1Paul, commending to the Romans his calling, greeteth them, 8and professeth his concern for, and desire of coming to see, them. 16He sheweth that the gospel is for the justification of all mankind through faith; 18and having premised that sinners in general are obnoxious to God's wrath, he describeth at large the corruptions of the Gentile world.
1PAUL,1 a servant of Jesus Christ, 2called to be an apostle, 3separateda4unto the gospel of God,
1 Why Paul, who before was called Saul, held the name of Paul in all his epistles, see the reason thereof in the annotation at Acts 13 on verse 9.
2 Or, called unto an apostle, which title he here gives himself, to show straightway in the beginning that the exhortations which he gives the Romans in this Epistle were made according as his calling requires. See Acts 9:15; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20.
3 Namely, even from his mother’s womb in God’s purpose, Gal. 1:15, and afterwards actually by the command of the Holy Ghost to publish the Gospel amongst the Gentiles, Acts 13:2.
a Acts 9:15; 13:2; Gal. 1:15.
4 Namely, to preach the same.
2(Which he had promisedb aforec by his prophets in the holy 5scriptures,)
b Gen. 3:15; 22:18; 26:4; 49:10; Deut. 18:15; 2 Sam. 7:12; Psalm 132:11; Isa. 4:2; 7:14; 9:6; 40:10; Jer. 23:5; 33:14; Ezek. 34:23; 37:24; Dan. 9:24; Micah 7:20.
c before*
5 Namely, of the Old Testament.
3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which 6was made ofd the 7seed of David 8according to the flesh;
6 Or, was born, as Gal. 4:4.
d Mat. 1:1; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:30; 13:23; 2 Tim. 2:8.
7 That is, posterity.
8 That is, according to His human nature, John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16.
4And 9declared to be thee Son of God with 10power, 11according to the spirit of 12holiness, 13by the resurrection from the dead:
9 Or, explained. Gr. defined.
e Isa. 9:6; 44:6; 54:5; John 2:19; Rom. 9:5; 1 John 5:20.
10 Gr. in power, or, with power. Or, powerfully.
11 That is, according to His Divine nature, which is also called eternal Spirit, Heb. 9:14. See also 1 Tim. 3:16, and 1 Peter 3:18.
12 Or, of sanctification; that is, Who is holy in Himself, and by His merit and power makes us holy; Heb. 2:11.
13 That is, in that He raised up Himself from the dead, John 2:19, 21; 10:18.
5By whom we have received 14grace and apostleship, 15for obedience to the faith among all nations, 16for his name:
14 That is, the grace of the apostleship, or, the grace unto conversion, and besides that, unto the apostleship.
15 That is, to bring the Gentiles to the obedience of Christ, and to faith; Acts 26:16.
16 That is, in order that the name of Christ would be known to them and glorified by them. Or, in, of his name, 2 Cor. 5:20.
617Among whom are ye also the 18called of Jesus Christ:
17 Gr. in.
18 That is, who not only by the Word outwardly, but also by the power of the Spirit of Christ inwardly, are called and come unto the communion of Christ. Wherefore also in the following verse he calls them saints, and beloved of God. See Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 1:2. For although in this church also, like as in others, there might be hypocrites, yet nevertheless he always names them in the beginning of his Epistles, as charity requires, from the best part amongst them.
7To all that be in Rome, beloved 19of God, calledfto be saints: 20Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
19 Or, by God; 1 John 4:10, 19.
f 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:1.
20 Under these two words, according to the manner of speech of the Hebrews, are contained all spiritual and corporal welfare; and by the word grace is understood the origin or fountain of all God’s benefits towards us, and by the word peace the fruits and sense thereof. See Psalm 63:3; John 16:33; Rom. 5:1; Philip. 4:7.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith 21is spoken of throughout the whole world.
21 That is, is proclaimed and made known in the churches of the entire world. A figurative phrase, which notwithstanding is not without ground here, forasmuch as there came out of all quarters of the world to Rome, who could account this each in his own country.
9For Godg is my witness, whomh I serve 22with my spirit 23in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you alwaysi in my prayers;
g Rom. 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:23; 11:31; Gal. 1:20; Philip. 1:8; 1 Thes. 2:5.
h 2 Tim. 1:3.
22 Or, in my spirit, that is, with all my heart.
23 That is, in the proclamation of the Gospel; as verse 1.
i Rom. 15:23, 32.
10Making request, 24if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey 25by the will of God to come unto you.
24 Or, if yet at any time, a prosperous journey may be given me by the will of God, that I may come unto you.
25 Gr. in the will of God. He adds this, because in the spreading of the Gospel abroad, he followed the order which God by His Spirit prescribed him, Acts 16:7, 9, 10.
