Romans 10:12

For there is no difference--or "distinction"

between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord over all--that is, not God (as CALVIN, GROTIUS, OLSHAUSEN, HODGE), but Christ, as will be seen, we think, by comparing Rom 10:9, Rom 10:12-13 and observing the apostle's usual style on such subjects. (So CHRYSOSTOM, MELVILLE, BENGEL, MEYER, DE WETTE, FRITZSCHE, THOLUCK, STUART, ALFORD, PHILIPPI).

is rich--a favorite Pauline term to express the exuberance of that saving grace which is in Christ Jesus.

unto all that call upon him--This confirms the application of the preceding words to Christ; since to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus is a customary expression. (See Act 7:59-60; Act 9:14, Act 9:21; Act 22:16; Co1 1:2; Ti2 2:22).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8. This Faith-condition is impartial, embracing All and proclaimed to All, Rom_10:12-21.

In order that all, Jew and Gentile, may call upon God and be saved, (12, 13,) the preacher must be sent (14) (especially to Gentiles) and heard, (15-17;) nay, the Gentiles have heard from nature’s voice, (18,) and Israel knows, from the prophets, (19-21.)

12. Over all—Thus far the apostle in this chapter has shown how beautiful the righteousness ignored by the Jew is. He now proclaims that it must overpass the Jewish limits. If the believing Christian must not only have a heart to believe, but a mouth to confess, so must the entire Church have a believing heart and a confessing mouth. Both must not only be faithful, but vocal.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CRITICAL NOTES

Rom_10:12.—A favourite Pauline expression declaring the exuberant grace of Christ.

Rom_10:13.—Double argument for Christ’s divinity. He is called Jehovah, and is invoked.

Rom_10:15.—The Midrash shir Hasschium upon these words, “the voice of truth,” etc., says, “This is the voice of King Messiah crying out, and saying, How beautiful upon the mountains,” etc. Those Gentiles who have never heard the gospel preached cannot be condemned for want of faith in Christ.

Rom_10:17.—The message of the prophets, but received as coming from God Himself.

Rom_10:18.—These words being spoken literally of the preaching of the heavens to the Gentiles, touching the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, and the psalmist speaking after of God’s teaching His people by the law, the apostle accommodates these words to the revelation of God’s power, wisdom, and goodness in the gospel to the heathen. To all the earth; all the Gentiles had now heard the gospel. Paul’s answer to the objector—all the ends of the earth have beard, well might the Jews. By the words, “unto all the earth,” the Rabbins understood the servants of Messiah.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Rom_10:12-18

A missionary sermon.—When St. Paul quoted the prophet, the vision of a Christ-won world had not been realised. It is still one of the unfulfilled prophecies. Yet the gospel has exercised a splendid influence.

I. The influence of the gospel is readily shown by contrasts.—

1. When Paul wrote this epistle, the ancient Roman virtue, the admirable simplicity, and unconquerable courage had died away. So, too, had the old religion. The decay and corruption of it were accelerated by the engrafting of new and dark superstitions. The change, too, in social life was startling. Vice was deified. The secret of this? The pagan world knew not God. The sound of the gospel had not yet gone forth.

2. But some had heard the word, and the influence upon their lives and consciences was startling. The influence was irresistible. It modified private life, individual life, social life, state life.

3. The modern testimony as shown by a glance at English life. True we have too much cause for “the bitter cry.” The theory of the present day surpasses, startlingly, the reality. But a thousand evidences exist to show that England has caught the spirit of Him “who went about doing good.”

II. Much yet remains to be done.—E.g., picture rapidly the dark spots of the earth. The prophet’s vision is a vision still. The task before us is a superhuman one.

1. Look at the work in its vastness. Even here in England there is heathenism. Abroad, roughly speaking, eight hundred millions are heathens. You try to convert a man; ten men, a hundred could not do it, but for God’s help. One man! Multiply that by eight hundred millions, and verily the work is great! Looking at the matter from a human standpoint, the work is hopeless, disheartening.

2. There are multiplying disabilities. Were all these millions who knew not God of one nationality, the work would appear prodigious. We can measure up the magnitude of the task when already our Bible is read and taught in two hundred and sixty tongues.

3. There is the added on disability of the unscrupulous trader dogging the missionary’s course. The truly business man is a noble man; but we have to take account of the blacklegs of the commercial world.

4. The work suffers from fewness of labourers and lack of funds.

III. The prophet’s vision must be fulfilled.—And man must lend a helping hand. God’s part of the work is sure enough. But He works through men. Men are God’s instruments. Through men He forced the hand of Pharaoh; through men he found a home for Israel; through men the triumphs of Christianity have often been won. What is our response? This country’s wealth is fabulous. Fifteen hundred millions sterling will but barely represent the private income of England’s citizens. Against that we have raised one and a half million a year—a princely sum, if we forget to compare, say, with the expenditure on our navy, army, drink bill, and so on. Yet “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” Of course there are two sides to every question. Here I pointed out the side of obligation. What about a natural response? Or on the consideration of charity, the brotherhood side of the question? The pride of the present age should be to have a part in helping on the kingdom of our God and of His Christ, to swell the grand and noble company of men who would crown the Saviour Lord of earth and Lord of heaven!—Albert Lee.

Rom_10:15. Three beautiful progressive courses.—There is a certain sense in which it is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While we believe that there must be both the idea of beauty in the perceiving subject and certain attractive qualities in the perceived object capable of exciting or helping on the sensation, we must allow that the mind has the power of transferring its ideas to the outward object and investing it with beauty. The painter sees beauty in form and colour; the musician finds only beauty in certain waves of sound, in the harmonious progression of notes. A thing or a person becomes to us beautiful by the power of association. Thus it is that the feet of the messenger are beautiful, not in themselves, but because they are instrumental in bearing a joyful message. The mere personality of the messenger is lost in the glory of the message, and he becomes beautiful by reason of transferred qualities. He shines, as it were, by reason of borrowed plumes. We are thinking rather of the message and its bearing upon ourselves than of the messenger as we sing, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

I. The progressive course of the messenger is beautiful.—In these days, as we think of the preacher, we should say, How beautiful is the mouth, how sweet are the modulated tones, how charming is the voice, of him who preaches the gospel of peace! for we are too often more concerned with the style and manner of the messenger than with the subject-matter of the message. Sometimes at concerts we listen to the singer who sings in Italian. We cannot tell the meaning of the words, but we are charmed all the same. Are not too many in our congregations careless about understanding the preacher’s message? Italian would do well enough for them if it were given so as to charm the listening ear. The messenger should be beautiful, not as a well-tuned musical instrument, not as a mere attractive human machine, but as the bearer of a great divine thought. However, the feet set before us the progressive course of the messenger as well as of his message. He runs on a divine errand. He is sent by divine commission. This opens out to us:

1. The dignity of the messenger. A common man acquires dignity when he becomes the monarch’s messenger. What dignity should attach to him who is the heaven-sent messenger of peace and good tidings to the children of men! There is a dignity which is assumed, stilted, and offensive; but there is a dignity which is transferred, natural, and becoming; and such is the quality of the dignity that characterises him whose feet are moved by a divine impulse. Preachers should feel that they are God’s ambassadors, and then they will not be soon abashed.

2. The importance of the messenger. In some quarters this is measured by the number of the letters attached to his name, by the honours he gained at the university, by the high position he holds in the Church, by his family connections, or by some other accidental and minor considerations. Surely this was not Paul’s way of reckoning. He says, “How beautiful are the feet of him that preaches the gospel of peace!” If the man have a divine message to my soul, then he is welcome and is highly esteemed.

3. The benevolence of the messenger. The preacher of the gospel of peace in modern times is often rewarded by great emolument. Even if ministers and clergymen are not always well paid, and might have done better in other professions, they are, upon the whole, well provided for, and are nearly always treated with respect and occupy high social positions; so that we cannot always be sure to what degree they are actuated by benevolent motives. However, benevolence is the ideal motive, and we may thankfully believe in many cases the real motive. And how beautiful are the feet of that messenger who is moved by a benevolent impulse! He pleases not himself, but seeks to please his fellow-creatures, so that he may bring them to Christ and to goodness. His feet run swiftly, for they are charged with the electric force of love. His eyes are beautiful, for they flash forth love-light. His voice, though naturally poor, is sweet, for it is tuned by love.

II. The progressive course of the message is beautiful.—Peace has to the apostle the full idea of the gospel salvation; the good things are the rich, displayed, saving blessings which proceed from the one salvation. The message is one of peace and good-will to the children of men. The messenger is running and working in order to establish the kingdom of God on earth. How beautiful is the progressive course of the kingdom!

1. There is about it the beauty of growth. There is beauty in the works of man, beauty in things that are made. But no beauty is equal to that of growth. In the spring season it is pleasant to notice the unfolding beauty of growing nature after the deathlike sleep and barrenness of winter. How beautiful to watch the valleys being clothed with corn, and the little hills rejoicing in the gradual putting forth of verdure! We rejoice in our children as we watch their growing and unfolding minds. There is sometimes an agony of mind as a new idea is being brought forth; but there is pleasure as that idea grows and becomes a comely creature that can be presented to the world’s intellect. The kingdom of God on earth, within a man and within a society, progresses by growth—at first small as the mustard-seed grain. Then it grows; and by-and-by it becomes a great tree, in which birds build their nests, and beneath which men may shelter.

2. There is the beauty of development. Divine growths are divine developments. They are the unfolding of divine plans and purposes. The New Testament dispensation is a development of the Old. The epistles are a development of the gospels. Some people complain about St. Paul that he has rendered the simple gospels difficult. In some respects this may be true; but if there be any truth in the charge, we must also remember to his credit that he has amplified the gospels and revealed their largeness. He has unfolded more of the length and breadth, of the depth and height, of that love which passeth knowledge. Every age should increase in knowledge; and surely we should rejoice in the increase of spiritual knowledge.

3. There is the beauty of silent but persuasive influence. “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” The great Founder of Christianity applies to Himself the words of Esaias: “He shall not strive nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets.” Such is the unobtrusive method which He will employ for the purpose of accomplishing the greatest moral revolution which time has seen. Not with the sound of drums, not with the blare of trumpets, not with the clashing of battle arms, will this mighty Conqueror pursue His career and gain His wondrous conquests. Again He places before us the method in one of His inimitable parables: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven.” The yeast is placed in a mass foreign to itself, and by its silent and persistent agency it assimilates each separate particle until the whole lump is leavened. The good leaven of the gospel shall assimilate the whole of our race. How beautiful is the progression of grace in the soul of men, in the heart of human societies! Silently but surely does the kingdom of God extend. Silently and sweetly as the light wakes up the sleeping earth and calls forth things of beauty and sounds of harmony, so does the light of the gospel of peace wake up the sleeping energies of humanity, and create things of moral beauty and sounds of spiritual harmony. Silently and persistently as great ideas shape the movements of modern civilisation, so and more the great idea of salvation by faith in Christ has shaped barbarism into civilisation, and shall perfect and glorify the civilisation already accomplished. The history of the progressive course of the gospel in the earth is a beautiful and attractive record. How beautiful, too, is the course of the gospel in the heart of the individual! To some the study of metaphysics is delightful. What shall be said about spiritual metaphysics?

