Romans 5:11

And not only so, but we also joy--rather, "glory."

in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by--"through"

whom we have now received the atonement--rather, "the reconciliation" (Margin), as the same word is rendered in Rom 5:10 and in Co2 5:18-19. (In fact, the earlier meaning of the English word "atonement" was "the reconciliation of two estranged parties") [TRENCH]. The foregoing effects of justification were all benefits to ourselves, calling for gratitude; this last may be termed a purely disinterested one. Our first feeling towards God, after we have found peace with Him, is that of clinging gratitude for so costly a salvation; but no sooner have we learned to cry, Abba, Father, under the sweet sense of reconciliation, than "gloriation" in Him takes the place of dread of Him, and now He appears to us "altogether lovely!"

On this section, Note, (1) How gloriously does the Gospel evince its divine origin by basing all acceptable obedience on "peace with God," laying the foundations of this peace in a righteous "justification" of the sinner "through our Lord Jesus Christ," and making this the entrance to a permanent standing in the divine favor, and a triumphant expectation of future glory! (Rom 5:1-2). Other peace, worthy of the name, there is none; and as those who are strangers to it rise not to the enjoyment of such high fellowship with God, so they have neither any taste for it nor desire after it. (2) As only believers possess the true secret of patience under trials, so, although "not joyous but grievous" in themselves (Heb 12:17), when trials divinely sent afford them the opportunity of evidencing their faith by the grace of patience under them, they should "count it all joy" (Rom 5:3-4; and see Jam 1:2-3). (3) "Hope," in the New Testament sense of the term, is not a lower degree of faith or assurance (as many now say, I hope for heaven, but am not sure of it); but invariably means "the confident expectation of future good." It presupposes faith; and what faith assures us will be ours, hope accordingly expects. In the nourishment of this hope, the soul's look outward to Christ for the ground of it, and inward upon ourselves for evidence of its reality, must act and react upon each other (Rom 5:2 and Rom 5:4 compared). (4) It is the proper office of the Holy Ghost to beget in the soul the full conviction and joyful consciousness of the love of God in Christ Jesus to sinners of mankind, and to ourselves in particular; and where this exists, it carries with it such an assurance of final salvation as cannot deceive (Rom 5:5). (5) The justification of sinful men is not in virtue of their amendment, but of "the blood of God's Son"; and while this is expressly affirmed in Rom 5:9, our reconciliation to God by the "death of His Son," affirmed in Rom 5:10, is but a variety of the same statement. In both, the blessing meant is the restoration of the sinner to a righteous standing in the sight of God; and in both, the meritorious ground of this, which is intended to be conveyed, is the expiatory sacrifice of God's Son. (6) Gratitude to God for redeeming love, if it could exist without delight in God Himself, would be a selfish and worthless feeling; but when the one rises into the other--the transporting sense of eternal "reconciliation" passing into "gloriation in God" Himself--then the lower is sanctified and sustained by the higher, and each feeling is perfective of the other (Rom 5:11).

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

Rom_5:11

And not only so, but we Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom we have received the atonement.

Joy in God

I. Joy in God is the climax of Christian privilege.

1. In the whole passage from Rom_5:1 we have an account of the new feelings that are introduced by faith into the heart of a believer.

(1) Peace with God, of whom we could never think formerly, if we thought of Him aright, but with disquietude.

(2) Exultation in the hope of glory.

(3) Exultation, even in tribulations, the process which manifests a work of grace here, and so serves to confirm all our expectations of a harvest of glory and blessedness hereafter.

2. And indeed how can it be otherwise, the apostle reasons. He hath already given us His Son, will He not with Him freely give us all things? And now that He has done so much in circumstances so unlikely, will He not carry on the work of deliverance to its final accomplishment when circumstances have changed? It is thus that the believer persuades himself into a still more settled assurance of the love of God to him than before; and whereas (Rom_5:2) he only rejoiced in the hope, he now rejoices in possession.

3. To feel as if you were in the company of God--to have delight in this feeling and find that the minutes spent in communion are far the sweetest intervals of your earthly pilgrimage--to have a sense of God all the day long, and that sense of Him in every way so delicious as to make the creature seem vain and tasteless in the comparison is certainly not a common attainment; yet no true saint can be altogether a stranger to it. Rejoice evermore, says the apostle, the Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, says the patriarch. It is easy to walk in the rounds of a mechanical observation. It is easy to compel the head to obedience against the grain of the heart. It is very easy to bear towards God the homage of respect, or fearfulness, or solemn emotion. To serve Him as a master to whom you are bound in the way of obligation is more the tendency of nature than to serve Him as a friend to whom you are bound by the heart. But is not the latter the far more enviable habit?--to have the spirit of adoption and cry out Abba, Father, rather than to drivel before Him among the restraints and the reluctances of a slave?--to do His will, not as if by the force of a compulsory law, or as if under the stipulation to discharge the articles of a bond, or as if pursued by an unrelenting taskmaster? This is the way in which Gods will is apt to be done on earth; but it is not the way in heaven--where the doing of His pleasure is not a drudgery for which they get their meat and drink, but where their meat and drink is to do the will of God, where the presence of God ever enlivens them, and their own pleasure is just His pleasure reflected back again. To carry onward the soul to this were to work upon it a greater transformation than to recall it from profligacy to mere external reformation.

II. Many are strangers to this joy.

1. There are those who care little about the matters of the soul and eternity, who live as if the visible theatre which surrounds them were their all; all they mind is earthly things, and of joy in God they have no comprehension. Give them a warm habitation, stock it well with this worlds comforts, and surround them with a thriving circle of companionship, and they would have no objection to he done with God and eternity forever. When the preacher speaks of the woefulness of their spiritual condition, their response is, We pay our debts; we can lift an unabashed visage in society; we compassionate the necessitous, etc., etc. We do not deny this, but we charge you with joying in the creature, and not at all in the Creator; and, to verify your woefulness, you have only to read the future history of this world. That scene, on which you have fastened your affections so closely that you cannot tear them away from it, will soon be torn away from you. It is then that God will step in. And had your joy been in Him, then heaven would have been your fit habitation. But as the tree falleth so it lies; and you rise from the grave with the taste, the character, the feelings which you had when you breathed your last; and so all that is in your heart, carrying upon it a recoil from Him, will meet with nothing but that which must give dread and disturbance to your carnal affections; and these affections will wander in vain for the objects which solaced them upon earth. It is thus that he who soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption.

2. There are others who make the interest of their soul a topic of great care and thought; who have recourse to active measures in the prosecution of this great interest, and are all alive to the great object of being right with God. It is indeed a most natural forth-setting of the whole man on such an occasion, to proceed on the principle of work and win, just as an ordinary workman does. It is not his work or his master that gives him pleasure, but only the receipt of his wages. There is many a seeker after life eternal, toiling with all his might, who has no joy in God--satisfied if he can escape hell and reach heaven; but who does not reflect that it is altogether essential to this blessedness to have such a taste for the Divine character as to be glad in the contemplation of it--to have such a liking for the Divine life as that the life itself shall be reward enough for him. Without this, all he can do is but the bodily exercise that profiteth little; and that, instead of heightening his affection for God, may only exasperate the impatience, and aggravate the weariness and distaste that he feels in His service.

III. How is this privilege to be obtained. There is a high ground of spiritual affection and of joy in God, to which you would like to be elevated. But you see nothing between you and that lofty region, saving a range of precipice that you cannot scale, and against which you vainly wreak all the native energies that belong to you. Let one door, hitherto unobserved, be pointed out, open to all who knock at it, and through which an easy and before unseen ascent conducts you to the light and purity and enjoyment of those upper regions after which you aspire; and what other practical effect should all the obstacles and impossibilities you have before encountered have upon you, than just to guide your footsteps to the alone way of access that is at all practicable? This is just the open door of Christs mediatorship.

1. It has been objected to the gospel--

(1) That it exacts an unnatural and unattainable elevation of character; and this is a most likely objection to proceed from him who looks at this economy with half an eye.

(2) The very same people may also, on looking at another side of this dispensation, be heard to object to the freeness of the gospel.

2. Now these two parts are those which give support and stability to each other. It is just by faith that you enter upon peace and hope and love and joy; through Jesus Christ, not by working for the atonement, but simply by receiving the atonement, that you are translated into this desirable habit of the soul. (T. Chalmers, D. D.)

