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Ch. Romans 9:1-6. The problem of Jewish unbelief: Paul’s distress in view of it

1. I say the truth in Christ, &c.] The discussion of the case of Israel occupies tins chapter and the next two. On the general subject thus introduced, we offer a few remarks. (See also Introduction, I. § 26.)

(1) The dedication of this large section to this special case is not out of proportion. Israel not only was immensely important as the Depositary of Revelation for ages past and the possessor as such of inestimable privileges, (Romans 9:4-5,) but at the time of St Paul it formed the vast majority of all professed believers in the God of Revelation. The unbelief of the great majority of Israel was therefore not only a distress to the Christian’s heart, but a perplexity to his mind, and so needed very special treatment and explanation.

(2) He distinctly foretells a future of grace and mercy for Israel, on a grand scale of conversion. A time is to come when “blindness in part” is no longer to characterize Israel as a people; that is to say, a time when unbelief, if existing still at all, shall be the exception, not the rule.

(3) He does not touch on any other than the spiritual aspects of that future. As to the question of a political, or local, restoration of Israel, or both, he is entirely silent whether to affirm or deny; and so in all his Epistles. So it is also in all the N. T. Epistles. St Paul’s great object here is (1) to explain the spiritual alienation of the mass of Israelites, and (2) to open the prospect of its blessed reversal.

in Christ] As a “member of Christ,” and so bound to inviolable truthfulness; and as speaking to other “members.” (Ephesians 4:25.)

I lie not] On this and similar appeals see on Romans 1:9.—The special reason for such words here is, perhaps, the thought that both Gentile Christians and unbelieving Jews (for different reasons) might think him now regardless of his earthly kindred, because so resolute in teaching the entire spiritual equality of all believers, Jew or Gentile. The Epistle might possibly be heard or read by unconverted Jews; and such words as these might reach their hearts.

my conscience also bearing me witness] Paul, as a man speaking to men, was corroborated (in his own consciousness) by Paul speaking to himself. Word and conscience coincided in statement.

in the Holy Ghost] Who, as the Sanctifier, pervades the conscience with new and intense light and sensibility. The reference is not to inspiration but to spirituality, of which he has said so much in ch. 8.

In Christ

Not by Christ, as the formula of an oath, Christ being never used by the apostles in such a formula, but God. Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Philippians 1:8. For this favorite expression of Paul, see Galatians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 12:19, etc.

Conscience

See on 1 Peter 3:16.

Bearing me witness

Rev., bearing witness with me. See on Romans 8:16. Concurring with my testimony. Morison remarks that Paul speaks of conscience as if it were something distinct from himself, and he cites Adam Smith's phrase, "the man within the breast."

In the Holy Ghost

So Rev. The concurrent testimony of his declaration and of conscience was "the echo of the voice of God's Holy Spirit" (Morison).

In Christ (εν Χριστω). Paul really takes a triple oath here so strongly is he stirred. He makes a positive affirmation in Christ, a negative one (not lying), the appeal to his conscience as co-witness (συνμαρτυρουσης, genitive absolute as in Romans 2:15 which see) "in the Holy Spirit."

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Romans 9:1-5. The intense pain with which Paul contemplates the unbelief of his countrymen.

Romans 9:1. ἀλήθειαν λέγω ἐν Χριστῷ, οὐ ψεύδομαι. The solemn asseveration is meant to clear him of the suspicion that in preaching to the Gentiles he is animated by hostility or even indifference to the Jews. Yet cf. 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:20. ἐν Χριστῷ means that he speaks in fellowship with Christ, so that false-hood is impossible. For συμμαρτ. cf. Romans 2:15, Romans 8:16. The μοι is governed by συν: conscience attests what he says, and that ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ—the spirit of God, in which all the functions of the Christian life are carried on: so that assurance is made doubly and trebly sure.