III. The progressive course of the recipient is beautiful.—Picture the recipients in a besieged city. Provisions are being exhausted; means of defence are diminishing; the situation looks dreadful; despair is written on many countenances; gloom prevails almost universally. On the hilltop the messenger comes that speaks of help and safety.

1. Thus the recipients pass from despair to hope. And this is the true result when the message of divine peace comes to the soul of man. Despair he may well feel when he finds that he cannot attain to his ideals, when he realises the painful truth that when he would do good evil is present and thwarts the high purpose, when he is baffled and overmastered as he strives to establish his own righteousness But despair gives place to hope as he hears that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” How beautiful to see hope growing and flourishing out of and on the barren ground of despair! For it is when a man is in a despairing condition that he welcomes the hopes of the gospel, and joyfully exclaims, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” How beautiful is the growth of hope in the soul! It is pleasant to watch the growth of the flowers in our gardens. We watch them assume their perfect shape, paint their delicate colours, produce their delicious aroma. What flower in either garden or hothouse can compare with the rich flower of hope growing in the soul garden? Its perfect shape is produced by a divine hand; its delicate colours are painted with a celestial brush; the aroma is composed of the cluster of spices gathered in the garden of the upper paradise.

2. Thus the recipients pass from danger to safety. So long as the besieged are in a despairing condition they are in danger, for despair paralyses the powers, weakens the faculties, and produces defeat. The very sight of the messenger running swiftly down the mountains is sufficient to remove despair, and thus lift out of danger. The gospel messenger not only tells of coming help, but of present help. The word of salvation is nigh thee. This messenger tells of a more powerful deliverer than Cyrus. King Jesus can deliver from worse than Babylonian bondage. We are in danger while we are trying the works of the law; we are in safety when we submit ourselves unto the righteousness of God—the righteousness revealed and offered through Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. Thus the recipients pass from sorrow to joy. In this world sorrow has its work and its benefits, but we always welcome joy. St. Paul looks upon godly sorrow, not as a continuous state, but as a force working upward and onward to divine joy. And how beautiful is the passage from sorrow to joy! Sweet is the morning light breaking over the hilltops and scattering the gloom and hideous forms of night; sweet thus is it to watch the light of divine joy gradually shining in the soul and removing all traces of sin’s dark night. Pleasant it is to watch the child’s countenance and see the opening joy of the young soul breaking through the countenance, and chasing away all marks of displeasure; pleasant thus is it to watch the countenance of God’s new-born, spiritual child, and see how the joy of heaven is chasing away all sorrow. If he have sorrow, it is because he can do so little for Him who has done so much. As, then, we look at the progressive course of the messengers, the message, and the recipients, we may indeed join with St. Paul, and say, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Rom_10:15. The gospel of peace.—Why this special name for Christianity? Gospel = good tidings. Christian gospel has three chief doctrines—viz.,

1. The fatherhood of God;

2. The (necessarily following) brotherhood of man;

3. The saviourhood of Christ Jesus. From 1 and 3 follows peace with God; from 2 follows peace with men.

To prove, examine condition of those who do not know gospel. Nations who do not know 1 will be found practising self-torments, devil worship, human sacrifice, slaughter of wives and slaves at death. Grasp of 1 stops all these. Nations who do not know 2 practise constant wars, vendetta, slavery, polygamy, degradation of women. Knowledge of 2 stops these. Nations who do not know 3 practise superstitions of priestcraft and witchcraft—e.g., medicine men, witch doctors, etc. Knowledge of 3 ends the power of these. Illustrate from missionary works.

Christian cannot rest till the gospel of peace has been preached to all who need it. Heathen Indian said to American bishop, “I go out in the dark, and am afraid; you are not afraid.” Gospel of peace sheds light and ends fear.—Dr. Springett.

Rom_10:16. The rejected report.—This is the third and last time we have this interrogation recorded in Holy Writ. It originally fell from the seraphic lips of Isaiah, as a complaint that his announcements relative to Messiah—though so full and fervid and eloquent—had fallen flat upon his countrymen’s ears, and had been dismissed by them as an idle tale. It was not only a complaint, but likewise a prediction that the same heedlessness and scepticism should be the characteristics of Christ’s personal ministry, as well as the after ministry of apostles and Christian ambassadors. Hence, the second time it occurs it is in relation to Christ’s own mission (Joh_12:37-38). Since the days of Christ and Paul, thousands of holy and devoted servants of God have put the same inquiry, as they have thought of unheeded sermons and apparently fruitless labours.

I. That the gospel is a report.—A report divine in its origin, unique in its character, authentic in its facts, authoritative in its statements, and marvellous in its declarations. The gospel reports the most wonderful love. Declaration upon declaration of this love it contains; but all seem to be comprised in that one jewel utterance by St. John, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Rom_3:16). This is a volume in a verse, an ocean in a dewdrop, a hemisphere of light in a solitary luminary, an eternity of mystery and mercy! Eternity cannot exhaust its wealth of interest and wonderment! This love, then, sinner, the gospel declares, is for you. While God has loved all men in general, He likewise loves every man in particular. Sin is the only thing in creation He hates—not you, my brother. Disabuse your mind of the notion that He is a cruel tyrant, a despotic ruler, an arbitrary and a vindictive judge. Away with the false idea that He hates you. He is a tender and compassionate Father. Let me suppose that some one of you fathers and mothers have a son who was the flower of your family, the joy of your homestead, the favourite of all; so kind, genial, affectionate, and dutiful once. But, alas! by degrees he has given way to bad company, yielded to his baser propensities, and is become openly profligate, recklessly wild. What is it, I ask, that causes you so much pain, so much sorrow, so much restlessness? Is it not your deep-rooted love for him? You love your child, though you hate his evil ways. So it is with God. Your relationship to your son is His relationship to you, only infinitely closer and dearer. And your son’s recklessness of conduct is your conduct in a lesser degree to your heavenly Father; and your feelings of grief and trouble are, in an inferior sense, God’s feelings of grief and pain at your sin and foolishness. The gospel reports the most wonderful life. All life is wonderful, from that which warbles in the song of the thrush, and blushes in the beauty of the rose, to that which glows among burning ranks of seraphim. Life is an overmastering problem! But we refer not now to life in its abstract essence, or life in the sense of “being,” but to life in human embodiment—enshrined, active, visible livingness, life the fact, rather than life the principle. The life of Jesus Christ which the gospel makes known has no parallel in the history of races. The mysterious conception was grandly confirmed by the mysterious career. Unique in birth, He was unique all through. If one link in the chain be faulty, then the whole chain is a failure. But every link has been found a perfect link; the whole Life wondrously consistent, complete, unrivalled. For more than eighteen centuries this Life has been stirring humanity to its very core and centre. The great upheavings of religious thought, and advances of religious enterprise, and strugglings in Continental countries after religious liberty, etc., which characterise this period of the nineteenth century, are the result of this wonderful Christ-life. In philosophy He is the mightiest enigma. In life He is the inimitable ideal. In the world He is the absolute ruler. In the universe He is the highest attraction! From that wonderful Life, as from a fountain of eternity, has flowed vital influences which have carried verdure and freshness, beauty and blessedness, wherever they have gone. The gospel reports the most wonderful provisions. Provisions of mercy and of merit: of mercy to avert the penal blow and cancel the enormous guilt; of merit to re-dignify the acquitted rebel, and reinstate him in the eternal favour. Provisions equal to the demands of one soul, or a world of souls—“enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.” There is multiplied pardon, multiplied peace, multiplied joy, multiplied life, multiplied hope, multiplied riches—of grace, of goodness, of glory. In a word, there is a variety so great, a fulness so vast, a supply so magnificent and princely, that the roll of unceasing ages will fail to exhaust either the one or the other. The gospel reports the most wonderful results. Obedient to the imperial summons of the Master, to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” the apostles and their coadjutors—those giant sons of the cross—embarked on their sublime but hazardous enterprise, “beginning at Jerusalem.” Thence they sallied forth to the “regions beyond” and “preached Jesus and the resurrection.” In less than three hundred years after they started, the gospel had sounded its report all over the Roman empire, even in cottage and palace, and gathered trophies from among the hardy sons of toil and the ranks of Cæsar’s household. Jehovah and all the cohorts of the eternities are behind the instrumentality, so that ultimate success is certain. God hurries not, neither does He tarry. Eternity is His work-day, so that ere noon shall arrive He will effect His purposes and complete His undertaking. Do you contemplate this gospel as a remedy for the world’s sicknesses? It reports success where every human prescription and every method of creature quackery has failed. Success in every case it has taken absolutely in hand. Do you contemplate it as a revelation? It eclipses every other, and stands out with a singularity and supremacy at once unprecedented and divine; reporting as it reveals, and revealing as it reports, Jehovah’s mind and will, the sympathy and benevolence of His great heart, before which multitudes have bowed in reverence and submission. View it in what light you may, as a remedy, a revelation, a message, a system, or a history, it reports results the most astounding and sublime. It also reports the most wonderful salvation. So simple that a child may understand it; so great that a philosopher can never comprehend it. So cheap that it can be had for the asking; so precious that millions of gold cannot buy it. So full that it can never be diminished; so universal that none is outside of its possible benedictions.

II. That this wonderful report by men in general is unheeded and discredited.—“Lord, who hath believed our report?” The inquiry, you perceive, is, not who hath heard our report, or who hath admired our report, or who hath eulogised our report, or who hath heaped empty compliments, or sullen complaints, or satirical sneers, or rotten critiques on our report. No, nothing of the kind; simply “Who hath believed [endorsed, practically embraced] our report?” Who hath turned it savingly to account, and enjoyed experimentally its consolations? If men in general theoretically believe it, in practice they despise and disbelieve it. It is not that men do not believe religion to be a good thing, a needful thing, a blessed thing, a great and glorious thing, that hinders them from believing this “report.” Nay, it is that they cannot, rather will not, give up their sins, customs, pleasures, companions, habits, pride.

III. That such practical unbelief is a source of deep grief and anxiety to the faithful minister.—Causing him often to cry out in secret, “Lord, who hath believed our report?” No man fired with the love of God, inflamed with a passion for souls, to whom truth and God and Christ and eternity are vivid and vital realities, can possibly preach on and on for years without visible success in the conversion of men and women, and not be wrung at times into an agony of distress over his apparently fruitless labours. There are some of us who know what it is to “weep between the porch and the altar” over indifferent hearers, who are constrained to exclaim, like the weeping prophet, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why, then, is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Refuse! and the next report which shall fall upon your ears may be, that a true bill has been found against you by the grand jury of the eternal court, and that you be consigned to the “place prepared for the devil and his angels,” until the morning of the judgment day.—J. O. Keen, D.D.

