Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 8 · Section 3 · Subsection 9 – Subsection 17
Quest. 9. How the wisedome of the flesh, is enmitie against God.
1. Pareus well noteth, that the Apostle here vseth not the word foreign, which signifieth prudence it selfe, least he should seeme to hauehave condemned that naturall gift and facultie: but foreign, which noteth the act rather and execution of that facultie, and he addeth to it foreign, of the flesh, not condemning or reiecting all prudent actions, but such as proceede from the pravitie of the flesh.
2. And the Apostle saith, is enmitie, not an enemie, as the Latine readeth, for then it should be foreign, in the neuter, not foreign, in the feminine, and here the word is foreign, with the accent in the first syllable, which signifieth enmitie, not foreign, accented in the last syllable, which is the adiective in the femine gender, enemious: and the Apostle speaketh in the abstract, not by the figure Metalepsis, taking it for the concrete, enmitie, for enemie, the substantiue for the adiectiue, as Pareus, nor yet doth he so speake, vt vehementior fit oratio, to make his speach more vehement and forcible, Martyr: but hereby is expressed the irreconciliable enmitie betweene the flesh and the spirit: for that which is an enemie may be reconciled, as Esau was to Iacob; but enmitie can neuer be reconciled, Faius.
3. Now the Apostle here giueth a reason of the former verse, why the wisdome of the flesh is death, because it is enmitie with God, from whome commeth life: but yet the wisdome of the spirit is not so the cause of life and peace with God, as the wisdome of the flesh is of death: for this is the meritorious cause of the one, so is not the wisdome of the spirit, that is, regeneration of the other: but it is as the meane and way, whereby we are assured of saluation, and to hauehave peace with God: but that which procureth and worketh it, is faith in Christ, Rom. 5.1. therefore here the Reader must take heede of a corrupt note of Lyranus, that the confidence of the spirit, meretur vitam gratiae in prasenti, &c. doth merit the life of grace in this present, and the peace of glorie in the next.
4. And as the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie with God, so the wisdome of the spirit is enmitie and freindship: which is defined to be a mutuall goodwill which is declared by freindly partes and offices for vertues sake: thus then Aristotles rule is found to be false, inter valide in aequales non dari amicitiam, that there cannot be freindship betweene such as are much vnequall: for in the beginning there was freindship betweene the creator and his creature: and this auncient amitie is renewed, and restored by Christ; who vouchsafeth to call his Apostles freinds, Ioh. 15.14.
5. But by flesh 1. neither with the Manichees must we vnderstand the substance of the flesh: for by flesh he meaneth the prauitie and corruption of the flesh. 2. nor yet with Chrysostome, doe we interpret it to be carnalem vitam, onelyonly a carnall life, which onelyonly sheweth the corrupt actions: but it signifieth the prauitie of our nature. 3. neither doe we with Ambrose onelyonly referre it to the vnderstanding, quae non potest capere divina, which is not capable of diuine things: for here the continuance rather and rebellion of the flesh is signified, then the impotencie and weaknes of it. 4. nor yet by the flesh is vnderstood onelyonly the sensuall part, and by the spirit, rationabilitas mentis, the reasonablenes of the soule: but euen the minde also is carnall, as Theophylact calleth it, carneam mentem, a carnall mind: as v. 9. if any hauehave not the spirit of Christ: but their owne naturall spirit, they alwaies hauehave.
6. And whereas it is said, it is not subiect to the law of God, neither can be, 1. neither is it to be restrained to that particular law of the Gospel, of rendring good for euill, which carnall men transgresse, that render euill for euill, as Haymo. 2. not yet, because they thinke God can doe nothing beside that which is to be seene and found in nature, gloss. ordinar. for this but one particular act of carnalitie. 3. nor yet is it to be vnderstood with this limitation, …m eo perseueret, if a man continue in the flesh he cannot so long be subiect vntounto the law of God: Oecumen. for the Apostle speaketh of the wisedome of the flesh it selfe, not of those that are in it: which can neuer be changed, to become subiect vntounto God: but they which are in the flesh, may cease to be in the flesh, and so please God. 4. and this doth manifestly conuince the Pelagians of error, which hold that a naturall man might fulfill the law of God: and of the Popish schoolmen who affirmed, that a man without grace might keepe the law, quoad substantiam operis, in respect of the substance of the worke, though not, ad intentionem legis, after the intention of the law.
