Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 9 · Section 3 · Subsection 5
Quest. 5. Whether the Apostle did well in desiring to be separated from Christ, from whome he knewe he could not be separated.
1. Hierome to avoide the difficulties, that might be here obiected, thinketh that the Apostle speaketh onelyonly of a temporall separation by death, voluit perire in carne, &c. he would die in the flesh, that others might be saued in the spirit. epist. ad Algas. quest. 9. epist. ad Hedib. qu. 10. so also Haymo: But Chrysostome misliketh this sense, vponupon these reasons. 1. both because S. Paul had made mention twice before of death that it could not separate him from Christ, it had beene therefore superfluous, and beside no great matter to speake of the same here againe. 2. the death of the bodie for Christ doth not separate from Christ, but ioyneth more surely vntounto Christ.
2. Likewise Chrysostome derideth their conceit which take here anathema, in the better part, and interpret it, to be foreign, a treasure laid vp; for thi… had beene no great matter for the Apostle to hauehave to wished, q…is delicatulorum hominum sic non optaret, the most nice and daintie man might hauehave so wished: Chrysostome: and againe in this sense the Apostle woul not hauehave said, à Christo, from Christ, but coram Christo, before Christ, Mart.
3. Some referre this wish of the Apostle vntounto the time before his conuersion, and here are three opinions: 1. Some giuegive this sense, that for the zeale of the Iudaicall law, he wished then to be separate from Christ, and choose to be a persecutor of his disciples: Lyran. and the ordinar. gloss. following Ambrose. 2. the commentarie going vnderunder the name of Hierome saith, that the Apostle doth now lament and bewayle his sinne, for that before his conversion he wished to be separate from Christ for his brethren sake, ex Pareo: 3. Tolet preferreth this sense, I wished to be an anathema, from Christ, that is, to be a knowne persecutor of the Christians, and to be held of them accursed for my brethrens sake, Tolet. in commentar.
But these interpretations faile diuersly. 1. this had beene no great matter for Paul yet beeing an enemie to Christ, to hauehave wished for the louelove vntounto his brethren so to continue still, Perer. disput. 3. 2. neither had this beene to the Apostles purpose, who intendeth by this his wish to shewe his louelove vntounto his brethren: but if he had onelyonly spoken of his desire before his conversion, it might hauehave beene answeared, that howsoeuer he might stand well affected to his brethren then, his minde was altered now, Mart. Perer. 3. The Apostle had taken a vaine oath herein, for there was none which doubted of his hatred to the name of Christ, before his calling, that he needed not to hauehave confirmed it by an oath, Pareus. 4. neither doth he lament here for his owne sinne, but for the present condition and state of his brethren, as is euident v. 4. where he reckoneth vp the auntient priviledges of his nation, which they had now depriued themselues of, Mart. Pareus.
4. Some thinke that the Apostles meaning is, that he could hauehave wished his calling had beene deferred yet, and that he for a time had beene separated from Christ, and not to hauehave beene yet called, but that his brethren might hauehave come to Christ before him: but the same difficultie remaineth still, for if S. Paul might hauehave wished before to be an anathema from Christ, for the glorie of God, why not also nowe? ex Mart.
5. Some thinke that by an anathema, is vnderstood onelyonly, dilatio visionis & fruitionis Christi, a deferring of the vision, and enioying of Christ: that S. Paul to conuert his brethren to the faith, wished still to remaine in the flesh, and to be absent from Christ, as see the like, Philip. 2.23. so Oecumenius, Lyranus: But this is not to be an anathema from Christ, onelyonly to hauehave the fruition of glorie deferred, Perer. numer. 12.
6. Some vnderstand this separation from Christ, to be indeede depriued of the glorious vision of Christ: but they will hauehave it limited for a time, volebat ad tempus privari fruitione Christi, he would for a time be depriued of the fruition of Christ, for the good of his brethren, Thomas in comment. But he that is once separated, and standeth as accursed from Christ, cannot but alwaies so remaine.
7. Some thinke that S. Paul spake thus, impetu quodam charitatis, wishing himselfe to be damned for his brethren, by a violent passion of charitie, and not well considering what he wished: But then S. Paul had sinned, if he made such a vowe or wish quadam incogitantia, without any consideration or bethinking himselfe: it had shewed great rashnesse, ex Mart. Pareo.
8. Some thinke that the Apostle vseth an hyperbolicall speach, when one speaketh more then he intendeth, as the Prophet Dauid saith, They that hate me are more then the hatres of mine head, Psal. 69.4. so here the Apostle, the more to expresse his louelove toward his brethren, doth vse this hyperbolicall speach, as though euen for their sakes he wished to be a castaway, Dyonis. Carthusian. But thus they will onelyonly make this a colourable and flourishing speach of the Apostle, which was no doubt a zealous and serious wish and desire in him.
