original covenant. This is not to say the original covenant was broken, but rather, it was fulfilled (despite the fact that the Jews broke their end of the agreement), and a new covenant was created upon better promises. (Heb 8:6) In the latter days, Christ will open the understanding of the Jews, and all of them, from the least to the greatest, will have their sins remitted and will know Christ.[v28] As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
The Jews have lifted themselves up in the pride of their hearts, and the Lord God has allowed this. They are, for the time being, enemies of Christ, but God has not forgotten His promise to Abraham, and still does good unto them. (Mat 5:45) God has had mercy on us Gentiles, that through the blessings, protection, and understand that we have received from Him, we might bring the Jews to jealousy because they are still loved by God for the sake of the promise He made unto their fathers.[v29] For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Such is the amazing lovingkindness of God, that the gifts and calling of a man, by which God gives His grace and calls them to humble themselves and turn to Him, are given to men who He has loved, even before they are converted by repentance and faith. In context, Paul is saying that, even though the remnant reserved unto God (Rom 11:5) has not come to repentance (i.e. godly sorrow) of their sins and offenses against God, He has loved them, giving them gifts and calling, because their salvation in day of fulfillment is sure, meaning that as sure as we are born again in Christ today, it is also sure that they will be born again in Christ in the final days, because God is eternal and all-knowing, existing outside of time, and therefore, His promises transcend the distances and fading memories of men. (2Pe 3:8)[v30] For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Through the unbelief of the Jews, the doctrine of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ came to us Gentiles, and now we have obtained the mercy, blessings, and calling of God. This is why we ought to show the Jews pity and mercy, despite their hatred of us (Mat 5:43-45), because these gifts were meant for them, but God adopted us.[v31] Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Today, the Jews still have not believed, which is not to say every Jew, for some have been converted unto Christ, but the grand majority have not believed. God has set blindness in their eyes, but through the mercy God has shown unto us, we preach repentance to them, that they might receive the same mercy, meaning that, despite the fact that God has caused blindness of the Jews due to the pride of their hearts, He is still willing to save all those (Jews or Gentiles) who repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:5-6)[v32] For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
That is, both Jew and Gentile are in unbelief, which is speaking in a general sense. Those who have come to repentance and faith are not counted among them, but those who do not have understanding, who do not have a sense of need for the mercy of God, thinking themselves good according to their own works, are in desperate need of God's mercy, and thus, all Jews and Gentiles are concluded to be guilty under the same judgment so that all would be given opportunity to repent and believe on Christ for their salvation.[v33] O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
This is a conclusion to the doctrine that was taught in this chapter, that the knowledge and wisdom of God surprasses all our understanding. The depth of God's understanding is infinite to such a degree that we would not have words in our language to describe it. (Psa 8:4) We cannot know the fullness of God's judgments on us, as his all-knowing nature is beyond our miniscule scope of reasoning to contemplate it; thereby we can only fear Him (Psa 111:10), that He might show us grace and impart some of His blessed wisdom to us who are not worthy of it.Mankind often tends to think of things in terms of our limited understanding, like why God has created so many men and women, but why has He chosen some and not others? When we ask questions like this, we tend to answer them based on how we think and feel, foolishly forgetting how limited we are in our understanding, and therefore, those who are the children of God should trust Him, as a child trusts in his parents to do good unto him even when he does not know what is happening, submitting to His infinite understanding that we cannot search, nor are we capable of comprehending His methods and judgments.
[v34] For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
What justification does any man have to judge God? In fact, the word 'judge' means to discern truth from falsehood, and since there is no falsehood which comes from God, there is no reason for us to judge Him, let alone is there a justification to judge Him. Such a feat would require being omniscient, and so which among us has been all-knowing? Those who would question God's judgments, and attempt to tell God how things ought to be, is the kind of arrogance that is seen in atheists, who Paul addressed in the first chapter of this letter to the church in Rome, teaching that they are those which profess themselves to be wise, even though they are fools. (Rom 1:22) No man has given God anything that was not already His, nor has any new thought occured unto God, and so just because we were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), it does not mean we are anything comparable unto Him in His infinite understanding, mercy, wisdom, power, and love. (Psa 50:21)[v35] Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Which of us have first given to God before we were given something from Him? What is it that God owes us, in that we would need to be repaid? What thing could possibly be done to add to the finished works of Jesus Christ? Obviously, there is nothing we have that we were not given, and therefore, all good things which men possess were given to them, and all things are owed unto God because they came from Him.[v36] For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
All things come into being by the sovereign will of God, and that nothing can be given unto men that God has not allowed. All grace given to men was first given by God, all lovingkindness was first by Him, and all longsuffering was first by Him, and because of that, all the credit and honor goes to Him for His work and His perfect nature. Therefore, we ought not to boast of ourselves over the Jews, nor should we question God's judgment of this time, but rather, we should be thankful to Him for the infinite depth of both His wisdom and His mercy, and pray that those who are at enmity against Christ (Jms 4:4) might be humbled to repentance, that they too would have the gift of eternal life that we received without merit. (i.e. we did not earn or deserve the gift, Eph 2:8-9)Chapter 12
[v1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
This is a continuation from the last verse of the previous chapter, namely, because God has been so merciful and kind to us, that He would wipe away all our iniquities by godly sorrow and faith in His Son, therefore Paul urgently pleads with the church, that we would live in a manner that reflects the goodness of God unto us. We should live clean and holy unto God, being ready and willing to be sacrificed at His good pleasure, for His purposes, doing things that are acceptable in His sight, which is reasonable in the mind of anyone who would look upon a servant in his works and see a reflection of the master he serves.[v2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
conform (v): to make like, in external appearance, to reduce to a like shape or form with something else; to reduce to a likeness or correspondence in manners, opinions or moral qualities
(See 'conform', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved July 11, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
When we are born again, we are transformed, that is, the form or shape of our minds is changed into something new, and therefore, if we have been transformed, then we ought to seek what is acceptable unto God, and do those things which are good and perfect according to His will. (Heb 6:1)
[v3] For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
It is arrogance and conceitedness in which a man assumes and imagines himself to be more than he is, not knowing that it is the Lord God that gives to all men. There is a measure, or a portion, of faith that is given to each believer (Eph 4:7), that is, each Christian's faith in Christ will be according to the gifts he has received, and that no single child of God has been given the fullness of understanding, wisdom, and gifts that could be given by the Holy Spirit, but rather, God gives a portion, and all of us work together to complete that faith (i.e. in terms of the gifts and knowledge of God) which He has given in part so that all would assemble together to complete the full function of the church. This is not to say that a Christian can be given more gifts than others, and some less than others, but all serve their function together, and since all are given, no Christian should boast of his gifts, but rather, we should consider others better than ourselves. (Phil 2:3)[v4] For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
This continues the thought from the previous verses, that not every believer has the same station in the church, and is not given responsibility over the same duties, but we work together for the common goal. Though we may consider ourselves worthless and unprofitable in the sense that we are men in the flesh, and that there is nothing we have of value that was not given to us by God, we ought not to think of ourselves as totally worthless and unprofitable in the sense that we have been born again and given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, by which we grow as a tree to produce fruit, and therefore, it would be error to deny that would be to deny the workings of the Holy Spirit within us, and also error to deny that each member of the church has value to add that was given to him/her by the Lord Jesus Christ.[v5] So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Each Christian in the church makes up parts of the whole, in which we individually serve a very specific function that allows all aspects of the church to be prosperous. Thus, it should also be emphasized that the body of Christ is not a building, a structure made with hands the men, but rather, the church is the body of Christ as a whole. (1Co 12:27)[v6] Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
These gifts are given by the grace of God for the service of His church, both to guide one another in faith and knowledge, and to support one another in preaching to the lost. The prophecy mentioned here is not defined as the miraculous gift of dreaming dreams and foretelling future events, but sadly, there have been many willingly ignorant religious cults misunderstand this to their own destruction. (Deut 13:2-3, 2Pe 3:16) Paul defines prophesying as having understanding of the mysteries of Scripture, and knowledge of the Word of God (1Co 13:2), and therefore, prophesying, in general, means to deliver the understanding of God's Word unto the people, or in short, it is to preach the interpretation of Scripture for the instruction of the hearers.
