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The kingdom of God is

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16 Let not then your good be evil 19 Let us therefore follow after the eir. CCX2 spoken of: things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

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17 For, the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

18 For, he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

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From this verse we learn that a man for whom Christ died || may perish, or have his soul destroyed; and destroyed with such a destruction as implies perdition; the original is very emphatic, EXEIVOY ATOXXUE, UTEP OU Xp150s are lave. Christ died in his stead; do not destroy his soul. The sacrificial death is as strongly expressed as it can be, and there is no word in the New Testament that more forcibly implies eternal ruin, than the verb araw, from which is derived that most significant name of the Devil, Aroλλow, the DESTROYER, the great universal murderer of souls.

Verse 16. Let not then, your good be evil spoken of] Do not make such a use of your Christian liberty as to subject the gospel itself to reproach. Whatsoever you do, do it in such manner, spirit, and time as to make it productive of the greatest possible good. There are many who have such an unhappy method of doing their good acts, as not only to do little or no good by them, but a great deal of evil. It requires much prudence and watchfulness to find out the proper time of performing even a good action.

Verse 17. For, the kingdom of God] That holy religion which God has sent from heaven, and which he intends to make the instrument of establishing a counter part of the kingdom of glory among men: see on Matt. iii. 2.

Is not meat and drink] It consists not in these outward and indifferent things. It neither particularly enjoins, nor particularly forbids such.

But righteousness] Pardon of sin, and holiness of heart and life.

And peace] In the soul, from a sense of God's mercy, peace regulating, ruling, and harmonizing the heart.

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20 For meat, destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; "but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

21 It is good neither to cat 'flesh, nor to drink

Ver. 15. Matt. 15. 11. Acts 10. 15. ver. 14. Tit. 1. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 9, 10, 11, 12.1 Cor. 8. 13.

and joy in the Holy Ghost, serveth Christ, acts according to his doctrine, is acceptable to God, for he has not only the form of godliness in thus serving Christ, but he has the pow er, the very spirit and essence of it, in having righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; and therefore the whole frame of his mind, as well as his acts, must be acceptable to God.-And approved of men; for although religion may be persecuted, yet the righteous man, who is continu ally labouring for the public good, will be generally esteemed. This was a very common form of speech among the Jews; that he who was a conscientious observer of the law, was pleasing to God, and approved of men. See several examples in Schoettgen.

Verse 19. Let us therefore follow] Far from contending about meats, drinks, and festival times, in which it is not likely that the Jews and Gentiles will soon agree; let us endeavour, to the utmost of our power, to promote peace and unanimity, that we may be instrumental in edifying each other; in promoting religious knowledge and piety, instead of being stumbling-blocks in each other's way.

Verse 20. For meat, destroy not the work of God] Do not hinder the progress of the gospel, either in your own souls, or in those of others, by contending about lawful or unlawful meats. And do not destroy the soul of thy Christian brother, ver. 15. by offending him so as to induce him to apostatize.

All things indeed are pure] This is a repetition of the sontiment delivered, ver. 14. in different words. Nothing that is proper for aliment, is unlawful to be eaten but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence; the man who either eats contrary to his own conscience, or so as to grieve and stun ble another, does an evil act; and however lawful the thing may be in itself, his conduct does not please God.

Verse 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, &c.] The spirit and self-denying principles of the gospel teach us, that we

And joy in the Holy Ghost.] Solid spiritual happiness; a joy which springs from a clear sense of God's mercy; the love of God being shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost. In a word, it is a happiness brought into the soul by the Holy Spirit, and maintained there by the same influThis is a genuine counterpart of heaven; righteous-should not only avoid every thing in eating or drinking which ness without siu, PEACE without inward disturbance, JOY may be an occasion of offence or apostasy to cur brethren, without any kind of mental agony, or distressing fear. See but even to lay down our lives for them, should it be neces the note on Matt. iii. 2. sary. Verse 18. For, he that in these things] The man, whether Jew or Gentile, who in these things, righteousness, peace,

ence.

Whereby thy brother stumbleth] Пporxona, from <*, against, and xonTw, to strike, to hit the foot against a stone in

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walking, so as to halt, and be impeded in one's journey. It here means spiritually, any thing by which a man is so perplexed in his mind, as to be prevented from making due progress in the divine life. Any thing by which he is caused to halt, to be indecisive, and undetermined; and under such an influence no man has ever yet grown in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Or is offended] H oxzvizλiterai, from axavdaλov, a stum. bling-block; any thing by which a person is caused to full, especially into a snare, trap, or gin. Originally the word signified the piece of wood, or key in a trap, which being trodden on, caused the animal to fall into a pit, or the trap to close upon him. In the New Testament it generally refers to total apostasy from the Christian religion, and this appears to be its meaning in this place.