Rom_10:17. Faith’s production and productions.—It is not sufficient to know the Bible intellectually, or to have its records stored in the memory. Many people can say perfectly the catechism of their Church, but are destitute of true religion. Knowledge may play about the head, while the heart is unaffected and unimproved. True faith touches the heart. True faith is emotional, as well as intellectual. Faith must work by love and purify the whole nature.

I. How is true faith produced?—By what is heard through the blessing of the Holy Spirit. The thing heard is through and by the revelation of God.

1. The source of true faith is the word of God. In these days the word of God is producing unbelief in many quarters. Do we say producing? Should we not rather say that the unbelief is there, and the word of God is used maliciously for the purpose of fostering the prior unbelief? The word of God is the source of true faith to all the true-hearted. There is in connection therewith, in its external and internal evidences, sufficient to produce faith.

2. The channel of true faith is hearing. We must hear, not to cavil, not to be pleased, but to find profit. We must hear as the man listens to a will being read, as a man waits to hear the sentence of the judge. We must hear as for eternity. The Holy Spirit attends the word and opens the heart. Let us pray and seek for the divine Spirit, so that we may hear and live.

II. What does true faith produce?—

1. It produces salvation. Faith is not salvation, but the means by which we become or realise that we are saved. Faith is not Christ, but the hand that lays hold on the Christ. Faith is not the fruit, but that by which we pluck the fruit and are refreshed. Faith is not the blessing, but that without which the blessing cannot become ours.

2. It works obedience. So that to say that the faith of the gospel is destructive of morality is to argue ignorance. Faith produces prompt obedience; the faithful have been the most moral and virtuous.

3. It is the helpmeet of simple confidence in God our father. The children of the faith are the trustful children of God. They feel God; they hear His voice in all sounds of sweetness; they trace the impress of His feet in all things and shapes of beauty; they are not afraid of a besetting God; they march through dangers with undaunted courage.

4. It inclines them to obey and follow their Guide, and thus they come safely to their journey’s end. The man who by faith has found salvation in and by Christ will be inclined to follow Him heartily. Let us hear, believe, and live the highest and the noblest life. A life of holiness is the best test of the sincerity of faith.

SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON Rom_10:12-18

Lord’s goodness plenteous, impartial, and wise.—Power and benevolence are rarely united in our fellow-creatures. Here is one who has abundance, but he has no disposition to do good; he turns away his ear from hearing the poor, and seems to live as if he were born for himself only. Yea, the disposition often decreases as the capacity grows; so that there are some who not only give less comparatively, but less really, than they did when they were poorer. Then it hardly seemed worth their while to be covetous and to hoard; but now they have the means, and the temptation conquers them. On the other hand, there is many a one who has bowels of mercy, but he can only pity and shed unavailing tears over victims of distress. He is compelled to say only, “Be ye warmed, and be ye filled”; for he has it not in his hand to give such things as are needful for the body—his hand is shortened that it cannot save, though his ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. But some few there are in whom the means and the mind to use them are found united. The Lord increase their number! These are little images of Himself, in whom we equally find greatness and goodness, the resources and the readiness of compassion. He is over all, and He is rich “unto all that call upon Him.” Let me look at His greatness. He is over all. All beings of every rank are under His absolute control. He rules over all material agents; over all animal agents; over all human agents—over the best, the greatest, the worst of men; over all invisible agents—over devils, over angels, over departed spirits. He is Lord both of the dead and of the living. How astonishing, then, are His possessions and His dominions! A nation seems a great thing to us. But what is the greatest nation to our earth? And what is our earth to the luminaries of heaven? Many of these are discernible by the naked eye. When this fails, art assists nature; and Herschel sees innumerably more. When the telescope fails, the imagination plunges into the immensity beyond, and we exclaim, Lo! these are parts of His ways. But how small a portion is known of Him! Yet—for His mercy equals His majesty—the same Lord who is over all “is rich unto all that call upon Him.” His goodness has three characters.

1. It is plenteous. He is rich unto all that call upon Him. Some, if they are bountiful, are poor in bounty. And this appears not only in the smallness of their gifts, but in the mode of giving. It seems done by restraint, not willingly and of a ready mind. It does not drop from them as honey from the comb, or flow like water from a spring; it seems an unnatural effort. You feel no more respect when they give much than when they give little; everything like nobleness is destroyed by the manner; the meanness of the disposition is betrayed; and the poor-spirited mortal can no more give kindly and generously than a clown can dance gracefully. But the Lord God is a sun. He gives grace and glory; and no good thing will He withhold. He abundantly pardons; and while He gives liberally, He upbraideth not.

2. It is impartial. He is rich unto all that call upon Him. For there is no difference between Jew and Greek. And the same will apply to sex, and age, and calling, and condition, and character. The proclamations of divine grace exclude none, whatever be their circumstances; and it is well they do not. If any were excluded, awakened souls would be sure to find themselves among the exceptions. But what exceptions can any find when they read, “Preach the gospel to every creature”—“whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely”? Evangelical mercy is like Noah’s ark, that took in the clean and the unclean—only with this difference in favour of the truth above the type: there all the beasts came out as they went in; whereas, “if any man be in Christ he is a new creature.” He changes all He receives, and sanctifies all He saves.

3. It is wise. “He is rich unto all that call upon Him.” This is required, and cannot be dispensed with—not only because God wills it, but because “it seemeth good in His sight.” He knows that we should never praise Him for blessings which we do not value; and He knows that we never could be made happy by them. For that which gratifies is something that relieves our wants, fulfils our desire, accomplishes our hope, and crowns our endeavours. God’s way, therefore, is to make us sensible of our state, and to cause us to hunger and thirst after righteousness; and then we shall be filled: “for whoso asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” God reveals Himself, not only for our encouragement, but imitation; and vain is our confidence in Him without conformity to Him. Therefore, says the apostle, “Be ye followers of God, as dear children.” How? In what? And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savour. Men would be like God, as the greatest of beings; but we are to be like Him, as the best of beings. They would resemble Him in His natural perfections; but we are to resemble Him in His moral. They would, as He is, be over all, and gladly have everything at their own disposal: but we are to be holy, as He is holy; and true, as He is true: and patient, as He is patient; and forgiving, as He is forgiving; and tender, as He is tender; and, according to our resources, to be rich unto all that call upon us.—W. Jay.

Links in the soul’s redemptive chain.—The first link is prayer. “How then shall they call on Him?” etc. Prayer is mere calling on God; which act implies:

1. Consciousness of dependence upon Him;

2. An earnest desire after Him. The second link is faith. “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?” There must be faith in two things:

1. Faith in His personal existence;

2. In the entreatability of His nature. The third link is knowledge. “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” Whilst there is a faith lying at the basis of all knowledge, soul-redemptive faith requires knowledge—a knowledge not of the creative, sustaining God, but of the redeeming God, God in Christ. The next link is preaching. The redeeming God has been made known to man by preaching. Enoch, Noah, Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and even the holy Christ, all preached. And the subject of all their preaching was the redeeming God. No one can preach this properly unless he be sent. “How shall they preach unless they be sent?” All true preachers have a divine commission.—Homilist.

“There is no difference.”—This phrase appears three times in the New Testament, and each time in connection with a different truth or aspect of salvation; and the three taken together complete the sphere of truth. (Compare Rom_3:22; Rom_10:12-13, and Act_15:9.) It is also noticeable that in each case a double truth is presented in connection with the recurrence of the phrase “no difference.”

1. There is no difference among sinners and believers, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ, is unto all and upon all them that believe. All are sinners; and unto all believers comes the same all-sufficient righteousness.

2. There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. The same God is Lord over all. Jehovah is not the God of Jews only, but of Gentiles also—the universal sovereign. And He is rich unto all that call upon Him. All are alike in poverty and bankruptcy; whatever may be the differences in debt, all are alike hopelessly bankrupt and unable to pay. But God is infinitely rich as a bestower; and all that call upon Him will receive as a free gift infinite riches of saving grace.

3. No difference in the bestowment of the Holy Spirit. To all believers God alike bears witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, and purifying their hearts by faith. The same Spirit, received by the same faith, purifies, empowers, and perfects character. These are great truths, but they are very humbling to the natural and carnal man. It is not meant to assert that between sinners there is absolutely no difference, else there could be no degrees either of guilt or of punishment. Christ said to Pilate, “He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin”; and to the scribes and Pharisees He said, “He shall receive the greater damnation.” These words settle the fact that both sin and damnation have their grades. But as to the fact of sin and of guilt there is no difference. All are sinners, and one sin suffices to bring death. All have come short, whether by a greater or less deficiency. We must not compare ourselves among ourselves, or measure ourselves by ourselves, but by the perfect standard of law and duty. But there is also no difference in our justification. The righteousness of God is offered unto all and bestowed upon all who believe with the same divine impartiality. If we seek illustrations of the same sovereign power and rich grace as over all that call upon Him, we shall find it in the impartial bestowment of rich grace upon Nathanael and Saul, the woman of Canaan and the woman of Samaria, the eunuch of Ethiopia and the Philippian jailor. The impartiality of purifying and witnessing grace is shown by the Pentecosts at Jerusalem, Samaria, Cæsarea, and Ephesus. If God condemns impartially, so does He justify, exercise sovereignty of mercy in answering prayer, and in purifying and annointing believers.—Homiletic Review.

The ignorance of Israel cause of rejection.—No invocation without faith; no faith without hearing; no hearing without preaching; no preaching without sending. A universal apostolate is therefore the necessary corollary of a free and universal salvation. Such are the contents of our two verses, which are directed, not against Judæo-Christian prejudices, but against the ignorance of Israel, the final result of which was necessarily their rejection. Paul points out to the Jews, who took offence at the wide and universal character of his apostleship, the internal necessity on which it was based, and the positive prophetical texts which justified it. We are therefore still at the development of this theme: the ignorance of Israel the cause of their rejection.—Godet.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 10

Rom_10:13. The inclusive “whosoever.”—John Berridge once said, after having given out these words as his text, “I would much rather it be written, ‘Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,’ than If John Berridge shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved; because,” said he, “how do I know that there might not be another John Berridge in the world, to whom those words were addressed? But when I read, ‘Whosoever shall call’ etc., I know I must be included.”

Rom_10:17. They trusted him.—The French Marshal Turenne was the soldier’s hero. He shared all their hardships, and they entirely trusted him. When the troops were wading through a heavy morass, the younger soldiers complained. The older ones said, “Depend upon it, Turenne is more concerned than we are. At this moment he is thinking how to deliver us. He watches over us while we are asleep. He is our father, and would not have us go through such fatigue unless he had some end in view which we cannot yet make out.” Let us have this simple confidence in God our father. The faith which cometh by hearing God’s word will foster such simple confidence. We must know the Father through the Son; and as we trust the Son, so we shall trust the Father.—Quiver.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom 10:12. Οὐ γὰρ ἐστι διαστολὴ, for there is no difference) ch. Rom 3:22. Here the words first to the Jews, are not added, as at the beginning, ch. Rom 1:16.—ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς, for the same) ch. Rom 3:29-30.—Κύριος, Lord), Rom 10:9.—πλουτῶν) rich and liberal, whom no multitude of believers, how great soever it may be, can exhaust; who never finds it necessary to deal more sparingly.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_10:12. Elucidation of πᾶς.

οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστ. ʼΙουδ. τε καὶ Ἕλλ.] in respect, namely, to the bestowal of blessing on the believing, Rom_10:11. Comp. Rom_3:22.

For the Lord of all is one and the same. This κύριος is Christ (Origen, Chrysostom, Calovius, Wolf, Bengel, Böhme, Tholuck, Flatt, Rückert, de Wette, Fritzsche, Philippi, Hofmann, and several others), the αὐτός of Rom_10:11, and the κύριος of Rom_10:13, who is necessarily identical with this αὐτός. Were God intended (Theodoret, Theophylact, Grotius, and many, including Ammon, Reiche, Köllner, Ewald, Umbreit, van Hengel, Krummacher), it would in fact be necessary first to suggest the Christian character of the demonstration (as Olshausen: God in Christ).

κύριος-g0- πάντων-g0-] comp. Php_2:11; Act_10:36; Rom_14:9.

πλουτῶν] comp. Eph_3:8 : Quem nulla quamvis magna credentium multitudo exhaurire potest, Bengel. In what He was rich, the Christian consciousness understood of itself; it is contained also in the previous καταισχυνθήσεται and in the subsequent σωθήσεται,namely, in grace and salvation. Comp. Rom_5:15, Rom_11:33, and on 2Co_13:13.

εἰς πάντας] for all, for the benefit of all. See Bernhardy, p. 219; Maetzner, ad Lycurg. 85.

The calling upon Christ, who nowhere in the N. T. appears as identical with the Jehovah of the O. T. (in opposition to Philippi), is not the worshipping absolutely, as it takes place only in respect of the Father, as the one absolute God; but rather worship according to that relativity in the consciousness of the worshipper, which is conditioned by the relation of Christ to the Father (whose Son of like nature, image, partner of the throne, mediator and advocate on behalf of men, etc., He is). This is not imported as an Origenistic gloss (Philippi), but is necessarily founded on the dependence and subordination in which even the glorified God-man Christ, in virtue of His munus regium, stands in relation to the Father; see on 1Co_3:23; 1Co_11:3; 1Co_15:28. Comp. Lücke, de invocat. J. Chr., Gott. 1843. He who calls upon Christ is conscious that he does not call upon Him as the absolute God, but as the divine-human Representative and Mediator of God exalted to the divine glory, in whom Gods adequate revelation of salvation has been given. To the mediatorial relation of Christ Hofmann also reverts. Comp. on Php_2:10-11; 1Co_1:2.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom 10:12 . οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολὴ Ἰουδαίου τε καὶ Ἕλληνος : this has been proved in one sense in chap. 3 there is no distinction between them in point of sin; it is now asserted in another sense there is no distinction between them in that the same Lord is waiting to save all on the same conditions. κύριος πάντων is best taken as predicate: the same Lord is Lord of all: cf. Act 10:36 , Phi 2:10 f. Christ is undoubtedly meant: in His presence, in view of His work and His present relation to men, all differences disappear; there can be only one religion. πλουτῶν εἰς πάντας : abounding in wealth toward all. Christ can impart to all men what all men need the righteousness of God. Cf. Rom 5:15-17 , Eph 3:8 , τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ . τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν : cf. 1 C. Rom 1:2 where Christians are described as οἱ ἐπικαλούμενοι τὸ ὄνομα τ . Κ . ἡμῶν Ι . Χ . The formula, as the next verse shows, is borrowed from the Old Testament; and as Weiss remarks, Rom 10:13 sets aside every idea of a distinction between the invocation of God and that of Christ. To a Christian, as Paul conceives him, Christ has at least the religious value of God; the Christian soul has that adoring attitude to Christ which (when shown in relation to Jehovah) was characteristic of O.T. religion, See Act 9:14 ; Act 9:21 , Act 22:16 (Paul’s conversion), 2Ti 2:22 . It is a fair paraphrase of the words to say that salvation depends on this: whether a sinful man will make appeal for it to Christ in prayer, as to One in whom all God’s saving judgment and mercy dwell bodily. It rests with Christ, so appealed to, to make a man partaker in the righteousness of God and eternal life.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vv. 12-21.

Paul has justified the matter of his preaching, salvation by grace; he now justifies its extension. Not that, as Baur, Holsten, etc., think, he wishes thereby to remove the scruples of the Judeo-Christian conscience against his apostleship among the Gentiles; but—as the context says clearly enough—to indicate the second point in regard to which the Jews have showed themselves ignorant (Rom 10:4) as to the plan of God, and because of which they have brought on themselves the rejection with which they are overtaken. When man would put himself against the plan of God, God does not stop; He sets aside the obstacle. Such is the connection of ideas which leads to the following passage.

Vv. 12, 13. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for there is one and, the same Lord for all, rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Salvation being free, there is no longer any restriction to its application: it is necessarily universal. It is this logical consequence which the apostle expounds (Rom 10:12), and which he confirms (Rom 10:13) by a new Scripture passage.

What formed the separation between the two fractions of mankind, the Jews and the Greeks, was the law (Eph 2:14, the μεσότοιχον, the partition wall). This wall once broken down (as has just been proved) by the work of the Messiah, mankind no longer forms more than a single social body, and has throughout the same Lord, and a Lord rich enough to communicate the blessings of salvation to this whole multitude on one single condition: the invocation of faith. Israel had never imagined anything like this; and yet it was so clearly announced, as is proved by Rom 10:13.

In the second proposition of Rom 10:12, the subject might be the pronoun ὁ αὐτός, the same: “the same (being) is Lord of all.” It seems to me, however, more natural to join the word κύριος, Lord, to the subject, and then to understand it as the predicate: “The same Lord is (Lord) of all.” See the same construction Rom 2:29. In any case, there is no reason for making the participle πλουτῶν, who is rich, the principal verb in this sense: “The same Lord is rich for all;” for the essential idea is not that of the Lord’s riches, but that of His universal and identical sovereignty over all men. To us this idea is commonplace; it was not so at the beginning. It strikes St. Peter like a sudden flash the first time he gets a glimpse of it (Act 10:34-36).

The condition of invocation recalls the idea developed above of profession (the ὁμολογια) in Rom 10:9-10. The true profession of faith is, in fact, this cry of adoration: Lord Jesus! And this cry may be equally uttered by every human heart, Jewish or Gentile, without the need of any law. Behold how the universalism founded on faith henceforth excludes the dominion of law.

The idea: rich unto all, establishes the full equality of believers in their participation of the blessings of salvation. The common Lord will give not less abundantly to one than to another; comp. Joh 1:16: “and of his fulness have all we received.”

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_10:12

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, etc. This verse is evidently connected logically with the whosoever of Rom_10:12, Whosoever believes shall be saved, for there is no difference between the Jew and Gentile. That is, there is no difference in their relation to the law or to God. They are alike sinners, and are to be judged by precisely the same principles, (see Rom_3:22); and consequently, if saved at all, are to be saved in precisely the same way. For the same Lord over all, is rich unto all who call upon him. This is the reason why there is no difference between the two classes. Their relation to God is the same. They are equally his creatures, and his mercy towards them is the same. It is doubtful whether this clause is to be understood of Christ or of God. If the latter, the general meaning is what has just been stated. If the former, then the design is to declare that the same Savior is ready and able to save all. In favor of this latter, which is perhaps the most common view of the passage, it may be urged that Christ is the person referred to in the preceding verse; and secondly, that he is so commonly called Lord in the New Testament. But, on the other hand, the Lord in the next verse refers to God; and secondly, we have the same sentiment, in the same general connection, in Rom_3:29, Rom_3:30, Is he the God of the Jews only? etc. It is the same God which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith. The same Lord over all, in this connection, means one and the same Lord is over all. All are equally under his dominion, and may, therefore, equally hope in his mercy. As good reasons may be assigned for both interpretations, commentators are nearly equally divided on the question whether the immediate reference be to Christ or to God. Doctrinally, it matters little which view be preferred. Faith in God is faith in Christ, for Christ is God. This is the great truth to be acknowledged. The condition of salvation, under the gospel, is the invocation of Christ as God. The analogy of Scripture, therefore, as well as the context, is in favor of the immediate reference of κύπιος to Christ. The words is rich, may be either a concise expression for is rich in mercy, or they may mean is abundant in resources. He is sufficiently rich to supply the wants of all; whosoever, therefore, believes in him shall be saved.

Unto all who call upon him, i.e., who invoke him, or worship him, agreeably to the frequent use of the phrase in the Old and New Testament, Gen_4:26; Gen_12:8; Isa_64:7; Act_2:21; Act_9:14, Act_22:16; 1Co_1:2; 2Ti_2:22. This religious invocation of God implied, of course, the exercise of faith in him; and, therefore, it amounts to the same thing whether it is said, Whosoever believes, or, Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. This being the case, the passage quoted from Joel, in the next verse, is equivalent to that cited from Isaiah, in Rom_10:11. The meaning, then, of this verse is, That God has proposed the same terms of salvation to all men, Jews and Gentiles, because he is equally the God of both, and his mercy is free and sufficient for all.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The first words express the design of the apostle through these verses, that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, but they stand upon the same level in point of acceptance with God. In Jesus Christ there is neither Greek nor Jews, Col 3:11. God doth not save any nor reject any because they are Jews, nor because they are Greeks, but doth equally accept both upon gospel terms: There is no difference. For the proof of this he urges two arguments: -

I. That God is the same to all: The same Lord over all is rich unto all. There is not one God to the Jews who is more kind, and another to the Gentiles who is less kind; but he is the same to all, a common father to all mankind. When he proclaimed his name, The Lord, the Lord god, gracious and merciful, he thereby signified not only what he was to the Jews, but what he is and will be to all his creatures that seek unto him: not only good, but rich, plenteous in goodness: he hath wherewith to supply them all, and he is free and ready to give out to them; he is both able and willing: not only rich, but rich unto us, liberal and bountiful in dispensing his favours to all that call upon him. Something must be done by us, that we may reap of this bounty; and it is as little as can be, we must call upon him. He will for this be enquired of (Eze 36:37), and surely that which is not worth the asking is not worth the having. We have nothing to do but to draw out by prayer, as there is occasion.