Romans 9:1-3.] The new section is introduced without connection with the foregoing, but in a fervent outburst of Israelitish patriotism, the more sorrowful by contrast with the blessedness of the Christian previously extolled and so deeply experienced by the apostle himself. This sorrow might be deemed incredible, after the joyous triumph which had just been exhibited. Hence the extremely urgent asseveration with which he begins: truth I speak in Christ, that is, in my fellowship with Christ; ἐν Χ. is the element, in which his soul moves. Just so Ephesians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 12:19. The explanation adopted by most of the older commentators (especially Joh. Capellus, Clericus, Locke), and by Nösselt, Koppe, Böhme, Flatt, Reiche, Köllner, and others, of ἐν in the sense of adjuration, is a perfectly arbitrary departure both from the manner of the apostle, who never swears by Christ, and also from Greek usage, which would have required πρός with the genitive (Kühner, II. 1, p. 448; Ellendt, Lex. Soph. II. p. 647); and cannot at all be justified from Matthew 5:34, LXX. Jeremiah 5:7, Daniel 12:7, Revelation 10:6, because in these passages ὁμνύειν expressly stands beside it.

Οὐ ΨΕΎΔΟΜΑΙ] ΠΡΌΤΕΡΟΝ ΔῈ ΔΙΑΒΕΒΑΙΟῦΤΑΙ ΠΕΡῚ ὯΝ ΜΈΛΛΕΙ ΛΈΓΕΙΝ· ὍΠΕΡ ΠΟΛΛΟῖς ἜΘΟς ΠΟΙΕῖΝ, ὍΤΑΝ ΜΈΛΛΩΣΊ ΤΙ ΛΈΓΕΙΝ ΠΑΡᾺ ΤΟῖς ΠΟΛΛΟῖς ἈΠΙΣΤΟΎΜΕΝΟΝ (comp. e.g. Acts 21:21), καὶ ὑπὲρ οὗ σφόδρα ἑαυτούς εἰσι πεπεικότες, Chrys. Compare 1 Timothy 2:7. Conversely, Lys. Romans 4:12 : ΨΕΎΔΕΤΑΙ Κ. ΟὐΚ ἈΛΗΘῆ ΛΈΓΕΙ.

ΣΥΜΜΑΡΤ. ΜΟΙ Τῆς ΣΥΝΕΙΔ. ΜΟΥ] ground assigned for the Οὐ ΨΕΎΔ.: since with me (agreeing with my express assurance) my conscience gives testimony. Compare Romans 2:15, Romans 8:16.

ἐν πνεύμ. ἁγίῳ] is by no means to be connected with Τῆς ΣΥΝΕΙΔ. ΜΟΥ (Grotius and several others, Semler, Ammon, Vater: “conscientia a Spiritu sancto gubernata”), because otherwise Τῆς would not be wanting; but either with Οὐ ΨΕΎΔΟΜΑΙ (Cramer, Morus, Nösselt, Koppe, Rosenmüller, Flatt, Winzer, Reiche, Köllner, Fritzsche; of whom, however, only Winzer and Fritzsche take it not as an oath, but as equivalent to Ὡς ἘΝ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΙ ἉΓΊῼ ὬΝ), or—which is the nearest and simplest—with ΣΥΜΜΑΡΤ. (Beza, Böhme, Tholuck, Rückert, de Wette, Maier, Philippi, van Hengel, Hofmann, and others). Compare Matthew 22:43; Luke 2:27; Mark 12:36; 1 Corinthians 12:3. The testimony of his conscience, Paul knows, is not apart from the πνεῦμα that fills him, but “Spiritu sancto duce et moderatore” (Beza), in that πνεῦμα. And thus the negative Οὐ ΨΕΎΔ. receives its sacred guarantee through a concurrent testimony of the conscience ἘΝ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΙ ἉΓΊῼ, as the positive ἈΛΉΘ· ΛΈΓΩ had received it through ἘΝ ΧΡΙΣΤῷ. This very appropriate symmetry dissuades us from joining ΣΥΜΜΑΡΤ. ΜΟΙ Κ.Τ.Λ to ἈΛΉΘ. ΛΈΓΩ, so that Οὐ ΨΕΎΔ. would be only “thrown in between” (Hofmann).

ὅτι λύπη κ.τ.λ.] that, etc. A comma only preceding. Over what is this sorrow? Over the exclusion of a great part of the Jews from the Messianic salvation. With tender forbearance Paul does not express this, but leaves it to be gathered by the reader from what follows, in which he immediately, by γάρ, assigns the ground for the greatness and continuance of his sorrow.

