TEXT. no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that, which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded: 8 According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompence unto them: PARAPHRASE. it were of works, then is it not grace. For then work would not be work, i. e. work gives a right, grace bestows the favour, where there is no right to it; so that what is conferred by the one, cannot be as7 cribed to the other. How is it then? Even thus, Israel, or the nation of the jews, obtained not what it seeks*, but the election †, or that part, which was to remain God's elect, chosen people, obtained it, but 8 the rest of them were blinded: According as it is written §, "God hath given them the spirit of slum"ber; eyes that they should not see, and ears that 9" they should not hear, unto this day." And David saith, "Let their table be made a snare and a trap, NOTES. ence, in the things taken, from those that are left, I do not see how it can be called choice. A handful of pebbles, for example, may be taken out of a heap: they are taken and separated, indeed, from the rest, but if it be without any regard to any difference in them, from others rejected, I doubt whether any body can call them chosen. 7* "What it seeks," i, e. that righteousness, whereby it was to continae the people of God; see chap. ix. 31. It may be observed, that St. Paul's discourse being of the national privilege, of continuing the people of God, he speaks here, and all along of the jews, in the collective term Israel. And so likewise the remnant, which were to remain his people, and incorporate with the convert gentiles, into one body of christians owning the dominion of the one true God, in the kingdom he had set up under his son, and owned by God for his people, he calls the election. + "Election," a collective appellation of the part elected, which in other places he calls remnant. This remnant, or election, call it by which name you please, were those who sought righteousness by faith in Christ, and not by the deeds of the law, and so became the people of God, that people which he had chosen to be his. 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. " and a stumbling-block, and a recompence unto 10" 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 gentiles, to provoke the jews to 12 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 13 be restored? This I say to you gentiles, foras much as being apostle of the gentiles, I magnify † 14 mine office: If, by any means, I may provoke to emulation the jews, who are my own flesh and blood, and bring some of them into the way of 15 salvation. For, if the casting them off be a means of reconciling the world, what shall their NOTES. 11 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 '16 all mankind 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 17 sprang from this root, are 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 the blessings, 18 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 his seed, but nothing accrues to Abraham, or his NOTES. 16 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. "Holy:" by holy is here meant that relative holiness, whereby any thing hath an appropriation to God. 18 Boast 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 stand est 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. 19 race, by any thing derived from thee. Thou wilt perhaps say, "The jews were rejected to make way 20 for me. 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 con21 ceit of thyself, but with modesty 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 the like 22 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 people; otherwise even thou also 23 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 re-established 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 24 in a flourishing condition, in their own land *. For 23 NOTE. 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. if you, who are heathens by birth, 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, 26 and make profession of christianity. 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 the de 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 * Пáρwμα, "the fulness of the jews," ver. 12, is the whole body of the jewish nation professing christianity, and therefore here wλýρwμα Tŵr vwv, 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 + Σωθήσεται, "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 salvation, 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. |