Romans Verse-By-Verse by William R
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Romans Verse-by-Verse by William R. Newell About Romans Verse-by-Verse by William R. Newell Title: Romans Verse-by-Verse URL: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/newell/romans.html Author(s): Newell, William R. (1868-1956) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library CCEL Subjects: All; Bible LC Call no: BS2665.N43 LC Subjects: The Bible New Testament Special parts of the New Testament Pauline Epistles Romans Verse-by-Verse William R. Newell Table of Contents About This Book. p. ii Title Page. p. 1 Chapter One.. p. 2 Chapter Two.. p. 36 Chapter Three.. p. 50 Chapter Four.. p. 90 Chapter Five.. p. 113 Chapter Six.. p. 139 Chapter Seven.. p. 175 Chapter Eight.. p. 200 Chapter Nine.. p. 245 Chapter Ten.. p. 270 Chapter Eleven.. p. 286 Chapter Twelve.. p. 313 Chapter Thirteen.. p. 335 Chapter Fourteen.. p. 348 Chapter Fifteen.. p. 360 Chapter Sixteen.. p. 381 Spiritual Order of Paul's Epistles. p. 398 Indexes. p. 401 Index of Scripture References. p. 401 Index of Scripture Commentary. p. 408 Latin Words and Phrases. p. 408 iii Romans Verse-by-Verse William R. Newell iv Romans Verse-by-Verse William R. Newell ROMANS VERSE-BY-VERSE WILLIAM R. NEWELL Romans Verse-by-Verse William R. Newell CHAPTER ONE Apostolic Introduction. Verses 1-7. Personal Greetings, and Expressions of Desire to See and to Preach to Saints in Rome. Verses 8-15. Great Theme of the Epistle: The Gospel the Power of God,ÐBecause of the By-Faith-Righteousness Revealed Therein. Verses 16-17. The World's Danger: God's Wrath Revealed Against Human Sin. Verses 18-20. The awful Course of Man's Sin, and Man's Present State, Related and Described. Verses 21-32. 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto God's good news, 2 which He before promised through His prophets in (the) holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son: who was born of David's seed according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the dead,ÐJesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations for His name's sake; 6 among whom are ye also,Ðcalled as Jesus Christ's: 7 to all those who are in Rome beloved of God, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 1: PAULÐWe see Paul's name standing alone hereÐno Silas, Timothy or other brother with him. For Paul is himself Christ's apostle unto the Gentiles, the declarer, as here in Romans, of the gospel for this dispensation. Also, in revealing the heavenly character, calling, and destiny of the Church as the Body and Bride of Christ, and as God's House, as in Ephesians, Paul stands alone. When essential doctrines and directions are being laid down, no one is associated with the apostle in the authority given to him, We dare not glory in a man, not even in Paul, whose life and ministry are by far the most remarkable of those of any human being.1 Yet our Lord Jesus said: ªHe that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me receiveth him that sent Meº (John 13:20). And Paul 1 Paul, being really the least, is the greatest of men! The Lord Jesus said, ªAmong those born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.º But He added immediately, ªYet he that is lesser in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.º (Matthew 11:11). Paul names himself ªless than the least of all saints,º speaking in the Spirit. When John the Baptist speaks of the place he had, it was, as ªthe friend of the Bridegroomº; but Paul, of his work, as that of espousing and presenting the saints as a chaste virgin to Christº! We cannot conceive of a higher honor, than that given to this very least of Christ's bondservants,-- to present His Church to Him; as we believe it will be given Paul to do, at the Marriage of the Lamb! (Re 19:6-9; II Cor. 11:2) 2 Romans Verse-by-Verse William R. Newell was especially sent to us Gentiles. At the first council of the Church, recorded in Acts 15, ªThey who were of reputeº (in the church in Jerusalem), said Paul, ªsaw that I had been intrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the gospel of the circumcisionº (Gal. 2:7). Throughout church history, to depart from Paul has been heresy. To receive Paul's gospel and hold it fast, is salvation,ЪBy which (gospel) ye are saved, if ye hold fast the very word I preached unto youº (I Cor. 15:1, 2 margin), A bondservant of Jesus ChristÐPaul was bondservant before he was apostle. Saul of Tarsus' first words, as he lay in the dust in the Damascus road, blinded by the glory of Christ's presence, were, ªWho art thou, Lord?º And when there came the voice, ªI am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest,º his next words were, ªWhat shall I do, Lord?ºÐinstant, utter surrender! It is deeply instructive to mark that although our Lord said, ªNo longer do I call you bondservants, but friendsº; yet, successively, Paul, James, Peter, Jude and John (Re 1:1), name themselves bondservants (Greek; douloi),Ðand that with great delight! It is the ªservice of perfect freedomºÐdeepest of all devotions, that of realized redemption and perfected love.2 Paul next names himself a called apostle, or ªapostle by calling.º Three times in these first seven verses the word ªcalledº occurs, and three times more in the Epistle this great word is written: Chapter 8:28, 30 (twice). Compare Paul's three other uses of the word: I Cor. 1:2, 9, 24; and Jude's: Jude 1; and the one other occurrence: Re 17:14. ªCalledº means designated and set apart by an action of God to some special sphere and manner of being and of consequent activity. In the sixth verse of our chapter, the saints are described in the words ªcalled as Jesus Christ's.º They were given to Him by the Father (John 17), and connected with Him before their earth-history: ªchosen in Him before the foundation of the worldº; and in the seventh verse we read that they are ªcalled as saints,º or ªsaints by calling,º which does not at all mean that they were invited to become saintsÐa Romish doctrine! But that they were saints by divine sovereign calling; holy ones, having 2 It would be well also here, regarding Paul, to apply Mk 10:43,44: ªWhosoever would become great among you, shall be your minister.º The Greek word for ªministerº here is the one we translate elsewhere ªdeaconº (diakonos); but verse 44 goes further and deeper: ªAnd whosoever would be first among you, shall be servant of all.º Here the Greek word is the one always used for a slave under bondageÐdoulos. And so we find Paul saying to the Corinthians: ªWe preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants far Jesus' sake . Though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all (verb form of doulos: literally, I became bondslave to all), that I might gain the more . I will most gladly spend and be spent out for your souls.º (II Cor. 4:5; I Cor. 9:19; II Cor. 12:15, Gr.). No other apostle calls himself ªslave of allº: Paul got the first place, by our Lord's own word,Ðnot that any who choose to be slaves of all for Christ's sake may not he associated with Paul! Rut he is ªless than the least,º even yet! No wonder, then, that we find Paul speaking with an authority from the Lord such as no other apostle uses. Moses (who had authority in Israel) was ªmeek above all the men an the face of the earth.º The Lord Jesus Himself is seen, when the Kingdom is handed over to Him, as a Lamb that had been slain (Re 5:6) is ever ªmeek and lowly in heart.º Thus Paul says, ªI am nothing . I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.º (Here, by the way, was sovereign grace! Christ's choosing His greatest enemy to be His greatest apostle!) 3 Romans Verse-by-Verse William R. Newell been washed in Christ's blood; and having been created in Christ Jesus. It was their mode of being; even as the holy angels did not become angels by a process of holiness, but were created into the angelic sphere and manner of being. Such is the meaning of the word ªcalledº with Paul.3 Separated unto God's good newsÐThis expression is explained further in Galatians 1:15: ªGod separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the nations.º In like manner were born Moses, who Stephen says was ªfair unto God,º Ðthat is, manifestly marked out to be used by God (Acts 7:20, R. V., margin); and John the Baptist, of whom Gabriel said, that he would be ªfilled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb .