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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
on the Whole Bible
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Matthew Henry |
R O M A N S.
CHAP. I.
In this chapter we may observe,
I. The preface and introduction to the whole epistle, to
II. A description of the deplorable condition of the Gentile world,
which begins the proof of the doctrine of justification by faith, here
laid down at
The first is according to the then usual formality of a letter, but
intermixed with very excellent and savoury expressions.
| The Apostle’s Commission. | A. D. 58. |
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1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,
separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy
scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of
the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience
to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7 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.
In this paragraph we have,
I. The person who writes the epistle described
(v. 1):
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ; this is his title of honour,
which he glories in, not as the Jewish teachers, Rabbi, Rabbi;
but a servant, a more immediate attendant, a steward in the house.
Called to be an apostle. Some think he alludes to his old name
Saul, which signifies one called for, or enquired after:
Christ sought him to make an apostle of him,
He here builds his authority upon his call; he did not run without
sending, as the false apostles did; kletos
apostolos—called an apostle, as if this were the name
he would be called by, though he acknowledged himself not meet to be
called so,
Separated to the gospel of God. The Pharisees had their name
from separation, because they separated themselves to the study of
the law, and might be called aphorismenoi eis ton
nomon; such a one Paul had formerly been; but now he had
changed his studies, was aphorismenos eis to Euangelion,
a gospel Pharisee, separated by the counsel of God
(Gal. i. 15),
separated from his mother’s womb, by an immediate direction of
the Spirit, and a regular ordination according to that direction
by a dedication of himself to this work. He was an entire devotee to
the gospel of God, the gospel which has God for its author, the origin
and extraction of it divine and heavenly.
II. Having mentioned the gospel of God, he digresses, to give us an
encomium of it.
1. The antiquity of it. It was promised before
(v. 2);
it was no novel upstart doctrine, but of ancient standing in the
promises and prophecies of the old Testament, which did all unanimously
point at the gospel, the morning-beams that ushered in the sun of
righteousness; this not by word of mouth only, but in the
scriptures.
2. The subject-matter of it: it is concerning Christ,
The prophets and apostles all bear witness to him; he is the true
treasure hid in the field of the scriptures. Observe, When Paul
mentions Christ, how he heaps up his names and titles, his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, as one that took a pleasure in speaking of him;
and, having mentioned him, he cannot go on in his discourse without
some expression of love and honour, as here, where in one person he
shows us his two distinct natures.
(1.) His human nature: Made of the seed of David
(v. 3),
that is, born of the virgin Mary, who was of the house of David
(Luke i. 27),
as was Joseph his supposed father,
David is here mentioned, because of the special promises made to him
concerning the Messiah, especially his kingly office;
Ps. cxxxii. 11, compared with Luke i. 32, 33.
(2.) His divine nature: Declared to be the Son of God
(v. 4),
the Son of God by eternal generation, or, as it is here explained,
according to the Spirit of holiness. According to the flesh,
that is, his human nature, he was of the seed of David; but,
according to the Spirit of holiness, that is, the divine nature
(as he is said to be quickened by the Spirit,
1 Pet. iii. 18,
compared with 2 Cor. xiii. 4),
he is the Son of God. The great proof or demonstration of this is
his resurrection from the dead, which proved it effectually and
undeniably. The sign of the prophet Jonas, Christ’s resurrection, was
intended for the last conviction,
Those that would not be convinced by that would be convinced by
nothing. So that we have here a summary of the gospel doctrine
concerning Christ’s two natures in one person.
3. The fruit of it
(v. 5);
By whom, that is, by Christ manifested and made known in the
gospel, we (Paul and the rest of the ministers) have received
grace and apostleship, that is, the favour to be made apostles,
The apostles were made a spectacle to the world, led a life of toil,
and trouble, and hazard, were killed all the day long, and yet
Paul reckons the apostleship a favour: we may justly reckon it a great
favour to be employed in any work or service for God, whatever
difficulties or dangers we may meet with in it. This apostleship was
received for obedience to the faith, that is, to bring people to
that obedience; as Christ, so his ministers, received that they might
give. Paul’s was for this obedience among all nations, for he
was the apostle of the Gentiles,
ch. xi. 13.
Observe the description here given of the Christian profession: it is
obedience to the faith. It does not consist in a notional
knowledge or a naked assent, much less does it consist in perverse
disputings, but in obedience. This obedience to the faith answers the
law of faith, mentioned
The act of faith is the obedience of the understanding to God
revealing, and the product of that is the obedience of the will to God
commanding. To anticipate the ill use which might be made of the
doctrine of justification by faith without the works of the law, which
he was to explain in the following epistle, he here speaks of
Christianity as an obedience. Christ has a yoke. “Among whom are
you,
v. 6.
You Romans in this stand upon the same level with other Gentile nations
of less fame and wealth; you are all one in Christ.” The gospel
salvation is a common salvation,
No respect of persons with God. The called of Jesus Christ; all
those, and those only, are brought to an obedience of the faith that
are effectually called of Jesus Christ.