II. That the promise is the same to all (Rom 10:13): Whoever shall call - one as well as another, without exception. This extent, this undifferencing extent, of the promise both to Jews and Gentiles he thinks should not be surprising, for it was foretold by the prophet, Joe 2:32. Calling upon the name of the Lord is here put for all practical religion. What is the life of a Christian but a life of prayer? It implies a sense of our dependence on him, an entire dedication of ourselves to him, and a believing expectation of our all from him. He that thus calls upon him shall be saved. It is but ask and have; what would we have more? for the further illustration of this he observes,

1. How necessary it was that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, Rom 10:14, Rom 10:15. This was what the Jews were so angry with Paul for, that he was the apostle of the Gentiles, and preached the gospel to them. Now he shows how needful it was to bring them within the reach of the forementioned promise, an interest in which they should not envy to any of their fellow-creatures. (1.) They cannot call on him in whom they have not believed. Except they believe that he is God, they will not call upon him by prayer; to what purpose should they? The grace of faith is absolutely necessary to the duty of prayer; we cannot pray aright, nor pray to acceptation, without it. He that comes to God by prayer must believe, Heb 11:6. Till they believed the true God, they were calling upon idols, O Baal, hear us. (2.) They cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard. some way or other the divine revelation must be made known to us, before we can receive it and assent to it; it is not born with us. In hearing is included reading, which is tantamount, and by which many are brought to believe (Joh 20:31): These things are written that you may believe. But hearing only is mentioned, as the more ordinary and natural way of receiving information. (3.) They cannot hear without a preacher; how should they? Somebody must tell them what they are to believe. Preachers and hearers are correlates; it is a blessed thing when they mutually rejoice in each other - the hearers in the skill and faithfulness of the preacher, and the preacher in the willingness and obedience of the hearers. (4.) They cannot preach except they be sent, except they be both commissioned and in some measure qualified for their preaching work. How shall a man act as an ambassador, unless he have both his credentials and his instructions from the prince that sends him? This proves that to the regular ministry there must be a regular mission and ordination. It is God's prerogative to send ministers; he is the Lord of the harvest, and therefore to him we must pray that he would send forth labourers, Mat 9:38. He only can qualify men for, and incline them to, the work of the ministry. But the competency of that qualification, and the sincerity of that inclination, must not be left to the judgment of every man for himself: the nature of the thing will by no means admit this; but, for the preservation of due order in the church, this must needs be referred and submitted to the judgment of a competent number of those who are themselves in that office and of approved wisdom and experience in it, who, as in all other callings, are presumed the most able judges, and who are empowered to set apart such as they find so qualified and inclined to this work of the ministry, that by this preservation of the succession the name of Christ may endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven. And those that are thus set apart, not only may, but must preach, as those that are sent.

2. How welcome the gospel ought to be to those to whom it was preached, because it showed the way to salvation, Rom 10:15. For this he quotes Isa 52:7. The like passage we have, Nah 1:15, which, if it point at the glad tidings of the deliverance of Israel out of Babylon in the type, yet looks further to the gospel, the good news of our salvation by Jesus Christ. Observe, (1.) What the gospel is: It is the gospel of peace; it is the word of reconciliation between God and man. On earth peace, Luk 2:14. Or, peace is put in general for all good; so it is explained here; it is glad tidings of good things. The things of the gospel are good things indeed, the best things; tidings concerning them are the most joyful tidings, the best news that ever came from heaven to earth. (2.) What the work of ministers is: To preach this gospel, to bring these glad tidings; to evangelize peace (so the original is), to evangelize good things. Every good preacher is in this sense an evangelist: he is not only a messenger to carry the news, but an ambassador to treat; and the first gospel preachers were angels, Luk 2:13, etc. (3.) How acceptable they should therefore be to the children of men for their work's sake: How beautiful are the feet, that is, how welcome are they! Mary Magdalene expressed her love to Christ by kissing his feet, and afterwards by holding him by the feet, Mat 28:9. And, when Christ was sending forth his disciples, he washed their feet. Those that preach the gospel of peace should see to it that their feet (their life and conversation) be beautiful: the holiness of ministers' lives is the beauty of their feet. How beautiful! namely, in the eyes of those that hear them. Those that welcome the message cannot but love the messengers. See Th1 5:12, Th1 5:13.

3. He answers an objection against all this, which might be taken from the little success which the gospel had in many places (Rom 10:16): But they have not all obeyed the gospel. All the Jews have not, all the Gentiles have not; far the greater part of both remain in unbelief and disobedience. Observe, The gospel is given us not only to be known and believed, but to be obeyed. It is not a system of notions, but a rule of practice. This little success of the word was likewise foretold by the prophet (Isa 53:1): Who hath believed our report? Very few have, few to what one would think should have believed it, considering how faithful a report it is and how well worthy of all acceptation, - very few to the many that persist in unbelief. It is no strange thing, but it is a very sad and uncomfortable thing, for the ministers of Christ to bring the report of the gospel, and not to be believed in it. Under such a melancholy consideration it is good for us to go to God and make our complaint to him. Lord, who hath believed, etc. In answer to this,

(1.) He shows that the word preached is the ordinary means of working faith (Rom 10:17): So then, ara - however; though many that hear do not believe, yet those that believe have first heard. Faith cometh by hearing. It is the summary of what he had said before, Rom 10:14. The beginning, progress, and strength of faith, are by hearing. The word of God is therefore called the word of faith: it begets and nourishes faith. God gives faith, but it is by the word as the instrument. Hearing (that hearing which works faith) is by the word of God. It is not hearing the enticing words of man's wisdom, but hearing the word of God, that will befriend faith, and hearing it as the word of God. See Th1 2:13.

(2.) That those who would not believe the report of the gospel, yet, having heard it, were thereby left inexcusable, and may thank themselves for their own ruin, Rom 10:18, to the end.

[1.] The Gentiles have heard it (Rom 10:18): Have they not heard? Yes, more or less, they have either heard the gospel, or at least heard of it. Their sound went into all the earth; not only a confused sound, but their words (more distinct and intelligible notices of these things) are gone unto the ends of the world. The commission which the apostles received runs thus: Go you into all the world - preach to every creature - disciple all nations; and they did with indefatigable industry and wonderful success pursue that commission. See the extent of Paul's province, Rom 15:19. To this remote island of Britain, one of the utmost corners of the world, not only the sound, but the words, of the gospel came within a few years after Christ's ascension. It was in order to this that the gift of tongues was at the very first poured so plentifully upon the apostles, Acts 2. In the expression here he plainly alludes to Psa 19:4, which speaks of the notices which the visible works of God in the creation give to all the world of the power and Godhead of the Creator. As under the Old Testament God provided for the publishing of the work of creation by the sun, moon, and stars, so now for the publishing of the work of redemption to all the world by the preaching of gospel ministers, who are therefore called stars.

[2.] The Jews have heard it too, Rom 10:19-21. For this he appeals to two passages of the Old Testament, to show how inexcusable they are too. Did not Israel know that the Gentiles were to be called in? They might have known it from Moses and Isaiah.

First, One is taken from Deu 32:21, I will provoke you to jealousy. The Jews not only had the offer, but saw the Gentiles accepting it and benefitted by that acceptance, witness their vexation at the event. They had the refusal: To you first, Act 3:26. In all places where the apostles came still the Jews had the first offer, and the Gentiles had but their leavings. If one would not, another would. Now this provoked them to jealousy. They, as the elder brother in the parable (Lu. 15) envied the reception and entertainment of the prodigal Gentiles upon their repentance. The Gentiles are here called no people, and a foolish nation, that is, not the professing people of God. How much soever there be of the wit and wisdom of the world, those that are not the people of God are, and in the end will be found to be, a foolish people. Such was the state of the Gentile world, who yet were made the people of God, and Christ to them the wisdom of God. What a provocation it was to the Jews to see the Gentiles taken into favour we may see, Act 13:45; Act 17:5, Act 17:13, and especially Act 22:22. It was an instance of the great wickedness of the Jews that they were thus enraged; and this in Deuteronomy is the matter of a threatening. God often makes people's sin their punishment. A man needs no greater plague than to be left to the impetuous rage of his own lusts.

Secondly, Another is taken from Isa 65:1, Isa 65:2, which is very full, and in it Esaias is very bold - bold indeed, to speak so plainly of the rejection of his own countrymen. Those that will be found faithful have need to be very bold. Those that are resolved to please God must not be afraid to displease any man. Now Esaias speaks boldly and plainly,

a. Of the preventing grace and favour of God in the reception and entertainment of the Gentiles (Rom 10:20): I was found of those that sought me not. The prescribed method is, Seek and find; this is a rule for us, not a rule for God, who is often found of those that do not seek. His grace is his own, distinguishing grace his own, and he dispenses it in a way of sovereignty, gives of withholds it at pleasure - anticipates us with the blessings, the riches choicest blessings, of his goodness. Thus he manifested himself to the Gentiles, by sending the light of the gospel among them, when they were so far from seeking him and asking after him that they were following after lying vanities, and serving dumb idols. Was not this our own particular case? Did not God begin in love, and manifest himself to us when we did not ask after him? And was not that a time of love indeed, to be often remembered with a great deal of thankfulness?

b. Of the obstinacy and perverseness of Israel, notwithstanding the fair offers and affectionate invitations they had, Rom 10:21. Observe,

(a.) God's great goodness to them: All day long I have stretched forth my hands. [a.] His offers: I have stretched forth my hands, offering them life and salvation with the greatest sincerity and seriousness that can be, with all possible expressions of earnestness and importunity, showing them the happiness tendered, setting it before them with the greatest evidence, reasoning the case with them. Stretching forth the hands is the gesture of those that require audience (Act 26:1), or desire acceptance, Pro 1:24. Christ was crucified with his hands stretched out. Stretched forth my hands as offering reconciliation - come let us shake hands and be friends; and our duty is to give the hand to him, Ch2 30:8. [b.] His patience in making these offers: All day long. The patience of God towards provoking sinners is admirable. He waits to be gracious. The time of God's patience is here called a day, lightsome as a day and fit for work and business, but limited as a day, and a night at the end of it. he bears long, but he will not bear always.

(b.) Their great badness to him. They were a disobedient gainsaying people. One word in the Hebrew, in Isaiah, is here well explained by two; not only disobedient to the call, not yielding to it, but gainsaying, and quarrelling with it, which is much worse. Many that will not accept of a good proposal will yet acknowledge that they have nothing to say against it: but the Jews who believed not rested not there, but contradicted and blasphemed. God's patience with them was a very great aggravation of their disobedience, and rendered it the more exceedingly sinful; as their disobedience advanced the honour of God's patience and rendered it the more exceedingly gracious. It is a wonder of mercy in God that his goodness is not overcome by man's badness; and it is a wonder of wickedness in man that his badness is not overcome by God's goodness.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek] All are equally welcome to this salvation. Here the Jew has no exclusive privilege; and from this the Greek is not rejected. One simple way of being saved is proposed to all, viz. faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; because he is the same Lord who has made all and governs all, and is rich in mercy to all that call upon him.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. For there is no distinction, etc. Since faith alone is required, wherever it is found, there the goodness of God manifests itself unto salvation: there is then in this case no difference between one people or nation and another. And he adds the strongest of reasons; for since he who is the Creator and Maker of the whole world is the God of all men, he will show himself kind to all who will acknowledge and call on him as their God: for as his mercy is infinite, it cannot be but that it will extend itself to all by whom it shall be sought.