Quest. 10. How they which are in the flesh cannot please God. v. 8.
1. Not they which follow the law, secundum literam, according to the letter, as Origen: the Apostle speaketh generally of all, as well Iewes as others that are in the flesh.
2. Neither as the Maniches, by the flesh is vnderstood the bodie, for so none in this life should please God.
3. Nor yet as Hierome, in his passionate and too much louelove of virginitie, and partiall and preiudicate opinion of marriage; that they which inseruiunt officio coniugali, serue the marriage duties, were in the flesh: and thus also Pope Syricius did descant vponupon these words applying them against marriage: epistol. ad Himmer. Tarracon. but they are said to be in the flesh, qui post concupiscentias eunt, which follow the lust and concupiscence of the flesh.
4. But this must be vnderstood with a limitation, quamdiu tales fuerint, as long as they are such, as Theophylact with other Greeke expositors: as Augustine doth set it forth by this example; as the same water may be both frozen with cold, and be made hoate with the fire; so the same soule of man may be first subiect to the flesh, then to the spirit.
Quest. 11. Of the dwelling of the spirit of God in vsus, v. 9.
Seeing the spirit of God dwelleth, &c. not if the spirit, as the vulgar latine hath it, and so the Romanists read: and so Lyranus expoundeth the former words, yee are not in the flesh, i. esse non debetis, ye ought not to be: for so Chrysostome and Oecumenius well obserue non …a ponit, vt quidubitet, he saith not thus as doubting, but certainely beleeuing, that they had the spirit.
2. And in that he saith, the spirit dwelleth, 1. he sheweth that the spirit is otherwise in them, then in other things: for he is eueryevery where, and in all things immensitate essentia, in his infinite essence, but he is in the faithfull, praesentia & efficacia gratia, by the presence, and efficacie of his grace. 2. in that the spirit is said to dwell, thereby is signified that he is not in vsus, tanquam hospes, as a straunger, but indigena perpetuus, an indweller for euer: as Iob. 14.16. he shall abide with you for euer, Pareus. 3. and as a dweller in an house, doth not onelyonly occupie it, but also, in ea imperat, doth command, and beare rule, and sway in it: so the spirit dwelleth in the faithfull, as the ruler and commander in the house: the spirit and the flesh may be in the same house together, if the flesh be as the seruant, and the spirit as the master; but if the flesh hauehave the masterie, the spirit departeth: like as where extreame cold hath taken possession there can be no heate at all, but if the extremitie of cold be abated, then there may be place for heate: Martyr. 4. And here we must distinguish, as Origen well doth, between the extraordinarie gifts of the spirits, such as the Prophets, and Apostles had, when the spirit came vponupon them in the likenes of fierie tongues, and the ordinarie gifts: for where the spirit is, those extraordinarie graces alwaies follow not; but those which the Lord seem to be conuenient: for God giueth vntounto eueryevery one as he will, 2. Cor. 12.11.
3. And whereas the Apostle saith, he that hath not the spirit of Christ is not his: Origen well thus expoundeth, creatura eius est, sed non discipulus, he is his creature still, as all other things are, but he is not his Disciple, nor a member of his mysticall bodie.
12. Quest. Of the meaning of these words, v. 10. The bodie is dead because of sinne, the spirit is life, &c.
1. Origen vnderstandeth the two parts of man, the bodie and the soule: and he giuegive in this sense; the bodie is dead because of sinne: mors imponitur, ne peccet, death is imposed vponupon the bodie, that it should not sinne, alwaies remembring the ende: and so the spirit vivit ad faciendam institiam, liueth to worke righteousnes: but the Apostle sheweth the cause of death in the one, namely sinne, and of life in the other, namely righteousnes, rather then the ende of both.
