Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—

“He was called at one and the same time to the faith and the apostleship of Christ (Ac 26:16-18). of God--that is, the Gospel of which God is the glorious Author.”

the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

“Which he had promised afore . . . in the holy scriptures--Though the Roman Church was Gentile by nation (see on Ro 1:13), yet as it consisted mostly of proselytes to the Jewish faith (see on Introduction to this Epistle), they are here reminded that…”

and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

“This is here styled the "spirit," as an impalpable and immaterial nature (Joh 4:24), and "the spirit of holiness," probably in absolute contrast with that "likeness, of sinful flesh" which He assumed.”

Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

“(We prefer thus taking them as two distinct things, and not, with some good interpreters, as one--"the grace of apostleship").”

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

“Among whom are ye also--that is, along with others; for the apostle ascribes nothing special to the Church of Rome (compare 1Co 14:36) [BENGEL]. the called--(See on Ro 8:30). of Christ Jesus--that is, either called "by Him" (Joh 5:25), or the called "belonging to Him";”

that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

“That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me--"Not wishing to "lord it over their faith," but rather to be a "helper of their joy," the apostle corrects his former expressions: my desire is to…”

That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

“So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also--He feels himself under an all-subduing obligation to carry the gospel to all classes of mankind, as adapted to and ordained equally for all (1Co…”

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel--(The words, "of Christ," which follow here, are not found in the oldest and best manuscripts).”

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without…

“For the invisible things of him from--or "since" the creation of the world are clearly seen--the mind brightly beholding what the eye cannot discern.”

For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.

“1Co 3:20, Greek. and their foolish--"senseless," "stupid." heart--that is, their whole inner man. was darkened--How instructively is the downward progress of the human soul here traced!”

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

“And changed--or "exchanged." the glory of the uncorruptible God into--or "for" an image . . . like to corruptible man--The allusion here is doubtless to the Greek worship, and the apostle may have had in his mind those exquisite chisellings of the human form which…”

Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.

“Wherefore God also--in righteous retribution. gave them up--This divine abandonment of men is here strikingly traced in three successive stages, at each of which the same word is used (Ro 1:24, 26; and Ro 1:28, where the word is rendered "gave over").”

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie--that is, the truth concerning God into idol falsehood. and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator--Professing merely to worship the Creator by means of the creature, they soon came to lose sight of the…”

But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

“What an awful idea is here expressed--that the sinner himself is amassing, like hoarded treasure, an ever accumulating stock of divine wrath, to burst upon him in "the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God!"”

To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

“To them who, &c.--The substance of these verses is that the final judgment will turn upon character alone. by patient continuance in well-doing, &c.--Compare Lu 8:15: "That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep…”

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know His will and approve of what is superior because…

“Behold--"But if" is, beyond doubt, the true reading here. (It differs but in a single letter from the received reading, and the sense is the same).”

Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

“For circumcision--that is, One's being within the covenant of which circumcision was the outward sign and seal. verily profiteth, if thou keep the law--if the inward reality correspond to the outward sign. but if, &c.--that is, "Otherwise, thou art no better than the uncircumcised heathen."”

If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

“But the case here put is, we think, such as that of Cornelius (Ac 10:1-48), who, though outside the external pale of God's covenant, yet having come to the knowledge of the truths contained in it, do manifest the grace of the covenant without the…”

Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.

“For what if some did not believe?--It is the unbelief of the great body of the nation which the apostle points at; but as it sufficed for his argument to put the supposition thus gently, he uses this word "some" to soften prejudice.”

Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”

“But if, &c.--Another objection: "It would appear, then, that the more faithless we are, so much the more illustrious will the fidelity of God appear; and in that case, for Him to take vengeance on us for our unfaithfulness would be (to speak as men…”

Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?

“"Let God be true, and every man a liar" (Ro 3:4); and as many advocates of salvation by grace as say, "Let us do evil that good may come," "their damnation is just" (Ro 3:8).”

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“57:8) is prostituted to the purposes of deception." the poison of asps is under their lips-- (Ps 140:3): that is, "Those lips which should 'drop as an honeycomb,' and 'feed many,' and 'give thanks unto His name' (So 4:11;”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Whose mouth, &c.-- (Ps 10:7): that is, "That mouth which should be 'most sweet' (So 5:16), being 'set on fire of hell' (Jas 3:6), is filled with burning wrath against those whom it should only bless."”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

“Their feet are swift to shed blood-- (Pr 1:16; Isa 59:7): that is, "Those feet, which should 'run the way of God's commandments' (Ps 119:32), are employed to conduct men to deeds of darkest crime." 16, 17.”

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable…

“Now we know that what . . . the law--that is, the Scriptures, considered as a law of duty. saith, it saith to them that are under the law--of course, therefore, to the Jews. that every mouth--opened in self-justification.”