Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 12 · Section 3 · Subsection 11 – Subsection 13
Quest. 11. What is vnderstood by the measure of faith.
v. 3. As God hath dealt to euerie one the measure of faith, &c. 1. Concerning the words. 1. the vulgar Latine addeth, (and) to euerie one, &c. which maketh the sentence imperfect. 2. Origen will hauehave somewhat to be supplyed, to make vp the sentence, custodiat, let him keepe, as to eueryevery one, &c. so Pet. Martyr concurring with him, would hauehave somewhat supplied, as ne que sibi plus arroget, neither let him arrogate more to himselfe, &c. 3. Erasmus thinketh the sentence to be imperfect, and that the Apostle respected the sense rather then the words, which stand thus in the originall, to euerie one as God hath distributed: but here is an euident traiection of the particle foreign, as, which is put after to euerie one: which is familiar with the Apostle, as 1. Cor. 3.5. to euerie one as God hath giuen: so that the sense is full enough, without any supply, as Beza well obserueth.
2. By faith. 1. Some vnderstand iustifying faith, faith working by louelove, which faith is giuen not to all alike, but in measure to euerie one, gloss. interlin. But Pet. Martyr refuseth this, because many had these gifts and graces, which had not iustifying faith; as they which in the day of the Lord shall say, hauehave we not in thy name prophecied, and cast out deuills, Matth. 7. and yet shall be refused? 2. Chrysostome taketh this to be vnderstood causally: as faith for the gifts of faith, whereby miracles are wrought: so also Origen vnderstandeth the graces of the spirit obtained by faith. 3. Tolet by faith vnderstandeth fidelitie, which euerie one must vse in the exercising of his gift: but fidelitie is not the cause of the measure of graces, which are giuen freely. 4. faith then here is both taken by a me…onymie, for the gifts and effects of faith, as Mart. as also Beza, it comprehendeth by a Synecdoche, the knowledge of Christ, whereof the habite of iustifying faith is a fruite and effect, as also the gifts and graces of the spirit, which were conferred vponupon the faithfull, Beza, Pareus: and so the Apostle here meaneth no other thing by faith, then the gifts and graces of the spirit conferred vponupon the faithfull that beleeued in Christ: neither iustifying faith is excluded, not yet onelyonly here included: the like saying to this the Apostle hath, Eph. 4.7. To euerie one of vsus is giuen grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ: so here by faith we are to vnderstand the gifts of faith: either because faith is the gift of God, by which other graces are obtained, as Chrysostome, doni causa fides, faith is the cause of the gift: or because these gifts are giuen habentibus fidem, to those which hauehave faith, Haymo.
3. So here there are as many arguments, as words, to perswade vntounto a sober vse of the gifts receiued: dantis immensitas, the greatnes of the giuer, which is God: dandi liberalitas, the liberalitie in giuing: he hath distributed according to measure: doni excellentia, the excellencie of the gift, which is faith: generalitas suscipientium, the generalitie of the receiuers of these gifts: to euerie one, Gorrhan: because then God is the giuer, and none hath of himselfe any thing: and there is a measure giuen, so much as is thought meete for euerie one: and none are excluded, but euerie one hath receiued some gift: and the same no worldly or temporalll thing, but the spirituall gift of faith: euerie one then should be contented with his gift, and not waxe insolent thereby against others.
Quest. 12. Of the similitude which the Apostle taketh from the members of the bodie.
v. 4. As we hauehave many members, &c. 1. This similitude is frequent and familiar with the Apostle, as 1. Cor. 12.12. Ephes. 4.16. and it is verie effectuall to perswade vntounto vnitie: in so much, that some of the heathen by the light of nature, did presse this as an argument vntounto concord, as Menenius in Liv. lib. 2. when the Senators of Rome and the people were at variance, did by the resemblance of an humane bodie, and the harmonie of the parts reduce them to vnitie. 2. there are three kind of bodies: the naturall, as the bodie of man compact of many members and parts: an artificiall bodie, as of a shippe, which hath diuerse parts ioyned together: a politike bodie, as of a citie and commonwealth, consisting of diuerse particular bodies, Faius. 3. in this similitude three things are obserued, the vnitie of the bodie, it is but one, the varietie of the parts, they are many, and the diuersitie of the actions and offices of the parts, Tolet.