2. Ambrose seemeth by the bodie to vnderstand the whole man, that is dead because of sinne, and by the spirit the holy Ghost, … author of life, because he is giuen to iustifie vsus so also Chrysostome will hauehave the holy Gh…t to be vnderstood, which onelyonly is not life in himselfe, but giueth life vntounto others: so also Martyr: but the other opposite part of the bod… sheweth that the spirit hath relation also vntounto man.
3. Some vnderstand the first clause of mortification: as if the Apostle should say the … die is dead, quantum attinet ad peccati operationem, in respect of the operation of sinne: Oecumen. Piscat. but in this sense, the same thing should be expressed in both clauses, the mortifying of sinne, and liuing vntounto righteousnes, which the opposition betweene the contra… parts of the bodie, and spirit, wil not heare.
4. Calvin, and so Osiander, will hauehave the bodie to signifie the vnregenerate part, the spirit, the spirituall and regenerate: but in this sense the Apostle vseth to oppose the flesh in the spirit, not the bodie and the spirit.
5. Wherefore by bodie we may better vnderstand, that mortall part of man which is subiect to death: and by the spirit the inward part of man, namely, his soule regenerate, which liueth by faith: Beza thinketh that the life of the soule is here vnderstood, when it is separate from the bodie: Chrysostome referreth it to the life of the resurrection: Lyranus to the life of grace now in present: But we may better comprehend both, that both now for the present, the spirit of man liueth by grace, as the iust is said to liue by faith, and that also is a pledge of life euerlasting afterward: And this sense is most agreeable to the scope of the Apostle: for hitherto he hath shewed how the spirit of Christ hath freed vsus from the law of sinne in the flesh: now he commeth to set forth the other part of our libertie, which is from death: and first presently in the spirit we liue by faith, and then afterward the bodie also shall liue in the resurrection by the spirit of Christ, which the Apostle sheweth in the next verse.
Quest. 13. How the quickening of the dead is ascribed to the spirit of Christ, seeing all both good and bad shall rise.
1. M. Calvins opinion is here refused, who thinketh that the Apostle doth not here speake of the last, and finall resurrection, sed de continua spiritus operatione, but of the continuall working of the spirit in vsus in mortifying the reliques of sinne: so also Piscator, vificabit corpora vestra ad sanctificationem, shall quicken your bodies vntounto sanctification, &c. But in that sense our bodies are said to be mortua, dead, not mortalia, mortall: and the Apostle speaking of the time to come, pointeth at the resurrection, which shall be, not that which is present in rising vntounto newnes of life.
2. There are three arguments of the resurrection here expressed by the Apostle, the first from the power of God: he that raised Christ from the dead, shall also raise vsus vp: secondly, from the correspondencie of Christ with his members: as Christ was raised from the dead, so shall we that are his members: thirdly, from the office of the spirit, who shall raise vsus vp that are his temples wherein he dwelleth, Pareus.
3. As God is said to hauehave raised Christ vp by his spirit, so Christ raised vp himselfe by his eternall spirit, omnia quippe divina p…er per Filium in Spiritu Sancto operatur, all diuine things the father worketh by the Sonne in the holy Ghost, Oecumen.
4. Although our redemption purchased vntounto vsus by Christ, was sufficient at once to hauehave redeemed both our soules and bodies, tamen ordinate nobis datur, it is giuen vntounto vsus in order and by degrees: that as Christ had first a passible bodie before he had a glorious bodie, so our bodies must first be mortall before they can hauehave immortalitie, Lyran.
5. Now although the members of Christ shall be raised vp by his spirit, yet the wicked also which hauehave not the spirit of Christ, shall also rise againe, but vntounto iudgement: they shall be raised vp by the omnipotent power of God, but the righteous shall be raised by the spirit of Christ, and therefore it is not said he shall raise, but vinificabit, he shall quicken your mortall bodie, quod ipsa resurrectione maius est, &c. which is a greater worke then the resurrection, and onelyonly graunted to the righteous: Chrysostome, whom Martyr, and Pareus followe.
Quest. 14. What it is to be lead by the spirit of God.
1. There are two kind of actions of the spirit, generall, wherbey all things mooue, liue, and hauehave their beeing: and speciall, whereby the Lord worketh in the hearts of his children, such is the worke of sanctification, Calv.
