Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Luther
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Acts 1 Corinthians
Romans 1
Concise Complete
The apostle's commission. (1-7) Prays for the saints at
Rome, and expresses his desire to see them. (8-15) The gospel way of
justification by faith, for Jews and Gentiles. (16,17) The sins of the Gentiles
set forth. (18-32)
Verses 1-7 The
doctrine of which the apostle Paul wrote, set forth the fulfilment of the
promises by the prophets. It spoke of the Son of God, even Jesus the Saviour,
the promised Messiah, who came from David as to his human nature, but was also
declared to be the Son of God, by the Divine power which raised him from the
dead. The Christian profession does not consist in a notional knowledge or a
bare assent, much less in perverse disputings, but in obedience. And all those,
and those only, are brought to obedience of the faith, who are effectually
called of Jesus Christ. Here is, 1. The privilege of Christians; they are
beloved of God, and are members of that body which is beloved. 2. The duty of
Christians; to be holy, hereunto are they called, called to be saints. These the
apostle saluted, by wishing them grace to sanctify their souls, and peace to
comfort their hearts, as springing from the free mercy of God, the reconciled
Father of all believers, and coming to them through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verses 8-15 We
must show love for our friends, not only by praying for them, but by praising
God for them. As in our purposes, so in our desires, we must remember to say, If
the Lord will, Jas 4:15. Our journeys are made prosperous or otherwise,
according to the will of God. We should readily impart to others what God has
trusted to us, rejoicing to make others joyful, especially taking pleasure in
communing with those who believe the same things with us. If redeemed by the
blood, and converted by the grace of the Lord Jesus, we are altogether his; and
for his sake we are debtors to all men, to do all the good we can. Such services
are our duty.
Verses 16-17 In
these verses the apostle opens the design of the whole epistle, in which he
brings forward a charge of sinfulness against all flesh; declares the only
method of deliverance from condemnation, by faith in the mercy of God, through
Jesus Christ; and then builds upon it purity of heart, grateful obedience, and
earnest desires to improve in all those Christian graces and tempers, which
nothing but a lively faith in Christ can bring forth. God is a just and holy
God, and we are guilty sinners. It is necessary that we have a righteousness to
appear in before him: there is such a righteousness brought in by the Messiah,
and made known in the gospel; a gracious method of acceptance, notwithstanding
the guilt of our sins. It is the righteousness of Christ, who is God, coming
from a satisfaction of infinite value. Faith is all in all, both in the
beginning and progress of Christian life. It is not from faith to works, as if
faith put us into a justified state, and then works kept us in it; but it is all
along from faith to faith; it is faith pressing forward, and gaining the victory
over unbelief.
Verses 18-25 The
apostle begins to show that all mankind need the salvation of the gospel,
because none could obtain the favour of God, or escape his wrath by their own
works. For no man can plead that he has fulfilled all his obligations to God and
to his neighbour; nor can any truly say that he has fully acted up to the light
afforded him. The sinfulness of man is described as ungodliness against the laws
of the first table, and unrighteousness against those of the second. The cause
of that sinfulness is holding the truth in unrighteousness. All, more or less,
do what they know to be wrong, and omit what they know to be right, so that the
plea of ignorance cannot be allowed from any. Our Creator's invisible power and
Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he has made, that even idolaters and
wicked Gentiles are left without excuse. They foolishly followed idolatry; and
rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of
brutes, reptiles, and senseless images. They wandered from God, till all traces
of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel
prevented it. For whatever may be pretended, as to the sufficiency of man's
reason to discover Divine truth and moral obligation, or to govern the practice
aright, facts cannot be denied. And these plainly show that men have dishonoured
God by the most absurd idolatries and superstitions; and have degraded
themselves by the vilest affections and most abominable deeds.
Verses 26-32 In
the horrid depravity of the heathen, the truth of our Lord's words was shown:
"Light was come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil; for he that doeth evil hateth the light." The
truth was not to their taste. And we all know how soon a man will contrive,
against the strongest evidence, to reason himself out of the belief of what he
dislikes. But a man cannot be brought to greater slavery than to be given up to
his own lusts. As the Gentiles did not like to keep God in their knowledge, they
committed crimes wholly against reason and their own welfare. The nature of man,
whether pagan or Christian, is still the same; and the charges of the apostle
apply more or less to the state and character of men at all times, till they are
brought to full submission to the faith of Christ, and renewed by Divine power.
There never yet was a man, who had not reason to lament his strong corruptions,
and his secret dislike to the will of God. Therefore this Chapter is a call to
self-examination, the end of which should be, a deep conviction of sin, and of
the necessity of deliverance from a state of condemnation.
Chapter 1:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Luther
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Acts 1 Corinthians
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