9. Pareus maketh mention of an odde interpretation, which he heard deliuered by one ann. 1568. that afterward played the Apostata from Christ: who by Christ in this place vnderstood the anoynted Priests, alleadging for his authoritie Eusebius, who in that prophesie Dan. 9. so vnderstandeth the word Messiah, Christ: But beside that the word Christ, beeing absolutely put without any addition, is not so taken in Scripture, and Eusebius interpretation is therein distasted and misliked of the best interpreters: this had beene a vaine and superfluous wish in S. Paul, for in the beginning of his conversion he was odious to the high Priests, and euen then, they tooke counsell to kill him, Act. 9.23.
10. There remaine then two expositions, which may be ioyned both together in one: Chrysostome saith, that S. Paul desired, priuari fruitione & gloria Christi, to be depriued of the glorie and fruition of Christ: Oecumenius goeth yet further, that he wisheth, vt per …eam perditionem glorificaretur Christus, that Christ by my vtter perishing may be glorified in the saluation of the Iewes: and Cassianus c. 6. collat. 23. interpreteth, to be an anathema from Christ, aeternis addici supplicijs, to be addicted vntounto euerlasting punishment: Both these doe hang one vponupon another, for he which is depriued of euerlasting ioy, is cast downe to euerlasting punishment: This then is the Apostles desire, aterni boni fruitione privari, to be depriued of euerlasting happinesse, Martyr: excludi ab omni salutis expectatione, to be excluded from all hope and expectation of saluation, Calvin: he wisheth aeternam abiectionem à Christo, to be cast off for euer from Christ, Pareus: abijci in aeternos cruciatus, to be cast into euerlasting torment, Osiander. And that this was the Apostles meaning, appeareth by the like zealous desire in Moses, who also wished to be blotted out of the booke of life, rather then God should hauehave beene dishonoured in the destruction of Israel: both of these were readie, suo exitio aliorum saluti subvenire, by their destruction to hauehave helped forward the saluation of others, Gryneus, Mart.
But against this interpretation it is diuersly obiected. 1. Obiect. S. Paul could not wish to be separated from Christ, but he must desire also to be alienated from his louelove and fauour: which thing to desire it had beene sinne.
Answ. Chrysostome answereth that the Apostle would not by any meanes be separated from the louelove of Christ, nam propter Christi amorem tautopere hoc ardet desiderio, for the louelove of Christ he is so much inflamed with this desire: it followeth not therefore, he desireth to be separated from Christ, therefore from his louelove: he wisheth not to be depriued amicita Christi, sed fructu amicitiae, of the friendship of Christ, but onelyonly of the fruit of his friendship, which was euerlasting felicitie, Pareus.
2. Obiect. If S. Paul herein respected the glorie of God in the saluation of the Iewes; why did he not likewise wish to be separated for the saluation of the Gentiles? Answ. S. Paul no doubt was readie to doe the like for them: but there was not the like occasion, for the Gentiles flocked to Christ, and receiued the Gospell, but the Iewes were stubborne, and euerie where resisted their calling: and therefore for them he maketh this vowe: Mart.
3. Obiect. But S. Paul knewe, that he could not indeede be separated from Christ, as he professed before, c. 8.38. that nothing could separate him from the louelove of God in Christ. Ans. 1. Lyranus thinketh that this vowe of Paul, as likewise that of Moses was secundum dispositionem inferioris partis animae, according to the disposition of the inferiour part of the mind, where the affections are: for louelove nec mensuram scit nec modum, knoweth neither measure nor manner, not in the deliberate and reasonable part of the minde. 2. But the better answear is: that it was votum conditionale, a conditionall, not an absolute vowe, if it were the will of God, as Christs petition was for the passing away of the cuppe of his death, if it were his fathers will, Pareus: so the Apostle speaketh foreign, after a sort, and with condition, if it might be, Gryneus: And to the same purpose before them Oecumenius, … absolute haec dixit tanquam possibilia, sed sub conditione, he spake not these things absolutely, as if they were possible, but with a condition: for if Paul for the louelove of Christ could hauehave beene separated from Christ, he should againe hauehave beene so much the more firmely ioyned vntounto Christ: for if louelove be the cause of vnion, then so great louelove of the Apostle would hauehave caused so much nearer coniunction.
4. Obiect. Though a man be bound by the rule of charitie to giuegive his temporall life for an others spirituall life, yet he is not bound to giuegive his soule euerlastingly to perish, if it were in his choice, that others should not so perish: like as one is not bound to redeeme an others bodily life by the losse of his, so neither the spirituall life of the soule, by the losse of his owne: Tolet thus obiecteth annot. 4. and therefore he inferreth that in this sense, it had beene an inordinate and vaine desire in the Apostle.