Joy in God through Christ

There is a remarkable peculiarity in Pauls disposition. Thwarted in his movements, yet he is not despondent. Exposed to persecution, yet he is not embittered in his feelings, he ever rejoices in the hope of the glory of God; and not only so, but joy and triumph pervade the very heart of his trials. Singular, and aside from revelation, inexplicable circumstance, that a man so sorely tried, should have derived his only joy from an invisible, incomprehensible source! Not so does human nature joy in God. Yet it is strange that man should not seek his chief happiness in the Author of his being. If it were not now essentially deranged, the world of mankind would be advancing in its cycles of holy happiness around the throne of unsullied blessedness with the harmony and celerity with which the planets move on in their majestic orbits around the source of material light. Until man, then, shall be led to seek his happiness in God, not only must he be in pursuit of shadows, but be defeating the true and ultimate purpose of his being. But how shall he be brought to joy in God? I need not ask whether it would have been possible, had we been left to the dim light of nature, to look up to God as the source of joy. The great spirit of natural religion comes not within the definite purview of a finite mind. He is too retired and silent to influence our habitual emotions. Let us think of God as the omnipotent Creator, the beneficent Father of the universe. Man may not fail to be wrapt in admiration as he casts his eye over the beauty and brightness of creation; but when the thunders utter their voices, and the cloud surcharged with the element of death approaches nearer and yet nearer, shall not fear and trembling take hold on him? The wiser heathen thought that God was good; but how can man be just with God? was their natural inquiry. What is the Divine goodness but that all-pervading feeling of Gods mighty heart, which leads Him to promote the highest happiness of His moral universe by at once rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked? It is in vain to say that your conviction of Gods goodness fortifies your heart against all prognostications of evil. If you feel that you have sinned, you must know that you enjoy no harmonious alliance with your Maker and Judge. Lave you no fear of Him when you think that He may be strict to mark iniquity? Can you commit yourself with conscious and joyous safety to His supreme disposal. I contend that it is impossible to joy in God, unless He be revealed to mans distinct and intimate knowledge; unless we have been made to feel that He takes a deep and deathless interest in our welfare; has no pleasure in our death; yea, that He may glorify His own name, and illustrate the stability of His throne, in our salvation. Now, where can be gathered any satisfactory knowledge of God, except from the Word of God Himself? As the sun reveals to us the beauties and sublimities of Gods works, so does Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, unveil the glories of the eternal throne. Through Him all the attributes of Deity shine forth with vindicated and resplendent lustre, yet sweetly attempered to human vision. God, the great, the unsearchable One: is brought down to us in such an attitude that we cannot fail to comprehend. God, the infinite Spirit, is brought near to our hearts. Let us appeal to the true Christian, and I ask him whether it be not solely through Christ that he is enabled to joy in God as the Ruler of the universe, and to rejoice in the contemplation of His perfections? Whether a sense of Gods favour in Christ be not more to him than the riches and honours and pleasures of the world. The joy of the Lord is their strength. Or let us summon in testimony the newborn soul. You were transfixed with the arrows of remorse and dread. You wandered about vainly seeking peace for your soul. God shined into your mind to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Himself in the face of Jesus Christ; and then it was that the tear was wiped away and that your heart leaped for joy. Or, we might transport you to the bed of death. See there the dying Christian! Why does he not flinch from the king of terrors? Oh, it is the remembrance that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself; it is the deathless conviction of his soul that God, even his own God in Christ, will never leave, and never forsake him. (R. W. Dickenson, D. D.)

Joy in a reconciled God

And not only so. It is the second time in which these words occur, and a similar expression is used (Rom_5:2). The apostle had been mentioning great privileges, and had gone to yet greater; from silver to gold, and from gold to the priceless crystal; and when he had reached conceivably the highest point, he adds, And not only so. There is always in Christian privilege a yet beyond. The ancient mariners spoke of Ultima Thule, the end of the universe; but more venturous prows forced their way to a new world, so we concluded in the early days of Christian experience that we never could enjoy greater privileges, but we have pushed far beyond, and at the end of all there will be written, And not only so. The text seems to me to describe the progress of a soul towards God.

I. The first step is rather implied than expressed. There was a time when we had not received the reconciliation and were made sensible that we needed it.

1. We were led to see that from necessity of His nature God must be angry with us. A being who has no anger against evil has no love towards goodness. This is a painful discovery, but a very simple one. One would think that every man ought to see this, but no man does see it till the Spirit of God convinces him of sin, and even then the natural heart endeavours to shut its eyes to it.

2. Another degree of this same step is a consciousness that we are at enmity with God. Why, says one, I pay respect to God, and go to a place of worship, and therefore I am not at enmity with Him. Yet listen; I am certain that if I could assure you that there was no God, and consequently no need of repentance, and no fear of punishment, and consequently no need of pardon, it would be a relief to many.

3. A further portion of this step is the perception that, in order to perfect reconciliation with God, there must be something done Godward, by which the insult and injury done to His law shall be recompensed; and, next, a thorough change in us before we can walk with God in perfect communion. In order to reconciliation it is not enough that one party should be forgiving, the other must yield too.

5. The last degree of this step is the desire to be reconciled to God. This is the dawn of grace, and a blessed dawn it is.

II. The next step is receiving the reconciliation. Observe how we are reconciled.

1. It is not by working out a reconciliation; although this is the first instinct of a man who finds himself at enmity with God. The heart suggests a multitude of expedients--ceremonialism, amendment, future carefulness, etc., etc. But the text does not say that we have made any atonement. We do not make it, or buy it, or complete it, we receive it. It is a free gift. We receive it perfect.

2. The process of receiving reconciliation.

(1) The man being already on the first step, knowing that he wants reconciliation, believes the truth about the gospel. Now, the gospel is that reconciliation, which is made for every soul that believes in Jesus. God is not reconciled to anybody who will not believe in Christ, but He is reconciled to every soul that does.

(2) The next step is to become a believer, because reconciled.

(3) Then peace flows into the soul as the result of the reconciliation.

(4) Then the heart drops her former enmity to God.

III. The third step is joy in God.

1. No man ever rejoices in God except he who receives the atonement. Suppose a man should say, I do not want an atonement; I am a goodman, and always have been; I have not broken the law. Well, he will rejoice in himself, but if we have nothing of our own, and have simply to receive salvation as a matter of the free grace, then we joy in God.

2. The moment a man is reconciled to God his view of God alters entirely. A neighbour has done you a displeasure, perhaps he is a very excellent man, but you read everything he does in the evil light of suspicion. If, however, by a discovery of his kindness you escape from prejudice, his whole conduct wears another aspect. So the soul when reconciled to God from that moment reads Him aright.

3. He delights in God.

(1) In His very existence and person. That there is a God is to the Christian supreme bliss. The infidel may say there is no God, but if that were true I should have lost my father, my friend, my all. The Christian feels that his hope of prevailing over injustice and wrong lies in the fact that there is a reigning God who will set all things right at last. And since we believe there is to be a fuller revelation of Himself in heaven, is not that our main reason for longing to be there? As loyal subjects rejoice that they have a king, as affectionate children rejoice that they have a father, as a loving spouse rejoiceth that she hath a husband; so do we, but infinitely beyond all this, rejoice that we have a God.

(2) In His character. All the attributes of God are themes of joy: His power; His mercy; His immutability; His faithfulness to His promises, etc., etc.

(3) In His sovereignty. Before our reconciliation we cavil at the Divine will, and set up our own. But, the moment we are reconciled we consent that Jehovah should do as He wills. What better rule could be than the absolute empire of love? What can be better as a government for mankind than the absolute authority of one so good, so true, so holy, and so just?

(4) Under all His dispensations. Of course we joy in God under comfortable dispensations. Query, whether we do not then very much divide our joy between the comforts and the God; but in dark times, when the comforts all go, we can joy in God if reconciled.

4. Joy in God is--

(1) The happiest of all joys.

(2) The most elevating. Those who joy in wealth grow avaricious; in their friends, too often lose nobility of spirit; but he who boasts in God grows like God.

(3) Solid; there are good reasons for it.

(4) Abiding. If I rejoice in the sun, it sets; if in the earth, it shall be burnt up; if in myself, I shall die; but to triumph in One who never fails or changes, this is lasting joy. Conclusion: The only sad reflection is, that there are so many who know nothing about joy in God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The joy of salvation

There are various kinds of joy--

1. Maternal: such as was expressed by Eve at the birth of Cain, or Hannah at the birth of Samuel.

2. The mariners: when, after a long and dreary absence, he again beholds his native land.

3. The warriors: such as David experienced when the women went out to greet their youthful champion with their songs.

4. That of the emancipated: such as that of the slaves on that memorable morning when their liberty was proclaimed.

5. The nations: at the coronation of a king. These are instances of legitimate joy; but what are these when compared with the joy of salvation?

I. In the nature of salvation are contained all the elements of the highest joy. Suppose yourself to be a prisoner driven away to an inhospitable clime--as the Poles were--there to toil in gloomy mines; and suppose yourself suddenly restored to liberty and home. Suppose you were sick, nigh unto death, and a skilful hand should restore you. Or suppose yourself condemned to die as a criminal, and the royal clemency should send you a full and free pardon, when you had mounted the scaffold and were expecting death. Salvation is all this, and more (Isa_61:3)

II. Many mistakes have been made on this subject. The joy we contend for arises out of a sense of pardon, peace, reconciliation with God. (Psa_32:2; Isa_52:7; Isa_52:9; Rom_8:1; Rom_8:3.) This reconciliation is complete (Rom_8:33; Rom_8:39), honourable and abiding; we therefore assert every Christian has reason for being joyful. To prevent mistake--note--

1. That we do not assert this joy to be perfect. Some imagine there can be no joy if it be not of the highest kind, without alloy or interruption. Persons entertaining such extravagant notions are sure to be disappointed. We are imperfect creatures in an enemys country, and surrounded by temptations. Is it always midday? Is there no dawn, and no evening? Is it always midsummer? Is there no spring, and no autumn? And why, then, expect joy in perfection, or not at all?