11Forj I long to see you, thatk I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
j 1 Thes. 3:10.
k Rom. 15:29.
12That is, that I may be 26comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
26 Or, exhorted together; for the Greek word signifies both, and both may be applied to Paul, seeing even the angels themselves get further knowledge and experience by the church of God of the manifold wisdom of God. Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12.
13Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, thatl oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was 27letm hitherto,) that I might have 28some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
l 1 Thes. 2:18.
27 Namely, either through troubles which happened, or by God’s command, as Acts 16:7.
m hindered, prevented*
28 Namely, of my ministry and calling to be an apostle of Christ among the Gentiles, to convert them to Christ, or at least to confirm them in their faith more and more.
1429I am debtor bothn to the 30Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
29 That is, I am bound, by virtue of my calling, to preach the Gospel.
n 1 Cor. 9:16.
30 Under these two (Greeks and Barbarians), all sorts of Gentiles are understood, Acts 28:2, and by wise and unwise all kinds of men in particular amongst the Greeks and Barbarians; and it seems that Paul would thereby procure the favor of the Romans, because they accounted themselves the acutest and wisest of all men.
15So, 31as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
31 Or, what concerns me, I am very ready.
16Foro32I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: forp it is 33the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew 34first, and also to the Greek.
o Psalm 40:9; 2 Tim. 1:8.
32 Or, I dread not; that is, I seek not to discharge or to withdraw myself from the proclamation of the Gospel, as one does of things about which one is ashamed.
p 1 Cor. 1:18; 15:2.
33 That is, a powerful means ordained by God for this purpose, as 1 Cor. 1:18.
34 For the Gospel had to be proclaimed first to the Jews, and afterwards to the Gentiles, Acts 13:46.
17Forq therein is 35the righteousness of God revealed 36from faith to faith: as it is written, Ther37just shall live by faith.
q Rom. 3:21; Philip. 3:9.
35 That is, the righteousness whereby we can stand before the judgment seat of God, which is only the righteousness of Christ, which is granted to us and by faith imputed by God.
36 That is, for daily increase and strengthening in the faith. See the like 2 Cor. 3:18.
r Hab. 2:4; John 3:36; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38.
37 Or, the just by faith shall live; which also agrees well with the Hebrew text, Hab. 2:4 and with the aim of Paul here.
18For 38the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all 39ungodliness and 40unrighteousness of men, who 41hold 42the truth 43in unrighteousness;
38 That is, the judgments which God sends from heaven, as is further expressed in verses 24, 26, 28, which are not sent but upon unrighteous persons.
39 Whereby is understood all sins repugnant to the first table, which are narrated in some verses following.
40 Hereby are understood the sins against the second table, which are narrated from verse 29 onward.
41 That is, suppress, doing violence to their own minds, seeing they know better than they act.
42 That is, the knowledge of God and His honor which He has revealed to persons, even through nature, as appears from the following verses.
43 That is, contrary to all right and equity, which requires that one gives God what belongs to Him.
19Becauses that which may be known 44of God is manifest in 45them; for God 46hath shewed it unto them.
s Acts 14:17.
44 Namely, as much as a person is able to know of God out of nature without God’s Word.
45 That is, in the inmost of their mind; or, among them, that is, among their wise and learned men, who have left very many clear and wise sentences and discourses hereof in their writings, although they themselves did contrary to it.
46 Namely, partly by the law of nature in their consciences, John 1:9; partly by beholding of God’s creatures, whereby His attributes are, as it were, felt; Psalm 19:1, and 148:4, 5, 6; Acts 14:15, and 17:24, etc.
20Fort the 47invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the 48things that are made, even 49his eternal power and 50Godhead; so that they are 51without excuse:
t Psalm 19:1.
47 That is, Divine attributes.
48 Gr. makements, or things made.
49 Hereby is understood the attribute of God whereby all things were created and had their beginning, which therefore, as also His Essence, must needs be eternal, because it was before all things, and a cause of all things.
50 Hereby he understands the other attributes of God’s Majesty, of which the footsteps and representations are clear in God’s creatures, such as His goodness, wisdom, righteousness, etc.
51 Gr. might be inexcusable, or, so that they are not to be excused; namely, before God’s righteous judgment, as if they had not known what they ought to have done.
21Because that, when they knew 52God, they glorified him not 53as God, neither were thankful; butu became 54vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
52 Namely, in such manner as is previously declared.
53 That is, such as belonged to His Divine majesty, even according to the knowledge which they had of Him.
u Deut. 28:28.