Rich is to be taken here in an active sense, as meaning kind and bountiful. And we may observe, that the wealth of our Father is not diminished by his liberality; and that therefore it is not made less for us, with whatever multiplied affluence of his grace he may enrich others. There is then no reason why some should envy the blessings of others, as though anything were thereby lost by them.

But though this reason is sufficiently strong, he yet strengthens it by the testimony of the Prophet Joel; which, according to the general term that is used, includes all alike. But readers can see much better by the context, that what Joel declares harmonizes with the present subject; for he prophesies in that passage of the kingdom of Christ: and further, after having said, that the wrath of God would burn in a dreadful manner, in the midst of his ardor, he promises salvation to all who would call on the name of the Lord. It hence follows, that the grace of God penetrates into the abyss of death, if only it be sought there; so that it is not by any means to be withheld from the Gentiles.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(12) For the same Lord over all is rich.—Rather, for the same Lord (is Lord) over all, abounding, &c. Christ is the Lord alike of Jew and of Gentile. (Comp. Eph_4:5.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. For there is no difference] The same phrase (with precisely opposite reference) as Rom_3:22.—The “for” here refers to the “whosoever” of Rom_10:11; and this refers to the truth, suggested through the whole passage here, of the “nearness” and freedom of salvation, which, as revealed in Christ, needed no advantage of Jewish privilege in order to reach it. Belief and confession were as “near” to Greek as to Jewish hearts and lips.—On “Greek” see note, Rom_1:16.

for the same Lord, &c.] Better, for the same Lord is [Lord] of [them] all; abounding in wealth unto all, &c. Cp. Rom_3:30, and note.

rich] In “goodness,” to pardon and accept. See Isa_55:7.—The word “wealth” respects both the splendour of the gift and its sufficiency for “whosoever will,” however numerous the suppliants.

call upon him] appeal to Him. The Gr. is same word as Act_25:11-12. See also Act_7:59; where Stephen’s “appeal” is “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” The “appeal” here is to the Redeemer as our Justification.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek,.... Some reasons are here assigned, confirming the apostle's sense of the prophet's words, that everyone that believes in Christ shall be saved; for there is no distinction of nations, no superiority on account of carnal descent, or fleshly privileges, no preeminence on the score of the laws and ordinances of the former dispensation, all which are now abolished; nor is there any difference in their state God-ward, all being under sin, and without a righteousness, and all standing in need of the righteousness of Christ, and salvation by him; to which is added another reason,

for the same Lord over all, or "is over all": by whom is meant, either God the Father, who is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews, Rom 3:29; or rather the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all; and is to be understood, not of his being so merely by creation, but redemption, he having bought with his blood all the elect of God, both among the Jews and among the Gentiles; so that he has the same equal propriety in one as another, and they the same claim to him, and the same encouragement to believe in him, for righteousness and life: and moreover, he

is rich unto all that call upon him; he is not only rich as God, being possessed of all divine perfections and glory, but as Mediator, having the riches of grace and glory in him; and is rich, beneficent, liberal and free in dispensing, pardoning, justifying, and sanctifying grace to all that come unto him, throw themselves at his feet, implore his grace and righteousness, and call upon him with faith and fervency. Such as these are here designed, and not all that make mention of his name, or are called by it; but who are the true worshippers of him in faith and fear; for the invocation of his name includes all worship of him, and exercise of grace upon him; hence this passage is no inconsiderable proof of his proper deity.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Ver. 12. Is rich unto all, &c.] He cannot therefore be poor that can pray; for he shall have out his prayer, either in money or money’s worth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there is no difference - In the previous verse Paul had quoted a passage from Isa 28:16, which says that “everyone” (Greek, πᾶς pas) that believeth shall not be ashamed; that is, everyone of every nation and kindred. This implies that it was not to be confined to the Jews. This thought he now further illustrates and confirms by expressly declaring that there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. This doctrine it was one main design of the Epistle to establish, and it is fully proved in the course of the argument in Rom. 1–4. See particularly Rom 3:26-30. When the apostle says there is no difference between them, he means in regard to the subject under discussion. In many respects there might be a difference; but not in the way of justification before God. There all had sinned; all had failed of obeying the Law; and all must be justified in the same way, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “difference” διαστολὴ diastolē means “distinction, diversity.” It also means “eminence, excellence, advantage.” There is no eminence or advantage which the Jew has over the Greek in regard to justification before God.

The Jew - That portion of mankind which professed to yield obedience to the Law of Moses.

The Greek - Literally, those who dwelt in Greece, or those who spoke the Greek language. As the Jews, however, were acquainted chiefly with the Greeks, and knew little of other nations, the name Greek among them came to denote all who were not Jews; that is, the same as the Gentiles. The terms “Jew and Greek,” therefore, include all mankind. There is no difference among people about the terms of salvation; they are the same to all. This truth is frequently taught. It was a most important doctrine, especially in a scheme of religion that was to be preached to all people. It was very offensive to the Jews, who had always regarded themselves as a especially favored people. Against this, all their prejudices were roused, as it completely overthrew all their own views of national eminence and pride, and admitted despised Gentiles to the same privileges with the long favored and chosen people of God. The apostles, therefore, were at great pains fully to establish it; see Act 10:9; Gal 3:28.

For the same Lord over all ... - For there is the same Lord of all; that is, the Jews and Gentiles have one common Lord; compare Rom 3:29-30. The same God had formed them, and ruled them; and God now opened the same path to life. See this fully presented in Paul’s address to the people of Athens, in Act 17:26-30; see also 1Ti 2:5. As there was but one God; as all, Jews and Gentiles, were his creatures; as one law was applicable to all; as all had sinned; and as all were exposed to wrath; so it was reasonable that there should be the same way of return - through the mere mercy of God. Against this the Jew ought not to object; and in this he and the Greek should rejoice.

Is rich unto all - πλουτῶν εἰς παντάς ploutōn eis pantas. The word “rich” means to have abundance, to have in store much more than is needful for present or personal use. It is commonly applied to wealth. But applied to God, it means that he abounds in mercy or goodness toward others. Thus, Eph 2:4, “God, who is rich in mercy,” etc.; 1Ti 6:17-18, “charge them that are rich in this world ...that they be rich in good works.” Jam 2:5, “God hath chosen the poor ...rich in faith;” that is, abounding in faith and good works, etc. Thus, God is said to be rich toward all, as he abounds in mercy and goodness toward them in the plan of salvation.

That call upon him - This expression means properly to supplicate, to invoke, as in prayer. As prayer constitutes no small part of religion; and as it is a distinguishing characteristic of those who are true Christians (Act 11:11, “Behold he prayeth;”) to call on the name of the Lord is put for religion itself, and is descriptive of acts of devotion toward God; 1Pe 1:17, “And if ye call on the Father, etc.;” Act 2:21; Act 9:14,” he hath authority ...to bind all that call on thy name;” Act 7:59; Act 22:16; Gen 4:26, “Then began men to call on the name of the Lord.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: he gives a reason for that universal term, whosoever, which he had added in the precedent verse, and is not found in Isaiah, as was noted before, in Rom 9:33.

The same Lord over all; these words are a reason why there is no difference now between Jew and Greek. This title is to be referred more especially to Jesus Christ, who was called Lord, Rom 10:9, and is called:

Lord of all, Act 10:36. He is Head of all the elect, in all nations of the world.

Is rich unto all; i.e. is bountiful unto all. So that the Jews need not envy the calling or coming of the Gentiles; they have never the less themselves; the Lord hath an inexhaustible store of grace and mercy. The fountain is above our thirst.

That call upon him; not to all, hand over head, but to such as call upon him in faith.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 12-21. The universality of the gospel.

The favour of God is free. But the apostle has already indicated another antagonism to the ignorant zeal of his people: the favour of God, being free, is free for all (vers. 4, 11). As Godet says, "Paul has justified the matter of his preaching, salvation by grace; he now justifies its extension" He here sets forth the universality of the gospel as evident from its very freeness, as anticipated by the Law, as consistent with the exclusion of Israel from its blessedness.

I THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE GOSPEL IS EVIDENT FROM ITS VERY FREENESS. If the Law had been able of itself to justify, it might have seemed as though the Gentiles were without hope. But when it is perceived that the Law only leads to Christ, and that in Christ a free forgiveness is granted to sinful man, at once the conclusion is forced upon us then to every sinful man. And the conclusion is just; even as Joel had foreseen, "Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." There needs but that faith which is involved in true repentance, a willingness to be saved by grace alone, and the salvation is ours. Let, then, the true cry for help go up from any human heart, and it is answered. But it follows that if, according to God"s grace, salvation is such that it is, in itself, possible to every man, he must design that it shall be brought within the reach of every man. Hence the succession of questions which Paul asks, arguing that God"s design to save sinful man, when calling upon him in truth, implies a design that it should be possible for man to believe in him as God the Saviour, which again implies the hearing him proclaimed, which again implies a preacher of the glad tidings, which again implies the sending of the preachers. Yes, if such is the salvation for sinful man, God must have instituted a universal apostolate for the nations. This indeed was so. (Mat_28:19 Act_1:8) But Paul argues it, that he may justify his own mission, partly; and partly also, we may suppose, to remind them that they, the Jews, should have been the nation of apostles, that this was indeed the very intent of their election, had they not made the counsel of God of none effect. O glorious calling! O grievous forfeiture of high blessing!

II THIS UNIVERSALITY OF THE GOSPEL WAS ANTICIPATED BY THE LAW. What had Moses said to them? "I will provoke you to jealousy," etc. They had provoked God by following after other gods; God would provoke his people by seeking other peoples. (see Deu_32:21) Isaiah stated boldly what in the earlier words was more obscurely hinted at, "I was found of them," etc.. (see Isa 66) Here also a repetition of Rom_9:30-33. These, however, are but samples; there was enough in their Law, had not the veil been on their eyes, to show that they were but trustees for the world, and that one of their peculiar glories was that the Gentiles should come in the fulness of time to do homage to their God. (see Isa 60) Israel "did know," or at least might have known.

III THIS UNIVERSALITY OF THE GOSPEL WAS NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ISRAEL FROM ITS BLESSEDNESS. The terms were, for them as for all, "Whosoever shall call," etc. And, it being impossible to call on One whom they had not heard, the hearing was certainly not withheld from them. It was true even of gospel preaching, as of the voices of the heavens, (Ps 19) that the sound had gone into all the earth. For everywhere the gospel had been preached "to the Jew first." Yes, God had not cut them off from the blessing, but they had cut themselves off. It was true, as Isaiah had said, "All the day long," etc. So the parables of Jesus. (Mt 21 Mt 22) They might have been the chosen people for the glorious work of the world"s salvation; but the election was broken by their unbelief.

So, then, though God might surely choose or lay aside instruments as he would, in the carrying on of his work, he did not act without reason. It was because the Jews, being exalted to heaven, cast themselves down to hell, that they might not be the heralds of his grace. They would not receive it; therefore they could not show it forth. T.F.L.