prophesy (v): in Scripture, to preach; to instruct in religious doctrines; to interpret or explain Scripture or religious subjects
(See 'prophesy', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved July 11, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v7] Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
In proportion to the gifts of faith He has given us, some of us minister, which is to provide aid and service of others, like the delivering of alms to the poor and needy. There are others who have the gift of teaching, which is not necessarily a pastoral office (Eph 4:11); the difference being that a pastor is ordained by elders unto a regular flock, whereas a teacher is more broad term, not bound to an ordination of a location or group.[v8] Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Exhortation is another type of prophesying, which takes wisdom, understanding, and discernment of Scriptures to do properly. Prophesying often involves rebuke, correction, and instruction, whereas exhortation is confirmation of good deeds and praiseworthy actions, to embolden and encourage Christians in the excellence of labor that is pleasing to Christ, as well as advising them in matters which require understanding, which is more than a simple compliment or just sharing a verse of Scripture because one who is given the gift of exhortation must do so with caution, relying on the wisdom and discernment of God, else he may embolden or advise one to do something foolish.When a Christian is convicted to give, they ought to do it simply, or rather, single-mindedly, with a desire to serve others in pureness of intent, without corrupt thoughts which may result in selfish gains of favor, extortion, or manipulation. (Mat 6:1) When a Christian is given an office of rule over others, he ought to do so diligently, meaning that he stays consistent with his work, not devolving into laziness to take advantage of those around him, having discipline in his mannerism and duties. When a Christian shows mercy to others, which we are all commanded to do (Mat 6:15), we ought to do so cheerfully, being ready, willing, and joyful to forgive when someone comes in repentance (i.e. grief and sorrow) of their wrongdoing. (Luke 17:3)
[v9] Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
dissemble (n): to hide under a false appearance; to conceal; to disguise; to pretend that not to be which really is
(See 'dissemble', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Nov 28, 2020, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
We should live in a way that demonstrates our utmost hatred for evil things (which should include the pridefulness of heart), and that we should hold tightly those things which are good. (1Th 5:21) If we have the Spirit of God living in us, then the more we study the Word of God (2Ti 2:15), the more we learn of what pleases the Lord God, and thereby, our philosophy (way of thinking) is changed, which also changes the way we live, what we watch, what we consider, and what we hear, so that we would walk (i.e. live) as children of light. (Eph 5:8-11)
[v10] Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Meaning that we should treat one another as brothers and sisters ought to speak and act towards one another, since we who have the salvation of Christ are all children of God. (Rom 8:16) This is not to be taken in the worldly sense, in which there are divisions Jesus Christ established between blood-related siblings over the truth of God's Word (Luke 12:51-53), but rather, this is taken in the spiritual sense, in which we are like-minded under the authority, knowledge, and care of Christ. (Phil 2:1-4) Therefore, we ought to prefer one another, honor one another, esteeming one another, and favoring the company of one another, choosing to spend our intimate time of fellowship with brethren, and even though these are commandments, they are not grievous ones (1Jo 5:3), because those who share the Spirit of God will eventually prefer one another automatically, without need for commandment.[v11] Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Those who are born again in Christ are created unto good works (Eph 2:10), and therefore, we ought not to be lazy. This does not mean that a hard worker is automatically of Christ because many evil men have worked very hard to profit from their evildoings (Psa 37:7), but rather, when men are given liberty, they often become complacent and let their guard down, and because Christ has guaranteed their place in His Kingdom, without any work necessary to enter therein, the natural tendency of the flesh is to depart from the discipline and hard work that is pleasing to Christ. We should work hard at anything which we put our hands to do (Col 3:23), being passionate towards God, which is often easier said than done due to the many mundane tasks that must be repeated on a daily or weekly basis, and that is why we ought to spend time in the Word of God, to remind ourselves daily that even in the most simple tasks that we serve the Lord, which takes a lot of discipline.(Read "The Christian Work Ethic" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
With faith, we hope for the things to come (Heb 11:1), namely the promises of God, in which we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever in the place He made for us. (John 14:2-3) Therefore, we rejoice, having these promises that are certain, because God cannot lie. (Tts 1:2)Though we suffer extreme pain, harassment, grief, loneliness and many other things at the hands of those who hate the Gospel of Christ, we not only exercise patience through tribulation, but as Paul taught in Romans 5, we also learn and develop more patience from that same tribulation (Rom 5:3-4), and through that experience, it develops more hope within us because it verifies the Word of God is true in everything He says. This is why those who have suffered great tribulation tend to be more patient, more understanding, and have greater confidence in the promises of God. (Acts 14:22) Hope is given to us through tribulation, but in all things we should be consistent and urgent in prayer (1Th 5:16-18), that God would keep supplying us with His grace, understanding, and strength, in which we may suffer joyfully (Mat 5:10-12), having His assurances ready in our minds at all times.
[v13] Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
We ought not be lazy in our day to day activities (Ecc 9:10); rather, we ought to make sure we are producing that which is beneficial to the church, considering those of our brethren who are poor and needy would have their needs provided for by us collectively. God loves the cheerful giver (2Co 9:7), and those who give should do so hospitably (i.e. with warmth and generousity) from a genuine heart; otherwise, if they give simply to stand on pretense, to feign an outward apperance of charity, then it would be better that they not give at all.[v14] Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
We should not wish evil on those who pursue after us with ill intent, knowing that we inherit a blessing that was given to us charitably out of the lovingkindness of God the Father. (1Pe 3:9, Psa 103:8) Though wrongdoing can cause us to reacted emotionally in anger, we must learn patience, as the Lord God has been patient with us, because if He reacted emotionally instead of with patience and charity, then all mankind would be dead and in hell. By his graceful patience and longsuffering, we are saved. (2Pe 3:9) Thus, we ought to bless those who oppose us from a genuine heart, which means to wish health and prosperity on their household, showing yourselves to be true children of God. (Mat 5:43-48)[v15] Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
This is not to say that we ought to rejoice with those who rejoice in wrongdoing, wicked deeds, or criminal activity, as they only rejoice for a time, and will suffer the consequences of their words and actions, but rather, we rejoice with those who rejoice in things that are good and pleasing in the sight of God. The Lord Jesus Christ rejoiced with those who rejoiced in the good things of God, as He would have done during the attendance at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-2), but He also wept with those who wept, not weeping in tears of joy, but in the tears of grief and sorrow, as He did with Mary when she wept for her brother. (John 11:33-36)[v16] Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
These things should be done so that faith, hope, charity, patience, temperance, repentance, joy, and all the fruits of the Spirit of God would be shared among all those in the church. We ought not to set the focus of our thoughts on the lofty things of this world, in which people highly revere and esteem that which pleases the lusts of the flesh (Luke 16:15), but we should be brought low, and that we focus our minds on those who have little; not imagining ourselves to be wonderful in vainglory (Phl 2:3), but remembering the pit from whence God had digged us out of (Isa 51:1), and that, without His great mercy, we are no better than the dust and ashes of the earth. (Gen 18:27)The word 'condescend' has changed meaning over the past 100 years in the common English tongue, which is why some Christians may be confused about what this verse means. Condescend used to mean one who humbles himself, descending from the privileges of a superior rank to do something lowly, but today, the word is often used to mean the opposite, meaning one who attempts to use language that lowers others around him, lifting himself up in superiority. We who are of Christ are commanded in this verse to lower ourselves that we are not rubbing shoulders with those of high rank and prestige, but rather, we ought to consider those who are of low estate, meaning a low condition, circumstance, class, or rank.