2. And in that they are said to be lead, we must not thinke, that any are compelled by the spirit: but this signifieth, vehementem inclinationem, non coactionem, a vehement inclination, not coaction, Gorrhan: God by his spirit ex nolentibus volentes facit, of vnwilling maketh vsus willing: so he draweth vsus volentes, willing, consequenter, not antecedenter, we are willing afterward not before, Pareus.
3. And although men are so led by the spirit, as that they followe his direction willingly, yet they followe also necessarily: this leading and moouing of the spirit is effectuall, and cannot be resisted, Melancth. yet this taketh not away the libertie of the will in it selfe; like as a blind man followeth his leader willingly, though it be not free for him to goe which way he will: the will of man remaineth free in it selfe; as when one is set in two wayes he may take which he will, yet by an accident, the will may notwithstanding it is free in it selfe, be determined and limited certainely to one thing: as a blinde man by his leader is directed to take one certaine way: so the spirit of God directeth and guideth the will vntounto that which is good, and the corruption of our nature to that which is euill.
4. Chrysostome here further noteth, that it is not said, they which liue by the spirit, and Theophylact, they which hauehave receiued the spirit, but they which are lead by the spirit, to shew that the spirit must be the guide and ruler of our life, quemadmodum navigij nauclerus, as the Pilot is of the ship, and the rider of the horse: hereby then is expressed the continuall actiuitie, and operation of the spirit in vsus.
5. And this similitude may be taken, either from those, which are guided and directed, as the blind man in the way: or from them, which wanting strength of their owne, are borne and carried of others: and so we are both wayes lead by the spirit: for we neither can see the way vntounto that which is good, vnlesse the spirit direct vsus, neither hauehave we power and strength to followe it, vnlesse the spirit drawe vsus.
Quest. 15. What is vnderstood by the spirit of bondage.
1. Not the euill spirit, namely Sathan, by whom they are lead which walke after the flesh, as Augustine vponupon this place: for the Apostle speaketh not of two diuerse spirits, but diuerse effects of one and the same spirit, working feare and bondage by the lawe, and freedome by the Gospell.
2. Neither yet is this spirit the soule of man, which sometime is in the seruitude of sinne, sometime it enioyeth the libertie of the spirit: for v. 16. the Apostle maketh a manifest difference betweene this spirit and our spirit.
3. Nor yet is this spirit not the holy Ghost, but the lawe, so called because it was giuen by the spirit, as Chrysost. for euen the fathers vnderunder the law had the spirit of God, as shall be shewed in the next question.
4. But by the spirit the holy Ghost is signified: which by the lawe worketh feare, by the Gospell confidence and assurance.
Quest. 16. Whether the fathers vnderunder the lawe had onelyonly the spirit of seruitude.
1. Chrysostome hath here many strange assertions of the people of the Iewes that liued vnderunder the lawe: as 1. Spiritum sanctum non acceperant, &c. the people of the Iewes had not receiued the holy spirit: the lawe is called spirituall, so also the manna which they did eate, and the rocke whereof they dranke are called spirituall, quia supra naturam perfecta erant, they were perfect aboue nature: And to make this his assertion good, he saith, that they opere tenus continebantur, were restrained onelyonly by the lawe from the outward act, we from the verie inward thoughts: they onelyonly vsed corporall purgations and had a promise onelyonly of temporall blessings, as of a land that flowed with milke and honie.
Contra. 1. The Scripture euidently testifieth, that Moses and the rest of the Prophets were endued with the spirit of God: and it is said of Saul, the spirit of God departed from him: then he had it before: and seeing they receiued Christ, when they did eate manna, and drinke of the rocke, they had also his spirit: for without Christs spirit, they could not spiritually eate or drinke Christ. 2. and that the lawe of Moses restrained not the outward act onelyonly, but the heart and affections, our Blessed Sauiour sheweth, Matth. 5. where he deliuereth not a newe exposition of the lawe, but he doth cleare it from the corrupt glosses of the Iewes. 3. and though they had many more carnall rites, then we hauehave, yet euen in those externall ceremonies spirituall graces were represented: as the Apostle saith, that circumcision was the seale of the righteousnesse of faith, Rom. 4.11. 4. yea and vnderunder those temporall promises, they looked for celestiall, as the Apostle sheweth that they sought an heauenly countrey, Heb. 11.16.
