Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 14 · Section 3 · Subsection 24 – Subsection 26
24. Quest. Of the occasion of these words, v. 14. I know and am perswaded, &c. and of the meaning thereof.
1. For the occasion. 1. Chrysostome thinketh, that as hetherto the Apostle seemed to find fault with the strong, which iudged their weake brethren, now he beginneth to instruct the conscience of the weake: but it appeareth by the words following, v. 15. that the Apostle still exhorteth the strong not to giuegive any occasion of offence to the weake; and so Lyranus well obserueth, that as hetherto he mooued them not to contemne their brethren, so now not to scandalize or offend them. 2. Gorrhan thinketh the Apostle doth here expound himselfe, why before v. 13. he bid them to giuegive no occasion of stumbling or falling: not that the eating of meate is euill in it selfe, but because of the opinion of the weake. 3. But the Apostle rather meeteth here with an obiection, which might be made in the person of the strong, that he was for his part well perswaded in Christ, that nothing was of it selfe vncleane, howsoeuer it might be to others: the Apostle graunting all this, yet will hauehave the stronger to forbeare eating, least they might grieue the tender conscience of the weake brethren.
2. I know and am perswaded, &c. The word is foreign, I am assured, certen, or perswaded: Pererius here taketh occasion to shew, that this word in Scripture doth not alwaies signifie certitudinem fidei divinae, a diuine certentie of faith, sed probabilem perswasionem, but a probable perswasion: as the Apostle saith of the Hebrewes, c. 6.9. We hauehave perswaded our selues better things of you: and in this epistle, c. 13.14. I am perswaded of you that ye are full of goodnes: S. Paul did not thus beleeue of others, fide divina, by a diuine faith, &c. thus Perer. disput. 1. numer. 1.
Contra. 1. Though it might be admitted, that S. Paul by reuelation of the spirit might know and discerne what was in others: as he would pronounce of some, that their names were written in the booke of life, Philip. 4.3. 2. yet will we not insist vponupon this, but denie the argument rather, that because this word, I am perswaded, sometime signifieth a coniecturall and probable perswasion onelyonly, that it should therefore so be taken alwaies: for though we can not hauehave a coniecturall hope and perswasion of an others saluation, as beeing grounded vponupon an opinion onelyonly; yet one may attaine to a certaine perswasion of his owne state, such as grounded vponupon knowledge: as here the Apostle ioyneth both together, I know, and am perswaded: and it is the same, which before was expressed by the word foreign to be fully assured and perswaded, v. 5.
3. Thorough the Lord Iesus. 1. some referre these words to the sentence following, that thorough, or in the Lord Iesus nothing is vncleane in it selfe: because Christ by his comming hath abrogated the ceremonies of Moses law, who made some meates cleane, some vncleane, Martyr, Bullinger: but neither by Moses law were any meates counted vncleane in themselues, that is, by their nature, therefore this clause is better ioyned with the former words, I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus: so Chrysostome, ab illo doctiu, as taught of him: non est humanae cogitationis ista sententia, this that I say is not an humane thought, but I am taught it by Christ.
4. Nothing common: so the word foreign signifieth. 1. Origen thinketh, that meates were called common and vncleane, because men did eate them, whose minde beeing polluted with many sinnes, and made the habitation of many vncleane spirits, was made common, and so the meates were defiled, and made common. 2. but Haymo saith that those meates were called common, quibus gentes communiter vtebantur, which were commonly vsed by the Gentiles, beeing prohibited to the Iewes by the law: as vessels which were consecrated to the vse of the Temple were holy, other were common and profane: and the reason of that appellation, profanum, profane, is this, as if it were perro fanum, that is, farre off from the vse of the temple. So then common, is as much as to say vncleane, as it is interpreted, Act. 10.14.
5. Nothing is common by it selfe. 1. The vulgar Latin readeth, per ipsum, by him, that is Christ: and two senses are made of it; either post adventum, after his comming, for he tooke away the legall difference of meates, and other ceremonies, Tolet, Perer. or by him in the creation, because all things which were created, seemed good, Lyran. Gorrhan. but although Ambrose doe follow this sense, that by the benefit of Christ, no meate is now vncleane, yet this reading is not agreeable to the originall; the word is foreign, by it selfe, with an aspiration, not foreign, himselfe. 2. wherefore the Greeke interpreters doe better read, per se, by it selfe; as Chrysostome, Theophylact, and Origen giueth this sense, by it selfe, that is, natura sui, by it nature: the Apostles meaning is, that no kind of meate by it selfe was vncleane in the nature thereof: against the opinion of the Manichees, that simply condemned meats, as euill by their nature and creation.