2. We must not, therefore, be surprised if the Christian is sometimes depressed.

3. There is often more joy experienced than we are inclined to believe, and than others give us credit for. Suppose you were to be deprived of your Christian privileges, then you would value your present enjoyments. We only know the real value of our mercies when we have lost them.

III. Let us view this as a matter of fact.

1. Christians might, and ought to be happy, for there is every provision and reason for it (Jam_1:5; Luk_11:13). Perhaps some Christian will reply, I am not as happy as I expected, or as I was wont to be. Very possibly. But perhaps--

1. You have grieved, quenched, and so expelled the Holy Spirit. Business may have been encroaching more than is legitimate.

(2) You have given way to a petulant and angry spirit.

(3) You have been regarding religion as a privilege, and not as a duty. Idle Christians never can, and never ought to be happy. If, then, the Christian is not joyful in God, it is his own fault. There is guilt as well as folly in such a state of mind.

2. Now let us look at those who have illustrated the joy of salvation. See it exemplified--

(1) In the conduct of Christians during the time of trial (Hab_3:17; Act_20:24; 2Co_7:4). Think of the apostles and martyrs.

(2) In the peace which pervades the various holy communities of Christians (Isa_26:1; Isa_26:4).

(3) In the peace which has always been the result of real religious revivals.

(4) But the fullest examples of it yet remain to be seen. This is clear from the prophecies. The golden age of the Church and the world is yet future.

IV. Let us now inquire whether salvation will warrant such feelings of delight.

1. What is the object in which the Christian rejoices? Certainly not himself, his attainments, or his merits (Gal_6:12). But--

(1) In God the Father.

(2) The Son.

(3) The Holy Ghost.

(4) In the prospect of eternal glory.

2. Do not these objects then justify us in cultivating the highest joy? At present, however, the Christians joy is only in the bud, it doth not yet appear what it shall be.

3. If you submit to this salvation, you will fill all heaven with joy; for there is joy in heaven among the angels of God, etc.

4. Compare the Christians with the worldlings joy (Pro_14:13; Ecc_2:2; Ecc_7:3; Ecc_7:6). (C. Dukes, M. A.)

Christian joy

1. The desire of happiness is the most powerful and influential principle of human nature. It is common to man in every circumstance of life--the prince in his palace, and the peasant in his cottage, etc. It is that which governs our feelings, forms Our plans, and directs our pursuits.

2. This desire is lawful and beneficial; it corresponds with the design of mans creation, and is in harmony with the will of his Creator. The glory of God is connected with the happiness of His creatures. To promote these, the commands and promises were given, and the plan of redemption executed.

3. Why, then, is there so much misery in the world? The cause is the influence of sin in the heart and on the conduct. Sin is the greatest enemy to the welfare of man. Consider:--

I. The source from which the joy of the Christian is derived. It does not proceed from himself, or the objects around him--it is not the false joy produced by self-complacency, or by the possessions and amusements of the world. The believer rejoices in God--in Him who is perfectly blessed in Himself, and who is the only source of real happiness to His creatures. The Christians joy arises from--

1. Reconciliation with God (Isa_61:10). He views God, not as an enemy, but as a friend.

2. Communion with God. Reconciliation will promote confidence, and this will lead to intercourse. The Christian dwells in the secret place of the Most High, holds delightful fellowship with the Father of spirits, and gets nearer heaven in devout meditation, ardent desire, and warm affections.

3. A participation in the blessedness of God. The Lord is his portion: all the perfections of Jehovah are engaged for his welfare, and all the promises of His Word are designed for his comfort and encouragement. He enjoys God in everything; in the bounties of Providence, as well as in the ordinances of religion. He has many blessings now in possession--peace of mind, etc., but he has the fulness of joy reserved for him, of which he has now the foretaste.

II. The medium through which this joy is communicated. Christ is the medium of--

1. Reconciliation with God. This arises from that satisfaction which He made to Divine Justice by His voluntary death on the Cross. Those who were enemies, are reconciled to God by the death of His Son.

2. Communion with God. No man cometh to the Father but by Him.

3. All spiritual blessings. In Him there is treasured up a fulness of grace, to pardon, to sanctify, to comfort, to direct, to support under all the trials and duties of life, and to prepare for eternal glory; and of His fulness all true believers have received grace for grace.

III. The properties by which the Christians joy is distinguished. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment; the pleasures of sin are but for a season; the triumphing of the wicked is short. This joy is distinguished from these, as it is--

1. Spiritual in its nature. It is not that which depends on external circumstances. It is deeply rooted in the heart, the proper seat of happiness. It is there that the desire of happiness dwells; and till the heart is filled the desire will not be gratified.

2. Holy in its influence. Carnal mirth has a tendency to dissipate the mind and to corrupt the heart; for its source is polluted. But Christian joy purifies the mind, by bringing it into close contact with all that is worthy of its noblest powers.

3. Permanent. The fountain from which it flows is inexhaustible; and as the Christian pilgrim advances in his journey heavenward he arrives nearer its source.

Conclusion:

1. Learn the value of true religion. It is friendly to the best interests of man.

2. Let those who are destitute of this joy seek it by immediate application to the Saviour of sinners.

3. Let the Christian seek an increase of spiritual joy.

True happiness

I. Whence it proceeds--from God.

II. What is its nature--we joy in God as.

1. The God of all grace.

2. Our covenant God and Father.

3. Our everlasting portion.

III. How it is derived--through Christ, etc. (J. Lyth, D. D.)

The atonement

I. What is meant by the atonement. At-one-ment, i.e. reconciliation. This--

1. Supposes that there must have been some disagreement; not so now. Mark the aggravating circumstances with which mans rebellion is characterised. It is--

(1) Most unnatural rebellion; it is the rebellion of children against the parent of their existence.

(2) Most ungrateful; it is the rebellion of children that have been nourished and have been brought up.

(3) Most hopeless. Rebel man could not reconcile himself; he could furnish no consideration sufficiently valuable; his fellow man could not help him; an angels arm could not rescue him from impending ruin.

2. Divine in its appointment.

(1) To the Divine Father it belonged to say what should be done on this awful emergency. It was His sovereign will and pleasure that Jehovah Jesus should assume our nature, and that in our nature He should live, and die, and that His death should be a proper atonement for the sins of our guilty race. It became Him, for whom are all things, etc. Did it so? Why, there are many so-called Christians who will not hesitate to affirm that it became the Divine Being to do no such thing. But let God be true, though every man be a liar. Jehovah alone was competent to say what it became Him to do. And He who alone was competent to say what ought to be done, and what became Him to do, had alone the right. What! had man at the bar the right? Would this be allowed in any well-regulated government?

3. Complete in its nature.

(1) Those typical atonements, which shadowed forth this great sacrifice, were imperfect--

(a) In their nature, because in the mere blood of an animal there was no real intrinsic worth.

(b) In their very design. They were only intended to be shadows of better things to come.

(c) In the fact of their repetition; because if one had been complete why then repeat the sacrifice?

(2) But we are told that Christ was offered once for all, and once offered, it was complete; eternal redemption was procured. The sufferings of our Saviour were intense; but yet without the dignity of Christ as a Divine person, they could have been of no avail. That is the point that stamped His sufferings with infinite value. Hereby justice receives its demands; the holiness of God is preserved untarnished; the wisdom of God is testified in devising such an expedient; the inviolable truth of God is preserved; the Divine penalty of the law is inflicted; sin becomes remissible; the greatest hatred to sin is expressed, while the greatest compassion to the sinner is manifested.

4. Unchanging in its efficacy. There are some remedies that are efficacious for a time only; but this sovereign remedy has not lost its power through the revolution of years.

II. What is it to receive the atonement?

1. It must be received by an act of the mind, on conviction that it is the truth.

2. But it may be admitted by the understanding, where it is not cordially and experimentally received. And no man will ever experimentally receive the atonement till he has received another great truth antecedent to this--the universal depravity and guilt of man. These two things are connected together. If I am not a sinner, or if sin be a very trivial thing, where is the necessity of atonement? But if I am a sinner, and if the demerit of sin be beyond all that I can conceive, why, then, there must be an atonement, or I am undone.

3. It must be practically received. That man does not truly and really glory in the Cross of Christ who is not, by the Cross of Christ, crucified to the world, and the world crucified unto Him.

III. Where the atonement is thus received, great will be the joy.

1. We have joy. Before you received the atonement you had sorrow. At last you were directed to the atonement, and you ventured on it; you received the reconciliation, sorrow fled away, and joy sprung up in your heart.

2. We joy in God. We do not merely joy in justification, nor in this reconciliation, nor in introduction to the throne, nor in the prospect of glory that awaits us yonder, nor tribulation, and (verses 1-4) although there may be grounds of joy. No; if any man joy or glory let him glory in the Lord.

(1) We joy in God Himself. He that has received the atonement dwells in God, and God in him. And where he dwells he joys. He joys in God, in all He has--in His wisdom to guide and direct, in His power to guide and defend, in His grace to renew and save.

(2) But how can we thus joy in God? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Fallen man, even from the first moment of his apostacy to this hour, has never approached his Creator with success, but through the intervention of blood. I am the way, etc.

3. How rational is this joy. Not like the joy of the wicked, for which no reason can be given.

4. How pure. Those who dwell here dwell in a sacred and holy atmosphere; there is nothing to defile. Not like the polluting joys of sin.

