John Gill

But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

“But I say, have they not heard?.... ואני אומר, "but I say", is a phrase frequently used by the Jewish doctors in disputation, either in forming or answering objections.”

But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

“But to Israel he saith,.... Or against Israel, or concerning Israel he saith in the same prophecy in Isa 65:2.”

“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?

“Lord, they have killed thy prophets,.... By the order of Jezebel, wife of Ahab king of Israel, 1Ki 18:4. This sin of slaying the prophets of the Lord is charged upon the Jews by Christ, Mat 23:31, and by the apostle, 1Th 2:15.”

And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

“And if by grace, then is it no more of works,.... Upon election, being called "the election of grace", the apostle forms an argument, showing the contrariety and inconsistency of grace, and works, in that affair; proving, that it must be by the one or…”

I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

“I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall?.... This is an objection, which the apostle takes from the mouth of an adversary; and the purport of it is, you say that the people of the Jews being blind, have stumbled at Christ and…”

If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

“For if the firstfruit be holy,.... Some by "the firstfruit" and "root" understand Christ, who is sometimes called, "the firstfruits of them that slept", 1Co 15:20, and "the root of Jesse and David", Isa 11:10, and indeed of all the righteous; and certain it is…”

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment…

“For I say, through the grace given unto me,.... The Ethiopic version reads, the grace of God: and so two of Stephens's copies.”

if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let…

“Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation,.... This is the other branch of prophesying or preaching, and which is more practical, and lies in giving a word of exhortation to the saints, as their particular cases call for; for as prophets were teachers, Act 13:1; so…”

Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

“Let love be without dissimulation,.... The apostle having given out suitable exhortations to the officers of this church, ministers and deacons, proceeds to stir up to the exercise of grace, and the discharge of such duties as were common to all the members of the…”

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love,.... This is one branch of that love, before advised to, which should be unfeigned, and without guile and deceit.”

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

“Rejoicing in hope,.... Of the glory of God, than the hope of which nothing can make a believer more cheerful in this world; the saints' joy is therefore called the "rejoicing of the hope", Heb 3:”

Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

“Distributing to the necessity of saints,.... Or "communicating", as many versions render the word; "distributing" more properly belongs to the officers of the church, the deacons, and communicating to the members of it in common.”

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

“Recompence to no man evil for evil,.... Neither evil words for evil words, railing for railing; nor evil deeds for evil deeds, one ill turn for another; nor the evil of punishment for the evil of fault, unless it be by persons, who under God…”

On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him,.... These words are taken from Pro 25:21, and to be understood, as a Jewish (o) writer observes, כמשמעו, according to "their literal sense"; though some of the Rabbins explain them in an allegorical way, of the corruption of…”

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,.... The apostle having finished his exhortations to this church, in relation to the several duties incumbent upon both officers and private Christians, as members of a church, and with reference to each other, and their moral…”

For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived,.... This last word "revived" is omitted by the Vulgate Latin, but very naturally placed by the Syriac, between Christ's dying and rising.”

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

“It is good neither to eat flesh,.... Any sort of flesh, even that which is not forbidden in the law, rather than offend a weak brother; and the apostle determines for himself, that he would not, where there was any danger of doing this, 1Co…”

Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

“Let everyone of us please his neighbour,.... Every man, particularly his Christian friend and brother, whom he should seek to please in all things, and by all means lawful; he should carry it affably and courteously, should make himself agreeable to him; should condescend and…”

Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,

“Now the God of patience and consolation,.... These titles and characters of God are manifestly used on account of what is before said concerning the Scriptures, and to show, that the efficacy and usefulness of them, in producing and promoting patience and comfort, entirely depend…”

so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“That ye may with one mind and one mouth;.... This is the end for which the above request is made, and shows, that a cordial and sincere affection for one another is necessary to the worshipping of God with one consent, to a joining together…”

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God.

“Wherefore receive ye one another,.... Into your hearts and affections; embrace one another cordially, the Jew the Gentile, the Gentile the Jew, the strong brother the weak, the weak the strong: as Christ also received us.”

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,

“Now I say,.... Or affirm that Christ has received both Jews and Gentiles: that he has received the Jews, and therefore they are not to be despised, though they are weak, appears from hence, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision; he is…”

Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

“And again he saith,.... God or Christ, in Deu 32:43; rejoice ye Gentiles with his people; which from the Hebrew text are by some rendered, "rejoice his people O ye Gentiles"; to which agree the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, who render it, "praise O…”

And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.”

“And again,.... It is written in Psa 117:1, praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people; that is, praise him both Jews and Gentiles, for his merciful kindness and truth, as in Rom 15:2; the Gentiles for his mercy in choosing…”

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the…

“Now the God of hope,.... This character is taken from the latter part of Rom 15:12, and is occasioned by it, "in him shall the Gentiles trust", or "hope"; and is proper to God as he is the author and giver of this grace; for…”