TEXT. 10 Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the gentiles for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the gentiles: how much more their fulness? 13 For I speak to you gentiles, in as much as I am the apostle of the gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If, by any means, I may provoke to emulation them, which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For, if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? PARAPHRASE. snare and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recom10 pence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that "they may not see, and bow down their back alway." 11 What then do I say, that they have so stumbled, as to be fallen past recovery? By no means: but this I say, that by their fall, by their rejection for refusing the gospel, the privilege of becoming the people of God, by receiving the doctrine of salvation, is come to the gen12 tiles, to provoke the jews to jealousy. Now, if the fall of the jews hath been to the enriching of the rest of the world, and their damage an advantage to the gentiles, by letting them into the church, how much more shall their completion be so, when their whole nation shall be 13 restored? This I say to you gentiles, forasmuch, as be14 ing apostle of the gentiles, I magnify' mine office: If, by any means, I may provoke to emulation the jews, who are my own flesh and blood, and bring some of 15 them into the way of salvation. For, if the casting them off be a means of reconciling the world, what shall their 11 NOTES. That this is the meaning of "fall" here, see Acts xiii. 46. 13 St. Paul magnified his office, of apostle of the gentiles, not only by preaching the gospel to the gentiles; but in assuring them farther, as he does, ver. 12, that, when the nation of the jews shall be restored, the fulness of the gentiles shall also come in. TEXT. 16 For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, were graffed in amongst them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; 18 Boast not against the branches: but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. PARAPHRASE. restoration be, when they are taken again into favour, but as it were life from the dead, which is to all man16 kind of all nations? For if the first fruits be holy " and accepted, the whole product of the year is holy, and will be accepted. And if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from whom the jewish nation had their original, were holy, the branches also, that sprang from this root, are 17 holy. If then some of the natural branches were broken off: if some of the natural jews, of the stock of Israel, were broken off and rejected, and thou a heathen, of the wild gentile race, wert taken in, and ingrafted into the church of God, in their room; and there partakest of 18 the blessings, promised to Abraham and his seed; Be not so conceited of thyself, as to show any disrespect to the jews. If any such vanity possesses thee, remember that the privilege thou hast, in being a christian, is derived to thee from the promise made to Abraham, and NOTES. 16 m These allusions, the apostle makes use of here, to show that the patriarchs, the root of the jewish nation, being accepted by God; and the few jewish converts, which at first entered into the christian church, being also accepted by God; are, as it were, first fruits, or pledges, that God will, in due time, admit the whole nation of the jews into his visible church, to be his peculiar people again. 'n "Holy:" by holy is here meant that relative holiness, whereby any thing hath an appropriation to God. 18 Roast not against the branches." Though the great fault that most disordered the church, and principally exercised the apostle's care, in this epistle, was from the jews pressing the necessity of legal observances, and not brooking that the gentiles, though converts to christianity, should be admitted into their communion, without being circumcised; yet it is plain from this verse, as also chap. xiv. 3, 10, that the convert gentiles were not wholly without fault, on their side, in treating the jews with disesteem and contempt. To this also, as it comes in his way, he applies fit remedies, particularly in this chapter, and chap. xiv. TEXT. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. 21 For, if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For, if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree, which is wild by na PARAPHRASE. his seed, but nothing accrues to Abraham, or his race, 19 by any thing derived from thee. Thou wilt perhaps say, "The jews were rejected to make way for me." 20 Well, let it be so; but remember that it was because of unbelief, that they were broken off, and that it is by faith alone, that thou hast obtained, and must keep thy present station. This ought to be a warning to thee, not to have any haughty conceit of thyself, but with modesty 21 to fear. For if God spared not the seed of Abraham, but cast off even the children of Israel, for their unbelief, he will certainly not spare thee, if thou art guilty of 22 the like miscarriage. Mind, therefore, the benignity and rigour of God; rigour to them that stumbled at the gospel and fell, but benignity to thee, if thou continue within the sphere of his benignity, i. e. in the faith, by which thou partakest of the privilege of being one of