Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 8 · Section 3 · Subsection 18 – Subsection 20
Quest. 18. Why the Apostle ioyneth together two words of the same sense, Abba, father.
1. The first of these words is an Hebrewe or Syriake word, and signifieth father, and in three seuerall places in the Gospel doe we finde, these two words repeated in this manner, Mark. 14.36, Galath. 4.6. and in this place: Augustine, if the place be not corrupted faith, that Abba, is a Greeke word, and pater, a Latine, epist. 178. but Augustine could not be ignorant, that S. Paul wrot not in Latine, and therefore, that place in Augustine is most like to hauehave beene mistaken by the writers, and such as copied it out: Thomas saith better that Abba is an Hebrew word, and pater, father, is both a Greeke and Latine word.
2. Now why these two words of the same signification should be ioyned together there are diuerse reasons giuen. 1. Chrysostome thinketh that the Apostle vseth the word Abba, because it is puerorum legitimorum vocabulum, that word which legitimate children doe vse, they first of all learne to call father. 2. Augustine serm. 13. de verbis Apostol. whom Anselme followeth, thinketh that the Apostle vseth these two words, one for the Iewes, the other for the Gentiles, to signifie the adoption and calling of them both to be one people: so also Martyr, and M. Calvin, who applyeth here the prophesie of Isay, c. 19.18, that all should speake the language of Canaan, non respicit linguae idioma, sed cordis harmomoniā, he respecteth not the proprietie of the tongue, but the harmonie and consent of the heart, in the worshipping of God: but Beza refuseth this as too curious. 3. he therefore thinketh that the latter word is added as an explication of the former, so also Pareus, and Tolet annot. 13. who giueth this as a reason, because Christ in his prayer, Mark. 14.36. vseth this ingemination, abba, father, and yet it is certaine he vsed onelyonly the Hebrew word: But this here may be answeared, not as the ordinar. gloss. that Christ vsed both an Hebrew and Greeke word before his passion, because he suffred both for Iewes and Gentiles, for Christ spake in the Hebrew, not in the Greeke tongue: rather as the Syrian interpreter translateth, Christ did double the word father, father, abba, abba, which the Euangelist retaineth in the first place, because it was as familiarly knowne as the other. 4. Lyranus thinketh that by the ingemination of this word, is expressed duplex Dei paternitas, a double kind of fatherhood in God, one by creation, common as well to the bad as good, and a speciall kind of paternitie, by adoption and grace, peculiar to the righteous: But the Apostle here speaketh onelyonly of the invocation of the faithfull, how they crie Abba, father. 5. Wherefore I resolue here with Erasmus, that this is spoken foreign, by way of conduplication: this repetition facit ad foreign, is for more vehemencie: it is foreign, more forcible and effectuall to double the word, father, Faius: ista conduplicatio amplificationem continet, this doubling of the word serueth for amplification, Calvin: as it is familiar and vsuall in Scripture, for the Saints in their prayers to shewe their vehement affection, to double the word, Lord, Lord.
3. Calvin here well obserueth, how the Apostle, hauing said before in the second person, yee hauehave not receiued the spirit of bondage, now changeth the person, whereby we crie, including himselfe, vt sortem communem omnium sanctorum exprimeret, to shewe the common condition of all the Saints.
Quest. 19. Of the testimonie of the spirit, what it is.
v. 16. The spirit beareth witnesse. 1. Caietan here well observeth, that this testimonie of the spirit is internall, for it testifieth vntounto our spirit and conscience, that we are the sonnes of God; and beside it is a testimonie de facto, in fact, that we are indeed the sonnes of God, not de possibili, of a possibilitie onelyonly, that we may be; thus farre Caietan well: but he further sheweth that this testimonie of the spirit ariseth partly of our louelove toward God, partly of our continuall experience of Gods provident care in preserving of vsus: but Chrysostome well saith, that this testimonie of the spirit is not onelyonly, vox praestiti charismatis, sed & praestantis illud paracleti, the voice of the grace or gift which is conferred vponupon vsus, but of the comforting spirit, the comforter: the testimonie then of the spirit is vnderstood to be an other thing beside the testimonie of the graces and effects of the spirit in vsus.
2. Origen interpreteth this testimonie, of the affection of the minde, when we are obedient vntounto God not for feare, but of louelove.
3. Ambrose, Anselme, referre it to the imitation of God and Christ, whereby the spirit maketh vsus like vntounto God.
4. Haymo thinketh this inward testimonie of the spirit riseth of our good workes, so also Gorrhan, cum spiritus noster per spiritum sanctum bona agit, when our spirit by the spirit of God doth the things which are good, it beareth witnesse that we are the sonnes of God.