III. The persons to whom it is written
(v. 7):
To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints;
that is, to all the professing Christians that were in Rome, whether
Jews or Gentiles originally, whether high or low, bond or free, learned
or unlearned. Rich and poor meet together in Christ Jesus. Here is,
1. The privilege of Christians: They are beloved of God, they
are members of that body which is beloved, which is God’s
Hephzibah, in which his delight is. We speak of God’s love by
his bounty and beneficence, and so he hath a common love to all mankind
and a peculiar love for true believers; and between these there is a
love he hath for all the body of visible Christians.
2. The duty of Christians; and that is to be holy, for hereunto are
they called, called to be saints, called to salvation through
sanctification. Saints, and only saints, are beloved of God with a
special and peculiar love. Kletois hagiois—called
saints, saints in profession; it were well if all that are called
saints were saints indeed. Those that are called saints should labour
to answer to the name; otherwise, though it is an honour and a
privilege, yet it will be of little avail at the great day to have been
called saints, if we be not really so.
IV. The apostolical benediction
(v. 7):
Grace to you and peace. This is one of the tokens in every
epistle; and it hath not only the affection of a good wish, but the
authority of a blessing. The priests under the law were to bless the
people, and so are gospel ministers, in the name of the Lord. In this
usual benediction observe,
1. The favours desired: Grace and peace. The Old-Testament
salutation was, Peace be to you; but now grace is
prefixed–grace, that is, the favour of God towards us or the
work of God in us; both are previously requisite to true peace. All
gospel blessings are included in these two: grace and peace.
Peace, that is all good; peace with God, peace in your own
consciences, peace with all that are about you; all these founded in
grace.
2. The fountain of those favours, from God our Father, and the Lord
Jesus Christ. All good comes,
(1.) From God as a Father; he hath put himself into that relation to
engage and encourage our desires and expectations; we are taught, when
we come for grace and peace, to call him our Father.
(2.) From the Lord Jesus Christ, as Mediator, and the great
feoffee in trust for the conveying and securing of these benefits. We
have them from his fulness, peace from the fulness of his merit, grace
from the fulness of his Spirit.
| Paul’s Love to the Roman Christians. | A. D. 58. |
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8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that
your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 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;
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a
prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some
spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the
mutual faith both of you and me.
13 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.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both
to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to
you that are at Rome also.
We may here observe,
I. His thanksgivings for them
(v. 8):
First, I thank my God. It is good to begin every thing with
blessing God, to make that the alpha and omega of every song,
in every thing to give thanks.—My God. He speaks this
with delight and triumph. In all our thanksgivings, it is good for us
to eye God as our God; this makes every mercy sweet, when we can say of
God, “He is mine in covenant.”–Through Jesus Christ. All our
duties and performances are pleasing to God only through Jesus Christ,
praises as well as prayers.–For you all. We must express our
love to our friends, not only by praying for them, but by praising God
for them. God must have the glory of all the comfort we have in our
friends; for every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes
it to be. Many of these Romans Paul had no personal acquaintance with,
and yet he could heartily rejoice in their gifts and graces. When some
of the Roman Christians met him
he thanked God for them, and took courage; but here his true catholic
love extends itself further, and he thanks God for them all; not
only for those among them that were his helpers in Christ, and that
bestowed much labour upon him (of whom he speaks
but for them all.–That your faith is spoken of. Paul travelled
up and down from place to place, and, wherever he came, he heard great
commendations of the Christians at Rome, which he mentions, not to make
them proud, but to quicken them to answer the general character people
gave of them, and the general expectation people had from them. The
greater reputation a man hath for religion, the more careful he should
be to preserve it, because a little folly spoils him that is in
reputation,
Eccl. x. 1.–Throughout
the whole world, that is, the Roman empire, into which the Roman
Christians, upon Claudius’s edict to banish all the Jews from Rome,
were scattered abroad, but had now returned, and, it seems, left a very
good report behind them, wherever they had been, in all the churches.
There was this good effect of their sufferings: if they had not been
persecuted, they had not been famous. This was indeed a good name, a
name for good things with God and good people. As the elders of old, so
these Romans, obtained a good report through faith,
Heb. xi. 2.
It is a desirable thing to be famous for faith. The faith of the Roman
Christians came to be thus talked of, not only because it was excelling
in itself, but because it was eminent and observable in its
circumstances. Rome was a city upon a hill, every one took notice of
what was done there. Thus those who have many eyes upon them have need
to walk circumspectly, for what they do, good or bad, will be spoken
of. The church of Rome was then a flourishing church; but since that
time how is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed!
Rome is not what it was. She was then espoused a chaste virgin to
Christ, and excelled in beauty; but she has since degenerated,
dealt treacherously, and embraced the bosom of a stranger; so that
(as that good old book, the Practice of Piety, makes appear in
no less than twenty-six instances) even the epistle to the
Romans is now an epistle against the Romans; little reason
has she therefore to boast of her former credit.
II. His prayer for them,
v. 9.
Though a famous flourishing church, yet they had need to be prayed for;
they had not yet attained. Paul mentions this as an instance of
his love to them. One of the greatest kindnesses we can do our friends,
and sometimes the only kindness that is in the power of our hands, is,
by prayer to recommend them to the loving-kindness of God. From Paul’s
example here we may learn,
1. Constancy in prayer: Always without ceasing. He did himself
observe the same rules he gave to others,
Not that Paul did nothing else but pray, but he kept up stated times
for the solemn performance of that duty, and those very frequent, and
observed without fail.