ηὐχόμην] I would wish, namely, if the purport of the wish could be realized to the advantage of the Israelites. Comp. on Galatians 4:20, where also no ἄν is annexed. But van Hengel takes it of a wish which had actually arisen in the mind of Paul amidst his continual sorrowfulness. So also Hofmann: the wish had entered his mind, though but momentarily. But a thing so incapable of being fulfilled he can scarce have actually wished; he would only wish it, if it were capable of being fulfilled; this is expressed by ηὐχόμην, and that without ἌΝ, as a definite assurance; comp. on Acts 25:22; Galatians 4:20; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 187; Kühner, II. 1, p. 178. On the wish itself, comp. Exodus 32:32.

ἀνάθεμα] or, in the Attic form, ἈΝΆΘΗΜΑ (Lobeck, ad Phryn. pp. 249, 445, and Paralip. p. 391 ff.), in Greek writers (also Luke 21:5; 2Ma 2:13, et al.) a votive offering, corresponds frequently in the LXX. to the Hebrew חֶרֶם, and means something devoted to God without redemption (Leviticus 27:28); then—in so far as such a thing was devoted to the divine wrath, and destined to destruction (see Ewald, Alterth. p. 101 ff.)—something abandoned to destruction; a curse-offering. So in the N. T. See Galatians 1:8-9, 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Corinthians 16:22, which passages at the same time prove that the (later) special sense of חרם, as denoting the Jewish curse of excommunication, is not to be here introduced. The destruction, to which Paul would fain yield himself on behalf of his brethren, is not to be understood of a violent death (Jerome, Limborch, Elsner, and others, also Michaelis, Nösselt, Flatt), but, as ἈΠῸ Τ. Χ. renders necessary, of the everlasting ἀπώλεια. It has been objected that the wish must thus be irrational (Michaelis: “a frantic prayer”); but the standard of selfish reflection is not suited to the emotion of unmeasured devotedness and love out of which the apostle speaks. Groundlessly, and contrary to Paul’s usage elsewhere, Hofmann weakens the positive notion of the expression into the negative one of the being excluded from Christ. This element is implied in ἀπὸ τοῦ Χ. as the specific accompanying relation of the ἈΝΆΘΕΜΑ. Bengel well remarks that the modulus ratiocinationum nostrarum as little comprehends the love of the apostle, as does a little boy the animos heroum bellicorum.

ΑὐΤῸς ἘΓΏ] belonging to ΕἾΝΑΙ by attraction (Kühner, II. 2, p. 596): I myself, I, as far as my own person is concerned. Comp. on Romans 7:25. Paul sees those who belong to the fellowship of his people advancing to ruin through their unbelief; therefore he would fain wish that he himself were a curse-offering, if by means of this sacrifice of his own self he could only save the beloved brethren. The contrast, with reference to which ΑὐΤῸς ἘΓΏ is here conceived, lies therefore in ὙΠῈΡ ΤῶΝ ἈΔΕΛΦ. ΜΟΥ, whose unhappy state appears already in Romans 9:1-2 so sad in the eyes of the apostle; not in the duty of the apostle’s calling (Th. Schott); and least of all in a “nescio quis alius” (Fritzsche). Theodoret and Theophylact (comp. Chrysostom) refer back to Romans 8:39 (I myself, whom nevertheless nothing can separate, etc.); but this lies too far off. Van Hengel (after Krehl): “Ipse ego, qui me in Christi communione esse dixi.” But ἘΝ Χ. in the previous instance was merely an accessory definition.

ἈΠῸ ΤΟῦ Χ.] away from Christ, separated from Him. Comp. 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Galatians 5:4; 2 Corinthians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Leviticus 27:29; and see generally, Nägelsbach on Ilias, p. 188, ed. 3; Ameis on Hom. Od. Anh. ξ, 525; Buttm. neut. Gr. p. 277. Christ is not conceived as author of the ἀνάθ. (Nösselt, Morus, Flatt, and others); for ἀπὸ (comp. Leviticus 27:29) does not stand for ὑπό, which latter D E G actually read in consequence of this erroneous view.

ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφ. μοῦ] ὑπέρ is here also not instead of (Rückert, Tholuck, Olshausen, and many others), but for the advantage of, for their deliverance. Grotius aptly paraphrases: “Si ea ratione illos ad justitiam veram et ad aeternam salutem possem perducere.”

