Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 3 · Subsection 32 – Subsection 33
Quest. 31. Of the meaning of these words, v. 31. So now hauehave they not beleeued by your merciemercy.
1. For the application of the words: some reade, so now hauehave they not obeyed, or, are become contumaces, stubborne, and contumacious: Beza, Syrian interpreter, Gryneus, with others: but it is rather interpreted, hauehave not beleeued, as Martyr, the vulgar latine, and our English translation vponupon these reasons. 1. the word foreign, signifieth both incredulitie, and contumacie or disobedience, beeing deriued of the word foreign, to perswade: now as well the vnbeleeuer, as the disobedient and stubborne is not perswaded.
2. The Apostle through this chapter maketh vnbeleefe the cause of the reiecting of the Iewes, v. 20. where though an other word foreign, be vsed, yet in the same sense. 3. the next verse is better read, God hath shut vp all vnderunder vnbeleefe, then vnderunder disobedience: as may appeare by the like place, Gal. 3.22. The Scripture hath concluded all vnderunder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ, should be giuen to them that beleeue: where by sinne must be vnderstood vnbeleefe, as opposite vntounto faith and beleef, afterward mentioned. 4. Origen and Chrysostome doe so interpret this place of the incredulitie both of Gentiles and Iewes: the Apostle saith, your merciemercy, not actiuely, whereby they shewed merciemercy, but passiuely, whereby they receiued merciemercy, the cause is put for the effect, as before v. 22. the Apostle said, if thou continue in his goodnes, that is in faith, receiued by his goodnes: the Apostle saith (yours) propter efficientiam, because it was effectuall toward them, but afterwards he saith, that he might shew merciemercy on all, propter sufficientiam, because it is sufficient for all.
3. Now concerning the sense and meaning of the words, there are diuerse interpretations. 1. the vulgar latine readeth, in vestrum miserecordiam, for your merciemercy, whereupon some giuegive this sense: they hauehave not beleeued, vt vos miserecordiam consequamini, that you may obtaine merciemercy, Haymo, Osiander: but Beza and Erasmus both refuse this, because as much in effect is said before in the end of the former verse, you hauehave obtained merciemercy through their vnbeleefe: but these particles, euen as, euen so, doe shew an opposition of the parts, not a repetition. 2. Ambrose readeth, in vestra miserecordia, in your merciemercy, that is, at this time, wherein you hauehave receiued merciemercy: so also Haymo: but beside that there is no preposition in the originall, but the word is put in the datiue case, which is with the Greekes vsed for the ablatiue: the Iewes were vnbeleeuers, and reiected the Gospel, before it was preached vntounto the Gentiles, and therefore it was not at the same time. 3. Erasmus readeth, they hauehave not beleeued, per vestram miserecordiam, by your merciemercy: that is, the merciemercy shewed to the Gentiles was an occasion of the vnbeleefe of the Iewes: but Beza reiecteth this also, vponupon these two reasons: both because the Iews were first vnbeleeuers, before merciemercy was shewed to the Gentiles: therefore thereby they were not hardened: and againe, the merciemercy shewed to the Gentiles shall prouoke the Iewes to follow them, v. 11. they shall not then thereby be made further off. 4. Wherefore Theophylact doth come nearer to the Apostles sense then the rest, who thinketh there is here a traiection of the particle foreign, that: so whereas the words stand in this order in the originall, by your merciemercy, that they may obtaine merciemercy, they must be placed thus, that by your merciemercy, they may obtaine merciemercy: the verie like traiection of this verie word, see 2. Cor. 2.4. foreign, but my louelove that ye may know, for, but that you may know my louelove: thus also Beza here; and Tolet annot. 23. addeth this reason, why those words, for your merciemercy, should not be ioyned with the former clause, so now hauehave they not beleeued, but with the latter, that they may also obtaine merciemercy: that one part of this comparison may answear another: as he said before, you hauehave receiued merciemercy through their vnbeleefe: so now it followeth, that they also should receiue merciemercy through your merciemercy: And Chrysostome sheweth the reason, why it is said, that you should receiue merciemercy, through their merciemercy, not through their vnbeleefe: because ye the Gentiles shall not be so saued, vt quemadmodum Iudaei exire debeatis, that as the Iewes, you should goe out (or fall away) again, sed vt illos manendo per aemulationem attrahatis, but that ye may draw them on by continuing in the faith.