4. Now this similitude driueth at these three things. 1. to shewe, that as euerie member hath a seuerall function, and one member hath not receiued euerie gift: so one in the Church should not intrude vponupon an others office: as the teacher is the eye of the bodie, the distributer of almes, the hand, the diligent hearer, the eare, the visiter of the sicke and poore, the foote, Origen: now one member must not vsurpe vponupon an others office. 2. yet one mē ber communicateth vntounto the necessitie of an other, as the eyes seeth not for it selfe onelyonly, but for the whole bodie: as the Apostle saith, yee are one an others members, Haymo. 3. Chrysostome well obserueth, non solum minus maioris est membrum, the lesse is not onelyonly a member of the greater, but the greater also is a member of the lesse, &c. and so by this meanes he that hath great gifts is taught not to contemne him that hath lesse: but one to vse their gifts to the good and edifying of an other.
Quest. 13. Of the best reading of the 6. verse: seeing then we hauehave gifts, that are diuerse, &c.
1. Whereas in the originall the word is foreign, hauing: so …to make the sense full, will hauehave it ioyned with the word foreign, are, in the former verse, because otherwise this sentence should be imperfect: and this verse hangeth on the former; wherein the Apostle prosequuteth the third part of the similitude, touching the diuersitie of gifts: the other two of the vnitie of the bodie, and varietie of the members are expressed in the former verse, Erasmus; Faius: so also Haymo supplyeth, habentes sumus, we are hauing: and in the other clauses which followe, Origen will hauehave supplyed out of the third verse, sapiat ad sobrietatem, let him be wise vntounto sobrietie: as whether he hauehave prophesie, let him be wise vntounto sobrietie in prophecying according to the analogie of faith, and so in the rest: so also Haymo, Pareus.
2. Tolet will hauehave nothing supplyed at all, but the participle hauing, he maketh an he…isme, to be put, for we hauehave: and in the other members and parts, he thinketh the action or exercise of the gift to be put in the first place, and then the talent or gift it selfe: as whether beleeue prophecie according to the analogie of faith, or, a ministration, in ministring: that is, according to the grace and gift of ministring giuen vntounto him: but in this sense the Apostles speach should onelyonly be a bare declaration, that such gifts and administrations are in the Church, it should containe no exhortation to the right vse of such gifts, whereunto the Apostle euidently exhorteth, as appeareth by the 3. v. before, and the verses following: & further the phrase of teaching, exhorting, shew rather the exercise of the gift, thē the gift it selfe.
3. Some doe onelyonly in the fowre first particulars, of prophesie, ministrie, doctrine, exhortation, supply to be wise vntounto sobrietie, according to the analogie of faith: shewing the quantitie & measure of the gift, ne quis se efferret vltra mensurā doni, that no man should exceed the measure of his gift: in the other three, the qualitie & māner is expressed, how they shold exercise their gifts, as with simplicitie, alacririe, &c. Rolloc: but this distinction seemeth to be nice and curious: the Apostle in all these offices, sheweth how they should behaue themselues.
4. Other supplies are made: as thus, simus membrum alterius, let vsus be one an others members, in prophesiyng, in teaching, exhorting, gloss. interlin. or habet donum, he hath the gift: he that teacheth, hath this gift to teach, he that exhorteth, hath this gift to exhort, Vatablus: the Greeke scholiast will hauehave supplyed in them all, perseveret, let him perseuere.
5. But 1. this verse cannot be ioyned with the former, because as Beza obserueth, they are diuided by a perfect distinction: though we denie not, but that the Apostle may notwithstanding prosequute the third part of his similitude: and though we read, habentes, hauing, the sense will be full enough by supplying in euerie clause: these generall words, sapiat, ad vocationem attendat, let him be wise, or attend vponupon his office, Syrian interpret. or incumbat, let him waite on his office, &c. Gualter, Osiand. or as Beza supplyeth in the first, prophetemus, let vsus prophesie, and in the rest, versemur, let vsus be occupied, or conuersant: the difference in these supplyes is not great.