The reason for this is not only so we would not be lifted up in the pride of our hearts, as men often are when they pat each other on the back, giving one another grand compliments to their superiority and stature, but also that it is most often that men of low estate are more open to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they are humble enough to listen. (Psalm 12) The Gospel of Jesus Christ is meant for the sick and feeble sinners of this world (Mat 9:12-13), not those who are in high, lofty, and wealthy in their station, because the fame and fortune of this world answers all their sinful desires (Ecc 10:19), by which they are blinded to the truth. (Rev 3:17)
[v17] Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
We should repay no man evil (i.e. mischief, injury, or disposition to commit wickedness) for the evil which he does to us (1Pe 3:9), just as the Lord gives blessings of good things even unto His enemies, and so we should do the same that we demonstrate ourselves to be the children of our Heavenly Father. (Mat 5:43-48) Let God have vengence in His own time, and if need be, let the governing law enforcement deal with such matters of discipline, using the law and evidence in the open and honest sight of all men, because we have no right to take vengence upon any man based on our personal feelings (Pro 28:26), as Paul will go on to say in verse 19. God's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and therefore, we should do good and not evil to all men; being honest from a pure heart that has been cleansed by the Lord Jesus Christ.[v18] If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Though Christ came to divide the good from the evil (Luke 12:51), we are to live peaceably with all men as much as it is possible to do so. (Mat 5:9) We ought to live peaceably with our family and our neighbors, but there will be many who will hate us for the doctrine we preach in Christ because by giving them the law of God (Gal 3:24), they will most often despise it, and therefore, they will despise us as messengers, but despite their hatred, we should try to live peaceably towards them, wishing them good will, and if possible, doing good unto them when given the opportunity, as Paul will continue to say in the next verses.[v19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
When evil is done to you, do not try to take revenge for yourself. There may be times we have to call upon the courts to give restitution for matters of unlawful activity and damages to private property, as is our duty not only to protect our families, but also our neighbors, along with our duty to our state to be good citizens. (i.e. Filing suit against wrongdoing can result in the court punishing a man, so that he will not repeat that wrongdoing against our neighbors, thereby helping our neighbors by preventing evil from befalling their household.) However, personal vengeance has no place in the church. Many of us who are in Christ are defrauded (i.e. having taken from us what rightfully belongs to us), but we should suffer it for the time being (1Co 6:7-8) because God will have His revenge in the end (Deut 32:35), meaning that there is not a single instance of wrongdoing that He does not see, and He will judge all things. (Psa 50:6)[v20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
I have heard preachers teach that such doctrine was only found in the New Testament, but that is not true. The doctrine of the children of God doing good unto their enemies was found in the Old Testament as well, specifically in Proverbs 25:21-22. The Lord rewards this good work to those who do such things, and the heaping (i.e. piling or amassing) of coals of fire is a metaphor to how our enemies will react when we do good things to them; running around in pain, trying to escape the burning sensation in his own conscience (John 8:9), which wars against his evil thoughts towards those who have shown him kindness and charity, knowing that he has harmed those who have done him no injury.[v21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Meaning that when evil comes to our doorstep, that we would not be conquered by that evil, succumbing to it and adopting evil thoughts by which we judge in unrighteousness (Jms 2:4), but rather, we should overcome that evil by doing good, demonstrating with evidence that we are the children of our Heavenly Father (Mat 5:45), and that the Gospel of His Son is proven true by the conscience of our enemies (Rom 2:13-16) bearing witness that the law of God is good, and that the evidence of His law is sure, so that they are without excuse. (Rom 1:19-21)Chapter 13
[v1] Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Paul just finished exhorting the church according to their duties to God and to each other because there is no earthly king set over us. However, that being said, the topic of this chapter concerns the higher powers of ruling government, of which Paul was subjected the Roman government and Caesar's dictatorship. This power was ordained, or established, by God for a particular reason, whether good or evil, which is not to say that Caesar himself is ordained of God and called according to His purpose, nor is the position of Roman Emporer ordained and called by God, but rather, Caesar's general office of government is ordained of God, and every soul, Christian or not, ought to be subjected to that power with honor and fear.To help understand this better, the husband has power (or authority) over his wife, which was established by God. This means that the general office/station of a husband is established by God, but it does not mean that the individual man who has the office/station of a husband is automatically ordained and called by God.
[v2] Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Any who would resist the authority of the local public civil servants, officers and keepers of the law, would in turn resist that which God has established for the regulation of the people, to keep peace and order in the state. To stand against that office of authority, in opposition to it, is to receive damnation, either temporary (in punishment by the courts) or in eternity, not because of works, but because the heart that rebels against the authority of the governing rule (which is intended to create peace between neighbors) is also a heart that is without repentance of sin, and has no fear of God. In Scripture, rebelliousness is held as the same offense as witchcraft and idolatry. (1Sa 15:23)[v3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
In context, rulers that do good according to the law, and perform their civic duties in honesty, are a terror unto evil, and evil men fear them because they fear the penalty for their wicked deeds. Of course, this needs to be understood in context of other Scripture (Isa 28:10) because not all governing authorities are a terror unto evil, which is why Moses broke civil laws by killing a taskmaster (Exd 2:11-12), why David refused to submit to government orders (1Sa 19), and why Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego all refused government ordinance (Dan 3), and there are many more such examples throughout Scripture concerning the prophets and the New Testament Christians; knowing these instances, and that God had blessed them men in their defiance against wicked government orders, we can therefore conclude that if a ruler is a terror unto good instead of evil, in that they create ordinances that defy the goodness of God's law and the charity of Christ, then it is no longer a matter in which we need to fear them, for we ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:27-29)(Read "Should Christians Submit to Governing Authority?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
However, if those civil servants are doing what is good, we ought to fear their authority, in the sense that God has ordained them to punish evildoers. For example, if law enforcement gives us a reasonable and lawful order in matters of unlawfulness, danger, and/or emergency situations, then that order should be heeded and obeyed with kindness, speed, and efficiency. If we do good, openly and honestly, letting our light shine before men (Eph 5:8), not sneaking around in secret to do evil in the darkness (Eph 5:11-12, John 3:19), then we should be at peace with those civil servants who do what is right, and they will be pleased to see us going about our business, especially as the servants of Christ, knowing that we make the job of law enforcement and judges easier, doing charitable works unto the people, and teaching the truth of God's Word to instill the moral laws of Scripture into the minds of the people, that they might come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow) of their sins, be saved by Jesus Christ, and turn from their sin to live a moral life of peace and good works that lifts the duties and financial burden of all government offices.
[v4] For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
The civil servant who serves well in his office to do good to the community is a servant of God, not directly, meaning that he is not necessarily a disciple of Christ, but indirectly, that he serves to keep us who are born again in Christ safe and protected, as is the will of God for His children, and for all mankind. However, those who would do evil ought to be afraid of civil servants because the purpose of their office is to issue revenge for wicked deeds, and to grant restitution for victims, whether believers or unbelievers, because God hates the deeds of the wicked against the poor and needy. (Psa 82:2, Psa 7:11)[v5] Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
We Christians need to be in submission to the civil officers of our country, not only because of God's wrath upon the wicked, but also for our own conscience, which is the internal self-knowledge of right and wrong that helps us determine the difference between lawful and good actions verses unlawful and evil actions. Law enforcement keeps our homes and communities safe, allows us the freedom to work, raise a family, and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a peaceful environment, and so to rebel against that authority would give us a poor conscience, leaving us feeling ashamed because of our guilt against the peaceful laws of our state. We ought to have a good conscience towards God that what we say is of truth, and that what we do is of peace and harmony to the order which He has established, and one of the requirements for that good conscience is to be in submission to governing rule over us.[v6] For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Knowing that judges and law enforcement keep the peace and punish evildoers, we can also know that the gospel of Jesus can be preached more freely because of their efforts. Therefore, for submission to God, for our conscience, and for the furtherance of the doctrine of Christ, we ought to pay tribute to those public servants if our country demanded it, and be faithful that the Lord God will provide us what we need to pay such things.It should be noted that many preachers lack understanding on this matter, teaching in error that 'tribute' is taxation, and currently (as of 2021), the United States does not have tribute payments in its simplest form. Tribute is a gift that one country would give to another country's government ruling over them (e.g. Israel would pay tribute to Rome) to demonstrate their submission and obedience to governing rule, and this distinction is important because, even though tribute may not be just, especially for born again Christians, it is necessary for the time being, so that those who govern over us would not take offense (Mat 17:24-27), and so we can continue to preach the Gopsel of Jesus freely.