54 That is, they, by their deliberations, lapsed into vain imaginations of God and of His worship, and ordered them not according to the knowledge which they had of God, but according to the inclination of their corrupt senses, in the inventions of vain religions, and in the embellishments of many fabulous and vain idols, whereby the knowledge of God was more and more obscured amongst them.
22Professing themselves to be 55wise, they became fools,
55 This he speaks of their learned men or philosophers, who would have a show of wisdom, and sometimes indeed seemed to think and speak better, but nevertheless imitated foolishly the perverseness and vanity of others in their actions, 2 Kings 17:29.
23Andv56changed the glory 57of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
v 2 Kings 17:29.
56 That is, Who not only in Essence but also in attributes is unchangeable.
57 Or, exchanged for the similitude, that is, for an image that is made after the similitude of a mortal being, yea, even of fowls, etc. See Lev. 27:10; Psalm 106:20; Jer. 2:11; for, that all these sorts of idolatry were usual among the Gentiles, is manifest by their writings. See also Deut. 4:15, etc.; Acts 17:29, etc.
24Wherefore58 God also 59gave them up to uncleanness 60through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies 61between themselves:
58 Namely, for this idolatry and dishonor which they therewith inflicted upon God. See Psalm 106:20; Isa. 40:17, 18.
59 That is, restrained not their evil desires, but let them have their way, Psalm 81:12; Acts 14:16, and by His just judgment stripped them more and more of His gifts which they despised and abused, Mat. 25:28, and forsaking them, gave them over to Satan, who tempted and seduced them unto all wickedness, 1 Sam. 16:15; Mat. 6:13.
60 In verse 26 the same is rendered, unto vile affections, not that God works such dishonorable lusts or affections, for they are not of God; James 1:13:1 John 2:16. See hereof more at large the previous, 59th annotation.
61 Or, in themselves.
25Who 62changed 63the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creaturew64more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
62 Or, exchanged for deceitful embellishments of vain gods and their worships.
63 That is, the knowledge which they had of God. See verse 18.
w created thing*
64 That is, rather than the Creator Himself, Whom sometimes indeed, but very little, they worshipped together with their idols, Acts 17:23, or else passing by the Creator, Whom the greater part of them neither knew nor worshipped, Gal. 4:8.
26For this cause God gave them up untox65vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
x Lev. 18:22, 23.
65 Gr. affections of dishonor, that is, dishonorable or shameful affections. For as in 1 Thes. 4:4, 5 we are exhorted to possess our vessel in honor, that is, to withhold our bodies from uncleanness; seeing they, who resort themselves to uncleanness, they dishonor themselves and their bodies, 1 Cor. 6:18, especially they who committed such foolish sins at that time, whether they did or endured them.
27And 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 66recompence of their error which was meet.
66 That is, the righteous punishment of their idolatry or the just reward. For, idolatry, which is spiritual whoredom, is commonly punished by God with physical punishments, as we commonly see those two sins reign one with another. See Num. 25:1, 2; Rev. 17:1, 2, etc.
28And even as they did not like 67to retain God 68in their knowledge, God gave them over 69to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
67 Gr. to have.
68 Namely, which they had received from the law of nature, and beholding the things created, verse 20.
69 Gr. to a sense without the right judgment, or, a reprobate sense, that is, which does not examine, nor discern good from evil, honest from dishonest.
29Being filled with all 70unrighteousness, fornication, 71wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, 72malignity; whisperers,
70 Here begins to be mentioned the sins, which reigned among the Gentiles contrary to the second table of the law; whereof unrighteousness is the fountain, from which the rest, as streams, do flow.
71 Or, iniquity.
72 That is, perverseness of senses, when men take all things in the worst part.
3073Backbiters, 74haters of God, 75despiteful, proud, 76boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
73 Gr. contradictors.
74 Or, hated of God. But seeing here is spoken of the reigning sins of the Gentiles, it is better taken in that sense; as Rom. 8:7, the wisdom of the flesh is called the enmity against God. For, they are justly said to hate God, who love that which God hates, and hate that which God commands, Exod. 20:5.
75 That is, who do reproach or injure others in words or deeds.
76 Or, those who glory in vain, boasters.
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, 77without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
77 The Greek word signifies the affection or love which is between parents and children. This sin also reigned among the heathen, who sacrificed their children to idols, exposed them for foundlings, did kill, without transgressing against the laws.
32Who 78knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, buty have 79pleasure in them that do them.
78 That is, since a distinction between good and evil is implanted by God in their nature, and a sense of the punishment which God will execute upon evil, Rom. 2:14, 15.
y Hosea 7:3.
79 This is the highest degree of wickedness, not only to do evil, but have also a delight in this when others do the same.