Ver. 1. As pertaining to the flesh] That is, As touching his works, Romans 4:2, called also the letter, Romans 2:27, and the law a carnal commandment, Hebrews 7:16.
Ver. 2. But not before God] Who when he begins to search our sacks, as the steward did Benjamin’s, can find out those our thieveries that we thought not of; bring to mind and light those sins that we had forgotten, or not observed. When he comes to turn the bottom of the bag upwards it will be bitter with us. Abimelech’s excuse was accepted, and yet his sin was chastised, Genesis 20:6. Vae hominum vitae quantumvis laudabili, si remora misericordia iudicetur. The best lamb should abide the slaughter, except the rams were sacrificed, that Isaac might be saved.
Ver. 3. Abraham believed God] Latomus of Louvain was not ashamed to write that there was no other faith in Abraham than what was in Cicero. And yet our Saviour saith, Abraham saw my day and rejoiced; so did Cicero never. Another wrote an apology for Cicero, and would needs prove him to have been a pious and penitent person, because in one place he hath these words, Reprehendo peccata mea, quod Pompeio confisus, eiusque partes secutus fuerim. A poor proof: Hoc argumentum tam facile diluitur, quam vulpes comest pyrum. (Joh. Manl.)
Ver. 4. Now to him that worketh] Yet it is an act of mercy in God to render to a man according to his works, Psalms 62:12 Ex 20:6. God’s kingdom is not partum, but paratum, Matthew 25:34, not acquired, but prepared. But of debt] Not so indeed, Romans 11:31, but according to the opinion of the merit monger, who saith as Vega, Caelum gratis non accipiam. I may not receive heaven by grace.
Ver. 5. His faith] Yet not as a work, not in a proper sense, as Arminius and Bertius held, but as an act of receiving Christ. That justifieth the ungodly] i.e. Him that was ungodly; but being justified is made godly also; or the ungodly, that is, him that is not perfectly godly; for Abraham is here made the ungodly person.
Ver. 6. Unto whom God imputeth] Ten times the apostle mentioneth this grace of imputed righteousness in this chapter. Yet the Papists jeer it, calling it putative righteousness, so speaking evil of the things they know not. Stories tell us of a Popish bishop that lighting by chance upon this chapter, threw away the book in great displeasure, and said, O Paule, an tu quoque Lutheranus factus es? Art thou also a Lutheran, Paul? But if the faith of another may be profitable to infants at their baptism, as Bellarmine holdeth, why should it seem so absurd a thing, that Christ’s righteousness imputed should profit those that believe on him? The Jews indeed at this day being asked, Whether they believe to be saved by Christ’s righteousness? They answer, That every fox must pay his own skin to the slayer. Thus they reject the righteousness of God, Romans 10:3. As their fathers did, so do they, Acts 7:51. The Lord open their eyes, that they may convert and be saved.
Ver. 7. Are covered] Sic velantur ut in iudicio non revelentur; so covered as that he never see them again, but as the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
Ver. 8. Imputeth not] Chargeth it not, setteth it not upon his score, 2 Corinthians 5:19.
Ver. 9. Cometh this blessedness] This is the third time that the apostle avoucheth the universality of the subject of justification. For this he had done once before, Romans 3:23, and again, Romans 3:29-31. The Scripture doth not use, saith one, to kill flies with beetles, to cleave straws with wedges of iron, to spend many words where there is no need.
Ver. 10. In, circumcision] As the Jew would have it. No such matter.
Ver. 11. A seal of the righteousness] Circumcision is called a sign and a seal by a doctor of the Jews more ancient than their Talmud Zohar, Genesis 17:9-14 That righteousness might be imputed] How foolish is that inference of Thammerus, that because the word here used to signify imputed comes of a word that signifies reason, therefore the righteousness of faith must be such as a man may understand and comprehend b y reason (λογισθηναι, λογος).
Ver. 12. Walk in the steps] That herein personate and express him to the life, as Constantine’s children, saith Eusebius, did their father.
Ver. 13. Heir of the world] That is, of heaven, say some; of Canaan, say others, the pleasant land, more esteemed of God than all the world besides, because it was the seat of the Church. A man is called every creature, Mark 16:15; the Church is called all things, Colossians 1:18. So Canaan is called the world, and Tabor and Hermon put for the east and west of the whole world, Psalms 89:12.
Ver. 14. Faith is made void] [See Trapp on “Ga 3:12”] [See Trapp on “Ga 5:2”] That Epistle to the Galatians is an epitome of this to the Romans, and lends light to it. It is compendium, sed non dispendium.
Ver. 15. No transgression] sc. Is imputed by men where there is no law written. See Romans 5:13. The law worketh wrath] That is, manifesteth it, and so seemeth to work it, as likewise affliction doth corruption in God’s children; stir the puddle with a stick, and the mud will soon be on the top of the water. Rub the brand, and sparkles will fly abroad.
Ver. 16. It is of faith] Fidei mendica manu. That it might be by grace] Paul was a great advancer of the grace of God, and abaser of man. For he knew that as wax and water cannot meet together, so neither can Christ and anything else in the work of man’s salvation.
Ver. 17. Who quickeneth the dead] As he doth when he maketh a man a believer, Ephesians 1:19; he fetcheth heart of oak out of a hollow tree, and a spiritual man out of a wild ass colt. See both these metaphors, Job 11:12.
Ver. 18. Who against hope, &c.] Elegans Antanaclasis propter speciem contradietionis, saith Piscator. Spes in terrenis, incerti nomen boni; spes in divinis, nomen est certissimi, saith another. Believed in hope] It is the nature of faith to believe God upon his bare word; and that against sense in things invisible, against reason in things incredible: sense corrects imagination, reason corrects sense, but faith corrects both. It will not be, saith sense; it cannot be, saith reason; it both can and will be, saith faith, for I have a promise for it.
Ver. 19. He considered not] Gr. ου κατενοησε, He cared not for all his own body, &c.; he never thought of that. When he was about a hundred years old] This the Scripture makes a great matter; whereas Terah was a hundred and thirty when he begat Abraham; but because Abraham had his child by faith, therefore was it a great matter. And so, saith a divine, in all ather things that we have, do, or suffer, if they he by faith, they are great things.
Ver. 20. Giving glory to God] Confessing and exalting God, as Luke 17:18, giving him a testimonial, as it were, John 3:33 cf. Deuteronomy 32:4.
Ver. 21. Being fully persuaded] Gr. πληροφαρηθεις, being carried on with full sail, and going gallantly towards heaven.
Ver. 22. [See Trapp on “Ro 4:5”] [See Trapp on “Ro 4:6”] God, by reason of his faith, held him to be as sufficiently disposed to obtain the accomplishment of his promises, as if he had had all the righteousness required by the law to receive God’s benefits. (Diodat.)
Ver. 23. For his sake alone] But for our instruction and encouragement, Romans 15:4. [See Trapp on “Ro 15:4”]
Ver. 24. That raised up Jesus] And with him all believers, Colossians 3:1 Ro 6:4.
Ver. 25. Who was delivered, &c.] Not that his death had no hand in our justifying, but because our justification, begun in his death, was perfected by his resurrection. Redemption we have by Christ’s abasement, application of it by his advancement. This one verse is an abridgment of the whole gospel, the sum of all the good news in the world, the grand inquest of all the ancient prophets, 1 Peter 1:11. Adore we the fulness of the Holy Scriptures.