(Read "Tithe is Not a Christian Requirement" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v7] Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Those in our government who are owed money for their services, pay them for those services. The more a government official is involved in taking bribes and perverting the ways of judgment, the less they should be feared and honored. The more a government official is diligent in his work of punishing criminals and seeking justice for the innocent, the more they should be feared and honored, and therefore, they should receive what they demand of us, whether in tribute, taxation (i.e. custom), fear, and/or titles of honor.[v8] Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
In addition to government officials, in which we ought not to be in debt to them for taxes or tribute, we should not remain in debt to any man. If we love our neighbor as the Bible instructs, then we should work to keep ourselves debt-free, in that we are free to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not become a slave to men. (Pro 22:7) Of course, in the standard operation of business, some debt will always occur, for instance, when a seller agrees to sell a manufacturer's products, the sale with a customer must be completed before the manufacturer can get a return, but Paul is speaking in the general sense; that a man should keep himself clear of all debts, and if any debt is incurred, he should be diligent to pay off that debt as quickly as possible. There are men who work to pay off all debts quickly and honestly, while other men incur debt without care, and those selfish men bring retribution (vengeful punishment) upon their own heads, and therefore, we who are of Christ should be the former, for to pay our debts and owe no man anything is to "love thy neighbor" (Lev 19:18, Mat 19:19), meaning that we charitably consider the needs of others over ourselves. (Phil 2:4)[v9] For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Paul carries this doctrine of loving one's neighbor even further. We love our neighbor by paying back our debts so that we do not take any food or clothing away from our neighbor's family. We love our neighbor by not committing adultery, both in respect of another person's marriage, but also of our own marriage, knowing that the husband belongs to the wife and the wife to the husband (i.e. spouses are one another's property that should not be stolen), and therefore, the example which we set in our own marriages is intended to show a good example of the relationship between the church and the Lord Jesus Christ so that others might be saved, which also loves our neighbor as ourselves.We love our neighbor by not killing when it is unnessary, respecting the life that God has given, and recognizing that God gave others life as well, so when we are charitable, we do not desire to take away that which God has given them. We love our neighbor by not forcefully taking away the things which others have earned through their time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears. We love our neighbor by telling them the truth and not lying to them, nor should we lie to others about them, thereby stealing their reputation from them. We also love our neighbor by not coveting (or lusting after) what is theirs, which would lead to many other previously mentioned sins. (e.g. theft, adultery, etc.)
(Read "Can Christians Kill in Self-Defense?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Paul is going through some of the ten commandments, but you will notice he did not go through all of them, and the reason is because the law is fulfilled in Christ through the first great commandment, that we should love the Lord God with all our heart and mind (Mat 22:37-38), and the second great commandment, to love our neighbor as ourself. (Mat 22:39) Therefore, there are some laws given in the Ten Commandments that had prophetic meaning (i.e. keeping the Sabbath day), and others that were given as a moral standard that would lead us to Christ and teach us charity, which is why even Jesus did not mention all the commandments when preaching to the unbelieving Jews. (Luke 18:18-27)
(Read "Keeping the Sabbath is Not a Christian Requirement" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v10] Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
True love, which is selflessness, will not produce anything bad or evil against his neighbor, which is the end of the law, and the completion of its purpose. (Mat 7:12) Just as charity is the fulfillment of the law, so love is the fulfillment of the law, which is not to say that charity and love are defined in the exact same way (i.e. charity tends to be the action, whereas love tends to be the disposition), but that love and charity are not exclusive, meaning that one cannot exist without the other, or in other words, if one is loving, then one will make the charitable, selfless sacrifices for the sake of that love. The law was made so that man would have knowledge of the good from the evil (Rom 7:7), and the end of that knowledge is that one would love God, and love his neighbor as he already loves himself.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Charity" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v11] And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Paul is referring to this dispensation (i.e. a period of time in which permissions are given to certain persons or places for a specific purpose) of the New Testament (Col 1:25), in which the church and the gospel are spread out around the world; this is the time in which we ought to wake out of the drowsy and lazy sleep of sinful life, knowing that the Day of Judgment in which the proof of our eternal salvation will be made manifest to all men is closer than ever before. In short, Christians have got a lot of work to do for the Lord Jesus Christ, so let's get to it.(Read "The Christian Work Ethic" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
As Paul just stated, the night and darkness means our ignorance and imperfections (1Co 13:12), and the day means the time of Christ coming to finish His promises to the saints. Since the day is approaching, and our salvation is sure through repentance and faith in Christ, we ought to cast off the evil deeds of those wicked and slothful servants who sleep (Mat 25:26), and put on the whole armor of God. (Eph 6:13) The armor is mentioned specifically because when we preach the truth of Jesus Christ to people, we will be treated in like manner to the way Christ, His apostles, and His prophets were treated, being hated, dispised, used, and abused, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally, with stones and/or words (2Co 11:23-27), which requires not physical armor, but rather, spiritual armor, maintaining the Word of God in our hearts (Psa 119:11, Rom 10:8) for occasions in which we give an answer for the hope that is in us. (1Pe 3:15)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Perfection" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
If we walk honestly, then the daytime is good for us, that our good works will be witnessed by all (Mat 5:16), but those who walk dishonestly prefer the nighttime, so the shame of their deeds will not be seen. (John 3:19-21) Those who are wicked walk about rioting (reveling and loud feasting), getting drunk, chambering (violation of God's laws of marriage, committing inappropriate and lewd sexual acts behind closed doors), being wanton (taking pleasure in the lusts of the flesh without restraint), striving (fighting in pride to be physically or intellectually superior to others), and envying (hatred and jealousy at the happiness of others), and thus, we who are of Christ should have no such thoughts in our hearts, and seek to do good even to those who hate us. (Rom 12:20, 1Pe 3:9)[v14] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Our thoughts should be fixed on the things of Christ (2Co 10:5), and that what we fulfill according to the flesh should only be for our needs, not to satisfy sin. For example, a modern-day tradition of young men and women is to go "clubbing," in which they dress immodesty and bring money to get drunk, making sure to pick up a pack of condomns along the way because they plan on fornicating; these are "provisions for the flesh" that are evil, whereas buying food and proper clothing for our daily needs is provision which is good. It never ceases to surprise me how many people claim they do not have money to pay their bills when they waste their money on alcohol, cigarettes, television, and many other such things that serve only lust; Christians would have so much more to provide for their families and be charitable to others if they only rid themselves of the provisions they make to fulfill the lust of the flesh.Chapter 14
[v1] Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
The weak in the faith are those who have not yet had much experience and understanding in the grace and liberty of Jesus Christ, and often, because of their fear of God, they adopt a philosophy of taste not and touch not, seeking more to be subject to religious ordinances (Col 2:20-21) because they are still ignorant of the fulfillment of the law in Christ, which preaches the practice of faith, love, charity, moderation, and humility in all things. These people we ought to receive if they have been humbled to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of their wrongdoing) and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, but not if they are causing contention to argue vain matters (i.e. matters that have nothing to do with sin) that have no impact on the gospel of Christ and the edification of the church because we have no such tradition of contention in the church (1Co 11:16) by which we should be brought under bondage by the religious traditions of men (Gal 5:1), and therefore, such contentious people should be removed from the church (Pro 22:10) if they cannot be reasoned with according to Christ's commandments. (Mat 18:15-17)[v2] For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
The Christian that is experienced in the faith of Christ, being of full age and strong in the Word of God (Heb 5:14), knows that he may eat all things. This does not mean that it is wrong to eat herbs only (i.e. to become a vegetarian) at one's own discretion, perhaps even for weight loss reasons, dietary reasons, or even someone who is ill with a flu may not take meat for the sake of his health, but those who are weak in the faith are those who are vegetarians because they believe they have a religious duty to do so; not understanding the spiritual matters of what it means to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has set His children free from religious tradition. (2Co 3:17)[v3] Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Being strong in the faith is not a prerequisite (i.e. a prior requirement) to enter into fellowship with the church, and so we ought to receive those who have come to repentance and faith in Christ, that they might learn more of God's Word and gain the understanding of Chirst's liberty. Furthermore, if someone chooses not to eat meat for a non-religious reason, we should not scoff at his personal conviction and dedication unto God. Likewise, those who are weak in the faith and eat only herbs should not scoff at those who eat all things. God has received both men, and both have been born again in His Spirit; it is simply that one is strong in the faith and the other is weak in the faith, but both are in the faith.[v4] Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
This verse is not referring to sins in general, nor is it referring to men who reject the Gospel, nor is this referring to the righteous judgments we are commanded to make (John 7:24, 1Co 2:15), but specifically, it is referring to those who have been born again in Christ that have made personal choices to honor God in their own way. If a Christian makes a rule unto himself that he should live in a certain way to demonstrate his dedication to his Master, and that thing has no sin, then why would his brother have any reason to accuse him of fault? Of course, many false religions claim that there is sin in eating certain meats, but that is the error Paul is addressing in this passage. As long as a servant of God does not commit sin, or attempt to make justification for sin, then God will receive him, and therefore, so should the church. God has redeemed the man who comes to repentance and faith in Christ, and therefore, that man ought not to be judged by man's judgment for his personal religious dedication unto God.[v5] One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
This is not in reference to things like the Catholic creations of Lent, Easter, or Christmas because these are the religious inventions of men that were created after the establishment of the church in the New Testament. Though these verses are often used as a convenient excuse for churchgoers to justify their worldly traditions, such traditions involve offenses against the commandments of Christ (e.g. faux [imitation] fasting in Lent to be seen among men - Mat 6:16), and sinful practices that oppose the Word of God. (e.g. witchcraft traditions of Christmas and Easter - Gal 5:19-21) Rather, this passage is referring to Jewish feasts according to the appointed holidays in the Old Testament, and that one who was weak in the faith would believe that he needed to religiously observe all these days, while another who was strong in the faith knew that Christ had fulfilled these things and did not require such traditions; both are accepted with God so long as they do not sin or violate the commandments of Christ, and so long as they do not attempt to forcefully invoke those traditions on others in the church. As long as there are no violations against Scripture, every Christian should be convinced in his own mind of how he honors the Lord God, and his brethren have no business judging him on the matter.(Read "Christmas: The Rejection of Jesus" & "Easter: Christians Celebrating Abomination" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v6] He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
If a Christian upholds a feast to honor God, or a Christian honors God by practicing liberty; both are done in honor to God for his own reasons and convictions, and both are obedient to the will of God. If a Christian chooses to abstain from meat, or if a Christians practices liberty and eats all things; both are done in honor to God for a Christian's own reasons and convictions, and whether strong or weak in the faith, both are obedient to the will of God.[v7] For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
We who are born again in Christ do not live according to ourselves, meaning that we do not live according to our own fleshly pleasures, nor rely on their own righteousness, but rather, we look to the Living God for all things both in life and in death. To put it another way, our desire is for our union with Christ, to be taken from this world where we are strangers, and be brought into the family of God in heaven, with a new spiritual body that has no fleshly needs, to forever be with our Lord and our brethren, and therefore, we do not map out our lives and create goals that are based on accumulation of worldly things to experience the pleasures of this world, but rather, we plan to do the good works of God for His glory. This is not to say that we will never experience things that are pleasurable to the flesh, like food and drink for example, but we do not live according to those pleasures, making them the end goal. (2Ti 3:1-7)The second part about death means that, whereas the world looks to death as a horrible event (and it generally is), we Christians look to our death as a joyful day in which the burderns of this life fade away, and we join the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory. (Col 3:4) No man dies in order to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, and the time and nature of a man's death is not his own, but it belongs to God.