his 23 people: otherwise even thou also shalt be cut off. And the jews also, if they continue not in unbelief, shall be again grafted into the stock of Abraham, and be reestablished the people of God. For, however they are now scattered, and under subjection to strangers, God is able to collect them again into one body, make them his people, and set them in a flourishing condition, in 24 their own land'. For if you, who are heathens by birth, NOTE. 23 This grafting in again, seems to import, that the jews shall be a flourishing nation again, professing christianity, in the land of promise, for that is to be TEXT. ture, and wert graffed, contrary to nature, into a good olive-tree; how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive-tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. PARAPHRASE. and not of the promised seed, were, when you had neither claim, nor inclination to it, brought into the church, and made the people of God; how much more shall those, who are the posterity and descendants of him to whom the promise was made, be restored to the state, 25 which the promise vested in that family? For to prevent your being conceited of yourselves, my brethren, let me make known to you, which has yet been undiscovered to the world, viz. That the blindness, which has fallen upon part of Israel, shall remain upon them, but till the time be come, wherein the whole gentile world shall enter into the church, and make profession of chris26 tianity. And so all Israel shall be converted to the christian faith, and the whole nation become the people of God: as it is written, "There shall come out of Sion NOTES. re-instated again, in the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This St. Paul might, for good reasons, be withheld from speaking out here: but, in the prophets, there are very plain intimations of it. 25 pw," the fulness of the jews," ver. 12, is the whole body of the jewish nation professing christianity, and therefore here πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν, the fulness of the gentiles," must be the whole body of the gentiles professing christianity. And this ver. 15, seems to teach. For the resurrection is of all. 26 Ebola, "shall be saved." It is plain that the salvation, that St. Paul, in this discourse concerning the nation of the jews, and the gentile world, in gross, speaks of, is not eternal happiness in heaven, but he means by it the profession of the true religion, here on earth. Whether it be, that that is as far as corporations, or bodies politic can go, towards the attainment of eternal sal. vation, I will not enquire. But this is evident, that being saved, is used by the apostle here, in this sense. That all the jewish nation may become the people of God again, by taking up the christian profession, may be easily conceived. But that every person of such a christian nation, shall attain eternal salvation in heaven, I think no-body can imagine to be here intended. TEXT. 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye, in times past, have not believed God, yet have now cbtained mercy, through their unbelief: PARAPHRASE. "the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from 27 "Jacob. For this is my covenant to them, when I shall 28" "take away their sins." They are, indeed, at present, strangers to the gospel, and so are in the state of enemies; but this is for your sakes: their fall and loss is your enriching, you having obtained admittance, through their being cast out: but yet they, being within the election, that God made, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their posterity, to be his people, are still his beloved people, for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's sake, from 29 whom they are descended. For the favours, that God showed those their fathers, in calling them and their posterity to be his people, he doth not repent of; but his promise, that they shall be his people, shall stand good". 30 For as you, the gentiles, formerly stood out, and were not the people of God, but yet have now obtained mercy, NOTES. 27 Take away," i. e. forgive their sins, and take away the punishment they lie under for them. 28 'Exopol," enemies," signifies strangers, or aliens, i. e. such as are no longer the people of God. For they are called "enemies," in opposition to "beloved," in this very verse. And the reason given, why they are enemies, makes it plain, that this is the sense, viz. for the gentiles sake, i. e. they are rejected from being the people of God, that you gentiles may be taken in, to be the people of God in their room, ver. 30. The same signification has expo σε enemies, chap. v. 10, κατ' εὐαγγέλιον ἐχθροὶ, "as concerning the gospel "enemies," i.e. all those, who not embracing the gospel, not receiving Christ for their king and lord, are aliens from the kingdom of God, and all such aliens are called expo," enemies." And so indeed were the jews now: but yet they were nat inλoynayanlal," as touching the election beloved," i. e. were not actually within the kingdom of God, his people, but were within the election, which God had made of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their posterity to be his people, and so God had still intentions of kindness to them, for their fathers sake, to make them again his people. κατ' 29 So God's not repenting is explained, Numb. xxiii. 19—24. |