2. Some thinke that here two diuerse states are not compared together of the fathers that liued vnderunder the lawe, and of vsus that are vnderunder the gospell, but onelyonly two diuerse degrees of our conversion: as first by the lawe we are made to knowe our selues, and thereby terrified, and afterward we finde Evangelicall comfort by faith in Christ, Martyr: and so M. Calvin thinketh, that the things themselues, the ministerie and operation of the lawe and of the Gospell, are here set one against an other, rather then the persons.
3. But here is both an opposition of the persons and things together, as Origen doth illustrate this place by that Galat. 4. where they which were vnderunder the lawe, are likened vntounto children, which were vnderunder tutors and gouernors, and we in the Gospell are like the heire that is come to age, and hath no more neede of tutors: but yet our state is not set as opposite to theirs, as though they had onelyonly the spirit of bondage, onelyonly they differ in degrees: for they also had the spirit of Christ, but not in that euident and conspicuous manner, which we hauehave, Pareus. And here we may deuide the Iewes into 3. sorts: some were altogether carnall, which had no knowledge of Christ, such onelyonly had the spirit of bondage: some were perfect and spirituall, as Moses and the Prophets, who had the spirit of Christ, though for the time they serued vnderunder ceremonies: some were weake, yet hauing knowledge of the Messiah, they receiued also of his spirit; though not in the same degree with the other, Martyr.
Quest. 17. Of the diuerse kinds of feare.
v. 15. Ye hauehave not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare. 1. There are two kinds of feare, a seruile feare, when one is mooued onelyonly by the feare of punishment, and so kept in awe and obedience, and there is filialis timor, a filiall feare, such as is in children: when one feareth to offend God, not so much because of punishment, as because he findeth the Lord gracious and good vntounto him: of this feare the Prophet speaketh, when he saith, the feare of God endureth for euer, of the other S. Iohn, perfect louelove excelleth feare: Angustine thus resembleth these two kind of feares; the seruile feare is like as an adulterous woman is afraid of her husband, least he should come and finde her in her wickednesse: the other feare is seene in a chast wife, who feareth to offend her husband, least he should depart from her.
2. But the Master of sentences, maketh fowre kinds of feare beside the naturall feare of death. 1. There is mundanus timor, a worldly feare, as when a man forsaketh Christ for feare he should loose his life or goods, this is a feare of men, & this is altogether perniciosus, pernicious and dangerous. 2. timor seruilis, the seruile feare is, when men doe well for feare of punishment: this feare is good and profitable, sed non sufficiens, but not sufficient. 3. there is a feare called initialis, a feare in the beginning, when one so feareth punishment, as yet he is mooued with the louelove of God and vertue; this feare is bonus & sufficiens, a good feare and sufficient. 4. then is there timor castus & filialis, the chast and filiall feare, which bonus est & perficiens, is good and perfect, and is nothing else but a reuerence of God ioyned with louelove.
3. Feare also is taken two wayes, either in respect of the obiect, for the commotion of the mind expecting some imminent or approaching danger; or it signifieth onelyonly a reuerence and obseruance, which is the effect of the other: and in this sense the spirit of feare is said to hauehave rested vponupon Christ, Isay. 11.2. in whom there was no feare of punishment, which is due vntounto sinne, whereof Christ was free: there was in him onelyonly a reuerence of God, observance, and obedience: the naturall feare of death also he had, but thereof we speake not here, and this kind of feare of God may be said also to be in the Angels, and in the elect that are in heauen.
4. But whereas the Apostle saith, 1. Ioh. 4.18. there is no feare in louelove: 1. neither doth the Apostle speake of humane feare, when one feareth to suffer persecution for Christ: but he that loueth God expelleth all such feare: he is readie to suffer any thing for Christ. 2. not yet doth he referre vsus, onelyonly to that perfect louelove of God, which shall be in the next world, when all feare shall be chased away. 3. but he meaneth a seruile and desperate feare, which is seuered from faith and hope, which driueth to despaire: such was the feare that Iudas had.