Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 2 – Section 3
2. The Argument, Method, and Parts.
THe Apostle in this Chapter treateth of the calling of the Gentiles, and of the reiection of the Iewes: yet so, as that he both exhorteth the Gentiles not to insult ouer the Iewes, because they are reiected for a time: and to the comfort of the Iewes he sheweth, that they are neither totally, nor finally reiected, but shall in the ende be conuerted. Tehre are …. parts of the chapter: the first is doctrinall, shewing, that the Iewes are not totally reiected, to v. 11. the second is exhortatorie, both to Iewes and Gentiles, to v. 33. the third is the conclusion. v. 33.
1. In the Doctrinall part, 1. he sheweth, that all the Iewes are not reiected by these reasons. 1. by his own example, that was a Iew. 2. by the immutabilitie of Gods foreknowledge, v. 2. 3. by an argument à pari, taken from the like in Elias time: the antecedent containeth Elias complaint vntounto God, v. 3. and Gods answer to him, v. 4. the consequent sheweth the application: euen so now a remnant shall be saued, v. 5. as in Elias time: this is amplified by setting forth the efficient cause, of their election, the grace of God, which can not fall away, which is enlarged by the contrarie, not of works, v. 6. 2. Then the Apostle speaketh of the part of the Iewes reiected: which is propounded by the contrarie, v. 7. and proued by testimonies of Scripture, one of Isay, v. 8. the other of the Prophet Dauid, v. 9, 10.
2. In the exhortation, 1. he moueth the Gentiles, that they should not insult ouer the Iewes, to v. 25. 2. he comforteth the Iewes by a propheticall prediction of their conuersion, to v. 33.
1. The summe of the Apostles exhortation is set forth, v. 18. that the Gentiles (to whom he directeth his speach, v. 13.) should not beast themselues, nor be high minded, v. 20. or arrogant in themselues, v. 25. This exhortation is strengthened by diuers arguments. 1. from a double end of the reiection of the Iewes, one to bring saluation to the Gentiles, the other, that the Iewes might emulate the example of the Gentiles: these two ends are propounded, v. 11. and then amplified, the first v. 12. by an argument from the lesse to the greater: that if the world gained so much by the reiection of the Iewes, much more by their conuersion: the other ende is vrged by shewing the ende of the Apostles ministerie among the Gentiles, which was to prouoke the Iewes to emulation, to saue some of them, v. 13, 14.
2. Argument from the hope of the conuersion of the Iewes, v. 15. which is grounded vponupon the force of the Couenant, they are branches of an holy roote, v. 16. therefore let not the Gentiles insult.
3. Arg. from the former state and condition of the Gentiles, they were as a wild oliue tree, v. 17.
4. Arg. the Gentiles should shew themselues vnthankfull to insult against the roote, which did beare the branches, v. 18.
5. Arg. the Gentiles might be cast off themselues, therefore they were not to boast: which he prooueth by an argument from the greater to the lesse: If God spared not the naturall branches, much lesse the vnnaturall, v. 19, 20, 21.
6. Arg. from the cause or originall of the vocation of the Gentiles, the bountie and merciemercy of God, therefore they were not to boast, v. 22.
7. Arg. from the hope of the conuersion of the Iewes, which was touched before, v. 15. which is amplified, by the efficient, the power of God, and by an argument from the lesse to the greater, v. 24.
The propheticall prediction of the conuersion of the Iewes for their comfort followeth: which is propounded v. 25. as before he shewed, that the reiection of the Iewes was not totall, so here he prooueth, that it shall not be finall: but that Israel shall be called againe, 1. by two testimonies of the Prophet Isai, v. 26, 27. 2. from the dignitie of the Iewes depending vponupon Gods grace and election, which was infallible, v. 18, 19. 3. à pari, from the like, as the Gentiles sometimes beleeued not, but were receiued to merciemercy, so the Iewes then beleeued, but should receiue merciemercy, v. 30, 31. 4. from the ende, God hath shut vp all in vnbeleefe, that all might tast of his merciemercy, v. 32. and ascribe nothing to themselues.
3. The conclusion consisteth, 1. of an exclamation, with an admiration of Gods wisdome and knowledge, as vnsearchable: which is shewed, 1. by the secrecie thereof, not to be found out by a creature, v. 34. 2. by the bountie of God, not prouoked by any mans giuing first vntounto him. 3. because God is the beginning and end of all things. 2. then followeth the Apostles vow and wish, that all glorie may be ascribed vntounto God, v. 36.
3. The questions and doubts discussed.
Quest. 1. Of the scope and intent of the Apostle in this chapter.
1. Whereas the Apostle had in the ende of the former chapter shewed out of Isay, how the Iewes for their obstinacie were reiected, and the Gentiles called: now he sheweth in this chapter for the comfort of the Iewes, that all generally were not cast off, but onelyonly the vnbeleuers, Origen: and so least that the Iewes might hauehave despaired, and some might also hauehave obiected, as though hereby Gods promises to his people should hauehave beene made of no effect, he sheweth this reiection of the Iewes not to be generall, Par. and this he doth, ne insultarent Gentiles, least the Gentiles might hauehave insulted ouer the Iewes, gloss. ordin.
