Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 2 · Verse 17
VERSE 17. For the Kingdome of God, is not meat and drink, but righteouſneſſe, and peace, and ioy in the Holy Ghoſt.
NOw followeth a reaſon why the ſtrong and the weake ſhould not by their contentions about indifferent things, cauſe their good to be euill ſpoken of.
This reaſon is brought in by a Prolepſis vntounto which alſo belong the two next verſes.
Chryſostome well obſerues that this pertaines to both of them: for indeed both of them ſeeme to hauehave good ground for their contentions, and not yeelding each to other, thus:
For that wherein the Kingdome of God conſiſteth, we ought to contend.
But the Kingdome of God is, in not eating (ſaith the weake) by the Law; in eating, ſaith the ſtrong, by the Goſpell. Therefore.
Now hereunto Paul anſwers, denying the minor, and in ſtead thereof putteth downe a contrary aſſertion in this verſe, which is confirmed in the 18 and applied in the 19. verſe, Hee proueth herein that they ought not to contend, by an argument drawne for a definition of the Kingdome of God: or from the nature of things indifferent; or from a compariſon of things neceſſary to the promoting of Gods kingdome, and things not neceſſary, thus:
For thoſe things which further not the Kingdome of God we ought not to contend.
But meat and drink further not the kingdome of God. Therefore.
In this aſſertion are two things. The thing it ſelfe, and the deſcription of it.
The thing it ſelfe is the Kingdome of God, which, being ſpoken of the Elect; is ordinarily taken either for the ſtate of the Church preſent in this world, and ſo called the Kingdome of grace, or for the Kingdome of Glory in the world to come.
Chryſoſtome vnderſtandeth it of the Kingdome of Glory, that it is not attained by eating or not eating; others vnderſtand the Kingdome of Grace.
Some interpret our iuſtification not to conſiſt in meat, Hier.in locum. Aug. 1. 2. quaeſt. Euan. c. 11. Aquinas. Melanchton. Oleuianus. Gualterus.or drinke; ſome, that whereby we are brought to Heauen; ſome that, by the which God reigneth in vsus; ſome, ſpirituall motions in our hearts; ſome, the adminiſtration of ſaluation by the Word & Spirit, which was before called, our good; ſome, the whole buſineſſe of our ſaluation, of which Chriſt is the Auther, deſtroying the Kingdome of Satan, and ſetting vp the Kingdome of God; ſetting certaine notes, wherby the citizens of this Kingdome ſhould be knowne, which are, not meat and drinke, but righteouſneſſe, &c. as if yee ſhould ſay, Chriſtianity is not meat, &c.
Theſe ſeuerall expoſitions are as a large commentary, and all to be receiued, that of Saint Hierome concerning iuſtification being warily vnderſtood.
This Kingdome is deſcribed here Negatiuely, it is not meate and drinke; and affirmatiuely, but righteouſneſſe and peace, and ioy, amplified by the Author of them, the Holy Ghoſt.
Is not meat and drinke: that is, is not conſerued and maintained, 1 Cor 8.8.by meat and drinke, or ſuch tranſitory things; meat commendeth not vsus to God, ſaith Paul in another place, for neither if wee eate, are wee the better, nor if wee eate not, are we the worſe; to which purpoſe ſpeaketh Saint Ambroſe. Hee ſaith not; is not liberty, for this is an eſpeciall priuiledge of this Kingdome.
This muſt alſo warily bee vnderſtood; for in ſome conſtruction, the Kingdome of GOD may bee furthered or hindred by meat and drinke, and things indifferent.
Here therefore wee muſt diſtinguiſh, that principally and ſubſtantially the kingdome of God is not in ſuch things; for ſubſtantialia regni, as one ſaith, Caietanus.the ſubſtantiall things of the kingdome are righteouſneſſe, ioy, peace: For meat is for the belly, not for the conſcience; for the temporall health of the bodie, not for the eternall ſaluation of the ſoule; for this life, not for that which is to come.
Accidentally the kingdome of God may be in ſuch things, which Aquinas here excellently ſheweth, Externa, &c. Outward things, ſaith he, doe ſo farre belong to this kingdome, as the affections are ordered, or diſordred about thoſe things in which principally conſiſteth this kingdome; not per ſe, but in regard of vſing, or abſtaining, which he confirmeth by the ſentence of Saint Auguſtine.
We may ſo eate, as that wee may deſtroy the kingdome of God in our ſelues, as in ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe; and we may ſo abſtaine, that we may helpe to build it vp, as in faſting and abſtinence, for our more humiliation and feruencie in prayer.
We may conſider Adam: The kingdome of God was not in the Apple; for what is an Apple thereto: but Adams obedience in abſtaining, and his diſobedience in eating, pertained to the kingdome of God.
So, what is meate? What is a white or blacke garment? What is colour or faſhion? What is kneeling, or ſitting, or any other geſture? And yet a man may ſo vſe or refuſe theſe things, as thereby to procure much good or hurt to his ſoule.
But righteouſneſſe &c. This is the Affirmatiue part of the deſcription, from the effects or notes of ſuch in whom God raigneth.
Righteouſneſſe imputed; Peace of conſcience proceeding from our Iuſtification: Ioy, the ſweet and comfortable eſtate of the heart and affections, iſſuing from ſuch peace.