[v8] For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
In the natural, physical state of this life, we live unto Lord. When we die, we do so for the Lord, according to His will and timing, and in that day, those who have been born again by repentance and faith will be translated into His Kingdom to live unto Him. (Col 1:13) In life or in death, we belong to God.[v9] For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
It was the will of God that Christ would die and be resurrected from the dead (Luke 24:44-47), and being Lord over all those faithful who are alive or dead. By His will they are saved, and by His grace they are subjected to Him, and therefore, coming back to the context of this chapter, so long as their personal convictions are not pressed upon the rest of the church, and so long as they do not commit sin, the personal religious dedications of those in the church are good in God's sight.[v10] But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Paul is not referring to judgment in the general sense, as we ought to judge those within the church (1Co 5:12), and that a spiritual man judgeth all things according to righteous judgment (1Co 2:15, John 7:24), but rather, these questions are directed at those who Paul was speaking to at the beginning; namely, those who are weak in the faith that might accuse us in our liberty. Those who are weak in the faith, obstaining from meats in observance of a religious ritual, have no reason to claim fault against their brothers in Christ, and to those who are strong in the faith, eating all meats in liberty, have no reason to disregard their brothers in Christ. Paul ends this verse by reminding Christians that all will stand before the Judgment Seat of God and give an account for everything he has ever said, thought, or done, and therefore, if a man is not living honestly in his heart, by his convictions, then God will judge the matter in the end.[v11] For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
This refers back to Isaiah 45:23. All men will kneel before God and confess to God that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:11), whether they want to or not.[v12] So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Meaning that every man and woman who ever lived will have their lives and their secret hearts revealed, and will have to give reasons and explanations for their actions, words, and thoughts. This is one of that, when I preach, I do not tell people what they should or should not do in their households; rather, I simply tell them the truth and let them make their own decisions because, knowing that I will be judged by the same measure by which I judge (Mat 7:2), I do not want to dictate what others do in their households, allowing them the same liberty that Christ allows them, so I would not become a stumblingblock to them, which Paul will go to talk about in the next verse. In the end, the truth will be revealed that all men are guilty before God (Rom 3:10-12), and only those who laid a foundation of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ will be saved. (1Co 3:11-15)[v13] Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
Again, as with verse 10, this is not referring to judgment in general, which we are all commanded to do, but rather, Paul is specifically referring to the observance or non-observance of meats, drinks, days, and times of Old Testament rituals. Often, such verses are used by corrupt preachers to say that a man should not judge, and they ignore the fact that Paul immediately says to "judge this rather," which immediately indicates that righteous judgment is still necessary.Righteous judgment is necessary because we are not to receive those who bring in doubtful disputes (i.e. to bring strife and contention over something not established in Scripture), and one cannot determine who brings pointless arguments without judging the matter.
judge (v): to compare facts or ideas, and perceive their agreement or disagreement, and thus to distinguish truth from falsehood
(See 'judge', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 27, 2021, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v14] I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Paul was persuaded by the doctrine of Christ, with the law and prophets being fulfilled, that nothing was unclean in itself, meaning the animals which God created were good for consumption according to His will. The entire purpose of clean versus unclean in the Old Testament was for the Jews to provide an example to the world of sanctification unto God, which is why, once the law had been fulfilled in Christ, God gave Peter a vision (Acts 10:9-16) in which He told him to kill and eat of unclean animals as well as clean, and that all were good for consumption; this being a metaphor that both the Jews and Gentiles were to hear the doctrine of repentance and remission of sins. (Luke 24:47) Therefore, under liberty in Christ, if a born again Christian has conviction not to eat a certain meat, or meat at all, that is their conviction, and so long as they do not put pressure on others to do the same, allowing others to act according to their own convictions, then they are welcome to be received in the church.The general philosophy of this concept should be noted to all believers in the same respect to many other things; for example, I have been written letters asking about whether or not it was right or wrong for a Christian to use a computer, to watch a movie, to have a bank account, or to listen to certain music. As a teacher in Jesus Christ, my job is not to give a list of rules everyone has to follow because the Lord Jesus Christ has already done that. As long as the activity does not involve sin, and is not done for the purpose of fulfilling the lusts of sin, then every Christian has liberty to act according to his own convictions on the matter, meaning that if to him, a thing is unclean, then to him, it is unclean, and as long as he does not press that same personal conviction on the rest of the church, he is accepted as brethren.