5. How lasting. Not like the short-lived joys of the wicked, which are like the crackling of thorns under a pot.

Conclusion: Learn--

1. How vital to evangelical, saving religion, is this great doctrine of the atonement.

2. That this life-giving religion is a joy-producing religion. Religion is the life of all our delights, and the soul of all our joys.

3. That this life-giving, joy-producing religion may be ours even now. We have now received the atonement.

4. That we who have realised this religion will not wish to monopolise it ourselves. Monopoly in religion is the worst monopoly of all. (R. Newton, D. D.)

The atonement a subjective fact

The word atonement means reconciliation, and this is the old English meaning--at-one-ment. Thus Shakespeare, He seeks to make atonement between the Duke of Gloster and our brothers. Learn that the atonement is--

I. A conscious possession of the soul. We have now received. He does not speak of it as a fact accomplished years ago, nor as a speculative doctrine, but as something of which he and his readers were at that moment conscious. It is one thing for man to have an atonement in his theology, discuss it with ability and defend it with enthusiasm, and another thing for him to have it as a blessed experience. As a mere doctrine--

1. It often makes a man an arrogant bigot; but as a feeling always an humble saint.

2. It may light men to hell, and may there aggravate their misery. As a feeling it will conduct them to heaven, and encircle them with the light of immortality.

II. A conscious possession of the soul imparted by Christ. By whom. Christ is the Great, the only, Reconciler of the soul to God. God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. How? In the only way in which reconciliation could be affected. By affording the strongest possible demonstration of Divine love. God so loved the world, etc. Legislation, philosophy, ethics, religion, civilisation, poetry--none, nor all of these, can bring this at-one-ment into the soul. This is the exclusive work of Christ.

III. A conscious possession of the soul, inspiring it with joy in the eternal. We joy in God. The joy springs from the assurance that the Almighty is once more our friend. This joy may include--

1. Thanksgiving, which inspires the songs of immortality; the reconciled soul traces its atonement to the free, tender, boundless love of God through Jesus Christ.

2. Security. If God is our friend, His love is unchangeable, His power almighty, His resources illimitable. And what a sense of security must His friendship inspire!

3. Adoration. Had we a friend that bestowed upon us the highest favours, inspiring our gratitude, and whose promises and capacities assured us of our security, if he were imperfect in moral character, we could not heartily rejoice in his friendship. Moral admiration is the highest element of joy: and this requires moral excellence in the object. God has this in an infinite degree. Thus, if He is our friend, we may well rejoice in Him, with the most ecstatic rapture and triumphant delight.

Conclusion: Learn--

1. The paramount necessity of human nature--atonement with God.

2. To appreciate the intervention of Christ, by whom alone it can be affected. No system of belief, no code of morality can accomplish it. To the gospel men must look.

3. The test of genuine religion--joy in God. The world has joy in creatures and in worthless things--the joy of the truly good is joy in God Himself. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

Christs vicarious suffering

A physician testifies: I have been chargeable with forgetfulness of God, and with disobedience to His commands; so that I am numbered among those whom He has threatened with punishment. How, then, can I escape? Such is the constitution of my mind; such has been my education as a man of honour; such is my regard to the inviolability of my own word, and such my contempt for whatever has the semblance of falsehood; that, were God to allow His threatening to remain unfulfilled, in consequence of forgiving me, simply, Immediately, and unconditionally, I could not esteem or pay homage to His character, even though constrained to acknowledge Him as the governor of the world. But, said he, I have read of atonement on the principle of vicarious suffering. It was exhibited, under the Mosaic dispensation, in the erection of the brazen serpent, in the sacrifice of the paschal lamb, and in the ceremony of the scapegoat. This principle is, in fact, a law of Providence, which is traceable throughout society, in every age, and in every state of advancement. It forms the link of connection between the Old Testament and the New; and now that, in seriousness, I am led to ask, How can a sinner be washed from his guilt? reason, feeling, and observation, unite with the authority of Scripture in disposing me to rest on the expiatory efficiency of Christs vicarious suffering. To me has been given faith in Jesus Christ: and, I now perceive, that pardon conferred, in consideration of what my Saviour has endured, sheds a lustre both over the milder and more awful attributes of the Divine character. My soul is satisfied; my heart is enlarged; my eye is fixed in admiration of the glory of God, as it appears in the face of Jesus Christ. (Wilsons Dissertation on the Reasonableness of Christianity.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation . [We have here the external evidences or manifestations of that love of God which, shed abroad in the heart of the Christian, forms the basis of his hope. Before we were strengthened and established by covenant, justification, or any of the blessings of a state of grace ( Rom_5:2 ), yea, even while we were in that helpless weakness of sin which so incapacitated us as to render us incapable of goodness, Christ, at the time appointed by the Father as best for all (at the time when the disease of sin raging in the human race had reached its climax), died for our benefit, though we were then reckoned among the unknown and the ungodly. And how apparent was the love of this action on his part, for though men are reluctant and unwilling enough to die for a righteous, i. e., a just or upright, man, and might, perhaps, be persuaded to die for a good, i. e., a loving and a benevolent, man, yet God commends to us the love he bears towards us, in that we see that he gave Christ to die for us while we were not good, no, not even upright, but while we were sinners. And no wonder that such a love becomes to us a source of hope, for, viewing the situation as to our previous and present states, if he did this for us while in a sinful or unjustified state, much more will he now save us from wrath and deserved punishment, since we are now in a justified state, being cleansed of all our sins by the blood of Jesus. And viewing the situation as to Jesus, and his past and present power, if, by dying, he exercised such a power over our lives that he reconciled us to God, much more, being made amenable to his power by being thus reconciled, shall he be able, by the greater power of his life (for the living Christ is more powerful than a dead one), to keep us in the way of life, and ultimately save us. Thus we see that peace, and a covenant state, and joy triumphing over tribulations, and hope founded on the love of God, are all fruits of justification; but the apostle, in Rom_5:11 ; adds one more: Not only, says he, do all these fruits result, but there is yet another, viz.: we rejoice in God. We no longer rejoice in rites, ceremonies, ancestries, or legal righteousness, or any such thing; on the contrary, we rejoice in God, approaching him through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom God has also approached us, for through him we have now received this reconciliation which causes us to rejoice in God. In verse 6, instead of saying that Christ died for us, the apostle uses the abstract term "the ungodly." Had he used the pronoun "us," it might have confused the mind of his readers, for they might have applied it to themselves as Christians, "us" indicating the unity of church fellowship. But the term "ungodly" admits of no misconstruction; it describes the scattered, the unknown, the lost.]

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.

Rom 5:11. Καυχώμεθα, we glory (joy)) The whole discourse from Rom 5:3-11 is comprehended in one construction, thus: οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν τᾶις θλίψεσιν (εἰδότες Rom 5:3—ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ—Rom 5:10) οὐ μόνον δἐ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν τῷ Θεῷ κ.τ.λ. So the edition of Colinaeus, Barb. 4, cod. MS. in colleg. prædicatorum apud Basileam, Bodl. 5. Cov. 2. L. Pet. 1. Steph. ια. Aeth. Arab. Vulg. make the words οὐ μόνον δε, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα be repeated after a long intervening parenthesis [by epanalepsis,[50] Not. crit.], and the sense, suspended by it, be most elegantly and most sweetly completed, according to the following arrangement of the apostle, although it was only lately that we discovered it, We have peace, and we glory not only in the HOPE of the glory of God; but, even in the midst of tribulations, we glory, I say, in God Himself, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW [opp. to HOPE above] received the atonement [reconciliation]. Most of the more recent copies have made it καυχώμενοι, as if the construction were, being reconciled, we shall be saved and glorying; according to the reading, which is more generally received.[51]—ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, in God) not before God, ch. Rom 4:2.—τἠν καταλλαγὴν) the reconciliation. Glorying as to love, which means something more [than merely reconciliation] follows upon the reconciliation and deliverance from wrath.[52]

[50] See Appendix.

[51] BCΛ, the weightiest authorities, read καυκώμενοι. Gfg Vulg. read καύχωμεν, gloriamur. Others, καυχώμεθα.—ED.

[52] The atonement, Engl. Vers. But τὴν implies “the reconciliation,” already spoken of ver. 10, reconciled.—ED.

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

Rom_5:11. Οὐ μόνον δέ] Since καυχώμενοι cannot stand for the finite tense (as, following Luther, Beza and others, Tholuck and Philippi still would have it) οὐ μόνον δέ cannot be supplemented by σωθησόμεθα (Fritzsche, Krehl, Reithmayr, Winer, p. 329, 543 [E. T. 441, 729], following Chrysostom), so as to make Paul say: we shall be not only saved (actually in itself), but also saved in such a way that we glory, etc. Moreover, the present καυχᾶσθαι could not supply any modal definition at all of the future σωθησόμεθα. No, the participle καυχώμ. compels us to conceive as supplied to the elliptical οὐ μόνον δέ (comp on Rom_5:3) the previous participle καταλλαγέντες (Köllner, Baumgarten-Crusius, Hofmann; formerly also Fritzsche); every other expedient is arbitrary.[1224] This supplement however, according to which the two participles answer to each other, is confirmed by the concluding refrain: διʼ οὗ νῦν τ. καταλλ. ἐλάβ., which is an echo of the καταλλσγέντες understood with οὐ μόνον δέ. Accordingly we must render: not merely however as reconciled, but also as those who glory, etc. Thus the meaning is brought out, that the certainty of the σωθήσεσθαι ἐν τ. ζωῆ αὐτοῦ (Rom_5:10) is not only based on the objective ground of the accomplished reconciliation, but has also subjectively its corresponding vital expression in the καυχᾶσθαι ἐν τῷ θεῷ κ.τ.λ[1225], in which the lofty feeling of the Christians salvation reveals itself.

ἘΝ Τῷ ΘΕῷ] Luthers gloss is apt: that God is ours, and we are His, and that we have in all confidence all blessings in common from Him and with Him. That is the bold and joyful triumph of those sure of salvation.

διὰ τ. κυρίον Κ.Τ.Λ[1226]] This glorying is brought about through Christ, because He is the author of our new relation to God; hence: διʼ οὗ νῦν τ. καταλλ. ἐλάβ. The latter is that κατηλλάγημεν of Rom_5:10 in its subjective reception which has taken place by faith.

νῦν is to be taken here (differently from Rom_5:9) in contrast, not to pre-Christian times (Stölting), but to the future glory, in reference to which the reconciliation received in the present time (continuing from the conversion of the subjects of it to Christ) is conceived as its actual ground of certainty.

[1224] Most arbitrary of all is the view of Mehring, that οὐ μόνον δέ refers back to ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ; and that Paul would say: not merely on the life of Christ do we place our hope, but also on the fact that we now glory in our unity with God (?). Th. Schott refers it to σωθησόμεθα, but seeks to make καυχώμενοι suitable by referring it to the entire time, in which the salvation is still future, as if therefore Paul had written: οὐ μόνον δέ σωθησόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν, or ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ καυχώμεθα.

[1225] .τ.λ. καὶ τὰ λοιπά.

[1226] .τ.λ. καὶ τὰ λοιπά.

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 5:11 . καυχώμενοι is the best attested reading, but hard to construe. It is awkward (with Meyer) to supply καταλλαγέντες with οὐ μόνον δὲ , and retain σωθησόμεθα as the principal verb: and not only (as reconciled shall we be saved), but also rejoicing, etc. There is no proportion between the things thus co-ordinated, and it is better to assume an inexact construction, and regard καυχώμενοι as adding an independent idea which would have been more properly expressed by the indicative ( καυχώμεθα ). But see Winer, 441. The Christian glories in God; for though “boasting is excluded” from the true religion (Rom 3:27 ), yet to make one’s boast in God is the perfection of that religion. Yet the believer could not thus glory, but for the Lord Jesus Christ; it is in Him, “clothed in the Gospel,” that he obtains that knowledge of God’s character which enables him to exult. διʼ οὗ νῦν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν . Nothing could show more unmistakably that the καταλλαγὴ is not a change in our disposition toward God, but a change in His attitude toward us. We do not give it (by laying aside enmity, distrust, or fear); we receive it, by believing in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood. We take it as God’s unspeakable gift. Cf. 2Ma 5:20 . ὁ καταλειφθεὶς ἐν τῇ τοῦ παντοκράτορος ὀργῇ πάλιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ μεγάλου δεσπότου καταλλαγῇ μετὰ πάσης δόξης ἐπανωρθώθη . For an examination of the Pauline idea of reconciliation, see especially Schmiedel on 2Co 5:21 , Excursus .

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

Vv. 11. “And not only [so], but even glorying in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

The general gradation from Rom 5:10 to Rom 5:11 is well explained by Philippi: “Salvation is not merely negative: deliverance from wrath; we hope for better: participation in glory.” It was by this idea of triumphant entrance into glory that the apostle behooved to crown this whole exposition of justification. For then it is that it will become complete and final.

The construction presents a difficulty. What are we to make of the participle καυχώμενοι, glorying, which does not rest on any finite verb? The ancients and several moderns (Thol., Philip., Rück., Fritzs., Hodge) regard it as the equivalent of a finite verb, understanding ἐσμέν, we are glorying, for we glory. This is the meaning indicated by the reading of L and of the ancient Versions. In this case, we must understand another finite verb after not only, which can be no other than the: we shall be saved, of Rom 5:10. The meaning is: “and not only shall we be saved, but we glory in God even now over this assured salvation.” The logical progress is from the future to the present. It has been objected that it is impossible to make a simple participle a finite verb, at least in prose, (for poetry furnishes numerous examples of such license). But how otherwise are we to explain 2Co 7:5? The real difficulty is to resolve the disagreement between the future we shall be saved and the present we glory. It seems that if the gradation in the mind of the apostle really bore on the matter of time, the νῦν, now, which occurs in the following proposition, should have been placed in this: “not only shall we be saved, but we are so certain of it that now already we triumph in God.” If Paul has not expressed himself so, it is because this was not his meaning. A second construction is adopted by Meyer, Hofmann, and others: it consists in supplying after not only, not: the verb σωθησόμεθα, we shall be saved, but the participle καταλλαγέντες, being reconciled, so that this participle as well as the καυχώμενοι, glorying, rest both of them on the we shall be saved of Rom 5:10: “We shall be saved, and that not only as reconciled, but also as glorying.” The gradation in this case is not from the future to the present, but from the joy of reconciliation to that of triumph. The objection to this construction is this: The participle being reconciled, in Rom 5:10, is not a simple qualification of we shall be saved; it is a participle of argumentation, as is well said by Oltramare (see also Philippi). It cannot therefore be made logically parallel with the participle glorying. What is to be done if we will not return to the first construction? It only remains, as it seems to me, to derive from the verb σωθησόμεθα, we shall be saved, the idea of salvation, by supplying the participle σωζόμενοι, saved, after not only, and to refer this participle, as well as the following καυχώμενοι, glorying, to the time of final salvation: “Much more certainly shall we be saved (Rom 5:10), and that not only as saved, but as glorying in God.” The meaning is almost the same as in the preceding construction, but more precise: “And when this hour of salvation shall come, it will not be as men barely saved, like those rescued from shipwreck or a deserved death, that we shall cross the threshold of eternal salvation: it will be in the triumphant attitude of men whom the Son of God has crowned with His own holiness and renewed in His glorious image, and whom the Father has marked with the seal of His adoption, Rom 8:15; Rom 8:29.” It may be objected, no doubt, that by referring this participle glorying to the final hour, we depart from the meaning of the same verb in Rom 5:2, which contains the theme of the whole passage. But Paul, on reaching the close of this development, may easily substitute for the present glorying in hope, the song of triumph at the moment of entrance into glory.

To glory in God was the privilege of which the Jews boasted in virtue of their monotheistic revelation (Rom 2:17). St. Paul here applies this expression to the sanctified Christian who has not only nothing to fear from God, but who as His child is also His heir (Rom 8:17).

Yet he takes care in the same breath to cast down all that might be opposed to humility in this hope of future triumph, by adding: through our Lord Jesus Christ. Even in the possession of perfect holiness and on the threshold of glory, it will be impossible for the Christian to forget that it is to Christ he owes all his eternal triumph as well as his past reconciliation, which was its condition. The last words: by whom we have now received the reconciliation, might be taken to remind the believer in what a sad state he was found, and by what painful means he needed to be rescued from it. The word now would then contrast his present with his past state. But this meaning is not the most natural after the preceding context. In closing, Paul rather contrasts the present with the future state: “through whom ye have now already received the reconciliation,” that first pledge of the deliverance to come, He who acquired for us the first of these favors by His sufferings, even that which is the condition of all the others, will not fail to carry the work to its completion, if we remain attached to Him by persevering faith. This: by whom we have received, is the parallel of the by whom also of Rom 5:2, as the through our Lord Jesus Christ, which precedes, is the parallel of the same words in Rom 5:1. The cycle is closed. It is now demonstrated by this summary argument, that justification by faith includes the resources necessary to assure us of the final justification—that spoken of Rom 2:13—and even of final triumph, and that, consequently, the grace of justification is complete.

After thus expounding in a first section (Rom 1:18 to Rom 3:20) universal condemnation, in a second section (Rom 3:21 to Rom 5:11) universal justification, there remains nothing more for the apostle to do than to compare these two vast dispensations by bringing together their two points of departure. Such is the subject of the third section, which closes this fundamental part.

Hofmann thinks that, after describing divine wrath in the section Rom 1:17 to Rom 3:4, the apostle from Rom 3:5 to Rom 4:25 contrasts with it the state of justification which Christians enjoy without cause of boasting; this teaching is entirely in keeping with monotheism, strengthens moral life instead of weakening it (Rom 3:31), and is not at all invalidated by the case of Abraham. The conclusion is drawn Rom 5:1-11, namely, to lead believers to enjoy this blessed state fearlessly and full of hope. This construction breaks down before the following facts: Rom 3:5 cannot begin a new section; Rom 3:9 cannot be a question of the Christian conscience; Rom 3:31 does not refer to the moral fulfilling of the law: Abraham’s case cannot have so slight a bearing as that which Hofmann is obliged to ascribe to it;Rom 5:1 is not an exhortation in the form of a conclusion.