The nature and beneficence of God.

Many surface-distinctions between the Jew and Greek may be drawn by men, but none are recognized by God in such wise as to incapacitate some members of the race for seeking salvation at his hands. The text furnishes the basis for such a statement of universal salvability, in its clear enunciation of the nature of God. By implication it negatives many theories when it asserts that "the same Lord is Lord of all," and the following clause contains measureless comfort for every anxious praying heart. He is "rich unto all that call upon him.

I SOME ERRORS CORRECTED.

1. Polytheism. We might infer the truth of monotheism from the unity of structure visible in the world its inhabitants, animals, and plants; from the analogy observable in different kingdoms of nature; and from the existence of the same laws operating to the remotest star. And the Mosaic Law distinctly enforced the truth, "The Lord our God is one Lord." Nor is the doctrine of the Trinity in unity contradictory. There is the historical fact that wherever Christianity has prevailed, idolatry has been doomed. The preaching of the fishermen effected what the most potent arguments of Greek philosophy and the keenest shafts of ridicule failed to accomplish.

2. Atheism. This is the other extreme; instead of many gods, no God. To attribute to blind force and fortuitous collocation of atoms the order and beauty of design evident in nature and history, is to posit an inefficient cause for the effects noted. So clearly is this seen, that the favourite attitude of many is to avoid definite assertions, and content themselves with saying, "We cannot be sure; we cannot attain to sufficient knowledge of the Unknowable to prompt our worship." This is practical atheism, imitated by multitudes who do not deny the authority of the Scriptures, or reject religion on speculative grounds, yet live "without God in the world." Remember that the non-recognition of the Deity does not absolve from religious responsibility. If there be a "Lord of all," he has claims upon your service which will not vanish because of your pleasant dreams and guilty unconcern.

3. Pantheism. He is Lord "of," i.e. over" all a living, personal God, above as well as in nature. He is not to be identified with the universe, nor with his operations. He is different from his acts, as we are not our limbs, our deeds, but are conscious of a living will behind these manifestations. The instinct of prayer would be checked at once by the thought of "calling upon" an abstraction of humanity or unintelligent matter.

4. Socinianism, or the denial of the Deity of Christ. Few stronger passages could be adduced than those in the context to assure us of the apostle"s conviction of the dignity of the Saviour. In the ninth verse we are taught to "confess Jesus as Lord," and following the emphatic language of the text comes the thirteenth verse, where the prophecy of Joel and the title Jehovah are applied to Christ, the express subject of this chapter. All doubt as to the reference is removed by the question, "How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" since the object of our faith is ever represented as Christ, the manifested God. The only refuge is to deny the competency and inspiration of the apostle, and then we do not get rid of the other Scripture texts which speak of him as the Creator "by whom all things were made," and the Judge "to whom all authority is committed." No declaration of the relationship of the Son to the Father, more available for explanation of the mystery, can we have than "he is the Image of the invisible God.

5. Sectarianism, or Judaism as a system of rites, the embodiment of the narrow bigoted spirit which will admit only certain classes within its pale. Most scornful epithets did the Jews employ with respect to the unprivileged state of the rest of mankind; they were "the drops of the bucket, the offscouring of all things." But if the whole world may claim the same Lord, one family dares not arrogate to itself all the Divine love and blessing. What is the miserable superiority of the giant to the dwarf in the view of him who gazes from the mountain-top? The regard of God is to quality, not quantity; he wants the pure gold of repentance and obedience, no matter with what ingredients or amid what surroundings it may be found.. Jesus Christ taught us to abolish caste by the petition, "Our Father." In the present condition of religious knowledge and feeling, sects may be convenient, almost necessary, but we need not unchristianize those without our borders, nor confine our view of salvation to those who utter the same party shibboleth.

II A TRUTH OF COMFORTABLE IMPORT THE BENEFICENCE OF GOD.

1. His wealth permits him to do good to all. The slowly passing centuries have not enabled men to find out the extent of the Divine riches. The catalogue is exhaustless that is being compiled of the adaptations, combinations, resources, with which the Creator has furnished man"s home. Then, whilst the microscope reveals innumerable infinitesimal wonders, the telescope discovers countless worlds. And the apostle delighted in the use of the word "riches" to describe the mercies of God in redemption. He felt he had to publish a purpose of God rich in wisdom, love, and power, dwarfing all human systems of reform. The Lord of Christianity is so supremely glorious, that it was a relief to turn away from human poverty in thought and means, to contemplate "the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ.

2. He is rich in all that his creatures need. Circumlocution offices abound on earth. The king cannot heal the leper, nor the doctor give legal information to the suitor, nor the lawyer be expected to head the subscription list. But none can seek Christ in vain for spiritual wants. He is rich in mercy to the penitent sinner, and to the believer forgetful of his early vows he is rich in the assurance of forgiveness and succour. The disappointed may find him an unfailing Hope, the bereaved a "God of all consolation;" to the tempted he is the "Way of escape," and to the heated with the struggle of life, "the Shadow of a great rock.

3. A benevolent Lord. "Rich unto all." Many a wealthy man is not "rich unto" anybody else not even unto himself, poor niggardly soul. God sits not as a miser gloating over his goods, or as a king ensconced in the palace, where no cry of the poor or of the anguished can reach him. He delights to give; the glory of God is revealed in blessing his creatures. Love created, sustains, enriches, the universe. We need not fear coming too often or asking too largely. We shall not weary his generosity, or appeal too late to his exchequer because a more fortunate applicant anticipated our request. Invited to his banquet, he will not thank you for partaking scantily of the rich fare, lest you should trespass on his bounty.

4. The one restriction. Only one condition is to be fulfilled that we "call upon him." This is but reasonable. We receive daily benefits unasked, but in the concerns of the soul we are treated as intelligent beings, as children whose voice the Father loves to hear. The prayer of mingled contrition and trust purifies and exalts the suppliants, honours and gratifies the Donor of good. The character of the petition manifests the spiritual state of the petitioner. Set the desires not so much upon the promises of physical relief as of spiritual blessing, not so much the removal of the trial as strength to bear it, not so much the extraction of the thorn as grace to submit patiently and to see wise purposes subserved by the infliction. What simpler counsel could be given to the heavy-laden sinner than this, "call upon him"? Like Peter amid the waves, cry out, "Lord, save me!" and Divine help shall respond, and you "shall be saved." And when the hour of death draws nigh, though we may not be surrounded by taunting foes, and no cruel blows may hasten our departure, yet, like the dying martyr, we may pass "calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. S.R.A.

Vers. 12-21. The natural history of faith.

From an account of the plan of salvation as faith in and confession of a risen Saviour, the apostle, in the verses now before us, proceeds to consider the natural history of the faith which Jew and Gentile are led to place in the one Lord. For it is most important to know how faith is induced. And here we notice

I THE RISEN LORD IS WITHIN EVERY ONE"S CALL. (Vers. 12, 13) There is no difference in his accessibility to both Jew and Gentile. "He is rich unto all that call upon him." With the sovereigns of this world court-favourites are the rule, and I suppose there is no exception. Only certain individuals get near the king, and are favoured with an audience. But this risen Lord over all can be rich unto every one that cares to call upon him. Let Jew or Greek only cry to him, and the needful help will come. This suggests the following comforting thoughts.

1. The throne on which our Lord now sits is a throne of grace. He is to sit, indeed, one day on a throne of judgment; meanwhile let us rejoice that he sits on a "throne of grace." It is to help the needy and the lost that he now sits enthroned. We are now under a "reign of grace." We hear a good deal in the present day of a "reign of law:" what consolation it is to think that, so far as Christ is concerned, we are all under a "reign of grace"!

2. He can hear directly every one that calls upon him. Of course, such a fact implies that our risen Saviour is indeed Divine. By virtue of his Divinity, he can hear everybody, whether Jew or Gentile, who cares to call upon him, and can deal directly with them. The many-voiced cry of lost and tempted souls reaches his ear and is all interpreted. It is easy to state the case of Christ hearing prayer, but it is overwhelming to imagine what such an arrangement demands from the blessed Being upon the throne. Yet it is sober fact the whole cry of the race, the bitter cry of lost and tried souls, enters the sympathizing mind of our Divine Saviour and King.

3. He is rich to all the petitioners. Just as when on earth he allowed no one to go empty away, so from his throne of grace on high there is no real petitioner dismissed without relief. He encourages Jew and Gentile alike to call upon him, and then treats us in a way that becomes a King. He does far more "exceeding abundantly for us above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." If we ask him to save us, he does so with an everlasting salvation. If we ask him to pardon us, he does so with overflowing love. If we ask him to sanctify us, he enables us to die daily unto sin and to live unto righteousness. If we ask him to make us useful, he opens doors of usefulness for us of the most surprising character. In short, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But he hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit". (1Co_2:9, 1Co_2:10)

II BUT AN OMNIPRESENT SAVIOUR NEEDS THE BEAUTIFUL FEET OF HIS HERALDS TO BE UPON ALL THE MOUNTAINS IF MEN ARE TO KNOW HIS NEARNESS. (Vers. 14, 15) We have seen that the risen Saviour is within every one"s call. But he is not palpable to sense. He is unseen. His presence is spiritual. Only by heralds going forth to proclaim the glad tidings of his presence are men led to call upon him. And the heralds address the ears of men. By this particular avenue of hearing does the message come. If men never hear of Jesus, they cannot be expected to realize his presence or to trust him. And so a propaganda is necessary, and the missionary enterprise is just such a propaganda to bring before Jew and Gentile the splendid fact that a risen Saviour is within each man"s call. The natural history of faith is, then, this: the faith which, overcoming the world, justifies and purifies and saves by hearing," cometh in the way of communication from man to man, as distinguished from any natural reflective enlightenment; while that "hearing cometh by the Word of God," ariseth out of an express revelation uttered from heaven, in contrast to every system, device, or imagination of unassisted human reason," This being so, we can understand how the apostle quotes the rapturous words of the prophet about the beautiful feet of the heralds of glad tidings. The institution of the preaching of the gospel is the most beautiful now existing among men.

