Chapter 3
The apostle, in this chapter,
carries on his discourse concerning justification. He had already proved the
guilt both of Gentiles and Jews. Now in this chapter, I. He answers some
objections that might be made against what he had said about the Jews (v. 1-8).
II. He asserts the guilt and corruption of mankind in common, both Jews and
Gentiles (v. 9–18). III. He argues thence that justification must needs be by
faith, and not by the law, which he gives several reasons for (v. 19 to the
end). The many digressions in his writings render his discourse sometimes a
little difficult, but his scope is evident.
Verses 1-18
I. Here
the apostle answers several objections, which might be made, to clear his way.
No truth so plain and evident but wicked wits and corrupt carnal hearts will
have something to say against it; but divine truths must be cleared from cavil.
Object. 1. If Jew and Gentile stand so much upon the same level
before God, what advantage then hath the Jew? Hath not God often spoken
with a great deal of respect for the Jews, as a non-such people (Deu. 33:29), a
holy nation, a peculiar treasure, the seed of Abraham his friend: Did not he
institute circumcision as a badge of their church-membership, and a seal of
their covenant-relation to God? Now does not this levelling doctrine deny them
all such prerogatives, and reflect dishonour upon the ordinance of
circumcision, as a fruitless insignificant thing.
Answer. The Jews are, notwithstanding this, a people greatly
privileged and honoured, have great means and helps, though these be not
infallibly saving (v. 2): Much every way. The door is open to the
Gentiles as well as the Jews, but the Jews have a fairer way up to this door,
by reason of their church-privileges, which are not to be undervalued, though
many that have them perish eternally for not improving them. He reckons up many
of the Jews’ privileges Rom. 9:4, 5; here he mentions but one (which is indeed instar
omnium—equivalent to all), that unto them were committed the
oracles of God, that is, the scriptures of the Old Testament, especially
the law of Moses, which is called the lively oracles (Acts 7:38), and
those types, promises, and prophecies, which relate to Christ and the gospel.
The scriptures are the oracles of God: they are a divine revelation, they come
from heaven, are of infallible truth, and of eternal consequence as oracles.
The Septuagint call the Urim and Thummim the logia—the oracles. The scripture is our breast-plate of
judgment. We must have recourse to the law and to the testimony, as to an
oracle. The gospel is called the oracles of God, Heb. 5:12; 1 Pt. 4:11. Now
these oracles were committed to the Jews; the Old Testament was written in
their language; Moses and the prophets were of their nation, lived among them,
preached and wrote primarily to and for the Jews. They were committed to them
as trustees for succeeding ages and churches. The Old Testament was deposited
in their hands, to be carefully preserved pure and uncorrupt, and so
transmitted down to posterity. The Jews were the Christians’ library-keepers,
were entrusted with that sacred treasure for their own use and benefit in the
first place, and then for the advantage of the world; and, in preserving the
letter of the scripture, they were very faithful to their trust, did not lose
one iota or tittle, in which we are to acknowledge God’s gracious care and
providence. The Jews had the means of salvation, but they had not the monopoly
of salvation. Now this he mentions with a chiefly, proµton
men gar—this was their prime and principal
privilege. The enjoyment of God’s word and ordinances is the chief happiness of
a people, is to be put in the imprimis of their advantages, Deu. 4:8;
33:3; Ps. 147:20.
Object. 2. Against what he had said of the advantages the Jews had
in the lively oracles, some might object the unbelief of many of them. To what
purpose were the oracles of God committed to them, when so many of them,
notwithstanding these oracles, continued strangers to Christ, and enemies to
his gospel? Some did not believe, v. 3.
Answer. It is very true that some, nay most of the present Jews, do
not believe in Christ; but shall their unbelief make the faith of God
without effect? The apostle startles at such a thought: God forbid!
The infidelity and obstinacy of the Jews could not invalidate and overthrow
those prophecies of the Messiah which were contained in the oracles committed
to them. Christ will be glorious, though Israel be not gathered, Isa.