The construction of Volkmar is wholly different. According to him, the exposition of justification by faith, begun Rom 3:9, closes at Rom 3:30. Here begins the confirmation of this mode of justification by the Old Testament. It goes from Rom 3:31 to Rom 8:36. And, first, confirmation by the book of the law, chap. 4 (the text of Genesis relating to Abraham); then, confirmation by the law itself, the biblical narrative of the condemnation of all in Adam, which corresponds to the doctrine of the justification of all in Christ,Rom 5:1-21; finally, confirmation by the harmony of the moral consequences of justification with the essence of the law, vi.-viii. But, independently of the false sense given to Rom 3:31 as a general title of iv.-viii., how are we to place the piece Rom 5:1-11 in one and the same subdivision with the parallel between Adam and Jesus Christ, and how are we to see in this last piece only a confirmation of justification by faith, by means of the narrative of the fall in the Old Testament? Finally, this distinction between the book of the law, the law and the moral essence of the law, is certainly foreign to the mind of the apostle. Holsten rightly says: “It is unnecessary to prove that these thoughts and this order belong to Volkmar, not to Paul.” Our construction approaches much nearer to that which Holsten himself has just published (Jahrb. für protest. Theol. 1879, Nos. 1 and 2). The essential difference begins only with the following piece regarding Adam and Christ. This passage, while stating the result of the preceding part, belongs nevertheless, according to Holsten, to the following part, chap. 6-8, of which it is in his view the foundation.

Without failing to perceive a certain transitional character in this passage, we must regard it mainly as a conclusion. Thus it is regarded also by Lipsius in his recent work on the Epistle to the Romans (Protestanten-Bibel).

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_5:11

Not only so, but we rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ; οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν τῷ Θεῷ. There are three ways of explaining the participle καυχώμενοι; the one is to make it antithetical to καταλλαγέντες, not only reconciled, but exulting in God, shall we be saved. But this is not only an unnatural form of expression, but in Rom_5:9, καταλλαγέντες is not a qualification of σωθησόμεθα. The meaning is not, We shall be saved reconciled, but, Since we are reconciled we shall be saved. Another interpretation supplies the verb from the preceding clause, Not only shall we be saved, but saved rejoicing in God. The best sense is obtained by supplying ἐσμέν after the participle, as is assumed in the English version, and advocated by the majority of commentators: We shall not only be ultimately saved, but we now glory the God. The benefits of redemption are not all future. It is not only deliverance from future wrath, but the joy and glory of the present favor and love of God, that we owe to Jesus Christ. Thus the Vulgate, which renders καυχώμενοι as a verb, (sed et gloriamur,) as does Luther, wir rühmen uns auch Gottes. We glory in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, it is to him that we are indebted for this joy in God as our God and portion. Through whom we have now received atonement. This is the reason why we owe our present glorying in God to Christ; it is because he has secured our reconciliation. The word rendered by our translators, atonement, is καταλλαγή, the derivative of καταλλάσσω, properly rendered in the context, as elsewhere, to reconcile. The proper rendering, therefore, of the noun would be reconciliation: Through whom we have received reconciliation, that is, have been reconciled. This verse therefore brings us back to Rom_5:2. There it is said, Having peace with God, we rejoice in hope of his glory; and here, Being reconciled, we glory or rejoice in God. Salvation is begun on earth.

Doctrine

1. Peace with God is the result of that system of religion which alone, by providing at once for the satisfaction of divine justice and the sanctification of the human heart, is suited to the character of God, and the nature of man. All history shows that no system other than the gospel has ever produced this peace, Rom_5:1.

2. All the peculiar blessings of redemption are inseparably connected with and grow out of each other. Those who are justified have peace with God, access to his presence, joy under the most adverse circumstances, assurance of Gods love, and certainty of final salvation; see the whole section, and compare Rom_8:30.

3. The Holy Ghost has intimate access to the human soul, controlling its exercises, exciting its emotions, and leading it into the knowledge of the truth, Rom_5:5.

4. The assurance of hope is founded on the consciousness of pious affections, and the witness of the Holy Spirit; and is a grace to which believers may and ought to attain, Rom_5:4, Rom_5:5.

5. The perseverance of the saints is to be attributed not to the strength of their love to God, nor to anything else in themselves, but solely to the free and infinite love of God in Christ Jesus. The praise is therefore no more due to them, than condemnation to a helpless infant for its mothers sleepless care. Can a woman forget her sucking child, etc., Rom_5:6-10.

6. Redemption is not by truth or moral influence, but by blood, Rom_5:9, Rom_5:10.

7. The primary object of the death of Christ was to render God propitious, to satisfy his justice, and not to influence human conduct, or display the divine character; for the sake of the moral effect of that exhibition. Among its infinitely diversified results, all of which were designed, some of the most important, no doubt, are the sanctification of men, the display of the divine perfections, the prevention of sin, the happiness of the universe, etc. But the object of a sacrifice, as such, is to propitiate, Rom_5:9, Rom_5:10; Heb_2:17.

8. All we have or hope for, we owe to Jesus Christ peace. communion with God, joy, hope, eternal life; see the whole section, and the whole Bible.

Remarks

1. If we are the genuine children of God, we have peace of conscience, a sense of Gods favor, and freedom of access to his throne. We endure afflictions with patience. Instead of making us distrustful of our heavenly Father, they afford us new proofs of his love, and strengthen our hope of his mercy. And we shall have, also, more or less of the assurance of Gods love, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Rom_5:1-5.

2. None of these fruits of reconciliation with God can be obtained until the spirit of self-righteousness and self-dependence is removed. They are secured through faith, and by Christ Jesus, and not by our own works or merit, Rom_5:1, etc.

3. The hope of the hypocrite is like a spiders web; the hole of the believer is an anchor to his soul, sure and steadfast, Rom_5:5.

4. Assurance of the love of God never produces self-complacency or pride; but always humility, self-abasement, wonder, gratitude, and praise. The believer sees that the mysterious fountain of this love is in the divine mind; it is not in himself, who is ungodly and a sinner, Rom_5:8-10.

5. As the love of God in the gift of his Son, and the love of Christ in dying for us, are the peculiar characteristics of the gospel, no one can be a true Christian on whom these truths do not exert a governing influence, Rom_5:9, Rom_5:10; compare 2Co_5:14.

6. True religion is joyful, Rom_5:2, Rom_5:11.

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

He now passeth over to the other part of justification, which consisteth in the free imputation of the obedience of Christ: so that to the remission of sins there is added moreover and besides, the gift of Christ’s righteousness imputed or put upon us by faith, which swalloweth up that unrighteousness which flowed from Adam into us, and all the fruits thereof: so that in Christ we do not only cease to be unjust, but we begin also to be just.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 11. We also joy (καυχωμενοι, we exult, or glory) in God, c.] We now feel that God is reconciled to us, and we are reconciled to him: the enmity is removed from our souls and He, for Christ's sake, through whom we have received the atonement, καταλλαγην, the reconciliation, has remitted the wrath, the punishment which we deserved: and now, through this reconciliation, we expect an eternal glory.

It was certainly improper to translate καταλλαγη here by atonement, instead of reconciliation; as καταλλασσω signifies to reconcile, and is so rendered by our translators in all the places where it occurs. It does not mean the atonement here, as we generally understand that word, viz. the sacrificial death of Christ; but rather the effect of that atonement, the removal of the enmity, and by this, the change of our condition and state; from κατα, intensive, and αλλασσω to change; the thorough change of our state from enmity to friendship. God is reconciled to us, and we are reconciled to him by the death of his Son; and thus there is a glorious change from enmity to friendship; and we can exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received this reconciliation. Though boasting is forbidden to a Jew, because his is a false confidence, yet boasting is enjoined to a Christian, to one reconciled to God; for, his boasting is only in that reconciliation, and the endless mercy by which it is procured. So he that glorieth (boasteth) must glory in the Lord.

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

11. And not this only, etc. He now ascends into the highest strain of glorying; for when we glory that God is ours, whatever blessings can be imagined or wished, ensue and flow from this fountain; for God is not only the chief of all good things, but also possesses in himself the sum and substance of all blessings; and he becomes ours through Christ. We then attain this by faith, — that nothing is wanting to us as to happiness. Nor is it in vain that he so often mentions reconciliation: it is, first, that we may be taught to fix our eyes on the death of Christ, whenever we speak of our salvation; and, secondly, that we may know that our trust must be fixed on nothing else, but on the expiation made for our sins.

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.

(11) And not only so.—Some such word as “reconciled must be supplied from the previous verse. “We shall be saved as the sequel of our reconciliation, but we are something more than reconciled. Ours is not merely a passive, but an active state. We exult or glory in God, who, through Christ, has given us this reconciliation.”

Now.—In this present time, in our present condition. Reconciliation in the present is a foretaste of glory in the future.

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

11. not only so] We shall not only be welcomed then, but we are permitted to feel now the bliss of our position.

we … joy] Lit. joying; the participle. The meaning is practically the same as in E. V. Grammatically the word perhaps connects with “being reconciled;” q. d., “We shall surely be ‘saved’ then, because we are now admitted not to acquittal only, but to rejoicing confidence of Divine Love,” “we are not reconciled only, but rejoicing.”

now] See on Rom_5:9.

received] Ideally, when He died and rose; actually, when we believed (Rom_5:1). The Gr. is an aorist.

the atonement] the reconciliation; the cognate noun to the verb in Rom_5:10. According to the explanation there, it here means the grant of “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” in virtue of His propitiation. The Gr. noun occurs elsewhere in N. T. only Rom_11:15, and 2Co_5:18-19.