2. Charity in prayer: I make mention of you. Though he had not
particular acquaintance with them, nor interest in them, yet he prayed
for them; not only for all saints in general, but he made express
mention of them. It is not unfit sometimes to be express in our prayers
for particular churches and places; not to inform God, but to affect
ourselves. We are likely to have the most comfort in those friends that
we pray most for. Concerning this he makes a solemn appeal to the
searcher of hearts: For God is my witness. It was in a weighty
matter, and in a thing known only to God and his own heart, that he
used this asseveration. It is very comfortable to be able to call God
to witness to our sincerity and constancy in the discharge of a duty.
God is particularly a witness to our secret prayers, the matter of
them, the manner of the performance; then our Father sees in secret,
God, whom I serve with my spirit. Those that serve God with
their spirits may, with a humble confidence, appeal to him; hypocrites
who rest in bodily exercise cannot. His particular prayer, among many
other petitions he put up for them, was that he might have an
opportunity of paying them a visit
(v. 10):
Making request, if by any means, &c. Whatever comfort we desire
to find in any creature, we must have recourse to God for it by prayer;
for our times are in his hand, and all our ways at his disposal.
The expressions here used intimate that he was very desirous of such an
opportunity: if by any means; that he had long and often been
disappointed: now at length; and yet that he submitted it to the
divine Providence: a prosperous journey by the will of God. As
in our purposes, so in our desires, we must still remember to insert
this, if the Lord will,
James iv. 15.
Our journeys are prosperous or otherwise according to the will of God,
comfortable or not as he pleases.
III. His great desire to see them, with the reasons of it,
He had heard so much of them that he had a great desire to be better
acquainted with them. Fruitful Christians are as much the joy as barren
professors are the grief of faithful ministers. Accordingly, he
often purposed to come, but was let hitherto
(v. 13),
for man purposeth, but God disposeth. He was hindered by other business
that took him off, by his care of other churches, whose affairs were
pressing; and Paul was for doing that first, not which was most
pleasant (then he would have gone to Rome), but which was most
needful–a good example to ministers, who must not consult their own
inclinations so much as the necessity of their people’s souls. Paul
desired to visit these Romans,
1. That they might be edified
(v. 11):
That I may impart unto you. He received, that he might
communicate. Never were full breasts so desirous to be drawn out to the
sucking infant as Paul’s head and heart were to be imparting spiritual
gifts, that is, preaching to them. A good sermon is a good gift, so
much the better for being a spiritual gift.–To the end you may be
established. Having commended their flourishing he here expresses
his desire of their establishment, that as they grew upward in the
branches they might grow downward in the root. The best saints, while
they are in such a shaking world as this, have need to be more and more
established; and spiritual gifts are of special use for our
establishment.
2. That he might be comforted,
What he heard of their flourishing in grace was so much a joy to him
that it must needs be much more so to behold it. Paul could take
comfort in the fruit of the labours of other ministers.–By the
mutual faith both of you and me, that is, our mutual faithfulness
and fidelity. It is very comfortable when there is a mutual confidence
between minister and people, they confiding in him as a faithful
minister, and he in them as a faithful people. Or, the mutual work of
faith, which is love; they rejoiced in the expressions of one another’s
love, or communicating their faith one to another. It is very
refreshing to Christians to compare notes about their spiritual
concerns; thus are they sharpened, as iron sharpens iron.–That I
might have some fruit,
v. 13.
Their edification would be his advantage, it would be fruit abounding
to a good account. Paul minded his work, as one that believed the more
good he did the greater would his reward be.
3. That he might discharge his trust as the apostle of the Gentiles
(v. 14):
I am a debtor.
(1.) His receivings made him a debtor; for they were talents he was
entrusted with to trade for his Master’s honour. We should think of
this when we covet great things, that all our receivings put us in
debt; we are but stewards of our Lord’s goods.
(2.) His office made him a debtor. He was a debtor as he was an
apostle; he was called and sent to work, and had engaged to mind it.
Paul had improved his talent, and laboured in his work, and done as
much good as ever any man did, and yet, in reflection upon it, he still
writes himself debtor; for, when we have done all, we are but
unprofitable servants.–Debtor to the Greeks, and to the
barbarians, that is, as the following words explain it, to the
wise and to the unwise. The Greeks fancied themselves to have the
monopoly of wisdom, and looked upon all the rest of the world as
barbarians, comparatively so; not cultivated with learning and arts as
they were. Now Paul was a debtor to both, looked upon himself as
obliged to do all the good he could both to the one and to the other.
Accordingly, we find him paying his debt, both in his preaching and in
his writing, doing good both to Greeks and barbarians, and
suiting his discourse to the capacity of each. You may observe a
difference between his sermon at Lystra among the plain Lycaonians
&c.) and his sermon at Athens among the polite philosophers,
&c. He delivered both as debtor to each, giving to each their portion.
Though a plain preacher, yet, as debtor to the wise, he speaks wisdom
among those that are perfect,
For these reasons he was ready, if he had an opportunity, to preach
the gospel at Rome,
v. 15.
Though a public place, though a perilous place, where Christianity met
with a great deal of opposition, yet Paul was ready to run the risk at
Rome, if called to it: I am ready—prothymon. It
denotes a great readiness of mind, and that he was very forward to it.