49:5. God’s words shall be accomplished, his purposes performed, and all his
ends answered, though there be a generation that by their unbelief go about to
make God a liar. Let God be true but every man a liar; let us abide by
this principle, that God is true to every word which he has spoken, and will
let none of his oracles fall to the ground, though thereby we give the lie to
man; better question and overthrow the credit of all the men in the world than
doubt of the faithfulness of God. What David said in his haste (Ps. 116:11),
that all men are liars, Paul here asserts deliberately. Lying is a limb of that
old man which we every one of us come into the world clothed with. All men are
fickle, and mutable, and given to change, vanity and a lie (Ps. 62:9), altogether
vanity, Ps. 39:5. All men are liars, compared with God. It is very
comfortable, when we find every man a liar (no faith in man), that God is
faithful. When they speak vanity every one with his neighbour, it is
very comfortable to think that the words of the Lord are pure words, Ps.
12:2, 6. For the further proof of this he quotes Ps. 51:4, That thou
mightest be justified, the design of which is to show, 1. That God does and
will preserve his own honour in the world, notwithstanding the sins of men. 2.
That it is our duty, in all our conclusions concerning ourselves and others, to
justify God and to assert and maintain his justice, truth, and goodness,
however it goes. David lays a load upon himself in his confession, that he
might justify God, and acquit him from any injustice. So here, Let the credit
or reputation of man shift for itself, the matter is not great whether it sink
or swim; let us hold fast this conclusion, how specious soever the premises may
be to the contrary, that the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in
all his works. Thus is God justified in his sayings, and cleared when he
judges (as it is Ps. 51:4), or when he is judged, as it is here
rendered. When men presume to quarrel with God and his proceedings, we may be
sure the sentence will go on God’s side.
Object. 3. Carnal hearts might hence take occasion to encourage
themselves in sin. He had said that the universal guilt and corruption of
mankind gave occasion to the manifestation of God’s righteousness in Jesus
Christ. Now it may be suggested, If all our sin be so far from overthrowing
God’s honour that it commends it, and his ends are secured, so that there is no
harm done, is it not unjust for God to punish our sin and unbelief so severely?
If the unrighteousness of the Jews gave occasion to the calling in of the
Gentiles, and so to God’s greater glory, why are the Jews so much censured? If
our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? v.
5. What inference may be drawn from this? Is God unrighteous, meµ
adikos ho Theos—Is not God unrighteous (so
it may be read, more in the form of an objection), who taketh vengeance?
Unbelieving hearts will gladly take any occasion to quarrel with equity of
God’s proceedings, and to condemn him that is most just, Job 34:17. I speak
as a man, that is, I object this as the of carnal hearts; it is suggested
like a man, a vain, foolish, proud creature.
Answer.
God forbid; far be it from us to imagine such a
thing. Suggestions that reflect dishonour upon God and his justice and holiness
are rather to be startled at than parleyed with. Get thee behind me, Satan;
never entertain such a thought. For then how shall God judge the world?
v. 6. The argument is much the same with that of Abraham (Gen. 18:25): Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do right? No doubt, he shall. If he were not
infinitely just and righteous, he would be unfit to be the judge of all the
earth. Shall even he that hateth right govern? Job 34:17. Compare v. 18,
19. The sin has never the less of malignity and demerit in it though God bring
glory to himself out of it. It is only accidentally that sin commends God’s
righteousness. No thanks to the sinner for that, who intends no such thing. The
consideration of God’s judging the world should for ever silence all our
doubtings of, and reflections upon, his justice and equity. It is not for us to
arraign the proceedings of such an absolute Sovereign. The sentence of the
supreme court, whence lies no appeal, is not to be called in question.
Object. 4. The former objection is repeated and prosecuted (v. 7,
8), for proud hearts will hardly be beaten out of their refuge of lies, but
will hold fast the deceit. But his setting off the objection in its own colours
is sufficient to answer it: If the truth of God has more abounded through my
lie. He supposes the sophisters to follow their objection thus: "If my
lie, that is, my sin’’ (for there is something of a lie in every sin,
especially in the sins of professors) "have occasioned the glorifying of
God’s truth and faithfulness, why should I be judged and condemned as
a sinner, and not rather thence take encouragement to go on in my sin, that
grace may abound?’’ an inference which at first sight appears too black to be
argued, and fit to be cast out with abhorrence. Daring sinners take occasion to
boast in mischief, because the goodness of God endures continually, Ps.