Or, discerneth and putteth a difference between meats.— • Tit. 1. 15.

enjoy peace of conscience who acts according to the full persuasion which God has given him of the lawfulness of his conduct: whereas, he must be miserable who allows himself in the practice of any thing, for which his conscience upbraids and accuses him. This is a most excellent maxim, and every genuine Christian should be careful to try every part of his conduct by it. If a man have not peace in his own bosom, he cannot be happy; and no man can have peace who sins against his conscience. If a man's passions or appetite allow or instigate him to a particular thing, let him take good heed that his conscience approve what his passions allow; and that he live not the subject of continual self-condemnation and reproach. Even the man who had the too scrupulous conscience, had better, in such matters as are in question, obey its erroneous dictates, than violate this moral feeling, and live only to condemn the actions he is constantly performing.

Verse 23. And he that doubteth] This verse is a neces

that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of fuith. The meaning is sufficiently plain. He that feeds on any kind of meats prohibited by the Mosaic law, with the persuasion in his mind that he may be wrong in so doing, is condemned by his conscience for doing that which he has reason to think God has forbidden.

Or is made weak.] H areval, from a negative, and obavos, strength, without mental vigour; without power sufficiently to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, law-sary part of the preceding, and should be read thus, But he ful and unlawful. To get under the dominion of an erroneous conscience, so as to judge that to be evil or unlawful which is not so. The two last terms are omitted by two excellent MSS. (the Codex Alexandrinus and the Codex Ephraim,) by the Syriac of Eapen, the Coptic and the Ethiopic, and by some of the primitive fathers. It is very likely that they were added by some early hand by way of illustration. Griesbach has left them in the text with a note of doubtfulness.

Verse 22. Hast thou faith] The term faith seems to signify, in this place, a full persuasion in a man's mind that he is right, that what he does is lawful, and has the approbation of God and his conscience. Dr. Taylor has a judicious note on this passage. "There is no necessity," says he, "for reading the first clause interrogatively; and it seems to be more agreeable to the structure of the Greek, to render it, thou hast faith; as if he had said, I own thou hast a right. persuasion.' Further, there is an anadiplosis in exes, and x, the first simply signifies thou hast, the latter, hold fast. Thou hast a right persuasion concerning thy Christian liberty; and I advise thee to hold that persuasion steadfastly, with respect to thyself, in the sight of God. Exw, have, has frequently this emphatical signification. See Matt. xxv. 29, &c."

For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.] Whatever he does, without a full persuasion of its lawfulness, (see ver. 22.) is to him sin, for he does it under a conviction that he may be wrong in so doing. Therefore, if he makes a distinction in his own conscience between different kinds of meats, and yet eats of all indifferently, he is a sinner before God; because he eats either through false shame, base compliance, or an unbridled appetite; and any of these is, in itself, a sin against the sincerity, ingenuousness, and self-denying principles of the gospel of Christ.

Some think that these words have a more extensive signification, and that they apply to all who have not true reli gion and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; every work of such persons being sinful in the sight of a holy God, because it does not proceed from a pure motive. On this ground our church says, Artic. xiii. "Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they are not of faith in Jesus Christ; Happy is he that condemneth not, &c.] That man only can yea, for that they are not done as God hath willed and

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commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin." To this we may add, that without faith it is impossible to please God; every thing is wrong where this principle is wanting.

There are few readers who have not remarked that the three last verses of this Epistle, (chap. xvi. 25, 26, 27.) appear to stand in their present place, without any obvious connexion; and apparently after the Epistle is concluded. And it is well known to critics that two MSS. in uncial let

ters, the Cod. A. and I. with upwards of 100 others, to-
gether with the Sclavonic, the latter Syriac and Arabic, add
those verses at the end of the 14th chapter. The transposition
is acknowledged by Cyril, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ecu-
menius, Theophylact, Theodulus, Damascenus, and Tertul-
lian, see Wetstein. Griesbach inserts them at the end of
this chapter as their proper place; and most learned men
approve of this transposition. It may be necessary to repeat
the words here that the Reader may see with what propriety
they connect with the subject which terminates the fourteenth
chapter as it now stands. Chap. xiv. ver. 23. And he that ||
doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of
faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

the infirmities of the weak,

Chap. xvi. ver. 25. Now, to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, (according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began,

Verse 26. But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith ;)

Verse 27. To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Chap. xv. i. We then, that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, &c.

