Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verses 13-14 – Verse 15
VERSE. 13. For I ſpeake to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apoſtle of the Gentiles, I magnifie mine office.
14. If by any meanes I may prouoke to emulation, them which are my fleſh, and might ſaue ſome of them.
A Third Argument is in theſe words, taken from Pauls intention in preaching the Goſpell, as if he ſhould ſay, I doe cheerefully trauell ouer all the world to teach the Gentiles; as for other reaſons, ſo alſo for this, becauſe I know the ſtate of the Iews is not deſperate, but that they ſhal be brought home againe.
For the attaining of the meaning of theſe two verſes, Caluin hath ſupplied ſome words, which indeed hauehave inuolued them in more obſcurity. Beza reades a great part of the thirteenth verſe in a parentheſis: but His Maieſties Tranſlation vſing no inſertion of words, or parentheſis, is plaineſt and beſt.
In theſe words we hauehave two parts, the Argument and the Confirmation of it.
The Argument is in theſe words, I magnifie mine office, If by any meanes, &c. The Confirmation in the precedent words of the thirteenth verſe.
I magnifie mine office: I make my Apoſtleſhip (that is, his office) honorable and famous, that is, I preach diligently, the effect being put for the cauſe: For that which makes a Preacher famous, is his painfulneſſe and diligence in his office. Pauls preaching is not to bee vnderſtood of his preaching to the Iewes, which hee was not bound to doe, as ſome expound; (performing therein a worke of ſupererogation, which might be a ſigne of the conuerſion of the Iewes, or elſe Paul would not preach vntounto them.) But, of his preaching to the Gentiles: becauſe the faith of the Gentiles ſhould be by Gods appointment, the occaſion, or a meanes to bring the Iewes forward to Chriſt. The end of Pauls preaching is, verſ. 14. which is double: The neerer: To prouoke them of his fleſh, Pſal. 3.8. 1. Cor. 3.9.that is, the Iewes, to follow them, that is, the Gentiles. The remote end, that ſome of the Iewes might be ſaued: that I might ſaue ſome of them. 1. Tim. 4.16.Saluation belongeth to the Lord, as to the Author: but he hath giuen vsus Miniſters to be inſtruments of it; from whence we are called, fellow workers with God: So Paul exhorts Timothie to ply his booke, and follow his ſtudie, that hee may ſaue himſelfe and his hearers.
The Argument may be thus framed. One end of Pauls diligent preaching to the Gentiles, is, that the Iewes may be called and ſaued, therefore they ſhall be conuerted and ſaued. Or thus, The end of Paul in his preaching, ſhall obtaine or come to paſſe: but the calling of the Iewes is Pauls end. Therefore the Iewes ſhall be called.
The Confirmation of the Maior, is in the thirteenth verſe, in theſe words: I ſpeake to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the Apoſtle of the Gentiles: which words containe a ſolemne auouchment, Gryn.that Pauls end in preaching to the Gentiles is the calling of the Iewes, as if he ſhould ſay, In the word of an Apoſtle, or, As I am an Apoſtle to you Gentiles, I doe ſolemnely teſtifie, that the end of my great labours in preaching ouer the world, is not only my obedience to God, and to ſaue you, but to ſaue the Iewes alſo. This Confirmation may bee put into forme thus:
The end which Paul entends as an Apoſtle, ſhall come to paſſe: But the end before named he auoucheth in the word of an Apoſtle. Ergo.
Alſo it might be confirmed out of the eleuenth verſe, thus. Gods end cannot faile, but Pauls end, is the ſame with Gods end. Ergo. If ſuch a calling were not to come, Pauls labour in a great part were loſt.
doctrine The way for a Miniſter to make his office glorious, is to be diligent in preaching. So Paul ſpeaketh for himſelfe, 1. Cor. 15.10. and commendeth himſelfe for this, 2. Cor. 11.22. and ſo to the end of the Chapter.
Vſe 1.Paul challengeth credice to that he ſpeaketh, becauſe of his calling: 1. Cor. 4.1.It is very material that hearers ſhould hauehave a reuerent opinion of the calling and office of their Teachers. Let a man eſteeme vsus, as the miniſters of Chriſt? Then will the word worke in vsus when we heare it not as the word of man, but as indeed it is, the word of the liuing God. Heare thy Teacher preaching the truth, with ſuch reuerence as thou wouldeſt heare Chriſt, if he were vponupon the earth.1. Theſ. 3.13.
Vſe. 2.Our principall office is to ſaue men: which reproues them which intrude themſelues, being no way fit to ſaue men; and thoſe which being fit, by their ſilence and negligence ſuffer men to periſh.
Vſe 3.Paul hath a great deſire to ſaue them of his owne fleſh: ordinate charitie firſt regardeth ones owne. So eueryevery man, firſt for his owne family: and eueryevery Miniſter, firſt for the flocke committed vntounto him.
Vſe 4.The glorie of a Miniſter is principally in his learned and painfull preaching. Maintenance, degrees, dignities, make not a Miniſter honorable, but are badges of ſuch: our Church and ſtate, appointing theſe as rewards of them who deſerue to be honoured for their learning and worthineſſe; 1. Tim. 5.17.being a part of that double honour allotted for them by the Spirit of God.
There is a great deale of contempt caſt vponupon the miniſtery, and eueryevery baſe fellow can be eloquent enough in diſgracing the Clergie. The way to redeeme our function from the ſcorne of men, is painfulneſſe in our calling, and ſufficiencie of holy gifts for miniſterial emploiments: without theſe, preferments will not do it. As a gold ring in a ſwines ſnout, and beautie in a woman without diſcretion, ſo is dignitie conferred vponupon a man unlearned and negligent.
