Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 3 · Subsection 14 – Subsection 15
Quest. 14. How the stumbling and falling of the Iewes, brought salvation to the Gentiles.
v. 11. Through their fall salvation commeth to the Gentiles. 1. the word foreign, is not well here translated delictum, as the Latin interpreter, which Anselme interpreteth, peccatum, sinne, and vnderstandeth it of that speciall sinne of the Iewes, in putting Christ to death: so also Gorrhan: but it here signifieth rather lapsum, their fall, as Erasmus well noteth, to answear vntounto the former question, hauehave they stumbled that they should fall: so also Tolet annot. 9.
2. But we must not thinke, that the fall of the Iewes was properly the cause of the calling of the Gentiles: but it was the occasion rather: for euill is not of it selfe the cause of that which is good: but God by his power draweth good out of euill: for otherwise, as Lyranus alledgeth out of Augustine in his Euchiridion: Deus non permitteret mala sieri, nisi inde eliceret maior a bona, God would neuer suffer euill to be, vnlesse he did thereout draw greater good. This is like, as Pet. Martyr resembleth it, as there is a saying in Philosophie, that the corruption of one thing, is the generation of an other, not that it is the cause thereof: but the efficient hauing expelled one forme, doth bring in an other: and as in a syllogisme out of false and vntrue propositions, a true conclusion may be inferred, not by the force of the premises, but of the syllogisme, and forme of reasoning: so Gods prouidence as the chiefe efficient cause, doth by occasion of that which is euill, bring forth that which is good.
3. Anselme thinketh, that the reiection of the Iewes was the occasion of the calling of the Gentiles, because thereupon followed their dispersion through the world, and by that meanes, they brought the Scriptures to the Gentiles: But this was an occasion rather, that after that the Iewes had reiected the preaching of the Apostles, they turned to the Gentiles: neither was there any such necessitie, that the one should be reiected, before the other could be called: if it had so pleased God, they might hauehave beene called together: But this consequence, that vponupon the reiecting of the Iewes, the Gentiles were called, depended both vponupon the will and pleasure of God, who had appointed it should so be, Martyr: and vponupon the conuenience of the thing, the Iewes were high minded, and could not endure, that the Gentiles together with them should be the people of God: but they were like the dogge in the maunger, that would neither eate himselfe, nor suffer the oxe to eat; therefore it was requisite, that their pride should be first abated, and they humbled, by seeing them, to be called, to be a people, that were no people: so the question here is not, what God could doe, but what the Iewes had done, and would doe: by their good will, neither they themselues would come, nor suffer the Gentiles to enter: Pareus.
4. And though the Iewes had not beene reiected at all,The Gentiles should hauehave beene called though the Iewes had … beene …. yet the Gentiles also should hauehave beene called, but in the second place: as Chrysostome sheweth out of that place, Act. 13.46. vobis oportuit primum annuntiari verbum, the word of God ought first to hauehave bin preached vntounto you: but now through their incredulitie it came to passe, vt inverteretur hic ordo, that this order was inuerted: so in the parable, Luk. 14. after that they, which were inuited to the feast, refused, then the good man of the house saith vntounto his seruant, exi cito, goe forth quickly into the streets, &c. the Gentiles then should hauehave beene called, though the Iewes had not beene incredulous, but not so quickly.
Quest. 15. How the Iewes were prouoked to follow the Gentiles.
1. Whereas the word is, foreign, which signifieth properly to prouoke to emulation, the vulgar latine doth not well translate, vt emulentur illos, to imitate or emulate them, referring it to the Iewes that they should emulate the Gentiles, either imitande in imitating them, as Lyranus expoundeth, and before him Photius, that saith the Gentiles were examplaria, examples herein to the Iewes, or invidendo, in envying the faith and knowledge of the Gentiles: Gorrhan.
2. Some referre it to the Gentiles: as Origen vnderstandeth it of the faith of the Gentiles, which should prouoke the Iewes to emulation: Anselme vnderstandeth it thus, that the Gentiles should imitate the Iewes, that is such as beleeued among them: but this is impertinent to the Apostles purpose: some, as Chrysostome, Theodoret, Ambrose, do applie it to the Gentiles, that they should prouoke the Iewes by their example to beleeue.
3. But it is better referred vntounto God, that he should prouoke the Iewes to emulation by the example of the Gentiles, when they saw themselues the auncient people of God to be neglected, and the Gentiles which were forelorne to be receaued in, Martyr: But Tolet refuseth this, and would hauehave it referred either to the Gentiles, or their faith, because no mention is made of God before, but of the Gentiles, annot. 9. yet I preferre Pet. Martyrs reason, totum ad Deum refortur, all is referred to God: and Pareus prooueth it by that place, Deut. 32.21. I will prouoke you to emulation by a nation, that is no nation: But Tolet obserueth well, that the word their vsed by Moses is in hiphil, of the word kanah, which signifieth to emulate or enuie, and in hiphil, to cause to emulate: and so the Apostle is to be translated here, as likewise. v. 14. If I might by any meanes prouoke them of my selfe: where the Latine interpreter so readeth also: and therefore he fayleth here, in translating, that they might emulate them, whereas he should hauehave said, to prouoke them to emulation.
4. But it will be obiected, that this is no commendable thing, by enuie or emulation to be brought to be beleeue: the answer is, that God simply approoueth not such emulation or enuie, but as he can vse that which is euill to good purposes, so by this emulation it pleaseth him to incite and stirre vp the Iewes to returne vntounto him: like as the husband putteth away his adulterous wife, that she thereby may be prouoked by a kind of emulation (left an other should be receiued in her place) to seeke to be reconciled, Pareus.
5. But here we must vnderstand, that the better sort of the Iewes shall be prouoked, not all, for the obstinate thereby are made worse, Martyr: and further the Apostle must not be taken to speake of the Iewes in particular: for they which stumble and fell away, were not restored, but of the nature in generall: that though some were vnbeleeuers, yet the whole nation was not cast off; Calvin, Beza.