Clarke Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary in 8 Volumes: Volume 7, Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5183-2100-9
Verlag: Krill Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 652 Seiten

Adam Clarke was a 19th century British Methodist best known for his scholarly commentaries on the Bible, a multi-volume, comprehensive work.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Clarke, Adam

Leseproben

GENERAL SURVEY
.................. PAUL HAD NEVER BEEN AT Rome when he wrote this letter, and therefore it cannot turn upon some particular points, to revive the remembrance of what he had more largely taught in person, or to satisfy the scrupulous in some things he might not have touched upon at all; but in it we may expect a full account of his Gospel, or those glad tidings of salvation which he preached among the Gentiles, seeing this epistle was intended to supply the total want of his preaching at Rome. He understood perfectly well the system of religion he taught, for he was instructed in it by the immediate revelation of Jesus Christ, Galatians 1:11; Ephesians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 11:23; and being also endowed with the most eminent gifts of the Holy Spirit; a man disinterested and quite unbiassed by any temporal considerations, we may be sure he has given us the truth, as he received it from our Lord, after his ascension. On the other hand, he was also well acquainted with the sentiments and system of religion which he opposed, for he was well skilled in Jewish literature, having had the best education his country could afford, and having been once a most zealous advocate for Judaism. Having frequently disputed with the Jews he was thoroughly versed in the controversy, and knew very well what would be retorted upon every point: and therefore we may very reasonably suppose that the queries and objections, which the apostle in this epistle puts into the mouth of the Jews, were really such as had been advanced in opposition to his arguments. He was a great genius and a fine writer; and he seems to have exercised all his talents, as well as the most perfect Christian temper, in drawing up this epistle. The plan of it is very extensive; and it is surprising to see what a spacious field of knowledge he has comprised, and how many various designs, arguments, explications, instructions, and exhortations, he has executed in so small a compass. This letter was sent to the world’s metropolis, where it might be exposed to all sorts of persons, Heathens, Jews, Christians, philosophers, magistrates, and the emperor himself: and I make no doubt that the apostle kept this in view while he was writing, and guarded and adapted it accordingly. However, it is plain enough it was designed to confute the unbelieving and to instruct the believing Jew; to confirm the Christian and to convert the idolatrous Gentile. Those several designs he reduces to one scheme, by opposing and arguing with the infidel or unbelieving Jew in favor of the Christian or believing Gentile. Upon this plan, if the unbelieving Jew escaped and remained unconvinced, yet the Christian Jew would be more inoffensively and more effectually instructed in the nature of the Gospel, and the kind brotherly regards he ought to have to the believing Gentiles, than if he had directed his discourse plainly and immediately to him. But if his arguments should fail in reference to the believing Jew, yet the believing Gentile would see his interest in the covenant and kingdom of God as solidly established, by a full confutation of the Jewish objections, (which were the only objections that could, with any show of reason, be advanced against it,) as if the epistle had been written for no other purpose. And thus it is of the greatest use to us at this day. It is also at present exceeding useful, as it entirely demolishes the engrossing pretensions and imposing principles of the Church of Rome. For, a professed faith in Christ, and a subjection to him, is, in this epistle, fully shown to be the only Gospel condition of a place in his Church, an interest in the covenant of God, and of Christian fellowship. By this extensive principle God broke down the pales of his own ancient inclosure, the Jewish Church; and therefore, by the same principle, more strongly forbids the building any other partition wall of schemes and terms of Christian fellowship, devised by human wisdom or imposed by human authority. He then who professes faith in Christ and subjection to him is, by the apostle, allowed and demonstrated to be a member of the true visible Church, and to have a right to all its privileges. Both ancients and moderns make heavy complaints of the obscurity of this epistle, though all agree it is a great and useful performance. Origen, one of the fathers, compares our apostle to a person who leads a stranger into a magnificent palace, but, perplexed with various cross and intricate