52:1. Let us do evil that good may come is oftener in the heart than in
the mouth of sinners, so justifying themselves in their wicked ways. Mentioning
this wicked thought, he observes, in a parenthesis, that there were those who
charged such doctrines as this upon Paul and his fellow-ministers: Some affirm
that we say so. It is no new thing for the best of God’s people and ministers
to be charged with holding and teaching such things as they do most detest and
abhor; and it is not to be thought strange, when our Master himself was said to
be in league with Beelzebub. Many have been reproached as if they had said that
the contrary of which they maintain: it is an old artifice of Satan thus to
cast dirt upon Christ’s ministers, Fortiter calumniari, aliquid adhaerebi—ay
slander thickly on, for some will be sure to stick. The best men and the
best truths are subject to slander. Bishop Sanderson makes a further remark
upon this, as we are slanderously reported—blaspheµmoumetha. Blasphemy in scripture usually signifies the highest degree
of slander, speaking ill of God. The slander of a minister and his regular
doctrine is a more than ordinary slander, it is a kind of blasphemy, not for
his person’s sake, but for his calling’s sake and his work’s sake, 1 Th. 5:13.
Answer. He says no more by way of confutation but that, whatever
they themselves may argue, the damnation of those is just. Some understand it
of the slanderers; God will justly condemn those who unjustly condemn his
truth. Or, rather, it is to be applied to those who embolden themselves in sin
under a pretence of God’s getting glory to himself out of it. Those who
deliberately do evil that good may come of it will be so far from escaping,
under the shelter of that excuse, that it will rather justify their damnation,
and render them the more inexcusable; for sinning upon such a surmise, and in
such a confidence, argues a great deal both of the wit and of the will in the
sin-a wicked will deliberately to choose the evil, and a wicked wit to palliate
it with the pretence of good arising from it. Therefore their damnation is
just; and, whatever excuses of this kind they may now please themselves with,
they will none of them stand good in the great day, but God will be justified
in his proceedings, and all flesh, even the proud flesh that now lifts up
itself against him, shall be silent before him. Some think Paul herein refers
to the approaching ruin of the Jewish church and nation, which their obstinacy
and self-justification in their unbelief hastened upon them apace.
II. Paul,
having removed these objections, next revives his assertion of the general
guilt and corruption of mankind in common, both of Jews and Gentiles, v. 9–18. "Are
we better than they, we Jews, to whom were committed the oracles of God?
Does this recommend us to God, or will this justify us? No, by no means.’’ Or,
"Are we Christians (Jews and Gentiles) so much better antecedently than
the unbelieving part as to have merited God’s grace? Alas! no: before free
grace made the difference, those of us that had been Jews and those that had
been Gentiles were all alike corrupted.’’ They are all under sin. Under
the guilt of sin: under it as under a sentence;—under it as under a bond, by
which they are bound over to eternal ruin and damnation;—under it as under a
burden (Ps. 38:4) that will sink them to the lowest hell: we are guilty before
God, v. 19. Under the government and dominion of sin: under it as under a
tyrant and cruel task-master, enslaved to it;—under it as under a yoke;—under
the power of it, sold to work wickedness. And this he had proved, proeµtiasametha. It is a law term: We have charged them with it, and
have made good our charge; we have proved the indictment, we have convicted
them by the notorious evidence of the fact. This charge and conviction he here
further illustrates by several scriptures out of the Old Testament, which
describe the corrupt depraved state of all men, till grave restrain or change
them; so that herein as in a glass we may all of us behold our natural face.
