Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 15 · Section 3 · Subsection 23
Quest. 23. Of the meaning of these words, I dare not speake of any thing, &c. v. 18.
I dare not speake. 1. Ambrose giueth this sense, as though the Apostle should say, he could not rehearse any thing belonging vntounto the preaching of the Gospel which Christ had not wrought in him: indigere non habet aliquid divinae virtutis, quod sibi non sit praestitum à Deo, he stood not in neede of the diuine helpe in any thing which was not aboundantly supplyed by God: this sense followeth Beza, and interpreteth non sustinuerim, &c. I cannot endure to speake of any thing, which Christ hath not wrought, &c. that is, Christ hath wrought so aboundantly eueryevery way by me, that I can speake nothing els: and he giueth this reason, because, if it be translated, I dare not: it should signifie, that he had a will to speake of other things, but not power: But 1. the Apostles intendment is not to shewe, that he had no lacke in any thing of the diuine assistance, which notwithstanding was true, but only to prooue that which he said before, that he had wherein to reioyce in Christ: so that the emphasis or force of his speach lyeth not in these words, I dare not speake, but in these, which Christ hath not wrought by me. 2. and the Greeke text is, foreign, any of those things, which, &c. not foreign, any thing which, as M. Beza would hauehave it; and so as Erasmus obserueth, the originall text will not beare Ambrose exposition. 3. and this word, I dare not, is vsed by the Apostle in the same sense elsewhere, as 2. Cor. 10.12. we dare not make our selues of those which praise themselues: which sheweth not a will in him wanting power: but se religione prohiberi, he made a religion and conscience of it, Gualter: he neither would, nor could speake otherwise.
2. Lyranus thinketh that here is an opposition against the false Apostles, that S. Pauls preaching was not as theirs, in word onelyonly, and not in power: but the Apostles purpose is to prooue that, which he had propounded, that he would glorie onelyonly in Christ.
3. Some thinke that S. Paul preventeth an obiection, ne quis existimaret, least any should thinke, that he did glorie, plus quam veritas facti exigebat, more then the truth of the thing required: the Apostle sheweth that what he glorieth in, was truely effected, Tolet: but the force lieth not in the word wrought, as shall be shewed after…ard.
4. Origen placeth the force in this word by me, as it hath relation vntounto others, quae loquor, non sunt alieni operis verba, what I speake are not the reports of other mens labours: and this sense Erasmus approoueth as best agreeable to that which followeth, v. 20. that he did not build vponupon an others foundation: but still this fitteth not the Apostles purpose here, who intendeth onelyonly to shew, how he had wherein to glorie in Christ, not comparing himselfe to others.
5. Chrysostome in an other sense interpreteth these words by me, of his owne workes, omnia Dei esse ostendit, nihil suijpsius, he sheweth that all was of God, and nothing of himselfe: so Pet. Martyr, nolle de … rebus gloriari, he will not boast of his owne doings: nequid de seipso dicere ausit, that he dare not speake any thing of himselfe, whereof Christ was not author.
6. Theophylact putteth both these last senses together, non insolens praedico quod ipse non gesserim, quin potius nil ipse confeci, I doe not insolently publish, that which I hauehave not done my selfe, or rather, it is not I that hauehave done it, but God vsing me as the instrument.
7. As this last sense is not much to be misliked: yet the greatest emphasis lieth in Christ, what Christ hath not wrought by me: for the Apostles purpose is not so much to shewe by what instrument Christ wrought, as by him, not by others, by him assisted by grace, not working of himselfe: as who it was that wrought all things in him, namely Christ.
So then as in the former verse he shewed in whom he gloried, namely in Christ, and in what, or for what, things belonging to God: so now he proceedeth to prooue both these: first who it was that wrought in him, Christ, and then what things he wrought by him, as it followeth in the next verse, Pareus.