Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 11 · Section 3 · Subsection 18 – Subsection 20
18. Quest. Why the Apostle maketh mention of his Apostleship, and how he is said to magnifie his office. v. 13.
1. For the occasion of these words. 1. Tolet thinketh, that the Apostle giueth here occasion of his former speach, that the diminishing of the Iewes, was the riches of the Gentiles: which was by reason of his ministerie, who was appointed the Apostle of the Gentiles. 2. Chrysostome saith, the Apostle sheweth two reasons of his commendation of the Gentiles, both because he was their Apostle, and to the ende that by their praise the Iewes might be prouoked. 3. Hyperius maketh this a third reason of the calling of the Iewes, from the ende of his office and ministrie. 4. Lyranus will hauehave the third part of the chapter here to beginne, that as he had shewed before, that the falling of the Iewes was neither generall vntounto, v. 11. nor vnprofitable, v. 11.12. so now he sheweth that it is not irrecouerable. 5. but the best coherence and connexion is this: that whereas he touched two ends of the reiection of the Iewes before, the saluation of the Gentiles, and the conversion in the end of the Iewes: this latter he confirmeth by the vse and ende of his ministrie; and he sheweth that he in the execution of his office, id meditari, to meditate or propound to himselfe the same thing that God doth, that is, in preaching to the Gentiles, he intendeth the salvation of the Iewes.
2. But whereas in the originall the words are foreign, which signifie, in as much as, the vulgar latine readeth, quamdiu, as long as: and so Origen, who giueth a double sense: that it may either signifie the time of this life, as long as he is an Apostle here, insinuating that he should afterward in the next life hauehave the same dignitie to be an Apostle: where in Origen falleth into his fantasticall speculations of the next world, as though their should need any ministerie of the word or Apostleship there: or this quamdiu, so long, is all one, as if he had said, sine fine, without end, as long as I liue: but the word is not taken here for quamdiu, how long, but for quatenus, in as much as: as Matth. 25.45. In as much as ye did it to one of the least of these, ye did it vntounto mee: where the vulgar latine also misseth, reading quamdiu, as long: And most commonly, when these words foreign, are referred to the time, the word foreign, time, is added, as 1. Cor. 7.39. and Galat. 4.1. Mar.
3. I magnifie mine office. 1. Origen vnderstandeth it of Saint Pauls faithfulnes in his ministerie: he honoureth his Ministerie, which ministreth well, he dishonereth it, qui negligenter & indigne ministrat, who ministreth negligently and vnworthily: to which purpose the Apostle saith, 1. Tim. 3.13. that the deacons which hauehave ministred well, get themselues a good degree, do honour their ministrie by their diligence, and shall be rewarded of God: but he that ministreth not well, malam sibi poenam conquirit, doth get and procure his owne punishment: Origen seemeth to vnderstand honouring both in life and doctrine. 2. Vatablus expoundeth it of diligence in preaching. 3. Haymo of adorning the Ministrie with a good life. 4. Tolet referreth it to the successe of S. Pauls preaching among the Gentiles, whom he had enriched. 5. But Saint Paul herein placeth the honour of his Ministerie, that he did so preach vntounto the Gentiles, as he might also gaine the Iewes; so Ambrose, Anselme, Haymo in his second exposition: because honos magistrorum est numerus auditorum, the number of the scholars and auditors, is the honour of the master and teacher: so also Pareus, Martyr, Osiander. 6. Lyranus and Gorrhan following the ordinarie glosse, thus interpret, addendo vltra debitum, &c. in adding beyond his debt, in labouring for the conuersion of the Iewes: But Saint Paul in saying, to prouoke them of my flesh, confesseth he stood endebted to them also beeing his kindred after the flesh: though his speciall commission was to preach to the Gentiles. This then was the honour of the Apostles ministerie, that by his preaching he might winne both Gentiles and Iewes, as he saith. 1. Cor. 9.19. I hauehave made my selfe a seruant to all men, that I might winne the moe, to the Iewes I became as a Iew, &c. that I might winne the Iewes, &c. I am made all things to all men, that by all meanes I might saue some.
4. That I may saue some. 1. God is the efficient cause and author of saluation, but because the Ministers are the instruments, they are also said to saue; as 1. Tim. 4.16. as in so doing thou shalt saue both thy selfe, and them that heare thee. 2. The Apostle speaketh of the sauing of some, not of all, because he knew the time of their vniuersall calling was not yet come. 3. but it will be obiected, that seeing Saint Paul was called to be an Apostle of the circumcision, and Saint Peter of the vncircumcision, he might seeme to be an intruder into an other mans lot in seeking the conuersion of the Iewes; the answer is, that the Iewes inhabiting the land of promise, their owne countrie, belonged vntounto Peter; but the Iewes conuersing among the Gentiles, per accidens, accidentally belonged to Saint Paul, whose office was to preach vntounto the Gentiles, among whom the Iewes were dispersed, Gorrhan.
Quest. 19. What the Apostle meaneth by these words, v. 15. What shall the receiving be, but life from the dead?