Paul was, both for perſon and means, very meane, yet when the Galathians heard him preach, they eſteemed him as an Angell, and held him ſo deare, that they would hauehave pluckt out their eyes to hauehave done him good. As the honour of a King is in the multitude of his ſubiects, ſo the glory of a Miniſter in the multitude of them he conuerts. As the credit of a ſchoolmaſter is to ſend many to the Vniuerſities, and of a Phyſition to heale many patients, ſo is it the fame of a Miniſter ſpiritually to cure many, and to ſend them to heauen.
Let vsus therefore ſpend the candle of our life for the enlightning of others this will credit vsus; for we ought to be had in ſingular eſtimation for our workes ſake.
Vſe 5.There are three ends of a Miniſter in his preaching: firſt, to obey Gods commandement and the Churches who hauehave called him forth to preach. Secondly, to ſaue the ſoules of his hearers. Thirdly, that their hearers thriuing vnderunder their labors in faith and godly life, may be a prouocation to others to follow them. In aiming at, and attaining theſe three, we glorifie God.
Theſe alſo muſt be the ends of hearers in hearing, that they may ſet forth Gods glory: firſt, to obey Gods commandement: ſecondly, to ſaue their ſoules: thirdly, to prouoke others by their example, and ſo to ſaue them. Art thou ſeaſoned with grace by hearing? liue ſo, that thou mayſt relliſh and ſeaſon others, that thoſe which will not be wonne by the word, may be won to the word by thy good conuerſation.
Examine thy conſcience, haſt thou done thus? or rather when thou haſt come from a ſermon, haſt thou not by ſwearing, lying, backbiting, falſe dealing, quarrelling, drinking, &c. cauſed profane men and women to blaſpheme Chriſt and his Goſpell, and to wound them through thy ſides? If it be thus, it were better that a milſtone were hanged about thy necke, and thou throwne into the bottome of the ſea. Is this to gaine Iewes and other profane men to the faith? Nay, it is to make Iewes, Turks and Infidels to renounce Chriſtianitie; and thoſe which are profane among vsus, to hate the profeſſion and preaching of the Goſpell the more. What a bleſſing ſhall it be to thy ſoule, if thy godly, iuſt and good conuerſation, liuing according to thy profeſſion, bring others on to louelove and heare the word, and ſo to be ſaued. I teſtifie to thee in the word of a Miniſter, that thou oughteſt ſo to liue as thou maiſt bring credit to the Goſpell, and prouoke others to the faith.
VERSE 15. For if the caſting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what ſhall the receiuing of them be, but life from the dead?
IN this verſe alſo is contained an argument to proue the generall calling of the Iewes to come not a new one, but that page missing duplicate page duplicate page ſon their former life ſhall not come into remembrance. They ſhall liue more. And all this is deliuered by an Interrogation, to ſhew that ſuch happineſſe and beautie ſhall then come to the world, as we cannot imagine.
doctrine The calling of the Iewes ſhall be a new life and happineſſe to the world: ſo before verſ. 12. It is the iudgement of Peter Martyr a very learned man, beſides others, that many things are ſpoken by the Prophets of the calling of the Iewes, and of the happines of the Church, which are not yet fulfilled, and therfore are to be expected at that time.
Vſe 1Fellowſhip in grace, is no hinderance to them which hauehave receiued grace, as before.
Vſe 2.Againe, heere wee are to be put in minde, to pray for the calling of the Iewes, which ſhall bring ſo much good to the world: as the ſiſters ſent to Chriſt in the behalfe of their brother Lazarus; Iohn 11.ſo let vsus Gentiles importune the Lord for our brethren the Iewes: My ſpirit reioyceth at the remembrance of that day. O, how will the Iew put on, as being aſhamed to be ouergone by the Gentile? How eagerly will he follow? not a ſnailes pace, which is the faſhion now; but euen flying with the wings of knowledge and zeale: wee hauehave now the ſtart of them, let vsus ſet the beſt foot forward and keepe it.
Vſe 3.Till we be conuerted, we are enemies, and in open hoſtilitie with God: the regenerate are Gods friends: hee will ſaue his friends, but as for his enemies they ſhall be ſlaine before his face.
Nay till we be called, we are dead, ſtarke dead: The father ſaid of the prodigall childe being returned: This my ſonne was dead, but now is aliue: Luke 15.29.31Dead, though not bodily, yet ſpiritually, which is the very ſuburbs of hell. Such as liue in pleaſure are dead. 1. Tim. 5.6.So much difference betweene vnconuerted men and conuerted, as betweene dead and liuing men. As the countenance of a dead man is gaſtly, and his carkas proues ſoone vnſauoury, ſo vnregenerate men are odious in the ſight of God and men; notwithſtanding their outward ornaments and odours, which is nothing elſe, but the perfuming of a peece of carrion. Hee that keepes company with the wicked, is like the ſpirit that haunted the graues; as thou hopeſt to be ſeparated from them at the day of iudgement, ſo now ſtand vp from the dead, that thou mayeſt receiue light.Epheſ. 5.14.
The miniſtery of the word, is the voice of God calling vsus from death to life, from hell to heauen; thoſe which contemne it, muſt needs be ſwallowed vp of death, If God hath breathed into thee the life here ſpoken of by this meanes, manifeſt it by thy louelove to the word, & by the actions of life. Drunkenneſſe, vncleanneſſe, &c. are dead workes, Hebr. 9.14.ſo called, becauſe they bring death, and are performed by them which are ſpiritually dead: But godlineſſe hath the promiſes of this life, and of that which is to come.1. Tim. 4.8.