[v15] But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
On the other hand, if the meat which we consume is offensive to another, then we do not walk charitably, meaning that we are not loving our neighbor as ourselves. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses this in more detail, teaching that we know idols are nothing, and eating meat offered unto idols has no meaning (i.e. eating that meat does not make you a witch, nor does it make you guilty of practicing witchcraft); however, if we have knowledge it was offered unto idols, we ought not to eat it for the sake of our neighbors, in which they might be offended, thinking that we may be in league with pagans by our actions. (1Co 8:9-13) Thus, if we walk charitably, we ought to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mat 7:12), considering how they see things, rather than operating only according to our knowledge, so that our knowledge will not wound them. (1Co 8:1)[v16] Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
This is not to say that no man will speak evil of us, for those who hate us will speak evil of us falsely (Mat 5:11), nor is this saying that we should not endure it when we are spoken evil of, but rather, concerning things like meats, or any other such thing that has to do with religious traditions, we ought not to give any man reason to speak evil of our good conscience, and therefore, if we approach such manners in a charitable spirit, then we ought to be willing to never eat another piece of meat for the rest of our lives, so long as it would protect the young brethren, and further the cause of Christ and His Gospel. (1Co 8:13) Therefore, we should rebuke and reprove those who faulty claims against us for living honestly in Christ's liberty; not for our own sakes, but for the sake of our critics, and for all those who might be listening.[v17] For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is not permissive of sinful acts, and therefore, He would not be permissive of sinful traditions, which would include anything that has to do with adulerty, fornication, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, murders, drunkenness, revelings, or any like thing (Gal 5:21-23), and therefore, religious traditions and rituals that involve such things would not be acceptable in the church. However, aside from such instances, we need to remember that we are not saved, nor made righteous, for our observance of such rituals (i.e. by works), like abstaining from means or drinks for example. (1Co 8:8) Righteousness is not attained by ourselves and our works, but is imputed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 4:20-25), and therefore, the Kingdom of God is built on righteousness, peace, and joy through Christ, not by meat and drink.[v18] For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Those who serve Christ by keeping His commandments (John 14:15) are acceptable with God, and men have no reason to judge their good works by what type of meat they eat, but we know that men commonly look towards such petty rituals for a fake appearance of holiness, and because they close their ears to the Gospel over such insignificant matters, and because we want to abstain from all appearance of evil (1Th 5:22), even if by perceptiion alone (without evidence) one might be inclined to accuse us, we abstain from certain things at certains times in order that we might save as many as possible and bring them to the truth.[v19] Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
If we can live peaceably with others, then we ought to do so (Rom 12:18), and we ought to follow after the things which build up the church and the brethren, rather than burdening them with traditions and ordinances. As long as new Christians under the basic commandments they should follow, which is to abstain from idolatry, fornication, and eating blood and things strangled (see Johnson's notes on Acts 15:20), which were established by the church to cover a multitude of sins that may easily tarnish the good name of Christ, then the rest they will figure out as God opens their understanding, gives them wisdom and knowledge, and as they exercise their discernment. (Heb 5:12-14)[v20] For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
The doctrine of Christ is not silenced by the eating of meat, nor is a man's reward in heaven lessened by his consumption of a particular type of meat. Those who would believe that eating meats is the crux of salvation do not understand the fulfillment of Christ and that the sanctification of meats was a ritualized metaphor for what was to come, just as those who are obsesssed with Sabbath-keeping do not understand that the Sabbath was established as a ritualized metaphor for what was to come, and now that Christ has come, those things have been fulfilled, which also means that there is no more need to teach that metaphor through a ritual.All things which are good for consumption are good in the sight of God, but only unto men who are born again in Christ because to them that are corrupt, there is nothing they do that is good in His sight. (Titus 1:15) That being said, if we eat that which is pure, knowing that it is offense to our neighbor, then what we do becomes an evil deed because we do not act charitably. (1Co 13:13) Therefore, the questions of whether or not we tithe, observe the Sabbath, circumcision, or meats and drink is all answered by the fulfillment of the law, which says that "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Mat 7:12)
[v21] It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
If anyone is made weak through what we do in good conscience in Christ, and we do not consider their weak state, then we are no better than murderers in the sight of God because, when we ignore their weak state, we are thinking more about satisfying the lust of the flesh than to save the souls of those around us, which is not charity. Therefore, if pork is offensive to a Jew, and I was aware of a Jewish man in the room, then I would eat no pork in the presence of a Jewish man who might take offense to that. For example, if you invite a Christian man to be a guest in your house, and he was a former alcoholic, but you keep alcoholic beverages in the house, have you considered how that may wound his weakness, tempting him into bondage of sin? This is what is meant when Paul says that, when we consider whether it is right or wrong for us to do a certain thing, we should judge first whether or not we have put a stumblingblock in the way of others.[v22] Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Paul is not referring to the saving faith in Christ, but rather, the faith in which one is persuaded in his own mind that his particular actions are acceptable with God. This is not to say that sin is acceptable with God in any way, and that a man can say that sin is acceptable in the sight of God; a man who claims such things in attempt to justify his sin lacks the true saving faith in Jesus Christ. This is not to say that a Christian does not sin, but that a Christian does not justify sin, thereby giving himself an excuse to live in it. (Eph 5:8-11) Our faith that God has made clean all meats is a faith within ourselves, or kept within ourselves, which is opposed to the saving faith in Christ, which is to be shown and preached unto all men. (Mat 5:16) A Christian is at peace with himself when he acts according to the conscience and conviction God puts in his heart, and does not act dishonestly according to ordinances, to condemn himself of things about which his conscience is clear. (Heb 13:18)[v23] And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
If a Christian does not have faith within himself that he should eat a thing, then he acts against the Holy Spirit of God because he does not eat in both faith and charity. All things which are not done in good conscience and faith towards God, and charity to our brethren and neighbors, is sin, which is more evidence that God looks at the heart when judging a man (Pro 21:2), and that the end of the law is to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. (Mat 22:37-40; 1Co 10:28-31)Chapter 15
[v1] We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
This is a general statement that summarizes the previous chapter, in which we ought to consider the brethren who are new and young. By doing this, we love our neighbor as ourselves to the fullest extent, in which we consider their situation and perspective, and exercise patience, wisdom, and understanding (as the Lord God has done with us, 1Jo 4:11) with those who may not yet understand the fullness of the Gospel.(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Perfection" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v2] Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
This is to be taken in the context of that which is good according to the Word of God, and not in a general sense that we would become men-pleasers, to satisfy the feelings and lusts of corruption, because that would violate other commandments in Scripture. (Eph 6:6) We are not to please our neighbor in things that satisfy the flesh, but rather, we should please our neighbor in civil, lawful, and spiritual matters as the Word of God instructs us in accordance with Christ's charitable commandments. If we preach to others the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that men should come to grief and godly sorrow (i.e. repentance) of their sin and believe His Word (Mark 1:15), then many will be angered because to teach that doctrine requires that we teach the law by which sinners are given understanding of their guilt (Gal 3:24), and that is a message most people will not hear. (Mat 7:13-14) The key word in this verse is 'edification':
edification (n): a building up, in a moral and religious sense; instruction; improvement and progress of the mind, in knowledge, in morals, or in faith and holiness
(See 'edification', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Aug 6, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
(Read "Psychology: Hoodwinked by the Devil" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v3] For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
As indicated in the previous verse, our primary focus ought to be providing for the things of others, rather than ourselves (Phil 2:4), which is not to say that we should never look to the things of ourselves, for we also must eat and be clothed, but to think in such a way that everyone else is taken care of before ourselves. This verse refers back to Psalm 69:9, which is a prophetic testimony of Jesus Christ unto God the Father, saying that Israel's unjust and evil contempt, scoffing, and scorning against God fell upon Christ when He came unto them in the flesh. Understanding their ignorance, Christ suffered that reproach to save as many as possible.[v4] For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
All things that happened in Scripture were documented and preserved by God for our education, to increase our understanding of His ways, that through our study of His Word, we might increase in patience and comfort from tribulation in this world (2Pe 1:5-7), and by reading or hearing His promises, we would be consoled and have hope. (2Th 2:16) The "patience" mentioned in this verse is not the patience of study, because that is part of the "learning," but rather, patience in dealing with the harsh and cruel persecutions of the world, meaning that we deal with them in the same patient kindness that Christ has given to us, and which He gives to all men (Mat 5:45), just as the prophets before us have done, and seeing that God protected and guided His prophets, so He will protect and guide us. (Mat 6:31-34)[v5] Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