25. Quest. How nothing is said to be vncleane of it selfe, v. 14.
1. Nothing of it selfe, in the nature thereof, as it was created of God, is vncleane, which was the wicked heresie of the Manichees, who abstained from eating of flesh, egges, milke, wine, because they saide it was fel principis tenebrorum, the gall of the Prince of darknes: August. lib. de haeres. and their wicked assertion further was, quod carnes diabolus operetur faeculenta materia mali, that the deuill made flesh of the stinking matter of euill: and so they blasphemed the Creator himselfe, to whom eueryevery thing seemed good which he made: see Aug. lib. 30. cont. Manich. c. 5.6.
2. Neither are meates vncleane, as wicked Marcion held, that they which did eat things that had life, were guiltie, tanquam qui comedunt animas, as if they did eate and deuoure soules: haeres. 42. those heretikes two waies did thinke flesh in it selfe vncleane, because they were made of an euill matter by the deuill, and in respect of the life and soule which was in them, which they imagined likewise to be deuoured.
3. Neither yet is it to be denied, but that some meates are vncleane and hurtfull, physice, naturally, as vnfit for the nourishment of the bodie, as are all kind of venemous things, but not ethice, morally; as though it were sinne to eate meate, as a thing vncleane of it selfe.
4. Yet though meate be not thus vncleane of it selfe, and in it owne nature; yet it may be said to be vncleane in respect of man. 1. generally by reason of mans fall, which brought a curse vponupon the creatures: from the which vncleanenes it is purified and sanctified by the word of God and praier, as the Apostle saith, 1. Tim. 4.8. 2. there is beside a particular vncleannes in respect of him, who abuseth meates to riot and excesse, in which sense the Apostle saith, To the defiled and vnbeleeuing, nothing is pure, Tit. 1.15. so Origen saith, videndum est, non solum quali, sed quanto cibo, & quo in tempore, &c. we must see, not onelyonly what manner of meate, but how much, and in what time we doe eate: for by this meanes, those things which were cleane in themselues, were vncleane vntounto the defiled and vnbeleeuers. 3. some meates were counted vncleane by the law, which difference continued as long as Moses law as in force, but now it is taken away by the libertie of the Gospel. 4. and a thing is counted vncleane in respect of the opinion of the vse: that to him, that thinketh any thing vncleane, to him it is vncleane, as here the Apostle saith: which must be vnderstood, as long as he remaineth in that opinion.
26. Quest. Of the legall difference of meates, why it was commanded.
There were diuers ends of that legall prohibition, and restraint. 1. it was partly civill, that by this meanes God might invre his people to obedience, Ambros. 2. and partly morall, to teach them temperance, who otherwise were a stiffnecked people, and too much addicted to their appetite, Chrysost. 3. it was also physicall and naturall, that for the auoiding of diseases, whereunto they were much subiect in that climate, which might proceed of the varietie of vnholesome meates, and for the better preseruation of their health, they were commanded to make this difference. 4. there was a ceremoniall ende, that the Iewes by this their abstinence and choice of meates might be discerned from the profane Gentiles, who made no such difference. 5. and beside there was a mysticall vse, that by this legall difference of cleane meates and vncleane, they might be put in mind of their spirituall cleannes in bodie and soule: so Augustine saith, that the Iewes abstained from some meates, non cibos damnandi, sed significandi gratia, not for the condemning of meates, but for signification sake. 6. now after that the law was abrogated, there was still retained some difference of meates, as the Apostle enioyned the newly conuerted Gentiles to abstaine from strangled and blood, to retaine concord and peace betweene the conuerted Gentiles and Iewes, which abhorred such meates, as were forbidden by the law: but this prohibition continued onelyonly for a time, vntill the Gospel was more publikely receiued, and the beleeuing Iewes better confirmed. 7. but meates are not refrained, but onelyonly propter corporis castigationem, for the chastising and taming of the flesh.