4. This then is the force of the Apostles argument. 1. There are three things compared with three: the vnbeleefe of the Gentiles with the vnbeleefe of the Iewes, the merciemercy which the Gentiles receiued in time past, with the merciemercy which the Iewes shall receiue: and then the occasions of both are set one against the other, the occasion of the merciemercy shewed to the Gentiles, was the vnbeleefe of the Iewes: and occasion of merciemercy shewed to the Iewes, was merciemercy extended to the Gentiles, by the which the Iewes were prouoked to emulation; Par. 2. The argument is from the lesse to the greater: if the infidelitie of the Iewes was the occasion of merciemercy to the Gentiles, much more the merciemercy shewed to the Gentiles shall be an occasion of shewing merciemercy to the Iewes: for there is a greater force in that which is good, then in that which is euill, Gryveus: and if the Gentiles which neuer beleeued were called to the saith, much more like is it that the Iewes which had bin sometime beleeuers, should returne to their former saith. Tolet.
Quest. 31. How God hath concluded, and shut vp all in vnbeleefe. v. 32.
1. Not that God, inijcerit ijs incredulitatem, did cast vponupon them incredulitie: hoc explodendum est, this conceite must he exploded of all: Origen: God is no way the author of euill: Photius.
2. Nor yet is the Lord said to shut them vp onelyonly permittendo, in suffering them to be incredulous, Origen, glosse ordinarie, Tolet, Gorrhan: for God is to be considered here not as a patient onelyonly and sufferer, but as an agent in some sort, and a iust iudge.
3. Chrysostome thus interpreteth, he shut vp all, that is, demonstrauit incredulos, he hath shewed them to be incredulous: in which sense the Apostle saith, Gal. 3.22. The Scripture hath concluded all vnderunder sinne, &c. that is, the law serueth to reueale sinne; as Saint Paul saith, Rom. 3.20. By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne: But this is not all, for the iudge doth not onelyonly declare and giuegive sentence against the malefactor, and bring his offence to light, but he also condemneth him, and seeth his sentence be executed vponupon him.
3. Hierome in the Commentarie vnderunder his name saith, God hath shut vp all, non vi sed ratione, not by force, but by good reason: which reason is thus expressed by Oecumenius, vt alios per aliorum seruaret contentionem, that he might saue some, by the prouocation of others: the ordinarie glosse giueth this reason, vt gratia numeris esset gratissima, that the gift of grace might be most acceptable, &c. when they are brought as it were out of prison vntounto libertie. But although Gods iudgements proceed with great reason and equitie; yet God doth not euill, that good may come thereof: the reason and way then yet appeareth not, how God is said to conclude all vnderunder sinne.
4. Wherefore it remaineth, that God is said to shut vp men in vnbeleefe as in a prison, in punishing them as a iust iudge with the fetters as it were and gives of their owne blindnes and hardenes of heart: as it is said, c. 1.26. God gaue them vp to vile affections: and c. 11.8. God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber: like as a iudge doth inflict imprisonment vponupon offenders, and restraint of libertie: so men are kept in the prison of infidelitie by the iustice of God, their sinnes so deseruing: But here is the difference: ciuill imprisonment is for sinne, yet it is not sinne: but spirituall imprisonment in blindnes and vnbeleefe, is sinne: and God after a wonderfull and secret manner, yet most iustly doth punish sinne with sinne: as Augustine saith, Quis dicat Achabum non peccasse credendo spiritui mendaci, &c. who can say that Ahab sinnned not in beleeuing the false spirit, and who will say that sinne was not the punishment of sinne, venientem de iudicio Dei, proceeding from the iudgement of God: lib. 5. c. 3. contra Iulian. And further here is great difference betweene these two, for God to be author of shutting vp vnderunder vnbeleefe, and of the shutting vp of vnbeleefe: the first God in his iustice causeth, the other man is the cause of himselfe.