5. Most vnderstand this testimonie of the crie in our hearts when we call God our father, which the Apostle spake of before, Tolet. annot. 14. Martyr, Osiander, clamor iste testimonium est, this crying in our hearts is the testimonie, Faius: But Chrysostomes reason before alleadged reiecteth all these: there is difference betweene the testimonie of the spirit it selfe, and the effects and operations thereof: and first the spirit inwardly perswadeth vsus, that we are the sonnes of God, and then it maketh vsus also in our hearts to crie Abba, father.
6. Theodoret vnderstandeth this testimonie of the spirit, to be sacram doctrinam, the sacred truth and doctrine, which confirmeth vsus to be the sonnes of God, and so Lyranus interpreteth it, de veritate catholicae fidei, of the veritie of the catholike saith, confirmed by the spirit by signes and miracles, whereby we are adopted: but the Apostle speaketh of an internall testimonie, not of externall doctrine: though by the preaching of the truth the testimonie of the spirit is wrought in vsus. 7. Lyran…, …eside hath an other interpretation, of the speciall reuelations, which S. Paul and some oth… had: But the Apostle speaketh of that generall testimonie of the spirit of God, which is wrought in the hearts of all the faithfull.
8. Therefore this testimonie of the spirit is that inward assurance of the spirit of God in our hearts, whereby we are assured, that we are the sonnes of God: as Sedulius vnderstandeth here the spirit it selfe, which is giuen as an earnest pennie in our hearts, 1. Cor. 2.22. perhibet testimonium in cordeper occultam inspirationem, it giueth testimonie in our heart by secret inspiration, Haymo: and as Oecumenius, non solius charismatis vox est sed donantis spiritus, it is not onelyonly the testimonie or voice of the graces of the spirit, but of the spirit the giuer: for first our spirit is assured by our faith, louelove, godly life, prayer, invocation, which are the fruites of the spirit, then the spirit it selfe, concurring with this testimonie of our heart, sealeth it vp, and maketh it sure: these two testimonies must not be seuered; for he that relyeth vponupon the immediate testimonie, and revelation of the spirit, without this other testimonie, deceiueth himselfe, Pellican.
Quest. 20. Whether the testimonie of the spirit, and of our spirit be one and the same.
1. Some reading thus, the spirit beareth witnes to our spirit, are of opinion that this testimonie is but one, the spirit of God testifieth, and the spirit of man is testified vntounto … Ambrose expoundeth, that this testimonie of the spirit, is redditum spiritui nostro, gi… vntounto our spirit; but the Greeke word is foreign, beareth witnes together, with our spirit, rather, then to our spirit, as doe reade, L.G.B.V. for in this latter sense, the word needed not to be compounded with the preposition foreign, together, or with.
2. Some will hauehave the spirit of God, and our spirit here both to giuegive testimonie, but in one and the same thing: as this clamor, crie, which the Apostle spake before of, whereby we call Abba, father, is the testimonie of the spirit and of our heart together, Tolet, Faius: so also Chrysostome, ipse nos charismate suo nos loqui docuit, he taught vsus so to speake by his gift in vsus: so they will hauehave the meaning to be this, that this calling Abba, father, is both the testimonie of our heart, and of the spirit whence it proceedeth: but the crying Abba, father, is the effect of the testimonie of the spirit, it is not the testimonie it selfe, for first the spirit, obsignat, &c. sealeth in our hearts, that we are the sonnes of God, then apperit os, it openeth our mouth, Beza.
3. Pererius reporteth the opinion of some, which make the testimonie of the spirit to be the generall promise sealed in the Scriptures, that God loueth those which beleeue in him: and the testimonie of our spirit to be that particular apprehension, which euerie one hath, as that he loueth God and beleeueth in him: and so the testimonie of the spirit should frame the proposition in generall, and the testimonie of our spirit should inferre the assumption: but this testimonie of the spirit whereof the Apostle speaketh, is not the externall and generall promise, but the particular euidence, which euerie one hath in himselfe, that he is the Sonne of God.
4. So then here are two testimonies, the one is of our owne spirit, which by the peace of conscience, faith, and other graces of the spirit in vsus, doth assure vsus that we are the sonnes of God, Mart. and of this testimonie the Apostle speaketh, 1. Ioh. 3.21. that if our owne heart condemne vsus not, we hauehave bouldnes with God, but this must be the spirit of a man regenerate, not the naturall soule of man: as Origen here well obserueth a difference betweene the soule and the spirit, as the Apostle doth distinguish them, 1. Cor. 2.11. 2. Thess. 23. Pareus: the other testimonie is of the spirit of God, that confirmeth this testimonie of our heart, which of it selfe is but weake, if it were not supported by the spirit: then seeing the testimonie of our owne spirit is weake, it pleaseth God for our further confirmation to ioyne thereunto the testimonie of his spirit, Mart. like as in battell they are called sy…machi, striuers together, which doe one helpe the other: so the spirit of God and our owne spirit regenerate by grace doe witnes and testifie together, that we are the sonnes of God, Erasmus, Beza, Caiet. Mart. Pareus, Faius, all these make here two testimonies, of the spirit of God, and our owne spirit.