Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 10 · Section 1 – Section 2
1. The text with the diuerse readings.
1. v. Brethren, mine hearts desire (the goodwill of my heart. Gr.) and prayer to God for Israel is, for their saluation (that they might be saued. G.)
2. For I beare them record, that they hauehave the zeale (emulation L.) of God, but not according to knowledge.
3. For they beeing ignorant of the righteousnesse of God, and seeking to establish their owne righteousnesse, hauehave not submitted themselues. G. S. (hauehave not beene subiect. G.) to the righteousnes of God.
4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse, vntounto eueryevery one, that beleeueth.
5. For Moses thus describeth the righteousnesse, Be. G. S. (writeth of the righteousnes. B.V.) but the preposition is wanting in the originall) which is of the law, that the man, that doth these things shall liue thereby.
6. But the righteousnesse, which is of faith, speaketh on this wife, Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heauen? (that is to bring Christ from aboue:)
7. Or who shall descend into the deepe? (of the graue. S. ad.) that is to bring Christ againe from the dead.
8. But what saith it (the Scripture. L. ad.) the word is neere thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thine heart; This is the word of faith, which we preach.
9. For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt beleeue in thine heart, that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saued.
10. For with the heart man beleeueth (it is beleeued. Gr.) vntounto righteousnes, and with the mouth confession is made to saluation.
11. For the Scripture saith, Whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shal not be ashamed (confounded. L. B.)
12. For there is no difference betweene the Iew and the Grecian: (of the Iew and Grecian) for the same Lord ouer all, is rich vntounto all that call vponupon him.
13. For eueryevery one that calleth vponupon the name of the Lord, shall be saued.
14. But how shall they call on him, in whom they hauehave not beleeued? and how shall they beleeue in him, of whom they hauehave not hard? and how shall they here without a Preacher?
15. And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written. How bewtifull are the feete of those, which bring glad tidings of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things?
16. But they hauehave not all harkened (obeyed. L. S. V.) to the Gospel: for Esaias …ith, who hath beleeued our sayings, (our report. G.)
17. So then faith is of hearing, (by hearing. B. G. but the preposition foreign, signifieth of) and …earing by the word of God.
18. But I demaund (I say. Gr.) hauehave they not heard? no doubt, their sound went out into all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world.
19. But I demaund (say. Gr.) did not Israel know God? first Moses saith, I will provoke you to en…ie, (emulation. L. V. Be.) by them that are no nation, (not I will bring you to be no nation. L.) and by a foolish nation will I anger you.
20. And Esaias is bold and saith, I was found of them, that sought me not, and hauehave bin made manifest to them, that asked not after me.
21. And vntounto (against, Be.) Israel he saith, all the day long hauehave I stretched forth mine …nd to a disobedient, (not beleeuing. L. V. B. foreign, signifieth both, but the first rather here) and gaine saying people.
2. The Argument, Method, and Parts.
The Apostle hauing concluded in the former chapter, how the Gentiles had receiued the righteousnes of faith, but the Iewes through their stubbornes had reiected it, in this chapter doth at large handle the same matter: both setting forth the difference betweene the righteousnesse of the law and of the Gospel, to v. 14. and then the entertainement thereof in the world, accepted of the Gentiles, v. 18. and reiected of the Iewes, v. 19. to the ende.
But first the Apostle vseth a preamble somewhat to qualifie his former …peach touching the Iewes: by shewing his desire toward then saluation, v. 1. and his testimonie concerning their zeale, v. 2. which he correcteth, shewing a threefold defect and want in their zeale, ignorance, pride in establishing their own righteousnes, and disobedience in not submitting themselues to Gods righteousnesse. v. 3.
Then followeth the doctrine concerning righteousnesse by faith set forth by diuerse arguments. 1. because Christ is the end of the law, therefore righteousnesse is not in the law, but by Christ. 2. by the diuerse effects and properties of the law, which requireth workes, and of the Gospel, which exacteth not of a man by his owne workes to ascend to heauen, or to be deliuered from hell, but onelyonly the word of faith: which is afterward set forth by the partes, beleeuing with the heart, & confessing with the mouth: gathered into this syllogisme: Whosoeuer beleeueth with the heart, and confesseth with the mouth, shall be saued, v. 10. but thou doest beleeue with the heart, and confesse, &c. Ergo. v. 9.
3. Then he prooueth righteousnesse by faith, by a testimonie of Scripture. v. 11.4. then from the communitie of saluation both of Iew and Gentile, which could not be by the law, v. 12.5. by the effects of faith, inuocation; All that invocate the name of God, shall be saued, Ergo all are iustified by faith.
The entertainement of this doctrine in the world, was 1. by acceptation among the Gentiles: which he sheweth by the meanes of faith and saluation, the preaching of the Gospel, which was offered to the Gentiles, which he prooueth 1. by the effects set forth by a gradation, If there had beene no preaching, their could hauehave beene no hearing, if no hearing, no faith, if no faith, no invocation, v. 14.15. 2. by a dissimilitude, though preaching was not profitable among the Iewes generally, v. 16. yet the ordinarie meanes of faith is the word preached. v. 17. 3. by a propheticall testimonie of Scripture he sheweth that the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles, and their beleefe followed thereupon, v. 18.
2. But it was reiected of the Iewes: as he sheweth by three testimonies of Scripture, the first comparing the Gentiles and Iewes together, v. 19. the other two shew the setting forth of their condition, seuerally of the Gentiles accepted of God, v. 20. of the Iewes reiecting God, v. 21.