《Pett’s Commentary on the Bible – Romans》(Peter Pett)
Commentator
Dr. Peter Pett BA BD (Hons-London) DD is a retired Baptist minister and college lecturer. He holds a BD (good honours) from King's College London and was trained at what is now the London School of Theology (formerly London Bible College).
In this modernly written verse-by-verse commentary of the Bible (see book exclusions below), Dr. Peter Pett leads the reader through the Scriptures with accuracy and insight. Students and scholars alike will delight at Pett's clear and direct style, concisely examining the original text, its writers, translations and above all, the God who inspired it. Study the bible online.
Commentary excludes 1 and 2 Chronicles, Esther, Job, and Psalms 67-150 because the material has not yet been written.
00 Introduction
Opening Thoughts.
There is no letter or book in the world to equal the one that we are about to consider, for it is a detailed explanation of the Good News of God which is the power of God which results in salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16), coming from the pen of an inspired writer.
Its scope is immense. Its first eight chapters, which contain the essence of that salvation, commence with a view of the parlous state of the world, and of man in his rebellion against God (Romans 1:18-32). All is in darkness. But it ends with a description of the triumph of God’s purposes with regard to His elect (Romans 8:28-39). All has become light. And this because of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. His words thus reveal how out of man’s darkness God brings light to those whom He has chosen. And in between is the glowing account of the effectiveness of Christ and His cross, and of the Holy Spirit, in bringing about man’s salvation.
Brief Introduction.
This letter was written by Paul to the Roman church in 57 AD just prior to his journey to Jerusalem where he hoped to deliver the money that he had collected from the Gentile churches on behalf of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Palestine who were facing severe drought. He was, however, aware of the dangers that faced him in Jerusalem and asked the Romans to pray for him, that he would be delivered from the enmity of the Jews, as it was his intention to visit them (the Roman Christians). In the event he went to Rome in chains.
Rome was the only church to which Paul wrote for which he had had no part in its foundation. It had probably originally been started by Christian Jews and proselytes who returned to Rome after Pentecost (Acts 2:10-11), and many Christians would later have moved to it as the hub of the Roman empire, some of whom were known to Paul, as is evident from chapter 16. He was therefore not aware of any major problems there, and was able to concentrate in his letter on giving a full presentation of the Gospel of God (chapters 1-8), and an explanation of God’s dealings with the Jews (chapters 9-11), while at the same time indicating that Jewish Christians (of which there were many in Rome) and Gentile Christians should have forbearance for one another and for each other’s religious foibles (chapters 12-15). The letter contains a special emphasis on the name of God, the noun God being used more often per 100 words than in any other of the larger New Testament books. God was very much at the centre of Paul’s thinking.
It should be noted in passing that there is no hint in the letter of Peter being in Rome at the time, something which, given the greetings at the end of the letter, refutes conclusively the suggestion that Peter was in Rome at this time as its bishop. Indeed Rome would have no single overall bishop for another hundred years, as is evident, for example, from the opening to the letter of Clement from the Roman church to Corinth and from the words of Justin Martyr.
01 Chapter 1
Verses 1-3
COMMENTARY.
This Letter was written by Paul to the church in Rome, and its whole stress is on ‘the Good News of God’. It commences with a description of that ‘Good News (Gospel) of God’, which is what the letter will be all about, and it stresses that there are two important things to bear in mind when we consider it:
· Firstly that it was promised by God through His prophets in the holy Scriptures (Writings). Thus it was not just something new based on men’s speculations, but was totally based on the words of the prophets as preserved in ancient Scriptures, words which had come forth from God through the centuries (Romans 1:2).
· Secondly that it is ‘concerning His Son’, Who was promised continually throughout the Scriptures, but is now the new factor in the equation (Romans 1:3).
