full Council, That GOD intended to receive the Gentiles into the Chriftian Covenant, without their Observation of the Mofaical Ceremonies Yet notwithstanding this authoritative Determination, the Jewish Chriftians did, many of them, retain their Zeal for that Law, and preffed it as abfolutely neceffary along with the Gospel-Religion, in order to Men's Salvation. ANY one who reads the Apoftolick Epiftles, (particularly thofe of St. Paul) with any Care and Attention, will find their conftant Method to have been, first to explain the particular Point debated in the Church, or amongst the Perfons they wrote to, and was the Occafion of their Writing; and, in the next Place, to give them fuch Exhortations to every Christian Duty and Virtue as would be at all Times, and in every Church, of every Age, neceffary and of abfolute Importance; having a special Eye to the particular Virtues those Disputes might moft probably tempt them to the Neglect of. Now, the former Part of thefe Epiftolary Writings cannot be rightly understood any other Way, than by attending carefully to the State of the Questions therein handled, and determined. And therefore the Errors and vain Difputes, that are to be seen in many Writings of thefe latter Ages of Chriftianity, concerning Faith and Works, Juftification and Sanctification, Election and Reprobation, and fuch like; that have confounded, vexed, and diftracted the Minds of many Chriftians; have all arisen from this one grand Miftake, of applying certain particular Phrafes, or Paffages, in thefe Writings, to themselves, or to any other particular Perfons, which plainly appear to have referred 7 1 * See Ads xv. referred to the then State and Condition, not of particular Perfons but of whole Churches, of the Jewish or Gentile Part. 'Tis this Mistake that has firft troubled the Hearts, and fo diverted the Minds of many otherwife good Men, from attending to the more excellent Parts of these Writings, the moral and weighty Exhortations. given to Chriftians; and, by puzzling them about former Controverfies that do very little, if at all concern us now; have turn'd off their Thoughts from the great Matters of the Law, which are most easy to be understood, and of infinite Obligation to be put in practice. THESE Queftions therefore, viz. Whether the Gentiles were at all to be admitted into the Church and Kingdom of CHRIST the Meffiah? Or at least, Whether both they and the Jews, ought not to obferve the Ceremonial Law along with the Chriftian? Whether the true Religion were fo appropriated and confined to the Jewish Nation, and the Jewish Land, as that for their Obstinacy they could never be caft off and excluded the Church of God? Thefe, I fay, are the Subftance of this Epistle, without attending to which, the very Terms and Phrafes made ufe of in it, muft appear improper, the Reafonings hard, intricate, and contradictory; but with this Key they are exact, ftrong, regular, and conclufive. The two first of these Questions are handled in the eight firft Chapters, and fome particular Branches of them, in the 13th, 14th, and 15th. The other is treated on in the 9th, 10th, and 11th. Thefe, and all the occafional Exhortations to Chriftian Peaceableness and Purity, I have regularly digested in the CONTENTS of each CHAPTER. CHAP. CHA P. I. The CONTENTS. St. Paul declares his Apoftolical Commiffion from Jefus I. 1. PAUL a fervant of Jefus Christ, called to be an apoftle, feparated unto the gospel of God. and extraordinary I. PAU AUL, who from a zealous Written Perfecutor of the Chri- A. D. 57. ftian Religion, is now become a Difciple of Jefus Chrift, being converted by him, in a fingular Manner, and by his particular Commiffion † appointed and felected to be an Apoftle and Preacher of the Gofpel-Doctrine. 2. (Viz. It Ver. 1. Called. See As ix. and xxii. and xxvi. + Ibid. 'Aqwgioμiv.Separated to the Gospel. Αφωρισμέν.. being not abfolutely certain, whether this PHRASE relates to his Call to the Apostleship in general, or to his fpecial Separation to preach to the GENTILES, Aɛts xiii. 2. I have expreffed it with a juft Latitude to both. It is remarkable in what a Variety this great Apofile expreffes his own Character in his feveral Epistles to the Chriftian Churches; ftyling himself, in fome, an Apostle of Chrift, fpecially called and feparated, &c. in others, the Servant of God, and of Jefus Chrift; in others, the Prifoner of Jefus Chrift; and in that to the Hebrews without any Name. For the Juftness and Propriety of this, fee the Paraphrafe on Philemon in Mr. Locke's Manner, Ver. I. A. D. 97. 2. (Which he had promifed afore by his prophets in the holy fcriptures.) 2. (Viz. The Doctrine and Religion of the Messiah, so much fpoken of, and promifed to the Jewish Nation, and to the whole World, in the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets.) 4. And declared to with power, accord- furrection from the 4. But was demonftrated to, be more than Man, even the divine Word, the Son of God, the Saviour of Mankind, by that Fulness of the + Holy Spirit that dwelt in him, and evidenced it felf most especially by his Resurrection from the Dead, as thofe Prophecies foretold. 5. By whom we 5. From whom thus raised have received grace and exalted to be Head of the. and apostleship for o- Church and Lord of all Things, bedience to the faith I have received the great Favour, among all nations for and honourable t Office of an Apoftle, to convert both Jews his name. and * Matth. i. 1. A&s ii. 30. 2 Tim. ii. 8. According to the Flesh. This Phrafe xala σagna, in this, and many other. Places, properly denotes the Defcent or Family-Relation of a Perfon. Thus Rom. iv. 1. ix. 3, 5. 1 Cor. x. 18. Abraham. our Father after the Flesh. My Kinsmen after the Flefb. If rael after the Flesh, and Cbrift after, or in, the Flefb. + Ver. 4. Εν δυνάμει καλὰ πνεῦμα αγιωσύνης, I think ought to be tranflated.By the Power of the Holy Spirit. Aúvaμis nalà Treuua, is, The Power of the Spirit; and being fo rendered, makes the cleareft Connexion. Compare. 2 Tim. i. 8. 2 Cor. viii. z. the, Ver. 5. Xági árosodiy, Grace and Apoflefbip, is plainly a Hebraifm, and fignifies, The Favour or Honour of Apoft left ip. and Gentiles to his Religion, for the Glory of his A. D. 57 6. Of which Gentile Part of this Church, you Chriftians of the famous City of Rome, are now become a principal Branch.) † To you, Gentile-Converts, and to all the Roman Profeffors of this Faith, I Paul write this Epiftle, wifhing you the Continuance of all divine Favours and Bleffings from God the Father, by our Lord Jefus Chrift. 8. Firft expreffing my hearty Praife and Thanksgiving to God, through Jefus Chrift the Fountain of all our Bleffings, for your Converfion to his true Religion, for which you are fo celebrated 9 & 10. And in this Expreffion you may believe me fincere, for God himself, whose true and faithful Servant I endeavour to the utmost to approve myself, as an Apostle of the Gofpel; can teftify *Ver. 5. 'Twig aŸ óvóμa]☞ áv]š.—For bis Name. These Words may be connected, either to Grace and Apostleship, and then the Sense is, For bis Religion; or else to the latter Claufe.. -For the Obedience of Faith among all Nations, and then I think they beft fignify, For the Honour of bis Name. But I have expreffed them both. + Note, Let the judicious Reader confider, whether the including these zd, 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th Verfes in one Parenthefis, would not make the clearest Conftruction. Ver. 7. From God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift κος ἀπὸ Θες, παρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίω Ιησε Χρις8-from God the Father of us, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift, agreeably to A&s xv. 11. Rom. xvi. 24. 2 Cor. xiii. 13, and elsewhere. |