The 10th, 11th, and 12th verses are taken from Ps. 14:1-3, which are repeated
as containing a very weighty truth, Ps. 53:1-3. The rest that follows here is
found in the Septuagint translation of the 14th Psalm, which some think the
apostle chooses to follow as better known; but I rather think that Paul took
these passages from other places of scripture here referred to, but in later
copies of the Septuagint they were all added in Ps. 14 from this discourse of
Paul. It is observable that, to prove the general corruption of nature, he
quotes some scriptures which speak of the particular corruptions of particular
persons, as of Doeg (Ps. 140:3), of the Jews (Isa. 59:7, 8), which shows that
the same sins that are committed by one are in the nature of all. The times of
David and Isaiah were some of the better times, and yet to their days he
refers. What is said Ps. 14 is expressly spoken of all the children of men,
and that upon a particular view and inspection made by God himself. The Lord
looked down, as upon the old world, Gen. 6:5. And this judgment of God was
according to truth. He who, when he himself had made all, looked upon every
thing that he had made, and behold all was very good, now that man had marred
all, looked, and behold all was very bad. Let us take a view of the
particulars. Observe,
1. That
which is habitual, which is two-fold:—
(1.) An
habitual defect of every thing that is good. [1.] There is none righteous,
none that has an honest good principle of virtue, or is governed by such a
principle, none that retains any thing of that image of God, consisting in
righteousness, wherein man was created; no, not one; implying that, if
there had been but one, God would have found him out. When all the world was
corrupt, God had his eye upon one righteous Noah. Even those who through grace
are justified and sanctified were none of them righteous by nature. No righteousness
is born with us. The man after God’s own heart owns himself conceived in sin.
[2.] There is none that understandeth, v. 11. The fault lies in the
corruption of the understanding; that is blinded, depraved, perverted. Religion
and righteousness have so much reason on their side that if people had but any
understanding they would be better and do better. But they do not understand.
Sinners are fools. [3.] None that seeketh after God, that is, none that
has any regard to God, any desire after him. Those may justly be reckoned to
have no understanding that do not seek after God. The carnal mind is so far
from seeking after God that really it is enmity against him. [4.] They are
together become unprofitable, v. 12. Those that have forsaken God soon grow
good for nothing, useless burdens of the earth. Those that are in a state of
sin are the most unprofitable creatures under the sun; for it follows, [5.] There
is none that doeth good; no, not a just man upon the earth, that doeth
good, and sinneth not, Eccl. 7:23. Even in those actions of sinners that have
some goodness in them there is a fundamental error in the principle and end; so
that it may be said, There is none that doeth good. Malum oritur ex quolibet
defect—very defect is the source of evil.
(2.) An
habitual defection to every thing that is evil: They are all gone out of the
way. No wonder that those miss the right way who do not seek after God, the
highest end. God made man in the way, set him in right, but he hath forsaken
it. The corruption of mankind is an apostasy.
2. That
which is actual. And what good can be expected from such a degenerate race? He
instances,
(1.) In
their words (v. 13, 14), in three things particularly:—[1.] Cruelty: Their
throat is an open sepulchre, ready to swallow up the poor and innocent,
waiting an opportunity to do mischief, like the old serpent seeking to devour,
whose name is Abaddon and Apollyon, the destroyer. And when they do not openly
avow this cruelty, and vent it publicly, yet they are underhand intending
mischief: the poison of asps is under their lips (Jam. 3:8), the most
venomous and incurable poison, with which they blast the good name of their
neighbour by reproaches, and aim at his life by false witness. These passages
are borrowed from Ps. 5:9 and 140:3. [2.] Cheating: With their tongues they
have used deceit. Herein they show themselves the devil’s children, for he
is a liar, and the father of lies. They have used it: it intimates that
they make a trade of lying; it is their constant practice, especially belying
the ways and people of God. [3.] Cursing: reflecting upon God, and blaspheming
his holy name; wishing evil to their brethren: Their mouth is full of
cursing and bitterness. This is mentioned as one of the great sins of the
tongue, Jam. 3:9. But those that thus love cursing shall have enough of it, Ps.
109:17–19. How many, who are called Christians, do by these sin evince that
they are still under the reign and dominion of sin, still in the condition that
they were born in.
(2.) In
their ways (v. 15–17): Their feet are swift to shed blood; that is, they
are very industrious to compass any cruel design, ready to lay hold of all such
opportunities. Wherever they go, destruction and misery go along with
them; these are their companions-destruction and misery to the people of God,
to the country and neighbourhood where they live, to the land and nation, and
to themselves at last. Besides the destruction and misery that are at the end
of their ways (death is the end of these things), destruction and misery are in
their ways; their sin is its own punishment: a man needs no more to make him
miserable than to be a slave to his sins.—And the way of peace have they not
known; that is, they know not how to preserve peace with others, nor how to
obtain peace for themselves. They may talk of peace, such a peace as is in the
devil’s palace, while he keeps it, but they are strangers to all true peace;
they know not the things that belong to their peace. These are quoted from
Prov. 1:16; Isa. 59:7, 8.