Answ. 1. Some thinke, that eueryevery man is bound to redeeme the saluation of others, by the losse of his owne, sauing that fewe can attaine vntounto such perfection of charitie: for the rule of charitie is this, that we should doe that for others, which we would hauehave done for our selues: now a man had rather, that an other should giuegive himselfe to ransome him, then he should perish: and Christ was enflamed with such charitie, that he became a curse for vsus: and the like minde should be in Christs members to wish to be accursed for their brethren: as Origen inferreth, Quid mirum, si cum Dominus pro servis sit factus maledictum, servus pro …ribus anathema fiat? what maruell is it, when the Lord was made a curse for the seruants, if a seruant become an anathema for his brethren? Pareus also giueth instance in Christ, who was made a curse for vsus, dub. 1. Contra. 1. That saying of our Sauiour, whatsoeuer you would that one should doe vntounto you, doe vntounto them: Augustine well vnderstandeth, …cta & iusta voluntate, of a right and iust minde, not otherwise: for if a man could be content vponupon a lewde mind, that his wife should commit adulterie with an other, it followeth not, that the other should yeeld his wife to his wicked desire: so for a man to wish, that an other would giuegive his soule for his, were no iust or equall desire. 2. Christ, though he did beare the punishment due to vsus, and did beare the curse of the lawe, yet he was neuer avuls… à Deo, separated or pulled away from God, Mart. and there is great difference between the person of the Redeemer, and his exceeding louelove, and those which are redeemed, who herein cannot be imitators of Christ.
2. As these doe iustifie Pauls desire, hauing relation onelyonly to the louelove of his brethren: so Chrysostome aymeth onelyonly at the glorie of God, that in respect thereof, Paul made no account of his saluation: but he expressely maketh not mention thereof, for modestie sake, lest he should seeme to boast too much of his louelove toward Christ: But Tolet sheweth the insufficiencie of this reason, because Paul had professed before that nothing could separate him from the louelove of Christ: he might also as modestly hauehave wished here to be an anathema for Christ.
3. I preferre therefore Calvins solution, that neither Saint Paul had here respect vntounto the glorie of God alone, or vntounto the saluation of his brethren alone, sed charitatem hominum in studio gloriae Dei contungimus, but we ioyne the louelove of men with a desire of the glorie of God, &c. he wisheth the saluation of his brethren with respect vntounto the glorie of God: as Moses in the like case in making request for his people, therein desired the promoting of Gods glorie: Now the Apostle saith, for his brethren, vt inserviret causae, to apply himselfe to the cause in hand, which was to testifie the great desire that he had to their saluation, yet as ioyned with the glorie of Christ: as is euident v. 5. where he addeth, who is God ouer all, Blessed for euer, Mart.
So then not withstanding these or any other such like obiections, I preferre Chrysostomes interpretation of these words of the Apostle, who in the zeale to Gods glorie, & louelove to his brethren, wisheth that he were cut off from Christ, so they might be saued: according to that saying in the Gospell, that it were better that one of the members should perish, Matth. 5. …then that the whole body should be cast into hell: for the Apostle had herein respect vntounto the glorie of God, should hauehave more appeared, in the sauing of the multitude of that nation, as the whole bodie, he beeing cut off but as one member; then that he should be saued, and the whole bodie perish: to this purpose Chrysost. vponupon that place in the Gospel.
Anselme likewise vponupon this place saith, that Paul optabat perire, desired to perish, so the rest might be saued; and this sense he confirmeth by the like desire of two great Prophets Moses and Micah, this latter, c. 2.11. wisheth thus, I would I were a man not hauing the spirit, and that I did speake lies, voluit se alienum esse à spiritis, &c. he wisheth to be a straunger from the spirit, and to be a false Prophet, so that his people might escape all those plagues which were foretold, as S. Paul here wisheth to be estraunged and separated from Christ: In like manner, Moses obiecit se exitio, Moses did offer himselfe to destruction for the people sake: thus Anselme.
But 1. though we allow Anselmes interpretation, he is deceiued in his first proofe: for though the vulgar Latine doe so read that place of Micah, yet it is truely according to the originall translated thus, If a man walking after the mind, and lying falsly, &c. that is, if there were one, that were giuen vntounto lies, which would prophesie of prosperous things vntounto the people, he should be a meete Prophet for them: And the Prophet was not to wish vponupon any occasion, to commit sinne, in telling of lies. 2. Concerning the other example of Moses, it is rightly alleadged, but because there is some question about Moses manner of wish, how it is to be taken,Hexapl. in Exod. in c 32. v. 31. though elsewhere it be handled at large, it shall not be amisse breefely to touch it here: for it is a great hinderance to the studious reader, in a point wherein he expecteth present satisfaction, to make reference to another booke, which it may be is not so readie at hand.