Romans 1:1 - ‘Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God,’
Paul opens the letter in the usual form of those days, and describes himself under three designations in order to commend himself to his readers:
· ‘A servant of Jesus Christ.’ This was both a title of humility and a title of honour. It was a title of humility in that it represented him as a slave, the lowest of the low, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. By this he was making it clear that he was totally at Christ’s service and under His command, wanting only to please Him. This is the position that all of us should take (Ephesians 6:6). But it is a title of honour in that it paralleled the title ‘servant of YHWH’ borne by Moses (Joshua 1:1 and often), Joshua (Joshua 24:29), David (2 Samuel 7:5) and others whose lives were dedicated to God’s service. Consider, for example, the overall phrase ‘His servants the prophets’ (Jeremiah 7:25; Amos 3:7). He saw himself as being in the line of the prophets due to his high calling. As is evident from his letters, therefore, he was conscious both of his own unworthiness, and of the high position to which he had been called.
· ‘Called to be an Apostle.’ Paul saw himself, and was seen by the whole church, as one of Jesus Christ’s unique Apostles, as a result of his being ‘called’ by God to the honour by divine appointment (Galatians 2:8). He knew that God had laid His hand on him in a unique way as certainly as the other Apostles had been especially called and appointed by Jesus Christ (Mark 3:14-15). The requirements for being an Apostle were that those chosen had been present during Jesus’ ministry from the beginning, witnessing His life and receiving their teaching from Him, and that they had been eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Christ (Acts 1:21-22). In Paul’s case he did receive his teaching directly from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12), and he did personally witness the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Galatians 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:8). And it is probable that he was aware of Jesus and His ministry, as an antagonist, as a result of Jesus’ visits to Jerusalem. His calling was unique from the others and especially personal, but it was based on the same premises.
· ‘Separated to the Gospel of God.’ The word for ‘separated’ means in this context ‘separated to God for a holy purpose’ (Leviticus 20:24; Leviticus 20:26). Paul saw himself as having been so separated to God from his mother’s womb (Galatians 1:15), and here it is stressed that he was so separated, (like the High Priest of old was separated to his sacred task by being anointed in the presence of God) in order that he might proclaim and uphold ‘the Good News of God’. That was the whole purpose of his calling, to make known the ‘Good News of God’. This was both Good News FROM God, and Good News ABOUT God. And, as we soon learn, that Good News was concerning God’s own Son, Who was born as a human being, but was declared to be the true ‘only Son of God’ by His resurrection from the dead.
Verse 2
‘Which he promised beforetime through his prophets in the holy scriptures,’
Paul was concerned to stress that this Good News of God had not arrived unannounced. It had been promised beforetime through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures (the Old Testament). Thus it was not something novel, but was something promised and prepared for through the inspiration of God’s revered messengers of old. These great and holy men of old had pointed forward to Jesus Christ, preparing the way before Him, just as heralds would proclaim the coming of a king. And it was promised in the Holy Scriptures, the widely honoured sacred book of the Jews (the Old Testament) which was seen as containing God’s revelation to man. It bore the authenticity of firmly testified prophetic promises given through revered men of old, and contained within the sacred book of the Jews, a book which was honoured, even in the Gentile world.
The fact that this Good News was promised by Godin His Holy Scriptureswill be brought out throughout the letter:
· In the Scriptures is revealed the expectancy of the coming saving righteousness of God (Romans 1:17). The coming of this righteousness was a prominent theme of Isaiah where it is closely related to salvation. Compare Isaiah 45:8; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 51:8; Isaiah 56:1; etc. Note especially that in Isaiah 51:5 righteousness is to go out to the peoples who as a result will trust in Him. The coming of His righteousness would therefore bring salvation in a way that was compatible with what He is.
· In the Scriptures is revealed the sinfulness of man (Romans 1:18 to Romans 3:23). Having ignored the message given by the majesty of the heavens (Romans 1:20; compare Psalms 19:1-4) man indulged in every kind of sin and idolatry, something of which the Old Testament is a continual record.