God, being merciful, preserved His perfect Word for us that we would have His patience and comfort. The word 'likeminded' is as it sounds, to be of like mind, which does not mean our thoughts and experiences will automatically be the same, but that our philosophy, which is our way of thinking, will align to the philosophy of Christ (Col 2:8), that we have the same mind according to the doctrines of repentance, faith, patience, grace, and charity. (2Co 13:11)[v6] That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not to say that we need to have the same thoughts at the same time, nor say the same things at the same time, for not all wisdom and gifts are given to all equally, but according to that which God wills, some to one, and a portion to another. (1Co 14:26) Despite our level of understanding, we ought to have the same philosophy (i.e. way of thinking) which is founded on the grace of Christ in humility, and since that which proceeds out of the mouth comes forth from the heart (Mat 15:18), we also should speak with that same philosophy, not after the tradition of men, but according to the Word of God. (Col 2:8)[v7] Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
For these reasons, we ought to receive one another, even those who, as pointed out in the last chapter, are weak in the faith, having some ignorance of Christ's fulfillment of the law, and that we who have knowledge ought to consider their needs before our own.[v8] Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Instead of coming to earth as the King of Kings, He came as a humble servant to the Jews, to minister unto them (Mat 20:28), to fulfill the books of the prophets (Luke 24:44), and confirm all the promises of God from the beginning. (Gen 3:15) The act of circumcision was fulfilled in Christ, which is why the physical act is no longer necessary, and that we ought to focus on the circumcision of the heart, which is what God commanded the Jews to do. (Deut 10:16, Deut 30:6, Jer 4:4, Rom 2:29)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Circumcision" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v9] And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
God has done these things so that those Gentiles who repent and believe on Jesus Christ would have salvation, and would glorify Him for His great mercy. This verse is referring back to Psalm 18:49, in which it is said that the heathen (i.e. the pagan Gentiles) would sing the praises of the God of Abraham.[v10] And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
[v11] And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
[v12] And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
This refers back to Isaiah 11:10, and at this point, Paul has given us more than enough evidence to prove the point that not only should the blessings of wisdom and grace go out to the Gentile nations, but that the Jews should have already understood this doctrine, being thoroughly versed in the law and prophets. Therefore, if we are born again in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, master or servant, we are all of one family, and should be all of one mind. (Gal 3:28-29)[v13] Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
When the Gentiles trust in the Lord God, the Gentiles also place their hope in Him, and that Paul desires that God will fill them with joy and peace through faith, that by the authority of the Holy Spirit within them, they will have abundant hope, so that hope itself is not a foundation of ourselves, but of Christ within us, and that the Spirit of God gives it to us plentifully, strengthening us by His Word.[v14] And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Paul is exhorting the church by pointing out that he has seen within them good deeds and understanding of the doctrines of Christ, which was evidenced by their dedication and love for the church by rebuking and correcting one another unto righteousness. They were admonishing the brethren, which is a mild warning or notification of fault, and such admonishment is not always accepted warmly. Those who have admonished others when necessary know that we have often received retaliation for such words of rebuke, but we do it for their sakes, for the sake of the church as a whole, and for our Master, Jesus Christ, not for our own comfort. This follows the doctrine that this was not rooted in them by some natural tendency of their own hearts, but rather, it was rooted in them by the Holy Spirit of God through the foundation of repentance and faith laid in them. (Heb 6:1)[v15] Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,
As with some, we may need to approach them gently, but with others, we need to speak boldly, as the Lord God gives us discernment on how we should speak to every individual as needed, which is considering others before ourselves, and that we should consider patience for those who are weak, consider boldness for those with understanding, or even consider sharp rebuke for the prideful. (Jude 1:22-23, John 8:31-59) Paul points out that he is bold with them for the purpose of bringing strict attention to these subjects because he was sent by God, in His infinite mercy, to preach this message to the Gentile nations (Luke 24:47), like those in Rome.[v16] That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Therefore, Paul's correction, rebuke, and discipline are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, as these words are given to us by God for our instruction, that we would be acceptable in the sight of God (Eph 5:10), and sanctified (i.e. set apart for a holy use) by the Holy Spirit for the purpose Christ's kingdom. (Eph 5:11)[v17] I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
Paul did not glory (i.e. boast) of himself, but in Jesus Christ, as Paul also teaches in other letters that none should glory but in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14), and only in accordance with those things that are written in Scripture.[v18] For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
The conscience which was built up by the Holy Spirit in Paul would not allow him to speak in any other way but by that which Christ had authored in Him, whereas other false teachers speak of different things that God did not put in their hearts (i.e. they spoke of what they felt, or repeated what they had heard, instead of what is taught in the Word of God), teaching for commandments the doctrines of themselves and other men. (Mat 15:9) One of the main reasons people cling to tradition is because it helps them justify their lack of understanding. (e.g. A man is asked why he does a particular thing that does not make sense, and he responds by saying, "This is the way my dad always did things.") Therefore, we can easily understand what Paul is saying, that it is abhorrant to us to teach something which we know is not true just to get others to speak or act in a certain way (which is typically done to help justify oneself by majority opinion), keeping up appearances for the sake of tradition, money, or popularity; this is fraudulent, and we know that no man can truly be converted in his words and deeds unless he is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. (Tts 3:5)[v19] Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Paul mentions Illyricum (known today as Slavonia), which was on the far end of Macedonia, and this was said to indicate a typical circular route he would make in his travels, going from one end to the other, visiting churches at certain places, and preaching to many people inbetween. Paul was given the power of the Holy Ghost to perform signs and wonders in order to prove to the people that the doctrine he preached came from the Lord God, to verify that it was His Word, so the Jews and Gentiles alike would come to repentance and faith, and then be obedient to this doctrine.[v20] Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
Paul was not necessarily going from church to church, although he did visit them from time to time out of concern for their well being, but he focused his efforts on reaching those who had not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is where his gifts were best suited for use. If another man had already done that work in the area, then he trusted in the Holy Spirit that the preacher's work was sufficient, and that even if a man might be teaching falsely in that area, then he trusted that Christ would eventually sanctify His sheep away from the wolf. (John 10:5)[v21] But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
This is referring to Isaiah 52:15, that many nations would be "sprinkled" with the truth of the Messiah. Those who had not grown up hearing the law and prophets, which frequently spoke of coming of Christ, would hear of Him, and some would be converted, being given understanding by the Spirit of God, which is a great embarrassment to Jews who rejected Christ, as they had studied Scripture for so long, and yet, could not understand because they did not have the Spirit of God to give it to them. (1Co 2:14, 2Ti 3:5-9)[v22] For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.
The church in Rome greatly desired for Paul to come visit them and preach. However, evangelism is what prevented Paul from coming to their location; he was busy going to regions that had not yet heard the doctrine of Christ. This creates a bittersweet in the church, having desire to be together, but also joyful that new converts are coming to Jesus Christ through the preaching of His Word.[v23] But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;
Now that God had taken Him everywhere that took priority to fulfill his duties, Paul could go to them for edification of the church, which was a great desire in his heart, as well as theirs.[v24] Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.
This gives us indication that Paul visited many more places than what is listed in Acts and the New Testament letters. Paul was confident that some would travel with him thitherward (i.e. on the way to) Spain, after he had spent some time with them.[v25] But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
This was not to preach the doctrine of Christ to those who had not heard it, even though he likely did that while he was there, but to minister (i.e. serve) the needs of the saints, which is something he often did, taking collections from other Gentile churches to help the poor among them (1Co 16:1-2), to heal those afflicted, and to preach the Word of God to them. (Luke 9:1-3)[v26] For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
The city of Corinth, which is where we get the name for the books of First and Second Corinthians, is a large city in Achaia. Macedonia included Philippi, which is where we get the book of Philippians, and Thessalonica, which is where we get the book of Thessalonians, and Paul did exhort these Christians for their joyous and abundant liberality in giving to the poor. (2Co 8:1-2)[v27] It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
This is said in the sense that we are debtors unto God (Rom 8:12), being given His grace freely, having all our sins forgiven, and granted eternal life. We have owed a debt to Christ which we can never repay, and therefore, the Christians in Achaia and Macedonia would give not just as a relief to the poor, but they saw it as a way, if ever so insignificant, to repay the Lord God for His kindness towards us. The doctrines of Christ for charity unto the poor and needy are many, and the second sentence in this verse is a call to action for the Christians in Italy, that they would do the good works of charity as the rest of the church.[v28] When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.
