of Jesus Christ does not mean called by Jesus Christ; but the genitive expresses the idea of possession, the called ones who belong to Christ,' • Christ's called, or chosen ones.'

(7) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. As this verse contains the salutation, it is, in sense, immediately connected with the first. Paul an apostle to all that be at Rome.' All that intervenes is not properly a parenthesis, but an accumulation of clauses, one growing out of the other, and preventing the apostle finishing the sentence with which he commenced. This is very characteristic of Paul's manner, and is peculiarly obvious in his two epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. His teeming mind protruded its rich thoughts and glowing sentiments so rapidly, that his course was often impeded, and the original object for a time entirely lost sight of. See Ephesians 3: 1, where the sentence, with which the first verse begins, is interrupted, and is not resumed until v. 14, or perhaps, the beginning of the next chapter. The salutation of Paul is addressed to all the Christians who were at Rome, whom he calls beloved of God, and called to be saints. The people of God are often, both in the Old and New Testament, distinguished by the honourable appellation, beloved of God, Deut. 33: 12. Col. 3: 12. Called to be saints, means chosen or made saints; as in v. 1, called to be an apostle, means chosen or appointed an apostle, see 1 Cor. 1: 2. The fact that they were saints, was to be attributed to the gracious choice or call of God. The word translated saints properly means separated, and is applied in a multitude of cases in the Old Testament, both to persons and things consecrated to God. In this sense all the Hebrews were a holy people. But in the New Testament when used in reference to persons, it expresses their moral relation to God, in the great majority of cases. This is its meaning here. The Roman Christians were called to be not merely a people consecrated externally to God, as were the Jews, but to be morally holy, see the remarks on ch. 11:16. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the common form of salutation. Grace is the divine favour; and peace is the consequence of it, and includes, as does the corresponding Hebrew word, all blessings. Compare the phrases "way of peace," "God of peace," "gospel of peace," and the like. Hence it is used constantly in salutations, "Peace be with you," i. e. may all good rest upon you. The Greek term has this extent of meaning from being used with the same latitude as the Hebrew word, which signifies, as an adjective, complete (integer), and as a substantive, completeness (integritas), well-being; and, therefore, includes all that is necessary to make one what he would wish to be. When the favour of God is secured, all other blessings follow in its train.

These blessings are sought from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is equally with the Father the source of these blessings, and therefore the object of prayer; which, under such circumstances. and for such blessings, is one of the highest acts of worship. God is

called our Father, as he from whom all good ultimately comes; and Jesus Christ is called Lord, as our Ruler, under whose care and protection we are placed, and through whose ministration all good is actually bestowed.

(8) First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, &c. From this verse to the end of the 17th we have the general introduction to the epistle. It is distinguished by the usual characteristics of the introductory portions of the apostle's letters; as it is commendatory, conciliatory, and appropriate. Before introducing any other topic, the apostle expresses his gratitude to God on their account. My God is the endearing form of expression which he uses, in the consciousness of his reconciliation. "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people," Jer. 30: 22, contains all the blessings of the covenant of grace. My God through Jesus Christ, as these words are often explained, thus expressing the idea that God is our God, or is reconciled to us through Jesus Christ. The latter clause may, however, be connected with the words I give thanks. This is the more natural construction, and is recommended by a comparison with such passages as Eph. 5: 20, Giving thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," Heb. 13: 15. John 14:13. These passages show that we must recognise the mediation of Christ in our offerings to God.

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That your faith is spoken of throughout the world. This is the ground of the apostle's thanksgiving; and of course assumes that faith is the gift of God, something for which we ought to be thankful. The cause of the faith of the Romans being so generally spoken of, may have been either that it was remarkably strong and decided, or that it was considered of special importance that at Rome, the capital of the world, the gospel had been embraced.