What he did was not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. It is an
excellent thing to be ready to meet every opportunity of doing or
getting good.
| Paul’s Discourse on Justification. | A. D. 58. |
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16 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.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith
to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;
Paul here enters upon a large discourse of justification, in the latter
part of this chapter laying down his thesis, and, in order to the proof
of it, describing the deplorable condition of the Gentile world. His
transition is very handsome, and like an orator: he was ready to preach
the gospel at Rome, though a place where the gospel was run down by
those that called themselves the wits; for, saith he, I am
not ashamed of it,
v. 16.
There is a great deal in the gospel which such a man as Paul might be
tempted to be ashamed of, especially that he whose gospel it is was a
man hanged upon a tree, that the doctrine of it was plain, had little
in it to set it off among scholars, the professors of it were mean and
despised, and every where spoken against; yet Paul was not ashamed to
own it. I reckon him a Christian indeed that is neither ashamed of the
gospel nor a shame to it. The reason of this bold profession, taken
from the nature and excellency of the gospel, introduces his
dissertation.
I. The proposition,
The excellency of the gospel lies in this, that it reveals to us,
1. The salvation of believers as the end: It is the power of God
unto salvation. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, how mean and
contemptible soever it may appear to a carnal eye; for the power of
God works by it the salvation of all that believe; it shows us
the way of salvation
(Acts xvi. 17),
and is the great charter by which salvation is conveyed and made over
to us. But,
(1.) It is through the power of God; without that power the
gospel is but a dead letter; the revelation of the gospel is the
revelation of the arm of the Lord
(Isa. liii. 1),
as power went along with the word of Christ to heal diseases.
(2.) It is to those, and those only, that believe. Believing interests
us in the gospel salvation; to others it is hidden. The medicine
prepared will not cure the patient if it be not taken.–To the Jew
first. The lost sheep of the house of Israel had the first offer
made them, both by Christ and his apostles. You first
(Acts iii. 26),
but upon their refusal the apostles turned to the Gentiles,
Jews and Gentiles now stand upon the same level, both equally miserable
without a Saviour, and both equally welcome to the Saviour,
Such doctrine as this was surprising to the Jews, who had hitherto been
the peculiar people, and had looked with scorn upon the Gentile world;
but the long-expected Messiah proves a light to enlighten the
Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel.
2. The justification of believers as the way
(v. 17):
For therein, that is, in this gospel, which Paul so much
triumphs in, is the righteousness of God revealed. Our misery
and ruin being the product and consequent of our iniquity, that which
will show us the way of salvation must needs show us the way of
justification, and this the gospel does. The gospel makes known a
righteousness. While God is a just and holy God, and we are guilty
sinners, it is necessary we should have a righteousness wherein to
appear before him; and, blessed be God, there is such a righteousness
brought in by Messiah the prince
and revealed in the gospel; a righteousness, that is, a
gracious method of reconciliation and acceptance, notwithstanding the
guilt of our sins. This evangelical righteousness,
(1.) Is called the righteousness of God; it is of God’s
appointing, of God’s approving and accepting. It is so called to cut
off all pretensions to a righteousness resulting from the merit of our
own works. It is the righteousness of Christ, who is God, resulting
from a satisfaction of infinite value.
(2.) It is said to be from faith to faith, from the faithfulness
of God revealing to the faith of man receiving (so some); from the
faith of dependence upon God, and dealing with him immediately, as Adam
before the fall, to the faith of dependence upon a Mediator, and so
dealing with God (so others); from the first faith, by which we are put
into a justified state, to after faith, by which we live, and are
continued in that state: and the faith that justifies us is no less
than our taking Christ for our Saviour, and becoming true Christians,
according to the tenour of the baptismal covenant; from faith
engrafting us into Christ, to faith deriving virtue from him as our
root: both implied in the next words, The just shall live by faith.
Just by faith, there is faith justifying us; live by faith,
there is faith maintaining us; and so there is a righteousness from
faith to faith. Faith is all in all, both in the beginning and
progress of a Christian life. It is not from faith to works, as if
faith put us into a justified state, and then works preserved and
maintained us in it, but it is all along from faith to faith, as
from glory to glory; it is increasing, continuing, persevering
faith, faith pressing forward, and getting ground of unbelief. To show
that this is no novel upstart doctrine, he quotes for it that famous
scripture in the Old Testament, so often mentioned in the New
(Hab. ii. 4):
The just shall live by faith. Being justified by faith he shall
live by it both the life of grace and of glory. The prophet there had
placed himself upon the watch-tower, expecting some extraordinary
discoveries
(v. 1),
and the discovery was of the certainty of the appearance of the
promised Messiah in the fulness of time, not withstanding seeming
delays. This is there called the vision, by way of eminence, as
elsewhere the promise; and while that time is coming, as well as
when it has come, the just shall live by faith. Thus is the
evangelical righteousness from faith to faith–from Old-Testament faith
in a Christ to come to New-Testament faith in a Christ already
come.
