Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 1 · Section 3 · Subsection 22 – Subsection 25
Quest. 22. What the Apostle vnderstandeth by grace and peace. ver. 7.
In these words is contained the salutation it selfe: wherein two things are expressed. 1. what the Apostle wisheth vntounto them, and from whom.
1. Grace and peace. 1. Origen here noteth, that this benediction of the Apostle was nothing inferiour vntounto those blessings pronounced by the Patriarkes, as the blessing of Noah. vponupon Sem and Iapheth: and Melchisedekes benediction vponupon Abraham: because Paul also blessed by the spirit: as he saith, 1. Cor. 7.40. I thinke that I also hauehave the spirit of God: But it is not vsuall in the old Testament to vse this blessing of grace: and the reason may be this, because the lawe was giuen by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ, Ioh. 1.17. Hyperius. 2. By grace, Ambrose vnderstandeth remission of sinnes; by peace, reconcillation with God: Lyranus, gracia in praesenti, gloria in futuro, grace in this life present, and glorie in the next: Hugo, gratias agant Deo, pacem habeant cum proximo, that they should giuegive thanks to God, and hauehave peace with their neighbours: Tolet by grace vnderstandeth donum animae, &c. a gift of the minde, whereby a man is made acceptable vntounto God: but there is no gift conferred vponupon the soule, that can make it acceptable vntounto God, but the grace and fauour of God in Christ: therefore by grace rather is signified the grace and fauour of God, whereupon followeth the collation of all other graces beside, and by peace, prosperous successe, but especially the tranquilitie of minde, which is the speciall fruite of iustification by faith, Rom. 5.1. Gryneus: and so this benediction answeareth to the salutation of the Angels, Luk. 2.14. Peace in earth, toward men good will: for the merciemercy and gracious fauour of God, is the fountaine of our peace.
2. From God the Father, and the Lord Iesus Christ. 1. the Greeke construction is doubtfull, whether we vnderstand thus the Father of vsus and of our Lord Iesus Christ, or referre the last clause to the first preposition, and from the Lord Iesus Christ: whereupon Fransiscus Dauid a Samosetian heretike taketh aduantage, that Paul doth not wish grace from Iesus Christ, but from the father onelyonly: But this cauill is easily remooued, for Ioh. 2.2. the preposition foreign, from, is repeated, from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ, and so must it be taken here, Pareus. 2. Some distinguish these two thus, that grace is wished from God the father, as the author of grace, and peace from Iesus Christ, who is our reconciler, Aretius. But Haymo misliketh that, and would hauehave this grace and peace indifferently to be conferred and equally, by God the father, and the Lord Iesus. 3. Tertullian giueth this reason, why the title of God is giuen vntounto the father, of Lord vntounto Christ, least the Gentiles might hereby hauehave taken occasion to thinke of the pluralitie of gods: but when the Apostle speaketh of Christ alone, he saith, who is God ouer all, blessed for euer, Rom. 9.5. Tertullian. aduers. Praxeam. But the reason rather is this, why Christ is called Lord, because the father hath committed vntounto him all authoritie: for he is called the Lord which hath plenarie power, and authoritie: and yet the father is so called God, as that the Sonne is not excluded: and the Son is also Lord, as that the father be also included: and this name foreign, Lord, answereth to the Hebrewe, Iehouah, which sheweth that Christ is verie God with his father, Aretius. 4. but further the question is mooued, why there is no mention here made of the holy Ghost: Haymo answereth, that intelligitur in donis suis, he is vnderstood in his gifts, because grace and peace are also the gifts of the holy Ghost: so also gloss. ordinar. But the better answer is, that seeing these graces doe equally flowe from the whole Trinitie, the Apostle by naming the father and the Sonne, includeth also the holy Ghost: and sometime he expresseth them all, as 2. Cor. 13.13. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the louelove of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all.
Quest. 23. Of Pauls giuing of thankes for the faith of the Romanes, which was published abroad, v. 8.
1. In this thanksgiuing fowre things are obserued, to whom he giueth thankes, to God, by whome, thorough Christ, for whom, for you all, and for what, because their faith was published through the world: And this wise beginning S. Paul maketh, thus insinuating himselfe, that his admonition afterward might seeme to proceede from a louing minde, Tolet.