· In the Scriptures is revealed God’s method of atonement through the shedding of blood (Romans 3:24-31; compare Isaiah 53, and all references in the Old Testament to sacrifice and atonement). All these offerings and sacrifices have now been fulfilled through Christ’s offering of Himself once for all.
· In the Scriptures is revealed God’s method of accounting men as righteous by faith as revealed in the life of Abraham (Romans 4:1-25; compare especially Genesis 15:6). Through faith we too can be accounted righteous.
· In the Scriptures is revealed the very source of man’s sinfulness in the first man, and the fact that God would provide a remedy through Another (Romans 5:12-21; Genesis 3; Isaiah 42:1-6; Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12 and often). As we are naturally a part of Adam, so must we become a part of Christ by being united with Him by believing in Him.
· In the Scriptures is revealed the Law, the purpose of which was originally good, but which ended up condemning men, from whose condemnation we have now been delivered (Romans 7:1-25; compare Exodus 21:1-18; etc)
· In the Scriptures is revealed God’s way of salvation for His true people (9-11 against the background of the Old Testament).
· As the Scriptures foretold in the beginning, God will now bruise Satan under their feet (Romans 16:20; compare Genesis 3:15).
Thus the whole of the letter to the Romans is undergirded by the Holy Scriptures.
Verses 2-6
The Good News Of God (1:2-6).
What that ‘Good News of God’ was is now made clear, as is the fact that it had been promised beforetime through God’s prophets in the Holy Scriptures. In other words Paul was stressing that this Good News was not some novelty like many of the ideas that were spreading about. Rather it had been well prepared for through the centuries that had passed. It was founded in sacred history. And it was Good News concerning God’s Son, Who was humanly speaking a son of David, but Who was also powerfully declared to be the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead.
Verse 3
‘Concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,’
This message was ‘concerning His Son’. The phrase ‘His own Son’ contains within it the certainty of Christ’s Godhood. Compare John 5:17-18 where Jesus, speaking of God as ‘His own Father’, was seen as having thereby made a claim to be equal with God. This was thus no ordinary Good News. It was Good News concerning God’s only co-equal Son.
And this Son was ‘born of the seed of David according to the flesh.’ In other words He was born into the world as the promised, truly human, long anticipated, coming King of the house of David. That was His status humanwise. In Him the hopes of the nation of Israel were coming to fruition. In inter-testamental terms He was the Messiah, the Christ. The importance of this lay in the fact that it connected Him with all the promises concerning the coming Davidic king contained in the Scriptures, commencing with the promises first made to David himself (2 Samuel 7:16), and continuing throughout the prophets (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-5; Isaiah 55:3; Jeremiah 30:9; Jeremiah 33:14-26; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Ezekiel 37:24-28; Micah 5:2; and so on).
But the addition of ‘according to the flesh’ (it would normally have been enough to say ‘born of the seed of David’) immediately draws our attention to the fact that a greater announcement is coming. For while the Gospel of God certainly reveals that He was truly human (‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us - John 1:14), that He was ‘born according to the flesh’, it also prepares us for something more outstanding. He was not only just a human being. In His human nature He was born of the seed of David, but He is now to be revealed as a greater than David, and as having pre-existed David.
Verse 4
‘Who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord,’
For His greater manifestation came in that He was powerfully declared (or, more strongly, ‘appointed’ - see the use in Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31) to be the Son of God, in an act of power which revealed His own power. He was declared to be ‘the Son of God with power’, the Son of God powerful enough to bring about the resurrection. And His true divine Sonship was therefore made known by His immensely powerful resurrection from the dead, a resurrection in which He proclaimed the death of death, having triumphed over it once for all (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Through it He also declared the defeat of the spiritual powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). Satan would be bruised under their feet shortly (Romans 16:20). All that could prevent the salvation of His people was dealt with through His resurrection, and what had preceded it, something which demonstrated Who He really was, the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14).