II. The proof of this proposition, that both Jews and Gentiles stand in
need of a righteousness wherein to appear before God, and that neither
the one nor the other have nay of their own to plead. Justification
must be either by faith or works. It cannot be by works, which he
proves at large by describing the works both of Jews and Gentiles; and
therefore he concludes it must be by faith,
The apostle, like a skilful surgeon, before he applies the plaster,
searches the wound–endeavours first to convince of guilt and wrath,
and then to show the way of salvation. This makes the gospel the more
welcome. We must first see the righteousness of God condemning, and
then the righteousness of God justifying will appear worthy of all
acceptation. In general
(v. 18),
the wrath of God is revealed. The light of nature and the light
of the law reveal the wrath of God from sin to sin. It is well for us
that the gospel reveals the justifying righteousness of God from faith
to faith. The antithesis is observable. Here is,
1. The sinfulness of man described; he reduceth it to two heads,
ungodliness and unrighteousness; ungodliness against the laws of
the first table, unrighteousness against those of the second.
2. The cause of that sinfulness, and that is, holding the truth in
unrighteousness. Some communes notitæ, some ideas they had
of the being of God, and of the difference of good and evil; but they
held them in unrighteousness, that is, they knew and professed them in
a consistency with their wicked courses. They held the truth as a
captive or prisoner, that it should not influence them, as otherwise it
would. An unrighteous wicked heart is the dungeon in which many a good
truth is detained and buried. Holding fast the form of sound words
in faith and love is the root of all religion
(2 Tim. i. 13),
but holding it fast in unrighteousness is the root of all sin.
3. The displeasure of God against it: The wrath of God is revealed
from heaven; not only in the written word, which is given by
inspiration of God (the Gentiles had not that), but in the
providences of God, his judgments executed upon sinners, which do not
spring out of the dust, or fall out by chance, nor are they to be
ascribed to second causes, but they are a revelation from heaven. Or
wrath from heaven is revealed; it is not the wrath of a man like
ourselves, but wrath from heaven, therefore the more terrible
and the more unavoidable.
| The Excellency of the Gospel. | A. D. 58. |
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19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them;
for God hath showed it unto them.
20 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:
21 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.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed
beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between
themselves:
25 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.
26 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:
27 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.
28 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;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural
affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 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.
In this last part of the chapter the apostle applies what he had said
particularly to the Gentile world, in which we may observe,
I. The means and helps they had to come to the knowledge of God. Though
they had not such a knowledge of his law as Jacob and Israel had
yet among them he left not himself without witness
(Acts xiv. 17):
For that which may be known, &c.,
Observe,
1. What discoveries they had: That which may be known of God is
manifest, en autois—among them; that is, there
were some even among them that had the knowledge of God, were convinced
of the existence of one supreme Numen. The philosophy of
Pythagoras, Plato, and the Stoics, discovered a great deal of the
knowledge of God, as appears by abundance of testimonies. That which
may be known, which implies that there is a great deal which may
not be known. The being of God may be apprehended, but cannot be
comprehended. We cannot by searching find him out,
Finite understandings cannot perfectly know an infinite being; but,
blessed be God, there is that which may be known, enough to lead us to
our chief end, the glorifying and enjoying of him; and these things
revealed belong to us and to our children, while secret things are not
to be pried into,
2. Whence they had these discoveries: God hath shown it to them.
Those common natural notions which they had of God were imprinted upon
their hearts by the God of nature himself, who is the Father of
lights. This sense of a Deity, and a regard to that Deity, are so
connate with the human nature that some think we are to distinguish men
from brutes by these rather than by reason.
3. By what way and means these discoveries and notices which they had
were confirmed and improved, namely, by the work of creation
(v. 20);
For the invisible things of God, &c.
(1.) Observe what they knew: The invisible things of him, even his
eternal power and Godhead. Though God be not the object of sense,
yet he hath discovered and made known himself by those things that are
sensible. The power and Godhead of God are invisible things, and yet
are clearly seen in their products. He works in secret
(Job xxiii. 8, 9; Ps. cxxxix. 15;
Eccl. xi. 5),
but manifests what he has wrought, and therein makes known his power
and Godhead, and others of his attributes which natural light
apprehends in the idea of a God. They could not come by natural light
to the knowledge of the three persons in the Godhead (though some fancy
they have found footsteps of this in Plato’s writings), but they did
come to the knowledge of the Godhead, at least so much knowledge as was
sufficient to have kept them from idolatry. This was that truth which
they held in unrighteousness.
(2.) How they knew it: By the things that are made, which could
not make themselves, nor fall into such an exact order and harmony by
any casual hits; and therefore must have been produced by some first
cause or intelligent agent, which first cause could be no other than an
eternal powerful God. See
Isa. xl. 26; Acts xvii. 24.
The workman is known by his work. The variety, multitude, order,
beauty, harmony, different nature, and excellent contrivance, of the
things that are made, the direction of them to certain ends, and the
concurrence of all the parts to the good and beauty of the whole, do
abundantly prove a Creator and his eternal power and Godhead. Thus did
the light shine in the darkness. And this from the creation of the
world. Understand it either,
[1.] As the topic from which the knowledge of them is drawn. To evince
this truth, we have recourse to the great work of creation. And some
think this ktisis kosmou, this creature of the
world (as it may be read), is to be understood of man, the
ktisis kat exochen—the most remarkable creature
of the lower world, called ktisis,
Mark xvi. 15.