2. So then partly to minister consolation to the Iewes, Bucer: partly to represse the insolencie of the Gentiles, the Apostle sheweth three things concerning the reiection of the Iewes: that it is not vniversalis, vniuersall, to v. 11. nor inutilitis, vnprofitable, to v. 25. nor irrecuperabilis, irrecouerable, from v. 25. to the ende, Lyran.
3. And touching the first, that their fall is not generall: he sheweth, first that all are not reiected, as by his owne example, then that some are assumed, as seuen thousand were in Elias dayes: and yet some reiected, v. 8.9. Gorrhan.
Quest. 2. Why the Apostle maketh mention of the tribe of Beniamin, whereof he was.
v. 1. I also am an Israelite, of the seede of Abraham, of the tribe of Beniamin, &c. 1. Pet. Martyr thinketh that Saint Paul would signifie here, that he was not obscurely borne, but of a noble tribe, euen of Beniamin which came not of any of Iacobs handmaides, but of Rachel his principall wife: and out of the which Saul the first King of Israel was chosen. 2. Tolet giueth a contrarie reason, that least Saint Pauls calling might be ascribed to the dignitie of his tribe, he sheweth he was of Beniamin, which was vltima & minima, the last and least of all the tribes. 3. the interlin. glosse thinketh it is added, because mention is made next before, of the seed of Abraham, lest he might be thought to be of Abraham, by Ismael: But this doubt was remooued before in that he saith he was an Israelite. 4. Gorrhan giueth this coniecture: alludit genus operi sequeti, S. Pauls kindred and tribe is mentioned, as agreeable to the worke that followed: for as Rachel died in the birth of Beniamin, so the Synagogue in the birth of Paul: and as Iosephs cup was found in Beniamins sackes mouth, so the word of Christ in the mouth of Paul: and as Iacob saith of Beniamin, Gen. 49. that he is a wolfe devouring the pray: so Saint Paul spoiled the Iewish Synagogue, and brought many as a pray vntounto Christ.
5. But these collections are to curious: S. Paul onelyonly hereby sheweth that he was a Iew by nation, not a Proselyte conuerted to the faith: by rehearsing three of their principall Fathers, Israel, Abraham, Beniamin: Pareus, that his kindred was so farre off from beeing an hinderance to him, that he was chosen to be praeco gratia, a preacher of grace: Bucer: and therefore all the Iewes were not reiected.
Quest. 3. How God is said not to cast off that people whom he knewe before, v. 2.
1. Chrysostome taketh here Gods foreknowledge for his prescience by the which he did foresee the people whom he had chosen, aptum fore fidem recepturum, to be apt and readie to receiue the faith: But herein the Greekes erred in attributing too much to mans freewill: and the contrarie is euident out of the Scripture, and reasons diduced from them, that Gods prescience was no cause, why he elected the people of Israel. As 1. Deut. 7.7. the Lord saith, he did not set his louelove vponupon them or choose them, because they were moe in number, &c. he did of his meere louelove choose them, not for any respect vntounto any thing in them. 2. how could he foresee any goodnesse in them, in whom naturally there is nothing but evill. 3. and the Lord here saith, v. 4. I hauehave reserued seuen thousand, he ascribeth it to their own will, but to his owne grace, that they were so reserued.
2. Some will hauehave this vnderstood comparatiuely, ipsum praesciuit ante Gentes, God did foresee them to be his people before the Gentiles, so Oecumenius vnderstandeth it of the prioritie of the calling of the Iewes before the Gentiles: But as Beza well obserueth, the Apostle here speaketh not of vocation, but of the decree of eternall predestination.
3. Some interpret it thus: which he knew before, that is, had before enlarged with many excellent benefits: but it is euident by the circumstance of the place, that the Apostle speaketh here of election before all time, not of the collation of benefites in time, ex Tolet annot. 1.
4. Wherefore, we must vnderstand, that Gods prescience is taken foure waies: 1. either largely for his foresight, whereby he seeth and knoweth all things which are done in the world: as Peter saith to our Sauiour, Ioh. 21.17. Lord thou knowest all things: and this generall prescience in God, belongeth to his vnderstanding, rather then will, and is no cause of things: for all that God in this sense knoweth, he decreeth not. 2. Gods prescience is taketh more strictly, for his foreknowledge of those things which he decreeth to be, both of good, which he purposeth to worke, and of euill, which he purposeth to permit: and this prescience is practicall, the former is onelyonly speculatiue. 3. it is vsed yet in a more strict sense, as when it signifieth the approbation and acceptance of God in his eternall louelove: as Rom. 8.29. Whome he knew before, he predestinate: and so praenoscere is probare, to foreknow, is to approoue, as Origen saith: and so Gods prescience differeth from election, as the cause from the effect: as it signifieth election and predestination it selfe: and so Augustine taketh it here, praescivit, id est, praedestinavit, he foreknew, that is, predestinate: so also Haymo, Lyranus: and so the meaning is, whome he knew before, ab aeterno electum amplexus, whom he loued and embraced beeing elected from the beginning: Beza: and here the word praecognoscendi, of foreknowing, signifieth beneplacitum, the good pleasure of God, whereby he chose them to be his children, Calvin: for there is difference betweene these two words, foreign, to foresee, and foreign, to foreknow: this signifieth a foreknowledge with approbation, in which sense, the Apostle saith, 2. Tim. 19. The Lord knoweth, who are his: the other is taken for a bare prescience and foresight, which is not ioyned with such approbation.