After Paul had delivered the donations of charity, which he made the priority, distributing food, clothing, and shelter to everyone as they had need, then he would visit the Italian Christians on his way to Spain.[v29] And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
Meaning that God would bless their meeting all the more, being pleased with their charitable contributions to the poor and needy, and therefore, He would make them abundantly prosperous in their fellowship and understanding of His Word.[v30] Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
The word 'strive' in this passage is not used in the sense of fighting, debate, or contesting, but rather, in the sense of laboring and making strong efforts. Not only did Paul pray for himself, as he was constantly under threat of physical harm, having many enemies who hated the doctrine of Christ, but knowing that hundreds, if not thousands praying for his guidance and protection as a whole has a much greater impact. It was not for Paul's sake that he made this request, but for the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ because the works Paul did and the gospel he preached was to and for the glory of the Lord God.[v31] That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;
The unbelievers in Judaea wanted to kill him, and though Paul was willing to go to death, as many of us in Christ are willing to go to our deaths in His name, we do not wish to suffer in such ways if, by God's mercy, he would keep us safe. The risk Paul took was for the sake of the saints, that the unbelievers would be saved, and that the poor would have their needs provided.[v32] That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
That Paul would remain safe and healthy, so that he would come to them and all would be joyful together in the presence of friends and brethren in the Spirit of God, and that also they would be refreshed with the good news of Paul's preaching, strengthening their faith in the promises of God.[v33] Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
That we in the church should have peace among one another, as Christ, being the prince of peace (Isa 9:6), had made peace in us through the blood of His cross (Col 1:20), and though many people in this world make themselves into our enemies, we ought to live peaceably with them if at all possible. (Rom 12:18)Chapter 16
[v1] I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
This is a commendation of another believer and servant of Christ, meaning that it was a compliment of her character along with a request to bring her under their care. Phebe was formerly working with the church at Cenchrea, or today known as Kenchries, which is in Corinth of Greece.[v2] That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
succorer (n): he that affords relief; a helper
(See 'succorer', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Aug 10, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v3] Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
These were Paul's good friends in Christ, who he had first met in Corinth; they had gotten along very well due to their like-mindedness, charitable spirits, and that they were all tentmakers by trade. (Acts 18:2-3)[v4] Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Aquila and Priscilla, for the sake of Paul and the ministry God gave to him, put themselves in grave danger for the sake of Paul's safety. Not only did he thank them, but the rest of the churches who had done the same.[v5] Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
When the church would meet in their house, he asked the readers of the letter to note Paul's remembrance of them. Sadly, I have heard many pastors condemn "home churches" because they have adopted a corrupt "temple-based" mindset in which they need an "official" church building, or they refuse to consider it a church, when the church is the body of believers as a whole. (i.e. It does not matter where we assemble, but rather, it just matters that we assemble. Heb 10:25) The church meetings in the house of Aquila and Priscilla was well-known among the churches in these reigions since Paul had written about it more than once. (1Co 16:19) Though Paul loved all in the church, there are some who Paul was close with due to the time they had worked together, and they were given special mention in the rest of this letter; Epaenetus likely being one of the early converts unto Christ from Achaia.[v6] Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
Women such as Mary were probably among the saints who had done a great amount of work in the service of the poor and needy. It should also be noted that, throughout this chapter, these people are not being addressed as "Brother Epaenetus" or "Sister Mary" or "Pastor Aquila" because such a tradition of passing around fancy titles of pride was not given to the New Testament church.(Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v7] Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Adronicus and Junia were born again in Christ before Paul had been converted, and they spent much time with him not only in ministry, but in prison alongside him, being unjustly accused of wrongdoing for teaching Christ's doctrine and helping the poor and needy. They were so willing to lay down their lives for Christ and their brethren, they were well-known among the apostles.[v8] Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
Amplias, another Christian near and dear to Paul.[v9] Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
Urbane and Stachys were close friends of Paul.[v10] Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.
Apelles and Aristobulus' household were all close with Paul. Some the men listed in the verses in this chapter could have been from the original group of seventy that Jesus sent out into various cities to teach the doctrine of repentance and remission of sins in Christ. (Luke 10:1)[v11] Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
Herodian and the house of Narcissus were close friends of Paul.[v12] Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.
Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis were Paul's close friends, and again, those who were his close friends showed evidence of many good works, as a hard-worker in the Lord is attracted to other hard-workers in the Lord.(Read "The Christian Work Ethic" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Rufus, another friend of Paul, and Paul had also mentioned his mother along with his own mother, which indicates the two women were good friends in service together.[v14] Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.
All of these men were likely working in evangelism and ministry, as brethren were with them, working alongside them.[v15] Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
These were all men and women working hard in charity, and laboring in the Word of God to teach others the truth.[v16] Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.
These salutations were not as the average person today considers saying "Hello" to someone. Speaking the word 'hello' to someone is no different than simply acknowledging someone's existence in a room. Rather, this salutation was an address of expressing kind wishes and respect, as close friends would be towards one another. Though in some cultures, greetings are done with a kiss on the cheek, or that kiss may be done among those who are close to one another depending on their relationship, this does not necessarily mean that the readers of the letter were to kiss all the men and women in this list, but what Paul was meant by a "holy kiss" was the same as was meant in his salutations, that they should be treated with fondness and care, with the same affection that Paul would treat them, in purity and charity of heart, in the manner of closeness one would have with a sibling.[v17] Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Knowing the fervent care Paul had for his brethren, he then warns them of danger, as he often did (Acts 20:29-31), and as any would do for someone close to them. To beseech someone means that you are making an urgent request to them, that they should mark, or take careful notice of, certain men which would cause division and offense against the doctrines of Christ. This is not in the sense that there should be no division at all, for Christ taught that He came to bring division (Luke 12:51), to separate light and darkness and the good from the evil (Heb 5:14), but rather, this is a warning to avoid, or depart from, those who bring division and sin against the doctrines we have learned from Christ.[v18] For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
When a man departs from the doctrine of God's Word, and the teachings of repentance, faith, and grace of Christ, to teach other things in accordance of his own will rather than God's, refusing to hear the truth of doctrine, it does not matter how much he claims to serve Jesus with his mouth, he is not a servant of Christ. His intention is selfish, in that he seeks money (2Pe 2:1-3), and also fame which will produce more money (3Jo 1:9-10), following the call of his grumbling stomach (Tts 1:10-16) rather than the call of God, and when he is rebuked of his evil doctrine, he will scoff at the rebuker, while at the same time speaking kind words and giving charismatic speeches in his teachings in attempt to deceive others who are ignorant of the truth, that they might depart from the truth and follow after his wicked inventions. (Col 2:8)[v19] For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
The charitable works of the saints had spread out across many nations, and though many spoke evil of them for selfish reasons, all were able to see their good works of charity, and thereby, they had a good reputation by all those who were honest. Such things are great to see of a local church, but those within the church should proceed with caution and vigilance because many will seek to corrupt such good things for their own gain, teaching false doctrines to lead the believers astray, and it is better to have a solid foundation of understanding in the doctrines of the New Testament than to understand all the intricate details of a false preacher's doctrine. This is one of the main reasons I focus so much of my attention on teaching the doctrine and philosophy (i.e. the way of thinking) of Christ, because when a Christian as a firm foundation on Christ's doctrine and philosophy, they will be amply prepared to face the countless false doctrines and philosophies of the world whenever they encounter them. (Psa 11:3) Thus, we ought to focus on the doctrine of Christ, for if we understand it thoroughly, His Word will protect us from those who puff themselves up against us. (Psalm 12)[v20] And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
This is an allusion (i.e. an indirect reference) to Genesis 3:15, in which God foretold that Christ would bruise the head of Satan, and Satan would bruise his heel, meaning that what Christ would go through would be painful, but He would live, while what Satan would go through after Christ's resurrection would be total destruction in hell and the lake of fire. In other words, Christ appeared to lose the battle on the surface, but by doing so, He won the war. Of course, Genesis 3:15 is not used in the same sense as this verse in Romans 16:20 because the Genesis prophecy was about Christ, but rather, it is an allusion, calling to mind a similar indirect reference, in that once our lives have come to an end, there will be victory in Jesus Christ, and resurrection of the dead in which Satan will be exposed for who he is and what he has done, and the saints shall share in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, which will be "shortly" because the time of our lives does not last long.[v21] Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
Paul refers to Timotheus, who is Timothy, the same that is being written to in the book of Timothy. Also Lucius, who could be the same Lucius mentioned in Acts 13:1, although that is uncertain due to the lack of details. Jason is likely the same Christian mentioned in Acts 17:5, and Sosipater (or Sopater) the Berean mentioned in Acts 20:4.[v22] I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
Tertius did not author the epistle, but simply wrote it down, either making a copy from Paul's original, or it is possible that Paul orated the letter while Tertius copied down his words, since Paul was having trouble with his eyesight. (2Co 12:7-10)[v23] Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
Gaius was giving Paul a place to stay, as not only was he one of Paul's companions (Acts 19:29), but he also may have been baptized by Paul in Corinth. (1Co 1:14)[v24] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Wishing for the grace of Christ to always be with them, through trial, tribulation, sickness, and persecution.[v25] Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
This is a reminder that it is the Lord God which, by His power, establishes us in the truth of doctrine, which is according to the doctrine Paul taught, as his doctrine is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is all in perfect harmony with the doctrine Christ taught, both coming from the Holy Spirit of God, in that the mystery of revelations delivered by the Holy Ghost through the Old Testament prophets were kept a secret and locked to the reader until such a time that God would open their eyes to understand.[v26] But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
That is, Christ is now made manifest, as well as the power of the Holy Spirit through the miracles worked by His apostles, and evidence through the gospel of Jesus Christ going out into the world, being preached among all nations. (Luke 24:44-47) These things were made known to all the world that all may come to repentance and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. (2Pe 3:9)[v27] To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
Meaning that God is the only wise among the gods of the Gentiles; there is no wisdom in false gods or in the traditions and inventions of men. This is a praise to honor God by saying "To God... be glory through Jesus Christ" that by the wonderful sacrifice and grace of Jesus Christ, God will be glorified forever.