2. I thanke my God. 1. he saith my God, not theirs, to signifie that their faith was imperfect: as Ambrose, for in the words following he setteth forth an ample commendation of their faith. 2. some thinke he so saith, because he acknowledged this benefit, that the Romanes beleeued, to be as conferred vponupon himselfe, Tolet. 3. But the manner of the Saints is so to speake, as Dauid doth often in the Psalmes, ex privato sensu diuinae bonitatis, of a priuate and more liuely sense and feeling which they hauehave of the goodnesse of God: and in respect of some singular gifts, which they hauehave receiued, Marty. so also Chrysostome: id magno facit affectu, he doth it with a great affection: And so the Prophets and other holy men, cum qui communis est omnium Deus, sibt proprium facientes, making the common God of all peculiar to themselues: euen as the Lord did call himselfe the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, tanquam seorsim illorum tantum esset, as though he were seuerally their God onelyonly.
3. Thorough Iesus Christ. He offreth thanks throrough Christ: 1. the meaning whereof is not, as Ambrose, to giuegive thanks for a benefit receiued by Christ. 2. but as Origen, per Christum tanquam sacerdotem, he offreth this sacrifice of thanks by Christ, as the high Priest, by whom all our oblations are acceptable vntounto God: for we must take the same way in giuing of thanks, which the father doth in conferring graces: that as he bestoweth his graces vponupon vsus in Christ, so in him againe, we should returne our thanks, Aretius.
4. For you all: 1. not as in their stead, as Dauid desired to die for Ionathan, but because of them, that they had receiued such an excellent gift of faith: 2. the Apostle, sui oblitus, forgetteth himselfe, and giueth thanks for the Church, Pareus. 3. he giueth thanks for them all, incipientibus, proficientibus, perfectis, for the beginners, for them which profited and proceeded, and for them which were perfect, Gorrham.
Quest. 24. How the faith of the Romanes was published through the world.
1. Origen by the whole world, vnderstandeth the Angels in heauen, which did reioyce for the conuersion of men in earth: but this sauoureth of his accustomed curious speculations: the like phrase the Apostle vseth of the Thessalonians, 1. epist. 1.8. Your faith spread abroad in all quarters: he meaneth then the world of men, not of Angels. 2. Hierome maketh this the sense: because the same faith which the Romanes had receiued, was preached by the Apostles in all the world: but the Apostle here doth giuegive a speciall commendation of the faith of the Romanes. 3. therefore here an hyperbole, or rather a Synecdoche, is to be admitted, that many parts of the world are taken for all: because the more knowne parts of the world were now subiect to the Romanes: so S. Luke saith, c. 2.1. There came a commandement from Augustus Caesar, that all the world should be taxed, Pareus. And Chrysostome giueth this reason: Rome was quasi in quodam orbis vertice collocata, placed as in the toppe of the world, whence it might be seene and discerned of all the earth.
Quest. 25. Of the singular faith of the Romanes.
1. First their faith was commendable and famous, for the worthinesse and excellencie thereof: both for the soundnesse of doctrine, which they had receiued, as S. Paul testifieth, c. 16.17. I beseech you, obserue those, which cause diuision and dissention among you, contrary to the doctrine which ye hauehave learned, and beside their knowledge was ioyned with goodnes and feruent louelove: as he againe saith, c. 15.12. I am perswaded of you, that ye are full of goodnes, and filled with all knowledge, and that yee are able to admonish one another. 2. Againe they had many lets and impediments, which made their faith the more famous. 1. diuitijs & delicijs corrupti erant, they were corrupt with riches and other delicates, and so were hindred from beleeuing. 2. qui praedicabant erant piscatores, they which preached the Gospell were fishermen, and Iewes, which nation was odious vntounto the Gentiles. 3. they taught to worship a man that was crucified. 4. vitam exagebant austeriorem, they exacted a more strict and austere kinde of life, Chrysostome. 5. vntounto this may be added that the most grieuous persecution of the faith was at Rome, and the Christians there were as vnderunder the paw of the lion, and so in greatest danger: yet notwithstanding, all these lets and impediments they receiued the Christian saith. 3. And further the Romane Church is commended in respect of the founders thereof, and the planters of their faith, which was first founded by S. Paul, and then by Peter, who both liued and preached there, and there ended their life: from thence also it is thought that Iohn the Euangelist was banished into the Isle Pathmos: Chrysostome therefore thus saith of Rome, ob id maximè Romam praedico beatam, &c. I do chiefely for this count Rome happie: because Peter and Paul, did so louelove it, that they taught the faith of Christ there, and finished their life among them, hom. vlt. in epist. ad Roman. 4. But concerning the last commendation of the Romanes faith, which Pererius produceth, that the Church of Rome, inviolatam & intaminatam conservauit, &c. hath kept inviolably, and pure the faith receiued from the Apostles: that it is manifestly false, shall afterward be shewed in the places of controuersie.