κατὰ ς.] subjoined, without the connective of the article, as a familiar accessory definition, which blends with the principal word into a single notion. Comp. 1 Corinthians 10:18; Ephesians 2:11; Ephesians 6:5. Moreover, there lies in the addition τ. συγγ. μ. κ. ς. already something conveying with it the wish of love, and that from the natural side; the theocratic grounds for it follow, Romans 9:4 ff.

Romans 9:1-2. The apostle having insinuated, Romans 3:3, that God would cast off the Jews for their unbelief, a Jew is there supposed to object, that their rejection would destroy the faithfulness of God. To this the apostle answered, that the faithfulness of God would be established rather than destroyed, by the rejection of the Jews for their unbelief; because God had expressly declared, Genesis 18:19, that Abraham’s children were to keep the way of the Lord, in order to their obtaining the promised blessings; and had thereby insinuated, that if they did not keep that way they would lose blessings, of which their being made the visible Church of God was one. This was all the answer the apostle thought proper to make in that part of his epistle. But the objection being specious, and, it seems, much insisted on by the unbelieving Jews, he introduces it a second time in this place, that he might reply to it more fully: this then is the subject of this chapter. The apostle shows therein, in answer to the objection of his countrymen, that the rejection of the unbelieving Jews from being the Church of God, and the reception of the believing Gentiles to be his people in their stead, was not contrary to the word of God. That the apostle had not here the least thought of personal election or reprobation, is manifest, 1st, Because it lay quite wide of his design, which, as has been just observed, was merely to show that God’s rejecting the Jews, and receiving the Gentiles, was consistent with his word: 2d, Because such a doctrine would not only have had no tendency to convince, but would have evidently tended to harden the Jews: 3d, Because when he sums up his argument, in the close of the chapter, he says not one word, nor gives the least intimation about it.

I say the truth in Christ — This being a solemn appeal to Christ and the Holy Ghost, as knowing the apostle’s heart, for the truth of what he affirmed, it is of the nature of an oath. I lie not — That which he had in the former clause expressed in the affirmative, he in this emphatically confirms in the negative, according to the manner of the Hebrews, who were wont to deliver, as well negatively as affirmatively, what they judged to be worthy of special observation. My conscience also bearing me witness — As to the truth of what I say; in the Holy Ghost — Who searches all hearts, and perfectly knows whether the soul on which he operates be sincere. That I have great heaviness, &c. — Greek, οτι λυπη μοι εστι μεγαλη, και αδιαλειπτος οδυνη τη καρδια μου, that I have great grief, and unceasing anguish in my heart — This is the fact, the belief of which the apostle desired to procure by that solemnity of attestation expressed in the preceding verse: he does not here mention the cause of his grief and anguish, but it is evident from the first verse that the cause was their obduracy, and rejection as a nation, and the many miseries which he foresaw to be coming upon them. By thus declaring his sorrow for the unbelieving Jews, who excluded themselves from all the blessings he had enumerated in the former part of his epistle, he shows that what he was now about to say, he did not speak from any prejudice to them.

Romans 9:1. I say the truth in Christ, &c.— The Apostle has proved by three special arguments, that the grace or favour of God in the Gospel extends to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews: this he has done in the first five chapters; in the three next, he has shewn the obligations which the Gospel lays upon Christians, both Gentile and Jewish, to a life of virtue and holiness; and lastly, the certainty of their salvation, in case they love God, and live not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Now let it be well observed, that hitherto the Apostle has considered our being taken into the kingdom of God, and interested in the blessings of the covenant of grace, absolutely, or in itself, as it is the effect of grace, free to all who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles, in opposition to the merit of any works, or of conformity to any law whatever; and therefore hitherto he has pleaded and proved, that the Gentiles, by faith, have a good title to the blessings of God's covenant; and that the Jews themselves can have an interest in those blessings no other way than by faith. He has not yet considered the Jews as set aside, or rejected from the Messiah's kingdom, (except in a glance, and only by-the-bye,) but as having the same way opened to them to the Christian church under the kingdom of the Messiah, as the believing Gentiles, and as under a possibilityof continuing still in the visible church; and therefore he has only argued, that they ought not to exclude the Gentiles, but allow them to be sharers in the mercies of God under the reign of the Messiah. Hitherto his language has been, "Why may not they be admitted as well as you?" And therefore he has hitherto treated the subject (the reception of the Gentiles into the church) without mentioning their admission under the name and notion of CALLING or inviting; which, in the sense of all mankind, is understood to be a relative term; for whenever we hear of inviting to a feast, wedding, &c. it immediately gives us this idea,—that only some are admitted to it, while others are passed by, or left. Nor has he hitherto made any mention of elect or election, chosen or choice, which also supposes that some are taken, while others are left or rejected, in respect to the new dispensation.