The frame and structure of human bodies, and especially the most
excellent powers, faculties, and capacities of human souls, do
abundantly prove that there is a Creator, and that he is God. Or,
[2.] As the date of the discovery. It as old as the creation of the
world. In this sense apo ktiseos is most frequently used
in scripture. These notices concerning God are not any modern
discoveries, hit upon of late, but ancient truths, which were from the
beginning. The way of the acknowledgement of God is a good old way; it
was from the beginning. Truth got the start of error.
II. Their gross idolatry, notwithstanding these discoveries that God
made to them of himself; described here,
We shall the less wonder at the inefficacy of these natural discoveries
to prevent the idolatry of the Gentiles if we remember how prone even
the Jews, who had scripture light to guide them, were to idolatry; so
miserably are the degenerate sons of men plunged in the mire of sense.
Observe,
1. The inward cause of their idolatry,
They are therefore without excuse, in that they did know God, and from
what they knew might easily infer that it was their duty to worship
him, and him only. Though some have greater light and means of
knowledge than others, yet all have enough to leave them inexcusable.
But the mischief of it was that,
(1.) They glorified him not as God. Their affections towards
him, and their awe and adoration of him, did not keep pace with their
knowledge. To glorify him as God is to glorify him only; for there can
be but one infinite: but they did not so glorify him, for they set up a
multitude of other deities. To glorify him as God is to worship him
with spiritual worship; but they made images of him. Not to glorify God
as God is in effect not to glorify him at all; to respect him as a
creature is not to glorify him, but to dishonour him.
(2.) Neither were they thankful; not thankful for the favours in
general they received from God (insensibleness of God’s mercies is at
the bottom of our sinful departures from him); not thankful in
particular for the discoveries God was pleased to make of himself to
them. Those that do not improve the means of knowledge and grace are
justly reckoned unthankful for them.
(3.) But they became vain in their imaginations, en tois
dialogismois—in their reasonings, in their practical
inferences. They had a great deal of knowledge of general truths
(v. 19),
but no prudence to apply them to particular cases. Or, in their notions
of God, and the creation of the world, and the origination of mankind,
and the chief good; in these things, when they quitted the plain truth,
they soon disputed themselves into a thousand vain and foolish fancies.
The several opinions and hypotheses of the various sects of
philosophers concerning these things were so many vain imaginations.
When truth is forsaken, errors multiply in
infinitum—infinitely.
(4.) And their foolish heart was darkened. The foolishness and
practical wickedness of the heart cloud and darken the intellectual
powers and faculties. Nothing tends more to the blinding and perverting
of the understanding than the corruption and depravedness of the will
and affections.
(5.) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
v. 22.
This looks black upon the philosophers, the pretenders to wisdom and
professors of it. Those that had the most luxuriant fancy, in framing
to themselves the idea of a God, fell into the most gross and absurd
conceits: and it was the just punishment of their pride and
self-conceitedness. It has been observed that the most refined nations,
that made the greatest show of wisdom, were the arrantest fools in
religion. The barbarians adored the sun and moon, which of all others
was the most specious idolatry; while the learned Egyptians worshipped
an ox and an onion. The Grecians, who excelled them in wisdom, adored
diseases and human passions. The Romans, the wisest of all, worshipped
the furies. And at this day the poor Americans worship the thunder;
while the ingenious Chinese adore the devil. Thus the world by
wisdom knew not God,
1 Cor. i. 21.
As a profession of wisdom is an aggravation of folly, so a proud
conceit of wisdom is the cause of a great deal of folly. Hence we read
of few philosophers who were converted to Christianity; and Paul’s
preaching was no where so laughed at and ridiculed as among the learned
Athenians,
Phaskontes einai—conceiting themselves to be wise.
The plain truth of the being of God would not content them; they
thought themselves above that, and so fell into the greatest
errors.
2. The outward acts of their idolatry,
(1.) Making images of God
(v. 23),
by which, as much as in them lay, they changed the glory of the
incorruptible God. Compare
They ascribed a deity to the most contemptible creatures, and by them
represented God. It was the greatest honour God did to man that he
made man in the image of God; but it is the greatest dishonour man has
done to God that he has made God in the image of man. This was what
God so strictly warned the Jews against,
&c. This the apostle shows the folly of in his sermon at Athens,
See
&c. This is called
(v. 25)
changing the truth of God into a lie. As it did dishonour his
glory, so it did misrepresent his being. Idols are called lies, for
they belie God, as if he had a body, whereas he is a Spirit,
Teachers of lies,
Hab. ii. 18.
(2.) Giving divine honour to the creature: Worshipped and served the
creature, para ton ktisavta—besides the
Creator. They did own a supreme Numen in their profession,
but they did in effect disown him by the worship they paid to the
creature; for God will be all or none. Or, above the Creator,
paying more devout respect to their inferior deities, stars, heroes,
demons, thinking the supreme God inaccessible, or above their worship.
The sin itself was their worshipping the creature at all; but this is
mentioned as an aggravation of the sin, that they worshipped the
creature more than the Creator. This was the general wickedness of the
Gentile world, and became twisted in with their laws and government; in
compliance with which even the wise men among them, who knew and owned
a supreme God and were convinced of the nonsense and absurdity of their
polytheism and idolatry, yet did as the rest of their neighbours did.