(3.) The
root of all this we have: There is no fear of God before their eyes, v.
18. The fear of God is here put for all practical religion, which consists in
an awful and serious regard to the word and will of God as our rule, to the
honour and glory of God as our end. Wicked people have not this before their
eyes; that is, they do not steer by it; they are governed by other rules, aim
at other ends. This is quoted from Ps. 36:1. Where no fear of God is, no good
is to be expected. The fear of God is would lay a restraint upon our spirits,
and keep them right, Neh. 5:15. When once fear is cast off, prayer is
restrained (Job 15:4), and then all goes to wreck and ruin quickly. So that we
have here a short account of the general depravity and corruption of mankind;
and may say, O Adam! what hast thou done? God made man upright, but thus he
hath sought out many inventions.
Verses 19-31
From all
this Paul infers that it is in vain to look for justification by the works of
the law, and that it is to be had only by faith, which is the point he has been
all along proving, from ch. 1:17, and which he lays down (v. 28) as the summary
of his discourse, with a quod erat demonstrandu—hich was to be demonstrated.
We conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law;
not by the deeds of the first law of pure innocence, which left no room for
repentance, nor the deeds of the law of nature, how highly soever improved, nor
the deeds of the ceremonial law (the blood of bulls and goats could not take
away sin), nor the deeds of the moral law, which are certainly included, for he
speaks of that law by which is the knowledge of sin and those works which might
be matter of boasting. Man, in his depraved state, under the power of such
corruption, could never, by any works of his own, gain acceptance with God; but
it must be resolved purely into the free grace of God, given through Jesus
Christ to all true believers that receive it as a free gift. If we had never
sinned, our obedience to the law would have been our righteousness: "Do
this, and live.’’ But having sinned, and being corrupted, nothing that we can
do will atone for our former guilt. It was by their obedience to the moral law
that the Pharisees looked for justification, Lu. 18:11. Now there are two
things from which the apostle here argues: the guiltiness of man, to prove that
we cannot be justified by the works of the law, and the glory of God, to prove
that we must be justified by faith.
I. He
argues from man’s guiltiness, to show the folly of expecting justification by
the works of the law. The argument is very plain: we can never be justified and
saved by the law that we have broken. A convicted traitor can never come off by
pleading the statute of 25 Edward III, for that law discovers his crime
and condemns him: indeed, if he had never broken it, he might have been
justified by it; but now it is past that he has broken it, and there is no way
of coming off but by pleading the act of indemnity, upon which he has
surrendered and submitted himself, and humbly and penitently claiming the
benefit of it and casting himself upon it. Now concerning the guiltiness of
man,
1. He
fastens it particularly upon the Jews; for they were the men that made their
boast of the law, and set up for justification by it. He had quoted several
scriptures out of the Old Testament to show this corruption: Now, says he (v.
19), this that the law says, it says to those who are under the law;
this conviction belongs to the Jews as well as others, for it is written in
their law. The Jews boasted of their being under the law, and placed a great
deal of confidence in it: "But,’’ says he, "the law convicts and
condemns yo—ou see it does.’’ That every mouth may be stopped—that all
boasting may be silenced. See the method that God takes both in justifying and
condemning: he stops every mouth; those that are justified have their mouths
stopped by a humble conviction; those that are condemned have their mouths
stopped too, for they shall at last be convinced (Jude 15), and sent speechless
to hell, Mt. 22:12. All iniquity shall stop her mouth, Ps. 107:42.