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.

And not only so, but we also joy in God,.... Something seems here to be understood, and which is to be supplied thus; not only we are saved by his life, and from wrath through him; not only are we reconciled to God by his Son, and Spirit; not only Christ has died for us while sinners and ungodly; not only do we glory in tribulations, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God: "but we also joy in God"; himself, as our covenant God and Father in Christ, as the God of all grace, peace, and salvation; in his perfections, as engaged on our side, and as glorified in our salvation; in the purposes of God, and his covenant transactions with his Son, as they are made known in the everlasting Gospel; in all his providential dispensations, which are mercy and truth; and in our being of him in Christ, and Christ's being made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; in all the blessings of grace we receive from him, the glory of which is his due; and in his sight and presence, and in the enjoyment of him. The means by which saints come at this joying and glorying in God, is

through our Lord Jesus Christ; not the light of nature, nor the law of Moses, nor any works of righteousness done by men, nor through angels or saints, but Christ, and him only; for it is only in and through him that God is their covenant God and Father; by him only have they the agreeable view of his glorious perfections; in him only all his purposes and promises have their fulfilment; it is by his hands, and through his blood, that all the blessings of grace are conveyed to them; their access to God is only by him; and by him they give the praise and glory of every mercy to him. And the ground of this joy is the expiation of sin by Christ,

by whom we have now received the atonement; atonement is not made, but received by us; which denotes the application of the atoning blood and sacrifice of Christ to the conscience, the Spirit's witness of interest in it, and the office of faith, as a recipient of it: it is not faith, nor anything else of the creature's, that makes the atonement, only Christ; but faith receives it from him, and by him; which, as it is the ground of present joying in God, so it is the foundation of hope of future glory: the word "now" refers to the Gospel dispensation. The poor Jews are at the utmost loss about atonement: sometimes they tell (c) us it is by confession, repentance, and good works; sometimes by beneficence and hospitality (d); sometimes they say their captivity is their atonement (e); and, at other times, that death expiates all their sins (f). Blessed be God for the atoning sacrifice of Christ!

(c) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 85. 2. & 86. 1. Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 6. sect. 2. Zohar in Gen. fol. 107. 1. (d) T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 27. 1. & Roshhashana, fol. 18. 1, & Yebamot, fol. 105. 1. (e) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 16. 1. & Sanhedrin, fol. 37. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Teshuba, c. 2. sect. 4. (f) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 60. 1. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 38. 2. T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 28. 1. & Yoma, fol. 42. 1. Gloss in ib.

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

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Ver. 11. Not only so] Not in tribulation only do we glory, {as Rom 5:3} but in the whole course of our lives. Yet not without some damps and dumps, while here. While I live (saith Rollec) I never look to see perfect reformation in the Church, or feel perfect ravishing joys in mine heart. Here Christ comes to his Spouse as a wooer only, and gives her no more than the prelibations and foretastes of his love, as a bunch of the grapes of Canaan.

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.

And not only so - The apostle states another effect of justification.

We also joy in God - In Rom 5:2, he had said that we rejoice in tribulations, and in hope of the glory of God. But he here adds that we rejoice in God himself; in his existence; his attributes; his justice, holiness, mercy, truth, love. The Christian rejoices that God is such a being as he is; and glories that the universe is under his administration. The sinner is opposed to him; he finds no pleasure in him; he fears or hates him; and deems him unqualified for universal empire. But it is one characteristic of true piety, one evidence that we are truly reconciled to God, that we rejoice in him as he is; and find pleasure in the contemplation of his perfections as they are revealed in the Scriptures.

Through our Lord ... - By the mediation of our Lord Jesus, who has revealed the true character of God, and by whom we have been reconciled to him.

The atonement - Margin, or reconciliation. This is the only instance in which our translators have used the word “atonement” in the New Testament. The word frequently occurs in the Old, Exo 29:33, Exo 29:36-37; Exo 30:10, Exo 30:15-16, etc. As it is now used by us, it commonly means the ransom, or the sacrifice by means of which reconciliation is effected between God and man. But in this place it has a different sense. It means the reconciliation itself between God and man; not the means by which reconciliation is effected. It denotes not that. we have received a ransom, or an offering by which reconciliation might be effected; but that in fact we have become reconciled through him. This was the ancient meaning of the English word atonement - at one ment - being at one, or reconciled.

- He seeks to make atonement.

Between the duke of Glo’ster and your brothers.

- Shakespeare.

The Greek word which denotes the expiatory offering by which a reconciliation is effected, is different from the one here; see the note at Rom 3:25. The word used here καταλλαγὴ katallagē is never used to denote such an offering, but denotes the reconciliation itself.

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

And not only so, &c.: q.d. We do not only rejoice in the hope of glory, and in tribulation, of which he had spoken, Rom 5:2,3, (all that fell in between being a long parenthesis), but we rejoice and glory in God himself, who is become our God and merciful Father in Jesus Christ.

By whom we have now received the atonement; this is rendered as the reason why we should rejoice in God through Jesus Christ; for by him God is atoned or reconciled, satisfaction being made for our sins in his blood. The particle now hath its emphasis, to show the privilege of those who live in these times of the gospel.

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

And not only so, but we also glory in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. We not only have an assured hope; we also glory already in our restoration to peace with God; our mental state is an exultant one even now. A tacit reference may be supposed to Rom_3:27 and Rom_4:2, where all human glorying was said to be shut out. Yes, this remains true in ourselves we cannot glory; but in God, who has reconciled us, we can and do. It is to be observed that neither this nor other passages, (such as Rom_8:30, seq. ) where an exultant assurance of salvation is expressed, justify the doctrine of assurance, as sometimes understood; viz. in the sense that an individual believer may and ought to feel certain of his own final salvation, on the ground of having once been justified. The condition of continued faithfulness is all along implied. (cf., among other texts. 1Co_9:27 Heb_6:4, etc.; Heb_10:26, etc.)

"Joy in God.

Men cherish the most diverse, varied feelings towards God. Some are haters of God, regarding him as their enemy. Others are indifferent to God, utterly forgetting him, acting as though he were not. Others, again, have go far a just apprehension of God that they fear him, standing in awe of his righteous authority. And there are those who love God and rejoice in him. These last are they who appreciate the privileges which have been prepared for the true believers in Christ, the true people of God.

I Observe THE ELEMENT OF SPIRITUAL JOY. It is joy in God. In God, as their Father, their all-sufficient and eternal Portion. In God, as faithful to his promises, as gracious and benevolent, as wise to guide and strong to keep and save. This is the daily exclamation of the Christian, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God.

II There is mentioned THE CAUSE FOR JOY.

1. This is to be found in reconciliation. There is no joy in hostility or estrangement; but, when those who have been alienated are brought into harmony, peace brings gladness to the souls of reunited friends. Remembering what momentous issues depend upon our friendship with our Creator and Judge, we may well regard reconciliation with him as matter for gladness and glorying.

2. But this reconciliation takes effect when it is received. God provides it; man accepts it. Man"s acceptance does not procure, but it appropriates, the blessing. Alas! men may live in a dispensation of peace, of reconciliation, but may know nothing by experience of this joy, for want of receptive faith.

III The text reminds us of THE BRINGER OF SPIRITUAL JOY. It is "through our Lord Jesus Christ" that we have received the reconciliation. The Mediator between God and man secures to us this greatest of boons, and, with it, all other good things that can truly enrich and bless us. In the context the apostle magnifies the grace of Christ. We are summoned to recognize in him the means through which true joy becomes possible to us, becomes our possession and inheritance.

IV It is well to think of THE FRUITS AND EFFECTS OF JOY IN GOD.

1. Joy is strength for service. "The joy of the Lord is your strength.

2. Joy is comfort in outward afflictions and tribulation. "We rejoice, glory, in tribulation also." It is the Christian only who can say this.

3. Joy is attractive to others. The happiness of the Christian often produces a most beneficial impression upon those who remark it, and who ask for an explanation of the fact.

4. Joy is an anticipation of heaven. For we are assured that the faithful servant shall be welcomed into "the joy of his Lord."

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

And not only so, but we also glory - The whole sentence, from the third to the eleventh verse, may be taken together thus: We not only "rejoice in hope of the glory of God," but also in the midst of tribulations we glory in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.

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

As if the apostle had said, "And moreover, we are not only reconciled to, but we glory and rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement or reconciliation."

Here note, The Christian’s great duty to rejoice, the cause of that is joy, his reconciliation with God, and the means by which he obtains reconciliation with God; through our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through faith in his death.