Seneca, in his book De Superstitione, as it is quoted by
Aug. de Civit. Dei, lib. 6, cap. 10 (for the book itself is
lost), after he had largely shown the great folly and impiety of the
vulgar religion, in divers instances of it, yet concludes, Quæ
omnia sapiens servabit tanquam legibus jussa, non tanquam diis
grata–All which a wise man will observe as established by law, not
imagining them grateful to the gods. And afterwards, Omnem istam
ignobilem deorum turbam, quam longo ævo longa superstitio
congessit, sic adorabimus, ut meminerimus cultum ejus magis ad morem
quam ad rem pertinere–All this ignoble rout of gods, which ancient
superstition has amassed together by long prescription, we will so
adore as to remember that the worship of them is rather a compliance
with custom than material in itself. Upon which Augustine observes,
Coleb at quod reprehendebat, agebat quod arguebat, quod culpabat
adorabat–He worshipped that which he censured, he did that which he
had proved wrong, and he adored what he found fault with. I mention
this thus largely because methinks it doth fully explain that of the
apostle here
(v. 18):
Who hold the truth in unrighteousness. It is observable that
upon the mention of the dishonour done to God by the idolatry of the
Gentiles the apostle, in the midst of his discourse, expresses himself
in an awful adoration of God: Who is blessed for ever. Amen.
When we see or hear of any contempt cast upon God or his name, we
should thence take occasion to think and speak highly and honourably of
him. In this, as in other things, the worse others are, the better we
should be. Blessed for ever, notwithstanding these dishonours
done to his name: though there are those that do not glorify him, yet
he is glorified, and will be glorified to eternity.
III. The judgments of God upon them for this idolatry; not many
temporal judgments (the idolatrous nations were the conquering ruling
nations of the world), but spiritual judgments, giving them up to the
most brutish and unnatural lusts. Paredoken autous—He
gave them up; it is thrice repeated here,
Spiritual judgments are of all judgments the sorest, and to be most
dreaded. Observe,
1. By whom they were given up. God gave them up, in a way of righteous
judgment, as the just punishment of their idolatry–taking off the
bridle of restraining grace–leaving them to themselves–letting them
alone; for his grace is his own, he is debtor to no man, he may give or
withhold his grace at pleasure. Whether this giving up be a positive
act of God or only privative we leave to the schools to dispute: but
this we are sure of that it is no new thing for God to give men up to
their own hearts’ lusts, to send them strong delusions, to let Satan
loose upon them, nay, to lay stumbling-blocks before them. And yet God
is not the author of sin, but herein infinitely just and holy; for,
though the greatest wickedness follow upon this giving up, the fault of
that is to be laid upon the sinner’s wicked heart. If the patient be
obstinate, and will not submit to the methods prescribed, but wilfully
takes and does that which is prejudicial to him, the physician is not
to be blamed if he give him up as in a desperate condition; and all the
fatal symptoms that follow are not to be imputed to the physician, but
to the disease itself and to the folly and wilfulness of the
patient.
2. To what they were given up.
(1.) To uncleanness and vile affections,
v. 24, 26, 27.
Those that would not entertain the more pure and refined notices of
natural light, which tend to preserve the honour of God, justly
forfeited those more gross and palpable sentiments which preserve the
honour of human nature. Man being in honour, and refusing to
understand the God that made him, thus becomes worse than the beasts
that perish,
Ps. xlix. 20.
Thus one, by the divine permission, becomes the punishment of another;
but it is (as it said here) through the lusts of their own
hearts–there all the fault is to be laid. Those who dishonoured
God were given up to dishonour themselves. A man cannot be delivered up
to a greater slavery than to be given up to his own lusts. Such are
given over, like the Egyptians
(Isa. xix. 4),
into the hand of a cruel lord. The particular instances of their
uncleanness and vile affections are their unnatural lusts, for which
many of the heathen, even of those among them who passed for wisemen,
as Solon and Zeno, were infamous, against the plainest and most obvious
dictates of natural light. The crying iniquity of Sodom and Gomorrah,
for which God rained hell from heaven upon them, became not only
commonly practised, but avowed, in the pagan nations. Perhaps the
apostle especially refers to the abominations that were committed in
the worship of their idol-gods, in which the worst of uncleannesses
were prescribed for the honour of their gods; dunghill service for
dunghill gods: the unclean spirits delight in such ministrations. In
the church of Rome, where the pagan idolatries are revived, images
worshipped, and saints only substituted in the room of demons, we hear
of these same abominations going barefaced, licensed by the pope
(Fox’s Acts and Monuments, vol. 1, p. 808), and not only
commonly perpetrated, but justified and pleaded for by some of their
cardinals: the same spiritual plagues for the same spiritual
wickednesses. See what wickedness there is in the nature of man. How
abominable and filthy is man! Lord, what is man? says David;
what a vile creature is he when left to himself! How much are we
beholden to the restraining grace of God for the preserving any thing
of the honour and decency of the human nature! For, were it not for
this, man, who was made but little lower than the angels, would make
himself a great deal lower than the devils. This is said to be that
recompence of their error which was meet. The Judge of all the
earth does right, and observes a meetness between the sin and the
punishment of it.