III THE GLAD TIDINGS HAVE NOT HAD A UNIVERSAL RECEPTION. (Vers. 16-18) In some cases the heralds have had small success. As Esaias cries, "Lord, who hath believed our report?" so has many a minister lamented his scant success. For, amid the multitude of competing things and persons palpable to sense, an unseen Saviour gets ignored by many. The problem was not, in the missionary age of Paul, as to many not hearing of a Saviour at all rather was it that so many heard of him, yet gave no heed. For the apostle in this passage quotes what in the nineteenth psalm is applied to nature, as if the gospel message, at least in his day, had been as widely proclaimed as the limits of the world allowed. And when we consider the population of the world in Paul"s time, and how it was practically within the grasp of the Roman empire, and that information filtered clown to the distant colonies more surely perhaps than, though not so speedily as, news does nowadays; and when we add to this the magnificent missionary spirit which animated Paul and his associates, he had reason to take up the universal terms and apply them to the propagation of the gospel. So that the gospel was more widely proclaimed in the first century in proportion to the population of the globe than it is as yet in the nineteenth. The contrast which now obtains between the revelation of God in nature and the revelation of God in the gospel in their respective relations to mankind the one being universal, the other partial in its application has been largely, if not entirely, due to the lack of enterprise and missionary spirit on the part of the Church. And yet too much may be made of this contrast, and men may fail to see that the proclamation of a revealed religion is the one way in which God is likely to receive attention from his creatures. The following quotation from Archer Butler upon the point will be welcome. "If God were to interfere at all, they the deists maintain, it would be by some universal agency, simple, general, and obvious, as the laws of his visible creation. They smile at the notion of God"s greatest exhibition of his will to man being acted upon the reduced theatre of a petty province, and made dependent on the chances of human testimony. "In the moral as in the physical world," exclaims the leader of the sentimental school of deism, "it is ever on a great scale, and by simple means, that Deity operates." But what if we retort that it is those very laws of nature "on a great scale those very "simple means that have caused God to be forgotten? Not justly, we admit; for they ought eminently to have convinced men of his presence and power: but what of that? We are not now speaking of argumentative propriety, but of actual fact; not of man as he ought to be, but of man as he is. And it is an undeniable fact that it is the permanence and uniformity of the natural laws of the creation that have beguiled men into speculative, and, still more, into practical atheism; that it is the very perfection of the laws which has hidden the Legislator. The hand that God has constructed so wondrously can write, "There is no God;" let it be smit with sudden paralysis, and the notion of an intervening Avenger will arise; nay, let us at any time behold some strange unique in any of the departments of experience, and it startles our habitual slumber. That is to say, as long as the work is perfect, we recognize no worker; but the moment it becomes deficient (the very thing which ought logically to produce the doubt), we begin to conceive and admit his reality. The more apparently capricious the works of nature, the more they resemble man"s; and the more they remind us of direct agency analogous to the human. Now, if this be so, could it be expected that, to produce an acknowledgment of his being and attributes, the Deity would continue to employ the same medium of regular and ordinary laws, the same vast and uniform processes in the physical and moral world, which in all ages have tended (such the miserable subjection of man to an unreasoning imagination) to render his agency suspected by some, and practically forgotten by the many? To make himself felt he must disturb his laws; in other words, he must perform or permit "miracles." But then he must likewise exhibit them sparingly, as, if they continued to appear on assignable principles of stated recurrence, and in definite cycles, nay, if they appeared frequently, though unfixedly, they would enter, or seem to enter, into the procession of the laws of nature, and thus lose their proper use and character. What follows? It follows that miracles cannot be presented to every successive age, far less to each individual person; they must, then, be presented only to some particular age or ages, and to some particular personal witnesses. But we have seen that they ought to be publicly and continually known; therefore (there being but one way of transmitting past events to present times) revealed religion and the knowledge of God, which we have seen is only thus to be practically and influentially attained, must he dependent upon human testimony. There is no step of this deduction which might not be made by a man who had never heard of any actual revelation having been given to man; it is purposely built upon the simplest principles of our common nature This seems to me to amount to something not unlike demonstration, that a traditional revelation, built on testimony transmitted from man to man that is, of a Bible and sermon religion far from being improbable (as the impugners of a "historical creed" so eloquently insist), is actually the form of religion imperatively demanded by the very structure of human nature.

IV THE RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL BY THE GENTILES HAS BEEN PROVIDENTIALLY ORDERED AS A STIMULUS TO THE JEWS. (Vers. 19-21) The faith which has come by hearing the gospel to the Gentile nations was intended to rouse to holy jealousy the unbelieving Jews. The one section of mankind has been and is being played off against the other in the all-wise providence of God. And nothing is more certain than that the Jews shall yet surrender to the claims of our risen Saviour, and enter the Christian Church as obedient followers of the once crucified but now exalted Messiah. Let us, then, have confidence in our Lord, not only regarding our personal salvation, but also regarding the ingathering of the nations. R.M.E.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The same Lord of all is rich - So that his blessings are never to be exhausted, nor is he ever constrained to hold his hand. The great truth proposed in ver. 11 is so repeated here, and in ver. 13, and farther confirmed, ver. 14, 15, as not only to imply, that "whosoever calleth upon him shall be saved;" but also that the will of God is, that all should savingly call upon him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

12. “For there is no difference between Jew and Greek,” i. e., no difference between church member and outsider, as salvation through Christ alone and by faith alone without church rites is free for all. “For the same Lord of all is rich toward all who call upon him.” Calling upon the Lord is praying. So you begin to pray and keep on, never stopping, and God will see that you get to be a millionaire, rich as Croesus in heaven’s gold; pearls and diamonds beautifying your very physiognomy with holiness to the Lord.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For [The Scripture uses such universal language about our being freed from shame by justification, because] there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him [Paul here announces the same truth which Peter discovered when he said: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" ( Act_10:34 ). As the Jews were for several centuries under the dominion of the Greeks, and as the cultured of the Romans, their later masters, also spoke Greek, the term Greek became to them a synonym for Gentile, for they had more dealing with Greeks than with any other people. Now, as there is but one God, the Jews and Greeks were compelled to receive blessings from that same God, and as the Jew and Greek stood in equal need of salvation, God offered the same salvation to each upon the same free terms and each had equal ability to accept the terms ( Eph_2:11-22 ). Thus God showed the riches of his favor to all, and so rich is God in his mercy and providences toward salvation, that no multitude can exhaust them; therefore the Jew had no reason to envy or begrudge the Gentiles their call, since it in no way impoverished him. But this breaking down of distinctions was, nevertheless, very offensive to the Jew]:

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12–15. For there is no difference. The Jew objected to salvation by faith, instead of by the law. Paul has just shown that righteousness could not be obtained by the law, secondly, that the prophets had predicted salvation by faith. But the Jew is now supposed to object that this salvation was for Jews only, yet Paul is preaching it to the Gentiles. Hence he declares that it is for Greek (Gentile), as well as Jew, as shown by the passage just quoted in verse 11. It says, Every one that believeth, etc. (Isa. 28:16). He further shows that “the same Lord is rich to all that call upon him,” of whatever race, by a second quotation from the prophets, found in Joel 2:32.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

12. διαστολὴ. Distinction, or distinguishing (cf. 1Co 14:7), that is, in the matter of faith, which is a common human quality.

ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς κύριος. The same Person is Lord of all; the argument here lies in the universal reach of the term κύριος, as used in the confession Κύριος Ἰησοῦς.

πλουτῶν κ.τ.λ. The positive side, as from the Lord, of οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται.

τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους α. Cf. Act 2:21; Act 9:14; Act 9:21; Act 22:16; 1Co 1:2; 2Ti 2:22; 1Pe 1:17; commonly in LXX[206] for invoking Jehovah as the God of Abraham, Israel, etc. The phrase is therefore a natural consequence of using the term Κύριος of Jesus, and has the same significance; cf. Knowling, op. cit[207] p. 263 f.

[206] LXX. the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament

[207] op. cit. opus citatum

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12.] For (an explanation of the strong expression πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων, as implying the universal offer of the riches of God’s mercy in Christ) there is no distinction of Jew and Greek (Gentile. See ch. 3:22); for the same Lord of all (viz. Christ, who is the subject here: vv. 9, 11, 13 cannot be separated. So , Chrys., Œc., Calov., Wolf, Bengel, Rück., Meyer, Fritz., De Wette, Tholuck, al. So πάντων κύριος of Christ, Act 10:36. Most modern Commentators make ὁ αὐτός the subject, and κύριος the predicate. But I prefer the usual rendering, both on account of the strangeness of ὁ αὐτός thus standing alone, and because this Apostle uses the expression ὁ αὐτὸς κύριος, 1Co 12:5, and even ὁ αὐτὸς θεός, ib. 6, for ‘the same Lord,’ and ‘it is the same God.’ Stuart supplies, ‘(there is) the same Lord:’ but this is harsh,—and unnecessary, if the participle πλουτῶν be taken as συντελῶν κ. συντ. in ch. 9:28) is rich towards all (‘by εἰς is signified the direction in which the stream of grace rushes forth.’ Olsh.) who call upon Him.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολὴ Ἰουδαίου τε καὶ Ἕλληνος. St. Paul first explains the meaning of this statement, namely, the universal character of the Gospel, by making it clear that it is the sole method for Jews as well as for Gentiles. This was both a warning and a consolation for the Jews. A warning if they thought that, in spite of the preaching of the Gospel, they might seek salvation in their own way; a consolation it once they realized the burden of the law and that they might be freed from it. The Jews have in this relation no special privileges (cf. 1:16; 2:9, 10; 3:9; 1Co 1:24; 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11); they must obtain δικαιοσύνη by the same methods and on the same conditions as the Gentiles. This St. Paul has already proved on the ground that they equally with the Gentiles have sinned (3:23). He now deduces it from the nature and the work of the Lord.

ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς Κύριος πάντων, cf. 1Co 12:5. This gives the reason for the similarity of method for all alike: ‘it is the same Lord who redeemed all mankind alike, and conferred upon all alike such wealth of spiritual blessings.’ It is better to take Κύριος πάντων as predicate for it contains the point of the sentence, ‘The same Lord is Lord of all’ (so the RV.).

Κύριος must clearly refer to Christ, cf. vv. 9, 11. He is called Κύριος πάντων Act 10:36, and cf. 9:5, and Php 2:10, Php 2:11.

πλουτῶν: ‘abounding in spiritual wealth,’ cf. esp. Eph 3:8 τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν. ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον, or more correctly ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου, is the habitual LXX translation of a common Hebrew formula. From the habit of beginning addresses to a deity by mentioning his name, it became a technical expression for the suppliant to a god, and a designation of his worshippers. Hence the Israelites were οἱ ἐπικαλούμενοι τὸν Κύριον or τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου. They were in fact specially distinguished as the worshippers of Jehovah. It becomes therefore very significant when we find just this expression used of the Christians as the worshippers of Christ, ὁ Κύριος, in order to designate them as apart from all others, cf. 1Co 1:2 σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. There is a treatise on the subject by A. Seeberg, Die Anbetung des Herrn bei Paulus, Riga, 1891, see especially pp. 38, 43-46.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For. Explaining the whosoever of ver. 11.

Difference. Better, as Rev., distinction. See on 3 22.

Jew and Greek. On Greek, see on Act 6:1. Greeks here equivalent to Gentiles.

Lord [κυριος] . See on Mt 21:3. The reference is disputed : some Christ, others God. Probably Christ. See ver. 9, and compare Act 10:36. The hearing which is necessary to believing comes through the word of Christ (ver. 17, where the reading is Christ instead of God).

That call upon [επικαλουμενους] . See on appeal, Act 25:11; Jas 2:7. That invoke Him as, Lord : recalling vers. 9, 10. Compare Joe 2:32.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.