John Gill

Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.

“Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only?.... That is, upon the circumcised Jews; are they the only persons that partake of this happiness?”

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

“Who against hope believed in hope,.... Abraham believed the promise of God, that he might become the father of many nations, being assisted by a supernatural aid: "in hope"; of the fulfilment of it by the grace and power of God: "against hope": against all…”

being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.

“And being fully persuaded,.... He had not only faith, a strong faith, but full assurance of faith: that what he God had promised; though it was so long ago, and there were so many difficulties in the way; he was able, being the Lord God…”

Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!

“Much more then being now justified by his blood,.... The apostle here argues from justification by Christ to salvation by him, there being a certain and inseparable connection between these two; whoever is justified shall be saved; and speaks of justification "as being now by…”

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come.

“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,.... Though the law of Moses was not yet given, death exerted itself, and extended its dominion over all the sons and daughters of Adam, during the interval between Adam and Moses; which clearly shows that sin was in…”

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you,.... It has dominion over God's people in a state of unregeneracy: and after conversion it is still in them, and has great power oftentimes to hinder that which is good, and to effect that which is evil…”

But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.

“But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin,.... Not that the apostle must be thought to give thanks to God for that these persons had been the servants of sin, than which nothing is more disagreeable to God, or caused more shame…”

Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

“Know ye not, brethren,.... The apostle having asserted, Rom 6:14, that the believing Romans were "not under the law"; which he knew would be displeasing to many, and excepted to by them, especially the Jews that were among them, who though they believed in Christ…”

But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the…

“But now we are delivered from the law,.... From the ministration of it, by Moses; from it, as a covenant of works; from its rigorous exaction; from its curse and condemnation, all this by Christ; and from its being an irritating, provoking law to sin…”

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

“I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,.... There is a different reading of this passage; some copies read, and so the Vulgate Latin version, thus, "the grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord"; which may be considered as an answer to the apostle's…”

For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,.... These words are of difficult interpretation. They may be understood of the Gospel revealing and declaring deliverance from the law of Moses; wherefore there can be "no condemnation", Rom 8:1, by it.”

so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,.... By the righteousness of the law, is not meant the righteousness of the ceremonial law, though that was fulfilled by Christ; but of the moral law, which requires holiness of nature, righteousness of life…”

But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

“But if we hope for that we see not,.... Whether it be the hour of death, or the second coming of Christ, or the resurrection of the dead, and eternal glory; all which are unseen by us, and to be hoped for: then do we…”

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans…

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,.... The Spirit of God which dwells in us, by whom we are led, who is the spirit of adoption to us, who has witnessed to our spirits, that we are the children of God, whose firstfruits we have…”

And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.

“Moreover, whom he did predestinate,.... Not to sufferings, which are not expressed nor designed, but to grace and glory after mentioned.”

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

“For I am persuaded,.... These words with the following, express the strong persuasion, and full assurance of faith the apostle had, that nothing whatever could separate him and the rest of God's people, from his love towards them in Christ Jesus.”

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Nor height, nor depth,.... Neither heaven, earth, nor hell, nor any of the inhabitants of either, or anything in either; no high or low place, to be cast down from the one, or into the other; nor the height of honour and prosperity, or the…”

Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,

“For the children being not yet born, So says (h) the Chaldee paraphrast, "the prophet said unto them, was it not said of Jacob, עד דלא אתיליד, "when he was not yet born", that he should be greater than his brother?''”

For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

“For he saith to Moses,.... That is, God said to Moses. The apostle goes on to answer to the above objections, by producing some testimonies out of the writings of Moses, in favour of both branches of predestination; showing, that the doctrine he had advanced…”

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”

“Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God?.... Or "answerest again to God": some have been so weak and wicked as to suggest, that the apostle met with an objection he could not answer, or give a fair solution of, and therefore…”

What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?

“What if God, willing to show his wrath,.... The apostle proceeds to clear God from any charge of cruelty and unmercifulness, by observing his conduct in time, both towards those he passes by, and towards those he chooses; for in this and the following verse…”

including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

“Even us whom he hath called,.... From election the apostle proceeds to calling, the fruit and evidence of it, taking the same method he did in Rom 8:30, with a view to treat of the call of the Gentiles, of which he afterwards gives proof…”

but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

“But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,.... The Israelites, the far greater part of the Jews, who were not called by the grace of God, were all very zealous of the law, called "the law of righteousness"; because the matter of it was…”

as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to…

“As it is written,.... In Isa 8:14; for the beginning and end of this citation are out of the latter, and the middle of it out of the former.”

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent,.... There is no proper, rightful, regular, and lawful preaching of the word without a mission, which is either extraordinary, or ordinary; extraordinary mission was such as the apostles themselves had; who, as they were called to…”