Hence learn, That our rejoicing, as to reconciliation with God, depends upon our believing; it is none, if our faith be none; little, if our faith be little; great, if our faith be great. No man can rejoice in an unknown good; let us therefore give all diligence to clear up to ourselves our interest in this atonement: Christ thought it worth his blood to purchase it; surely then it is worth our pains to clear it, in order to our rejoicing in it. He that seeks not reconciliation with God, is an enemy to his soul; and he that rejoices not in that reconciliation, is an enemy to his own comfort.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. “And not only so, but rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received reconciliation.” Salvation is double. Since Satan captured the whole world in view of adding it to hell, our normal place under the law is condemnation and hell. Christ does a double work. He negatively saves us from hell by paying our penalty, and thus blockading hell with His crucified body. This is glorious, but not enough. We also need a positive salvation to prepare us for heaven. Hence, we preach the crucified, i. e., the dead Christ, to the sinner, his atoning substitute who pays his debt, blockades hell, and keeps him out. Hence, the sinner is justified by the dead Christ, who takes his place under the law. “Then if we are reconciled by his death” — there is justification by the crucified Christ — “how much more shall we be saved by his life?” Here comes in the glorious, positive side of the redemptive scheme, including regeneration and sanctification, the mighty works of the living Christ through the Holy Ghost. The a fortiori argument occurs here (9-21),

evolved in a series of climaxes, set forth in the repetitions of the adverb “much more,” contrasting Adam the First with Adam the Second, the former being the ruin and the latter the redemption.

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

11. We also joy in God. The ground of rejoicing is the reconciliation with God which has been effected through Jesus Christ. Atonement, in Common Version, is rendered, as it should be, in the Revision, “reconciliation.” The same Greek word is found also in verses 10 and 11. The thought is the same as that of verse 1, when “peace with God” is spoken of. The steps of the divine plan, as shown in these verses, are (1) The death of Christ for us. (2) The satisfaction thus made to the demands of justice. (3) The propitiation, or God's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice for us. (4) Reconciliation. Our acceptance of Christ. “We love God because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). (5) Forgiveness of sin, or justification. Our sins are blotted out. (6) Our redemption from the grave. (7) Our glorification in heaven.

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.

11. οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ returns to Rom 5:3. This return, after so long a break, is made easier by the parallelisms pointed out above, καυχώμενοι, part. for indic.; cf. Moulton, p. 224.

ἐν τῷ θεῷ. The essentially personal character of the whole relation is emphasised: our boast is not in a transaction or a state, but in GOD Himself and by the help of our Lord Jesus Christ—so summing up the whole argument. GOD loved, justified through Christ, gave the Spirit, will finish what He has begun.

N. This passage then marks the transition from the antithesis between πίστις and νόμος, as ground of justification, to the antithesis of χάρις and νόμος, as ground of the saving of man’s life; the faith in GOD, which accepts His justification, must lead us on to trust His good will and power to perfect the new life, which is the life of Christ in us. This is the supreme instance of His χάρις, His free favour to man. The range and manner in which this χάρις works are developed in the following sections.

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.

11.] A further step still—not only has the reconciled man confidence that he shall escape God’s wrath, but triumphant confidence,—joyful hope in God. But (aber) not only so, but (sondern) glorying in God (particip. not as the finite verb, but in every case either the consequence of an anacoluthon, or finding its justification in the construction: so here “not only shall we be saved,” but that in a triumphant manner and frame of mind. See Winer, edn. 6, § 45. 6 [a]) through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now (not in contrast with the future glory, ‘even now,’ as Thol., for that would be more plainly expressed,—but as in ver. 9) received (our) reconciliation (to God [not as in E. V. “the atonement,” at least in the common theological acceptance of the term: for that is not here treated of, but our reconcilement to God]).

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

11. καυχώμενοι (א B C D, &c.) is decisively attested for καυχώμεθα, which was doubtless due to an attempt to improve the construction. The part. is loosely attached to what precedes, and must be taken as in sense equivalent to καυχώμεθα. In any case it is present and not future (as if constructed with σωθησόμεθα). We may compare a similar loose attachment of δικαιούμενοι in ch. 3:24.

The Idea of Reconciliation or Atonement

The καταλλαγή described in these verses is the same as the εἰρήνη of ver. 1; and the question necessarily meets us, What does this εἰρήνη or καταλλαγή mean? Is it a change in the attitude of man to God or in that of God to man? Many high authorities contend that it is only a change in the attitude of man to God.

Thus Lightfoot on Col 1:21: ‘ἐχθρούς, “hostile to God,” as the consequence of ὰπηλλοτριωμένους not “hateful to God,” as it is taken by some. The active rather than the passive sense of ἐχθρούς is required by the context, which (as commonly in the N. T.) speaks of the sinner as reconciled to God, not of God as reconciled to the sinner … It is the mind of man, not the mind of God, which must undergo a change, that a reunion may be effected.’

Similarly Westcott on 1Jn 2:2 (p. 85): ‘Such phrases as “propitiating God” and “God being reconciled” are foreign to the language of the N. T. Man is reconciled (2Co 5:18 ff.; Rom 5:10 f.). There is “propitiation” in the matter of sin or of the sinner. The love of God is the same throughout; but He “cannot” in virtue of His very nature welcome the impenitent and sinful: and more than this, He “cannot” treat sin as if it were not sin. This being so, the ἱλασμός, when it is applied to the sinner, so to speak, neutralizes the sin.’ [A difficult and it may be thought hardly tenable distinction. The relation of God to sin is not merely passive but active; and the term ίλασμός is properly used in reference to a personal agent. Some one is ‘propitiated’: and who can this be, but God?]

The same idea is a characteristic feature in the theology of Ritschl (Recht. u. Vers. ii. 230 ff.).

No doubt there are passages where ἐχθρός denotes the hostility and καταλλαγή the reconciliation of man to God; but taking the language of Scripture as a whole, it does not seem that it can be explained in this way.

(1) In the immediate context we have τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἐλάβομεν, implying that the reconciliation comes to man from the side of God, and is not directly due to any act of his own. We may compare the familiar χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη, to which is usually added ἀπὸ Θεοῦ in the greetings of the Epistles.

(2) In Rom 11:28 ἐχθροί is opposed to ἀγαπητοί, where ἀγαπητοί must be passive (‘beloved by God’), so that it is hardly possible that ἐχθροί can be entirely active, though it may be partly so: it seems to correspond to our word ‘hostile.’

(3) It is difficult to dissociate such words as ἱλαστήριον (Rom 3:25), ἱλασμός (1Jn 2:2) from the idea of propitiating a person.

(4) There is frequent mention of the Anger of God as directed against sinners, not merely at the end of all things, but also at this present time (Rom 1:18, &c.). When that Anger ceases to be so directed there is surely a change (or what we should be compelled to call a change) on the part of God as well as of man.

We infer that the natural explanation of the passages which speak of enmity and reconciliation between God and man is that they are not on one side only, but are mutual.

At the same time we must be well aware that this is only our imperfect way of speaking: κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω must be written large over all such language. We are obliged to use anthropomorphic expressions which imply a change of attitude or relation on the part of God as well as of man; and yet in some way which we cannot wholly fathom we may believe that with Him there is ‘no variableness, neither shadow of turning.’

THE FALL OF ADAM AND THE WORK OF CHRIST

5:12-14. What a contrast does this last description suggest between the Fall of Adam and the justifying Work of Christ! There is indeed parallelism as well as contrast. For it is true that as Christ brought righteousness and life, so Adam’s Fall brought sin and death. If death prevailed throughout the pre-Mosaic period, that could not be due solely to the act of those who died. Death is the punishment of sin; but they had not sinned against law as Adam had. The true cause then was not their own sin, but Adam’s; whose fall thus had consequences extending beyond itself, like the redeeming act of Christ.

12The description just given of the Work of Christ, first justifying and reconciling the sinner, and then holding out to him the hope of final salvation, brings out forcibly the contrast between the two great Representatives of Humanity—Adam and Christ. The act by which Adam fell, like the act of Christ, had a far-reaching effect upon mankind. Through his Fall, Sin, as an active principle, first gained an entrance among the human race; and Sin brought with it the doom of (physical) Death. So that, through Adam’s Fall, death pervaded the whole body of his descendants, because they one and all fell into sin, and died as he had died. 13When I say ‘they sinned’ I must insert a word of qualification. In the strict sense of full responsibility, they could not sin: for that attaches only to sin against law, and they had as yet no law to sin against. 14Yet they suffered the full penalty of sin. All through the long period which intervened between Adam and the Mosaic legislation, the tyrant Death held sway; even though those who died had not sinned, as Adam had, in violation of an express command. This proved that something deeper was at work: and that could only be the transmitted effect of Adam’s sin. It is this transmitted effect of a single act which made Adam a type of the coming Messiah.

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

We also joy [και καυχωμενοι] . Lit., but also glorying. The participle corresponds with that in ver. 10, being reconciled. We shall be saved, not only as being reconciled, but as also rejoicing; the certainty of the salvation being based, not only upon the reconciliation, but also upon the corresponding joy.

We have now received the atonement [νυν την καταλλαγην ελαβομεν] . Now, in contrast with future glory.

Atonement, Rev., properly, reconciliation, the noun being etymologically akin to the verb to reconcile. Atonement at the time of the A. V. signified reconciliation, at - one - ment, the making two estranged parties at one. So Shakespeare :

"He and Aufidius can no more atone Than violenist contrarieties." " Coriolanus, " 4, 6.

Fuller : "His first essay succeeded so well, Moses would adventure on a second design to atone two Israelites at variance." The word at present carries the idea of satisfaction rather than of reconciliation, and is therefore inappropriate here. The article points to the reconciliation in ver. 10. See on ch. Rom 3:24 - 26.

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