2. He
extends it in general to all the world: That all the world may become guilty
before God. If the world likes in wickedness (1 Jn. 5:19), to be sure it is
guilty.—May become guilty; that is, may be proved guilty, liable to
punishment, all by nature children of wrath, Eph. 2:3. They must all
plead guilty; those that stand most upon their own justification will certainly
be cast. Guilty before God is a dreadful word, before an all-seeing God, that
is not, nor can be, deceived in his judgment-before a just and righteous judge,
who will by no means clear the guilty. All are guilty, and therefore all have
need of a righteousness wherein to appear before God. For all have sinned
(v. 23); all are sinners by nature, by practice, and have come short of the
glory of God—have failed of that which is the chief end of man. Come
short, as the archer comes short of the mark, as the runner comes short of
the prize; so come short, as not only not to win, but to be great losers. Come
short of the glory of God. (1.) Come short of glorifying God. See ch. 1:21,
They glorified him not as God. Man was placed at the head of the visible
creation, actively to glorify that great Creator whom the inferior creatures
could glorify only objectively; but man by sin comes short of this, and,
instead of glorifying God, dishonours him. It is a very melancholy
consideration, to look upon the children of men, who were made to glorify God,
and to think how few there are that do it. (2.) Come short of glorying before
God. There is no boasting of innocency: if we go about to glory before God,
to boast of any thing we are, or have, or do, this will be an everlasting
estoppe—hat we have all sinned, and this will silence us. We may glory before
men, who are short-sighted, and cannot search our hearts,—who are corrupt, as
we are, and well enough pleased with sin; but there is no glorying before God,
who cannot endure to look upon iniquity. (3.) Come short of being glorified by
God. Come short of justification, or acceptance with God, which is glory
begun-come short of the holiness or sanctification which is the glorious image
of God upon man, and have overthrown all hopes and expectations of being
glorified with God in heaven by any righteousness of their own. It is
impossible now to get to heaven in the way of spotless innocency. That passage
is blocked up. There is a cherub and a flaming sword set to keep that way to
the tree of life.
3. Further
to drive us off from expecting justification by the law, he ascribes this
conviction to the law (v. 20): For by the law is the knowledge of sin.
That law which convicts and condemns us can never justify us. The law is the
straight rule, that rectum which is index sui et obliqu—hat which
points out the right and the wrong; it is the proper use and intendment of
the law to open our wound, and therefore not likely to be the remedy. That
which is searching is not sanative. Those that would know sin must get the
knowledge of the law in its strictness, extent, and spiritual nature. If we
compare our own hearts and lives with the rule, we shall discover wherein we
have turned aside. Paul makes this use of the law, ch. 7:9, Therefore by the
deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Observe, (1.) No
flesh shall be justified, no man, no corrupted man (Gen. 6:3), for that he
also is flesh, sinful and depraved; therefore not justified, because we are
flesh. The corruption that remains in our nature will for ever obstruct any
justification by our own works, which, coming from flesh, must needs taste of
the cask, Job 14:4. (2.) Not justified in his sight. He does not deny that
justification which was by the deeds of the law in the sight of the church:
they were, in their church-estate, as embodied in a polity, a holy people, a
nation of priests; but as the conscience stands in relation to God, in his
sight, we cannot be justified by the deeds of the law. The apostle refers
to Ps. 143:2.
II. He
argues from God’s glory to prove that justification must be expected only by
faith in Christ’s righteousness. There is no justification by the works of the
law. Must guilty man then remain eternally under wrath? Is there no hope? Is
the wound become incurable because of transgression? No, blessed be God, it is
not (v. 21, 22); there is another way laid open for us, the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested now under the gospel. Justification may
be obtained without the keeping of Moses’s law: and this is called the
righteousness of God, righteousness of his ordaining, and providing, and
accepting,—righteousness which he confers upon us; as the Christian armour is
called the armour of God, Eph. 6:11.
1. Now
concerning this righteousness of God observe, (1.) That it is manifested. The
gospel-way of justification is a high-way, a plain way, it is laid open for us:
the brazen serpent is lifted up upon the pole; we are not left to grope our way
in the dark, but it is manifested to us. (2.) It is without the law.
