XIII. 38, 39. [Paul to the Israelites at Antioch in Pisidia.] Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all who believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

XVI. 30, 31.—[The keeper of the prison, to Paul and Silas.] Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

ROMANS.

CHAP. I. v. 16, 17.-For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

III. 9 to 19.*-This is the preface to what follows, and it shows that wicked deeds put those of whom it is written, out of the reach of salvation; then come the verses

Hab ii. 4.

20 to 31.-Therefore by the deeds of the law [the 1 Cor. xiii. 2, ceremonial observances of the law of Moses] there 13.-Galat. ii. shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the 16.-James ii. law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righte- 24. ousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them who believe. For there is no difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, for the remission of sins which are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare at this time his righteousness: that he might be

This argument begins with these words, Verse 1. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit of circumcision?

It is perfectly plain, that the gist of the Apostle's argument is against the Jewish law and ceremonies, and the superior pretensions of the Jews to divine favor, from a strict observance of the ceremonies of the law of Moses.

D

just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then?* It is excluded. By what law? Of works? nay; but by the law

of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.†

IV. 1 to V. 2.1-What shall we say then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory: but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.§ Now to him who worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him who worketh not, but believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Ps. xxxii. 1, 2. saying, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them who believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: and the father

*The boasting by the Jews of their superior claim to the favor of God. See ii. 17, &c.

+ The doctrine of faith perfects and establishes the moral law, and does not render it of none effect.

A connected argument against the efficacy of the ceremonies of the Mosaic law, and against the pretensions of its followers to the favor of God, without faith in Christ.

§ That Abraham was justified by faith and works also. See James ii. 21, 22.

of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcised.

For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect; because the law worketh wrath. For where no law is, there is no transgression.

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “ I have made Gen. xvii. 5 thee a father of many nations,") before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those which be not, as though they were: who against hope, believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, "So shall thy seed be."

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform: and therefore it was imputed to him for righteous

ness.

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith unto this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

VI. This chapter has not any direct bearing on the doctrine of faith. But it clearly shows that the Apostle's object is not to exclude good works, as essential to salvation; for, v. 23, "the wages of sin is death."

VII. This chapter continues the connection of the argument of the Mosaic law; against the cere

Gen. xv. 5.

monies of which the whole is principally directed, although many things applicable to the general weakness and wickedness of man's nature are mingled with it.

IX. 30, 31, 32.-What shall we say then?That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.—Wherefore?— Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

X. 1. to 13.*-Brethren, my heart's desire, and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Levit.xviii.5.- For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to Ezek. xx.11, 13, every one who believeth. For Moses describeth the 21.-Gal.iii.12. righteousness which is of the law, that the man Deut. xxx. 11, which doeth those things shall live by them. But 12, 13, 14.

the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into Heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down); or who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead). But what saith it? Deut. xxx. 14. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Isaiah xxviii. 16. xlix. 23.

:

* The evident design of this argument (which is but a continuation or renewal of what has gone before) is to show that faith in Christ is required in contradistinction to a trust in the law;-and that the benefits of this faith are open alike to Israelite and Gentile.

XI. 20. 21.*-Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded; but fear. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

XIV. 22. 23. These verses relate so obviously to questions in dispute amongst the Jews, respecting food rendered lawful or unlawful by their law, (as appears by the preceding part of the chapter,) that it is needless to extract them, merely because the word faith is used in them.

1 CORINTHIANS.

XIII. 2.—And though I have the gift of pro- Rom. iii. 20.phecy, and understand all mysteries, and all know- Galat. ii. 16.ledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could James ii. 24. remove mountains, and have not charity, I am no

thing.

13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

2 CORINTHIANS.

V. 7. For we walk by faith, not by sight.t

GALATIANS.

II. 15. 16.1-We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

III. 1 to 14.-O, foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth; before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently

This rather relates to the doctrine of election [see the preceding part of the chapter]; and it is also a warning to us not to presume on the superior efficacy of our faith.

↑ God is a mystery of which we have not a corporal knowledge, and conceivable by us only through mental belief and confidence.

To the same effect are we elsewhere told "Faith is the evidence of things not seen.”—Heb. xi 1.

This is merely Paul's reproof to Peter for yielding outwardly to the ceremonies of the law, from fear, after he had professed the faith of Christ. It shows obviously (connected with what precedes and follows) that all allusions to works apply only to the "deeds [or practices] of the law [of Moses.]" But it has in other respects no decided bearing on the mai question.