(9) For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, in the gospel of his Son, &c. That Paul was really thankful for the conversion of the Romans, he confirms by the fact that he was constantly mindful of them in his prayers; and that he did thus remember them, he calls God to witness. This appeal to God as a witness of the truth of our declarations approaches very nearly to the nature of an oath, wanting only the imprecation of divine displeasure in the case of falsehood. It is, with Paul, not unfrequent, 2 Cor. 1: 23. Gal. 1: 20. Phil. 1: 8, &c. &c. The word rendered Iserve, means, properly, I worship, or perform religious service, and is always elsewhere used in this sense in the New Testament. This meaning may be here retained, "whom I worship in my spirit," i. e. not merely externally, but cordially; and the clause in the gospel of his Son may mean either agreeably to the gospel, or in preaching the gospel. If the latter, the idea may be that preaching the gospel is itself a religious service; or that his devotion to this duty was evidence that he was a sincere worshipper. The former interpretation is the simpler of the two-according to the gospel.

(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. Not merely the fact that he prayed, but the subject of his prayers, evinced his interest in the Roman Christians. If by any means now at length expresses the strength of the apostle's desire to see them, and implies that it had been, as he afterwards assures them was the case, long cherished. 1 may have a prosperous journey; this is all expressed by one word in the Greek, which means I may be prospered, see 1 Cor. 16: 2. 3 John v. 2. The idea therefore is, "that God would order things favourably to his visiting them." By the will of God, not merely by the divine favour, but under the divine guidance.

(11) For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, &c. The desire of the apostle to visit Rome arose from no idle curiosity, nor from a mere desire of intercourse with his fellow Christians, but from a wish to be useful. Spiritual gifts are gifts of which the Holy Spirit is the author, and include not only those miraculous endowments, of which such frequent mention is made in the epistle to the Corinthians and elsewhere, but also the ordinary gifts of teaching, exhortation, and prophecying, enumerated in 1 Cor. 12. Gifts of the former class were communicated by laying on of the hands of the apostles, Acts 8: 17. 19: 6, and therefore abounded in churches founded by the apostles, 1 Cor. 1:7. Gal. 3: 5. In this case the expression includes any and every benefit, of a religious kind, which the apostle might be the means of bestowing. comp. vs. 12, 13.

(12) That is, that I may be comforted together with you, &c. This verse is connected with the last clause of the preceding; it does not imply that the apostle was to receive from them the same gifts that he wished to impart to them, but that he expected to be benefited by their improvement. It is designed, therefore, with singular modesty, to insinuate that he did not imagine himself above being improved by the Roman Christians, or that the benefit would be all on one side. He hoped to derive good from those to whom he imparted good. The word rendered to comfort, means to invite, to exhort, to instruct, to console, &c. Which of these senses is to be preferred here it is not easy to decide. Most probably the apostle intended to use the word in a wide sense, as expressing the idea that he might be excited, encouraged, and comforted by his intercourse with his Christian brethren.

(13) Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, &c. In ch. 15: 22, 23, he mentions the same fact, and says this purpose had been long entertained; its execution was prevented by providential circumstances, or direct intimations of the divine will. In 1 Thess. 2: 18, he tells the Thessalonians that Satan had hindered his coming to them. In Acts 16: 6, 7, it is said that he "was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia." And in Rom. 15: 21, 22, he says his pressing calls to preach the gospel where it had not before been heard, had much hindered his going to Rome. His object in desiring to visit them was that he might have some

fruit among them, as among other Gentiles. To have fruit, commonly means to derive advantage from; ch. 6: 21, 22, "what fruit had ye," i. e. what advantage had ye. Many give the words this sense here, and understand the apostle as referring to personal benefits of some kind, which he wished to derive from preaching to them. But it is much more natural to understand him as referring to that fruit which, as Calvin remarks, the apostles were sent to gather. John 15: 16, "I have chosen you that ye might go and bring forth fruit (i. e. produce great results), and that your fruit should remain."