Here he obviates the method of the judaizing Christians, who would needs join
Christ and Moses together-owning Christ for the Messiah, and yet too fondly
retaining the law, keeping up the ceremonies of it, and imposing it upon the
Gentile converts: no, says he, it is without the law. The righteousness that
Christ hath brought in is a complete righteousness. (3.) Yet it is witnessed
by the law and the prophets; that is, there were types, and prophecies, and
promises, in the Old Testament, that pointed at this. The law is so far from
justifying us that it directs us to another way of justification, points at
Christ as our righteousness, to whom bear all the prophets witness. See Acts
10:43. This might recommend it to the Jews, who were so fond of the law and the
prophets. (4.) It is by the faith of Jesus Christ, that faith which hath
Jesus Christ for its object-an anointed Saviour, so Jesus Christ
signifies. Justifying faith respects Christ as a Saviour in all his three
anointed offices, as prophet, priest, and king-trusting in him, accepting of
him, and adhering to him, in all these. It is by this that we become interested
in that righteousness which God has ordained, and which Christ has brought in.
(5.) It is to all, and upon all, those that believe. In this expression
he inculcates that which he had been often harping upon, that Jews and
Gentiles, if they believe, stand upon the same level, and are alike welcome to
God through Christ; for there is no difference. Or, it is eis
pantas—to all, offered to all in
general; the gospel excludes none that do not exclude themselves; but it is epi
pantas tous pisteuontas, upon
all that believe, not only tendered to them, but put upon them as a crown,
as a robe; they are, upon their believing, interested in it, and entitled to
all the benefits and privileges of it.
2. But now
how is this for God’s glory?
(1.) It is
for the glory of his grace (v. 24): Justified freely by his grace—doµrean
teµ autou chariti. It is by his grace, not by
the grace wrought in us as the papists say, confounding justification and
sanctification, but by the gracious favour of God to us, without any merit in
us so much as foreseen. And, to make it the more emphatic, he says it is freely
by his grace, to show that it must be understood of grace in the most
proper and genuine sense. It is said that Joseph found grace in the
sight of his master (Gen. 39:4), but there was a reason; he saw that what he
did prospered. There was something in Joseph to invite that grace; but the
grace of God communicated to us comes freely, freely; it is free grace,
mere mercy; nothing in us to deserve such favours: no, it is all through the
redemption that is in Jesus Christ. It comes freely to us, but Christ
bought it, and paid dearly for it, which yet is so ordered as not to derogate
from the honour of free grace. Christ’s purchase is no bar to the freeness of
God’s grace; for grace provided and accepted this vicarious satisfaction.
(2.) It is
for the glory of his justice and righteousness (v. 25, 26): Whom God hath
set forth to be a propitiation, etc. Note, [1.] Jesus Christ is the great
propitiation, or propitiatory sacrifice, typified by the hilasteµrion, or mercy-seat, under the law. He is our throne of
grace, in and through whom atonement is made for sin, and our persons and
performances are accepted of God, 1 Jn. 2:2. He is all in all in our
reconciliation, not only the maker, but the matter of it-our priest, our
sacrifice, our altar, our all. God was in Christ as in his mercy-seat,
reconciling the world unto himself. [2.] God hath set him forth to be
so. God, the party offended, makes the first overtures towards a
reconciliation, appoints the days-man; proetheto—fore-ordained him to this, in the counsels of his love
from eternity, appointed, anointed him to it, qualified him for it, and has
exhibited him to a guilty world as their propitiation. See Mt. 3:17, and 17:5.