passages, and many remote and secret apartments, shows him some things at a distance, out of an opulent treasury; brings some things near to his view; conceals others from it; often enters in at one door, and comes out at another; so that the stranger is surprised, and wonders whence he came, where he is, and how he shall get out. But we shall have a tolerable idea of this princely structure if we observe that it consists of four grand parts or divisions. The first division contains the five first chapters; the second, the sixth, seventh, and eighth; the third, the ninth, tenth, and eleventh; the fourth, the five last chapters. PART I. — Displays the riches of Divine grace, as free to all mankind. Jews and Gentiles are equally sinful and obnoxious to wrath; and, therefore, there was no way for the Jew to be continued in the kingdom of God, but by GRACE, through FAITH; and by grace and faith the Gentile might be admitted into it. To reject this way of justification was to reject the very method in which Abraham himself was justified, or interested in the covenant made with him: in which covenant believing Gentiles were included, as well as believing Jews, and had as great or greater privileges to glory in. But if the Jew should pertinaciously deny that, he could not deny that all mankind are interested in the grace of God, which removes the consequences of Adam’s offense. Through that offense all mankind were subjected to death; and through Christ’s obedience all mankind should be restored to life at the last day. The resurrection from the dead is, therefore, a part of the grace of God in the Redeemer; and if all mankind have an interest in this part of the grace of God, why not in the whole of it? If all mankind were subjected to death through Adam’s one offense, is it not much more reasonable that, through the opposite nobler cause, the obedience of the Son of God, all mankind should be interested in the whole of the grace which God has established upon it? And as for law, or the rule of right action, it was absurd for any part of mankind to expect pardon or any blessedness upon the foot of that, seeing all mankind had broken it; and it was still more absurd to seek pardon and life by the law of Moses, which condemned those that were under it to death for every transgression. PART II. — Having proved that believing Jews and Gentiles were pardoned, and interested in all the privileges and blessings of the Gospel, through mere grace, he next shows the obligations laid upon them to a life of virtue and piety under the new dispensation. And upon this subject he adapts this discourse to the Gentile Christians in the sixth chapter; and in the seventh, and part of the eighth, he turns himself to the Jewish Christians; then, from Romans 8:12 to the end of the eighth chapter, he addresses himself upon the same head to both Christian Jews and Gentiles; particularly giving them right notions of the sufferings to which they were exposed, and by which they might be deterred from the duties required in the Gospel; and concluding with a very strong and lively assertion of the certain perseverance of all who love God, notwithstanding any infirmities or trials in this world. PART III. — Gives right sentiments concerning the rejection of the Jews, which was a matter of great moment to the due establishment of the Gentile converts. PART IV. — Is filled with exhortations to several instances of Christian duty; and concludes with salutations to and from particular persons. It will be an advantage to the reader to have this sketch of the epistle ready in his thoughts. Farther; we cannot enter into the spirit of this epistle unless we enter into the spirit of a Jew in those times, and have some just notion of his utter aversion to the Gentiles; his valuing and raising himself high upon his relation to God, and to Abraham; upon his law and pompous worship, circumcision, etc., as if the Jews were the only people in the world who had any manner of right to the favor of God. And let it also be well noted, that the apostle in this epistle disputes with the whole body of the Jews, without respect to any particular sect or party among them, such as Pharisees, Sadducees, etc.; for the grand proposition or question in debate is, Are WE Jews better than THEY Gentiles? (Romans 3:9.) And one argument in proof of the negative which the apostle espouses is this (Romans 3:29:) “Is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.” These are the two points through which the line of the apostle’s discourse in the third chapter, and consequently in all the argumentative part of the epistle, must necessarily run: and as, both in the proposition and in the argument, he evidently means the whole body of the Jews, in opposition to the whole body of the Gentiles, he who doth not give such a sense of the apostle’s discourse throughout the argumentative part of the epistle as exactly hits and suits this general, collective...