(14) I am debtor both to the Greeks and the Barbarians, both the wise ana the unwise. That is, "I am officially bound to preach to all classes of men." Those whom he calls in the first clause Greeks and Barbarians, he calls in the second wise and unwise. As the Greeks called all foreigners Barbarians, and as most other nations were uncivilized, the term barbarian was often used as equivalent to rude, uncultivated. Properly, however, it means a foreigner, one of another language, especially in reference to the Greeks: for the Romans were called and called themselves barbarians, until the Greek language and literature prevailed among them. Paul uses it in its original sense in 1 Cor. 14: 11, “I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me," i. e. we shall be as foreigners to each other, if one uses a tongue unknown to the other. It is used, as here, for those destitute of Roman or Jewish culture, Acts 28: 2, 4, and Col. 3: 11. It is said to have been first employed as a term of reproach by the Greeks in reference to the Persians after their wars with that people.

(15) So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. As the apostle's obligation extended to all classes, he was prepared to preach even at Rome, where he might expect the greatest opposition and contempt. Our translation of the first clause of this verse is the same as that given by Grotius. It may, however, be rendered so, my desire is, or so, I am ready.

(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. We have here the theme of the whole epistle. The gospel proposes salvation on the condition of faith; and it is universally applicable to the Greek as well as the Jew. These ideas are presented more fully in the two following verses. Thus naturally does the apostle introduce the great topics of discussion, the method of salvation, and the persons to whom it may be proposed. The connexion between this and the preceding verse is obvious. The reason why he was ready to preach the gospel, even in the proud capital of the world, was that it is divinely efficacious in securing the salvation of men. It does what no other system ever did or can accomplish. The words rendered the power of God may be taken for divinely efficacious; better, however, as expressing the idea of that through which the power of God is manifested, Acts 8: 10. 1 Cor. 1:18, 24. The gospel is an instrument, in the hands of God,

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truly powerful in saving men.' To every one that believeth. Emphasis must be laid upon both members of this clause. The gospel is thus efficacious to every one, without distinction between Jew and Gentile; and to every one that believeth, not who is circumcised, or who obeys the law, or who does this or that, but who believes, i. e. who receives and confides in Jesus Christ in all the characters, and for all the purposes, in which he is presented in the gospel. It will be very clearly seen in the progress of the epistle that Paul attributes no special efficacy to faith itself, considered as an exercise of the mind. As such, it is no more worthy of being the condition of salvation than love, or repentance, or resignation, or any other act of obedience to the law of God. It is as the organ of reception; as the acquiescence of the soul in the method of salvation proposed in the gospel, that it is the turning point in the destiny of every human being. The grand idea of this epistle, and of the whole Bible (as far as this subject is concerned), is that the ground of our justification, and the source of our sanctification, are not in ourselves; that neither human merit nor human power can have any of the glory of our salvation. To the merit of Christ we owe our acceptance with God, and to the power of the Holy Ghost our preparation for his presence. To the Jew first, and also to the Greek. It would be in direct contradiction to one of the prominent objects of the apostle in writing this epistle, as well as to his explicit declarations, to make this clause teach that the gospel was specially designed or adapted for the Jews, see ch. 3:9, 22, 29. 10: 12, &c. The meaning obviously is, for the Jew in the first instance, and then for the Greek.' The gospel was to be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, compare Acts 3: 26 and 13: 26. Paul often says Jews and Greeks' for Jews and Gentiles,' ch. 2: 9. 3:9, &c., because, after the conquests of Alexander, the Greeks were the Gentiles with whom the Jews were most familiar.

(17) For therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, &c. The reason why the gospel is so efficacious in the salvation of men, i. e. in securing the pardon of their sins, and the moral renovation of their hearts and lives, is not that it reveals a perfect moral system, or that it teaches the doctrine of a future state of reward and punishment, or that it discloses new views of the divine character. All this is true and efficacious; but the power of the gospel lies in the fact that it teaches the doctrine of justification by faith, or, in other words, it reveals the righteousness of God by faith. This expression is one of the most important in the epistle, and is variously explained.

The word rendered righteousness has, in the Scriptures, a very great extent and variety of meaning. It signifies not merely justice in its strict sense, but general rectitude, including all moral excellence. It is used, therefore, especially in the Old Testament, for almost every specific virtue, as truth, benevolence, mercy, &c. Its common and proper meaning is, that which makes a man just, i. e. which fulfils and satisfies all the claims of justice or law. Hence, a just man is one who can stand in judgment.