[3.] That by faith in his blood we become interested in this
propitiation. Christ is the propitiation; there is the healing plaster
provided. Faith is the applying of this plaster to the wounded soul. And this
faith in the business of justification hath a special regard to the blood of
Christ, as that which made the atonement; for such was the divine appointment
that without blood there should be no remission, and no blood but his would do
it effectually. Here may be an allusion to the sprinkling of the blood of the
sacrifices under the law, as Ex. 24:8. Faith is the bunch of hyssop, and the
blood of Christ is the blood of sprinkling. [4.] That all who by faith are
interested in this propitiation have the remission of their sins that are
past. It was for this that Christ was set forth to be a propitiation, in
order to remission, to which the reprieves of his patience and forbearance were
a very encouraging preface. Through the forbearance of God. Divine
patience has kept us out of hell, that we might have space to repent, and get
to heaven. Some refer the sins that are past to the sins of the
Old-Testament saints, which were pardoned for the sake of the atonement which
Christ in the fulness of time was to make, which looked backward as well as
forward. Past through the forbearance of God. It is owing to the divine
forbearance that we were not taken in the very act of sin. Several Greek copies
make en teµanocheµ tou Theou—through
the forbearance of God, to begin v. 26, and they denote two precious fruits
of Christ’s merit and God’s grace:—Remission: dia teµn
paresin—for the remission; and
reprieves: the forbearance of God. It is owing to the master’s goodness
and the dresser’s mediation that barren trees are let alone in the vineyard;
and in both God’s righteousness is declared, in that without a mediator and a
propitiation he would not only not pardon, but not so much as forbear, not
spare a moment; it is owning to Christ that there is ever a sinner on this side
hell. [5.] That God does in all this declare his righteousness. This he
insists upon with a great deal of emphasis: To declare, I say, at this time
his righteousness. It is repeated, as that which has in it something
surprising. He declares his righteousness, First, In the propitiation
itself. Never was there such a demonstration of the justice and holiness of God
as there was in the death of Christ. It appears that he hates sin, when nothing
less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. Finding sin, though but
imputed, upon his own Son, he did not spare him, because he had made himself
sin for us, 2 Co. 5:21. The iniquities of us all being laid upon him, though he
was the Son of his love, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, Isa. 53:10. Secondly,
In the pardon upon that propitiation; so it follows, by way of explication: That
he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth. Mercy and truth
are so met together, righteousness and peace have so kissed each other, that it
is now become not only an act of grace and mercy, but an act of righteousness,
in God, to pardon the sins of penitent believers, having accepted the satisfaction
that Christ by dying made to his justice for them. It would not comport with
his justice to demand the debt of the principal when the surety has paid it and
he has accepted that payment in full satisfaction. See 1 Jn. 1:9. He is just,
that is, faithful to his word.
(3.) It is
for God’s glory; for boasting is thus excluded, v. 27. God will have the great
work of the justification and salvation of sinners carried on from first to
last in such a way as to exclude boasting, that no flesh may glory in his presence,
1 Co. 1:29–31. Now, if justification were by the works of the law, boasting
would not be excluded. How should it? If we were saved by our own works, we
might put the crown upon our own heads. But the law of faith, that is,
the way of justification by faith, doth for ever exclude boasting; for faith is
a depending, self-emptying, self-denying grace, and casts every crown before
the throne; therefore it is most for God’s glory that thus we should be
justified. Observe, He speaks of the law of faith. Believers are not
left lawless: faith is a law, it is a working grace, wherever it is in truth;
and yet, because it acts in a strict and close dependence upon Jesus Christ, it
excludes boasting.
From all
this he draws this conclusion (v. 28): That a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law.
III. In
the close of the chapter he shows the extent of this privilege of justification
by faith, and that it is not the peculiar privilege of the Jews, but pertains
to the Gentiles also; for he had said (v. 22) that there is no difference: and
as to this, 1. He asserts and proves it (v. 29): Is he the God of the Jews
only? He argues from the absurdity of such a supposition. Can it be
imagined that a God of infinite love and mercy should limit and confine his favours
to that little perverse people of the Jews, leaving all the rest of the
children of men in a condition eternally desperate? This would by no means
agree with the idea we have of the divine goodness, for his tender mercies
are over all his works; therefore it is one God of grace that justifies
the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith, that is,
both in one and the same way. However the Jews, in favour of themselves, will
needs fancy a difference, really there is no more difference than between by
and through, that is, no difference at all. 2. He obviates an objection
(v. 31), as if this doctrine did nullify the law, which they knew came from
God: "No,’’ says he, "though we do say that the law will not justify
us, yet we do not therefore say that it was given in vain, or is of no use to
us; no, we establish the right use of the law, and secure its standing,
by fixing it on the right basis. The law is still of use to convince us of what
is past, and to direct us for the future; though we cannot be saved by it as a
covenant, yet we own it, and submit to it, as a rule in the hand of the
Mediator, subordinate to the law of grace; and so are so far from overthrowing
that we establish the law.’’ Let those consider this who deny the obligation of
the moral law on believers.
Excerpt from:
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)
Rick Meyers.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. e-Sword ®: www.e-sword.net