It is true that theſe are the great priuiledges of ſuch who belong to Gods kingdome; but in mine opinion not principally meant here.
I vnderſtand therefore by righteouſneſſe, that which is infuſed and inherent, or the exerciſe and expreſſion thereof, in the duties of obedience. By Peace, that of the Church, whereby by the members thereof do mutually conſent, and not ſtriue one with another; and by Ioy, that holy affection whereby we delight in ſuch righteouſneſſe and peace; and thus expoundeth Thomas Aquinas.
My reaſon of this expoſition, is, firſt, becauſe theſe are called Seruices, in the next verſe, Hee that in theſe things ſerueth Chriſt, &c.
Now imputed righteouſneſſe is not a ſeruice of ours, but a free gift of God to vsus, in which we are Paſſiues, rather then Actiues: and therefore learned men obſerue that we are called, faithfull, not foreign, but foreign.
And peace of Conſcience and Ioy, are rather rewards then ſeruices.
Secondly, the peace here meant, is that which is in the nineteenth verſe, which is that which ought to be betweene Chriſtians, the ſtabliſhing of which among the Saints at Rome, is Pauls whole drift in this Chapter.
In the holy Ghoſt, who is the procreant cauſe of ſanctity, vnity and ioy: added, to diſtinguiſh this peace and righteouſneſſe from that which is Ciuill; and this Ioy, from that which is Carnall.
The kingdome of God is not in things of a middle nature, Doctr. but in things which are neceſſary. Luke 17.20.21. The kingdome of God commeth not with obſeruation, that is, with waſhing of hands and pots, &c. ſaith Chriſt to the Phariſies, that put righteouſneſſe in ſuch things; but the kingdome of God is within you, as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, Looke into your hearts what the Spirit worketh there, and ſhew the preſence of that holy Spirit, by righteouſneſſe, and peace, and ioy. 1. Cor. 8.8. Meat commendeth vsus not to God: for neither if we eat, are we the better, nor if we eate not, are we the worſe.
So, 1. Tim. 4.8. Bodily exerciſe, that is, meat, drinke, apparell, ſitting, kneeling, profiteth little, but godlineſſe, &c.
Pauls Aſſertion ſhould quiet and appeaſe all quarrels in the Church, Vſe 1 about the vſe of things indifferent.
The contentions in our Church hauehave bin grieuous about Veſtures and Geſtures; Tertul lib. de Ieiun. aduerſus Pſych.but I would ſay of theſe, as Tertullian about meat or abſtinence; Etſiclaues macelli tibi tradidit, permittens eſui omnia, non tamen in macello regnum Dei incluſit, nec enim eſus aut potus eſt regnum Dei: though he hath deliuered to thee the keyes of the market, permitting thee to eate of all things, yet hee hath not locked vp the kingdome of God in the market.
Or as Baſil; Abſtinence from meates, of it ſelfe, Baſil. Mag. citat. à Bened. Juſtiniano.profiteth not to ſaluation, ſeeing for the moſt part they which eate, are equall or ſuperiour in piety to them which eate not.
Let vsus not then contend about ſuch things, but if any man will contend, let it be for the faith that was once deliuered to the Saints.
And let no man or woman ſo impudently ſlaunder our Church, as to ſay that the wearing of a garment is preferred before the preaching of the Word: for there is no man barred for a garment, but for his ſtubbornneſſe and diſobedience to lawfull Authority; he being iuſtly thought vnfit to teach others obedience to Powers, Titus 3.1.according to Pauls commandement to Titus, which refuſe to obey themſelues.
Note a difference betweene things indifferent and righteouſneſſe, peace and ioy: Theſe are neceſſary to performe, Ʋſe 2 not the other: The kingdome of God cannot bee without theſe, but it may be without them.
And yet here behold the ſubtilty of the Diuell; many contend about theſe ſo, as if Chriſtianity it ſelfe conſiſted in them; refuſing to heare the Word, and (which is moſt horrible) to come to the holy Sacrament, becauſe of ſome indifferent things commanded; putting great religion, not in abſtaining from malice, pride, couetouſneſſe, &c. ſo much, as from a garment or a geſture: but it appeareth to me that they are three wayes guiltie.
1 Of groſſe Ignorance, in not putting difference between things neceſſary, and things of a middle nature.
2 Of Superſtition, for it is equally ſuperſtitious, to put the worſhip of God in abſtaining from things, as though they did diſpleaſe God, when they doe not diſpleaſe him: as to put it in the doing of things, as though ſuch things did pleaſe God, when they doe not pleaſe him.
3 Of reſiſting lawfull Authority.
He doth not worthily enough eſteeme of the Kingdome of God, Vſe 3 who doth not preferre righteouſneſſe, and peace, and ioy in goodneſſe, before all outward things whatſoeuer, Matth. 6.33.
It is a great comfort to know our ſelues to be ſubiects of the kingdome of God: ſuch are the righteous, the peaceable, and ſuch which delight in good things: but ſuch as are of an vnrighteous and vnpeaceable life, and of vile and diſordered affections, are farre from this kingdome: God ruleth not in ſuch, but Satan.