But now in this chapter, and the two following, the Apostle writes in a different style, and considers our reception into the kingdom of the Messiah, under the relative notion of calling or invitation, and of election or choice; which shews, that he now views the two parties, Jews and Gentiles, in a light different from that in which he had hitherto placed them. Now he regards the Gentiles as invited into the peculiar kingdom of the Messiah, as chosen to be his peculiar people, and the Jews as left out, and rejected from this glorious privilege: for though the Jews were free to embrace the Gospel, as well as the Gentiles, yet he knew, by the Spirit of prophesy, that as the main body of them in fact rejected Christ and the Gospel, so they would in fact be quite unchurched and cast out of the visible kingdom of God,—not only by their own unbelief, but also by the just judgment of God; in the total overthrow of their polity, the destruction of their temple, their expulsion out of the land of Canaan, and dispersion over the face of the whole earth. Thus he knew they would be accursed, or anathematized from Christ in this national sense, and reduced to a level with the common or heathen nations of the world; and the event has proved him to be a true prophet. It is observable, that agreeably to his delicate manner of writing, and to his nice and tender treatment of his countrymen, he never mentions their rejection,—a subject extremely painful to his thoughts,—otherwise than in a wish that he himself wereaccursed from Christ for them, or to prevent their being accursed from Christ;—till he comes to the eleventh chapter, where, he has much to say in their favour, even considered as at present rejected. But it is very evident that his arguments in this chapter stand upon a supposition, that the main body of the Jewish nation would be cast out of the visible kingdom of God. For which reason, in this and the two following chapters he considers the reception of any people into the kingdom of the Messiah, under the relative notion of inviting and choosing.

From the latter part of the foregoing chapter we may observe, that St. Paul thought our calling or being invited into the kingdom of the Messiah a matter of great importance. For the unbelieving Jews levelled all their artillery against our being called or invited into the peculiar church or family of God, and laboured every argument to unhinge the believing Gentiles, and to persuade them that they were not duly taken into the church: alleging particularly that the Jews are, and for ever were to be, the only true church and people of God; that they could not be cut off, so long as God was true to his word and promise to Abraham: consequently, the Gentiles were miserably deceived, by supposing thatthey had a place and interest in God's kingdom by faith in Christ Jesus; when in fact, and as sure as God was true, there was no other wayof entering into the kingdom of God, or of gaining a right to its privileges, than by submitting to the law of Moses. To prove therefore that the Jews, by rejecting Christ and the Gospel, were themselves cast out of the visible church, consistently with the truth of God's promise to Abraham, was a matter of great moment for the establishment of the Gentile believers. The Apostle had touched upon this point at the beginning of chap. 3:; but an enlargement upon it there would have broken in too much upon the argument he was then pursuing; for which reason he suspended the particular consideration of it to this place: and accordingly, he first solemnly declares his tenderest affection for his countrymen, and his real grief of heart for their infidelity and rejection, Romans 9:1-5.; and this, most probably, to wipe off an aspersion which had been cast upon him, that he was so zealous for the Gospel out of a natural hatred and rancour against his own nation; or, however, it might be intended at least to guard against such an invidious construction. Secondly, he answers objections against the rejection of the Jews, Romans 9:6-23. Thirdly, proves from Scripture the calling of the Gentiles, Romans 9:24-30. Fourthly, gives the true state and reasons of the rejection of the unbelieving Jews and calling of the Gentiles, Romans 9:30.—chap. Rom 10:14.Fifthly, vindicates the mission of the Apostles, as expedient and necessary to the calling or invitation of the Jews, chap. Rom 10:14 to the end: and all this was intended at once to vindicate the divine dispensations; to convince the infidel Jew; to satisfy the believing Gentile, that his invitation into the church was well grounded, just, and valid; to arm him against the cavils and objections of the unbelieving Jews, and to dispose the Christian Jew to receive and own him as a member of the family and kingdom of God by a divine right, in all respects as good as he himself could pretend to. See Locke.

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