These words certainly connect better with the close of the 14th chapter, and the beginning of the 15th, than they do with the conclusion of the 16th, where they are now generally found; but I shall defer my observations upon them till I come to that place, with only this remark, that the stablishing mentioned chap. xvi. ver. 25, corresponds well with the doubting, chap. xiv. ver. 23. and indeed the whole matter of these verses agrees so well with the subject so largely handled in the preceding chap. that there can be very little doubt of their being in their proper place, if joined to the end of this chap. as they are in the preceding MSS. and Versions,

CHAPTER XV.

The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak, and each strive to please, not himself, but his neighbour, after the example of Christ, 1-3. Whatsoever was written in old times was written for our learning, 4. We should be of one mind, that we might, with one mouth, glorify God, 5, 6. We should accept each other as Christ has accepted us, 7. Scriptural proofs that Jesus Christ was not only the minister of the circumcision, but came also for the salvation of the Gentiles, 8-12. The God of hope can fill us with all peace and joy in believing, 13. Character of the church at Rome, 14. The reason why the apostle wrote so boldly to the church in that city—what God had wrought by him, and what he purposed to do, 15-24. He tells them of his intended journey to Jerusalem, with a contribution to the poor saints—a sketch of this journey, 25—29. He commends himself to their prayers, 30-33.

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NOTES ON CHAP. XV.

2 Let every one of us please his A.M. cir.406% neighbour for his good to 'edification.

1 Cor. 9. 19, 22. & 10. 24, 33. & 13. 5. Phil. 2. 4, 5.

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ch. 14. 19.

offend

dently abstaining from such indifferent things as may Verse 1. We then, that are strong] The sense of this and trouble them; and not take advantage from our supeverse is supposed to be the following. We, Gentile Chris-rior knowledge to make them submit to our judgment. tians, who perfectly understand the nature of our gospel liberty, not only lawfully may, but are bound in duty to bear any inconveniences that may arise from the scruples of the weaker brethren, and to ease their consciences by pru

Verse 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour] For it should be a maxim with each of us to do all in our power to please our brethren; and especially in those things in which their spiritual edification is concerned. Though we should

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A. M. cir. 4062.

A. D. cir. 58. cir. CCIX. 2.

An. Olymp

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and in the worship of God.

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3 For, even Christ pleased hot him- 5 "Now, the God of patience and con- A. D. cir. 56. self; but, as it is written, The re-solation grant you to be like-minded A.U.C.cir.811. proaches of them that reproached one toward another according to A.U.C.cir.811. thee fell on me.

4 For, whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning; that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.

Christ Jesus:

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6 That ye may, f with one mind and one mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore receive ye one another,

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as

Matt. 26. 39. John 5. 30. & 6. 38.

1 Cor. 9. 9, 10. & 10. 1.

Ps. 69. 9.
2 Tim. 3. 16, 17.

cch. 4. 23, 24.

a Ch. 12. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Phil. 3. 16. Or, after the example of. Acts 4. 24, 32.5 ch. 14. 1, 3. ch. 5. 2.

not indulge men in mere whims and caprices, yet we should bear with their ignorance and their weakness; knowing that others had much to bear with from us before we came to our present advanced state of religious knowledge.

Verse 3. For, even Christ pleased not himself] Christ never acted as one who sought his own ease or profit; he not only bore with the weakness, but with the insults, of his creatures; as it is written in Psalm, lxix. 9. The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me. I not only bore their insults, but bore the punishment due to them for their vicious and abominable conduct. That this Psalm refers to the Messiah and his sufferings for mankind, is evident, not only from the quotation here, but also from John xix. 28, 29. when our Lord's receiving the vinegar, during his expiatory suffering, is said to be a fulfilling of the Scripture, viz. of verse 22. of this very Psalm: and his cleansing the temple, John ii. 15-17. is said to be a fulfilment of verse 9, For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up, the former part of which verse the apostle quotes here.

the term, as the word comfort makes a regular and consistent sense with the rest of the verse.

Verse 5. Now, the God of patience and consolation] May that God who endued them with patience, and gave them the consolation that supported them in all their trials and afflic tions; grant you to be like minded, give you the same mode of thinking, and the same power of acting towards each other, according to the example of Christ.

Verse 6. That ye, Jews and Gentiles, with one mind] thinking the same things, and bearing with each other after the example of Christ; and one mouth, in all your religious assemblies, without jarring or contentions; glorify God, for calling you into such a state of salvation, and shewing himself to be your loving compassionate Father, as he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is very likely that the apostle refers here to religious acts in public worship, which might have been greatly interrupted by the dissensions between the converted Jews and the converted Gentiles; these differences he labours to com. pose; and after having done all that was necessary in the way of instruction and exhortation, he now pours out his soul to God, who alone could rule and manage the heart; that he would enable them to think the same things, to be of the same judgment, and that all feeling their obligation to him, they might join in the sweetest harmony in every act of re