1. Origen vnderstandeth it of the finall resurrection: tunc erit assumptio Israel, &c. then shall Israel be receiued, when the dead shall rise; so also Chrysostome, Theodoret, Oecumenius, Tolet, with others: the great benefit which the conuersion of the Iewes shall bring vntounto the world, shall be the finall resurrection. 2. Ambrose interpreteth it of the spirituall resurrection by beeing iustified from sinne. 3. Hyperius of the great ioy, which shall be conceiued in the world for the conuersion of the Iewes, as though one did rise from the dead. 4. Lyranus applieth it to the zeale of those which were conuerted to the faith of the Iewes, who were more excellent then others, as beeing furnished with the knowledge of the Scriptures; such were Paul, Appollos, with others. 5. Faius vnderstandeth it of the Gentiles, which by the conuersion of the Iewes, should be reuiued beeing dead in their sinnes; but it is euident by the next verse, that Saint Paul speaketh of the conuersion of the Iewes. 6. Beza in his annotat. referreth it to the whole state of the Church, for while the Iewes remaine yet in death, mundus nondum revixit, the world is not yet wholly reuiued. 7. But this speach properly concerneth the Iewes, and it is a metaphoricall speach, to shew that the Lord shall receiue them againe, euen as those, which are raised from the dead: Pareus. 8. Here I cannot omit two other strange expositions, the one of Haymo, the other of Osiander: Haymo by life from the dead, vnderstandeth the Apostles who were receiued, and quickned from among the Iewes, that were as dead: but it is euident, that the Apostle speaketh of the receiuing of the whole nation of the Iewes, as in the beginning of the verse, he maketh mention of their casting off; Osiander thinketh that the Apostle vseth here an argument ab absurdo, from an inconuenience; to this effect: if God should onelyonly hauehave cast off the Iewes, to receiue the Gentiles, this were all one, as to giuegive life vntounto one by the death of another, which were absurd, and therefore the Iewes were not cast off onelyonly to make roome for the Gentiles, but that they might be graffed in againe: but this interpretation doth quite turne and change the Apostles sense: for the Apostle prooueth here that the Iewes shall againe be receiued by an argument from the lesse to the greater: that if the reiection of the Iewes brought such profit to the Gentiles, their assumption and receiuing againe much more: we insist then vponupon the former sense.
Quest 20. What the Apostle meaneth by the first fruits, and the whole lumpe, the roote, and the branches.
1. By the first fruites, Theophylact vnderstandeth the leaven, but that is vnproper: Hyperius, primitias frugum, the first fruits of the corne, but the lump or masse then should not be answearable to it: Erasmus by the first fruits vnderstandeth the corne, by the lump the cakes which were made thereof tempered with oyle, which were offered, not the masse and lump of dow, which was tempered with water: rather the first fruits were the cakes which were offered vp, and the masse is the whole lump of dow, which was sanctified by the oblation of the first fruits according to the law, Lev. 23.14.17. and Num. 15.20. Haymo thinketh that the first fruits was the first tast, which was taken of the whole lump, beeing all of the same rellish and sauour: but the Apostle speaketh not simply of the first tast, but of the offering of the first fruites according to the law: he vseth two similitudes, one taken from the obseruation of the law, concerning first fruites, the other from naturall experience of the roote and the branches; Pareus.
2. Concerning the meaning of these words: some doe make a difference betweene the first fruits and the root, the masse and the branches: as Theodoret, the first fruits interpreteth to be Christ, the root, the Patriarkes: Tolet by the first vnderstandeth the Apostles, which were as the first fruits, by the other the Patriarkes: Some take them for the same: as Ambrose, Anselme, Lyranus, Gorrhan, glosse ordinarie, doe take the first fruits and the root for the Apostles and Disciples, that first beleeued of the Iewes: But I agree rather vntounto Chrysostomes exposition, who vnderstandeth Abraham, Isack, and Iacob, with the rest of the Patriarkes to be both the first fruits and the roote: so Martyr, Calvin, Pareus, Hyperius, with others.
3. Now this roote, whereof the braunches were the Israelites, is neither Adam, for so the Iewes had no more priuiledge then any other; and in Adam all are sinners: nor yet conveniently is it interpreted to be Christ, as Origen: Ego aliam radicem quae sancta sit nescio, nisi Dominum nostrum, I know no other roote that is holy, beside our Lord Iesus Christ: for v. 22. the Apostle calleth the Iewes the naturall braunches of this roote: but so cannot any be called the naturall braunches of Christ: wherefore the Patriarkes are this roote, as Abraham, Isack, Iacob, not in respect of their persons, but of the promise, which was made to them and their seed, Calvin: and so the Lord doth vse to send the Israelites vntounto their faithfull Progenitors, and to looke to their example, as Isai, 51.1. looke vntounto the rocke, whereout you were hewen, meaning Abraham, as in the verse following direct mention is …de of Sara.
4. Thus then standeth the Apostles argument: the holy nation can not be cast off for euer: but the Iewes are an holy nation, which he prooueth because they are descended of holy parents, which he doth illustrate by two similitudes; of the first fruits, and roote, which beeing holy make the lumpe and the branches holy.