(2.) To a reprobate mind in these abominations,
[1.] They did not like to retain God in their knowledge. The
blindness of their understandings was caused by the wilful aversion of
their wills and affections. They did not retain God in their knowledge,
because they did not like it. They would neither know nor do any thing
but just what pleased themselves. It is just the temper of carnal
hearts; the pleasing of themselves is their highest end. There are many
that have God in their knowledge, they cannot help it, the light shines
so fully in their faces; but they do not retain him there. They say
to the Almighty, Depart
(Job xxi. 14),
and they therefore do not retain God in their knowledge because it
thwarts and contradicts their lusts; they do not like it. In their
knowledge–en epignosei. There is a difference between
gnosis and epignosis, the knowledge
and the acknowledgement of God; the pagans knew God, but did
not, would not, acknowledge him.
[2.] Answerable to this wilfulness of theirs, in gainsaying the truth,
God gave them over to a wilfulness in the grossest sins, here called a
reprobate mind—eis adokimon noun, a mind void of
all sense and judgment to discern things that differ, so that they
could not distinguish their right hand from their left in spiritual
things. See whither a course of sin leads, and into what a gulf it
plunges the sinner at last; hither fleshly lusts have a direct
tendency. Eyes full of adultery cannot cease from sin,
2 Pet. ii. 14.
This reprobate mind was a blind scared conscience, past feeling,
When the judgment is once reconciled to sin, the man is in the suburbs
of hell. At first Pharaoh hardened his heart, but afterwards God
hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Thus wilful hardness is justly punished with
judicial hardness.–To do those things which are not convenient.
This phrase may seem to bespeak a diminutive evil, but here it is
expressive of the grossest enormities; things that are not agreeable to
men, but contradict the very light and law of nature. And here he
subjoins a black list of those unbecoming things which the Gentiles
were guilty of, being delivered up to a reprobate mind. No wickedness
so heinous, so contrary to the light of nature, to the law of nations,
and to all the interests of mankind, but a reprobate mind will comply
with it. By the histories of those times, especially the accounts we
have of the then prevailing dispositions and practices of the Romans
when the ancient virtue of that commonwealth was so degenerated, it
appears that these sins here mentioned were then and there reigning
national sins. No fewer than twenty-three several sorts of sins and
sinners are here specified,
Here the devil’s seat is; his name is legion, for they are many. It was
time to have the gospel preached among them, for the world had need of
reformation.
First, Sins against the first table: Haters of God. Here
is the devil in his own colours, sin appearing sin. Could it be
imagined that rational creatures should hate the chief good, and
depending creatures abhor the fountain of their being? And yet so it
is. Every sin has in it a hatred of God; but some sinners are more open
and avowed enemies to him than others,
Proud men and boasters cope with God himself, and put those
crowns upon their own heads which must be cast before his throne.
Secondly, Sins against the second table. These are especially
mentioned, because in these things they had a clearer light. In general
here is a charge of unrighteousness. This is put first, for every sin
is unrighteousness; it is withholding that which is due, perverting
that which is right; it is especially put for second-table sins, doing
as we would not be done by. Against the fifth commandment:
Disobedient to parents, and without natural
affection—astorgous, that is parents unkind and cruel
to their children. Thus, when duty fails on one side, it commonly fails
on the other. Disobedient children are justly punished with unnatural
parents; and, on the contrary, unnatural parents with disobedient
children. Against the sixth commandment: Wickedness (doing
mischief for mischief’s sake), maliciousness, envy, murder,
debate (eridos—contention), malignity,
despiteful, implacable, unmerciful; all expressions of that hatred
of our brother which is heart-murder. Against the seventh commandment:
Fornication; he mentions no more, having spoken before of other
uncleannesses. Against the eighth commandment: Unrighteousness,
covetousness. Against the ninth commandment: Deceit, whisperers,
back-biters, covenant-breakers, lying and slandering. Here are two
generals not before mentioned–inventors of evil things, and without
understanding; wise to do evil, and yet having no knowledge to do
good. The more deliberate and politic sinners are in inventing evil
things, the greater is their sin: so quick of invention in sin, and yet
without understanding (stark fools) in the thoughts of God. Here is
enough to humble us all, in the sense of our original corruption; for
every heart by nature has in it the seed and spawn of all these sins.
In the close he mentions the aggravations of the sins,
1. They knew the judgment of God; that is,
(1.) They knew the law. The judgment of God is that which his justice
requires, which, because he is just, he judgeth meet to be done.
(2.) They knew the penalty; so it is explained here: They knew that
those who commit such things were worthy of death, eternal death;
their own consciences could not but suggest this to them, and yet they
ventured upon it. It is a great aggravation of sin when it is committed
against knowledge
(James iv. 17),
especially against the knowledge of the judgment of God. It is daring
presumption to run upon the sword’s point. It argues the heart much
hardened, and very resolutely set upon sin.
2. They not only do the same, but have pleasure in those that do
them. The violence of some present temptation may hurry a man into
the commission of such sins himself in which the vitiated appetite may
take a pleasure; but to be pleased with other people’s sins is to love
sin for sin’s sake: it is joining in a confederacy for the devil’s
kingdom and interest. Syneudokousi: they do not only
commit sin, but they defend and justify it, and encourage others to do
the like. Our own sins are much aggravated by our concurrence with, and
complacency in, the sins of others.
Now lay all this together, and then say whether the Gentile world,
lying under so much guilt and corruption, could be justified before God
by any works of their own.
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