Verse 4. For, whatsoever things were written aforetime]|| This refers not only to the quotation from the 69th Psalm, but to all the Old Testament scriptures; for it can be to no other scriptures that the apostle alludes. And from what he says here of them, we learn that God had not intended them merely for those generations in which they were first delivered; but for the instruction of all the succeeding genera-ligious worship. tions of mankind. That we through patience and comfort of Verse 7. Wherefore, receive ye one another] Пpooλaubathe scriptures: That we, through those remarkable examplesEGUE, have the most affectionate regard for each other; and of patience exhibited by the saints and followers of God, acknowledge each other as the servants and children of God whose history is given in those scriptures; and the comfort Almighty. which they derived from God in their patient endurance of As Christ also received us] Καθώς και ὁ Χρισος προσελαsufferings brought upon them through their faithful attach-CETO quas In the same manner, and with the same cordial ment to truth and righteousness, might have hope; that we || affection as Christ has received us into communion with himshall be upheld and blessed as they were; and our sufferings become the means of our greater advances in faith and holiness; and consequently our hope of eternal glory be the more confirmed. Some think that the word mapanλnois, which we translate comfort, should be rendered exhortation; but there is certainly no need here to leave the usual acceptation of

self; and has made us partakers of such inestimable blessings, condescending to be present in all our assemblies. And as Christ has received us thus to the glory of God; so should we, Jews and Gentiles, cordially receive each other, that God's glory may be promoted by our harmony and brotherly love.

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But after that the Israelites were led into capthen the Gentiles began to have a right to glorify God." Thus the Jews themselves confess that the Gentiles have a right to glorify God: and this, on account of being made partakers of his grace and mercy. And if, says Schoettgen, we have a right to glorify God; then it follows that our worship must be pleasing to him: and, if it be pleasing to him, then it follows, that this worship must be good; otherwise God could not be pleased with it.

Verse 8. Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision]|| to God. To shew the Gentiles the propriety of bearing with the scru- tivity, pulous Jews, he shews them here, that they were under the greatest obligations to this people; to whom, in the days of his flesh, Jesus Christ confined his ministry; giving the world to see, that he allowed the claim of the Jews as having the first right to the blessings of the gospel. And he confined his ministry thus to the Jews, to confirm the truth of God, contained in the promises made unto the Patriarchs; for God had declared that thus it should be; and Jesus Christ, by coming according to the promise, has fulfilled this truth, by making good the promises: therefore, salvation is of the Jews, as a kind of right conveyed to them through the promises made to their fathers. But this salvation was not ex-mitting them to clusively designed for the Jewish people; as God by his prophets had repeatedly declared.

Dr. Taylor gives a good paraphrase of this and the three following verses. As you Jews glorify God for his truth, so the Gentiles have a right to join with you in glorifying God for his mercy. And you have scripture authority for adsuch fellowship: for instance, David says, Psal. xviii. 49. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles; and sing praises unto thy name. And again, Moses himself says, in Deuter. chap. xxxii. 43. Rejoice, O ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, it is evident, from Psal. cxvii. that praise to God is not to be confined to the Jews only; but that all people, as they all share in his goodness, should also join in thanks to their common benefactor; O praise the Lord all ye nations, (Gentiles,) praise him all ye people; for his merciful kindness is great towards us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Again, the prophet Isaiah expressly and clearly declares, chap. xi. ver. 10. There shall be a root of Jesse, (that is, the Messiah,) and he shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, and in him shall the Gentiles hope: EX And thus the apostle proves both to the Jews and to the Gentiles, I will confess to thee among the Gentiles] This quotation who were probably unwilling to join with each other in reliis taken from Psalm xviii. 49. and shews that the Gentiles had gious fellowship; that they had both an equal right to glorify a right to glorify God for his mercy to them; and we shall God; being equally interested in his mercy, goodness and see the strength of this saying further, when we consider a truth: and that, from the evidence of the above scriptures, maxim of the Jews delivered in Megillah, fol. 14. "From the Gentiles had as much right to hope in Christ, for the full the time that the children of Israel entered into the pro- enjoyment of his kingdom, as the Jews had; and taking ocmised land, no Gentile had any right to sing a hymn of praise || casion from the last word hope, ɛλwouσ, which we impro

Verse 9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his || mercy] As the Jews were to glorify God for his truth; so the Gentiles were to glorify God for his mercy. The Jews received the blessings of the gospel by right of promise; which promise God had most punctually and circumstantially fulfilled. The Gentiles had received the same gospel, as an effect of God's mere mercy, having no right, in consequence of any promise or engagement made with any of their ancestors; though they were originally included in the covenant made with Abraham: and the prophets had repeatedly declared that they should be made equal partakers of those blessings with the Jews themselves; as the apostle proceeds to prove.

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