176 Rom. xvi. And bids them salute one another with an holy kiss. SECT. call her, on account of that maternal tenderness 14 Salute Asyn. xxxiv. and care which she has often shewn towards critus, Phlegon, me. Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Hermes, and the Hermas, Patrobas, Patrobas, Hermes, and all the brethren with brethren which are 14 them, as if every one of them had been particu- with them. 15 larly named. Salute Philologus, and Julias, 15 Salute Philolo Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the gus, and Julia, Neother sincere saints and Christians, that are and Olympas, and reus, and his sister, with them; whom, with the rest of the persons all the saints which that I have mentioned, I most sincerely hon- are with them. 16 our and love. In a word, whether you be 16 Salute one anJews, or Gentiles, when you meet at your as- other with an holy semblies, salute one another with a holy kiss of Christ salute you, and take care that the kiss which you give to each other, at the conclusion of your worship, be expressive of a pure and undissembled affection, and conducted with the gravest and most decent circumstances. All the churches of Christ in these parts salute you; as they, with me, have heard of the eminent figure you make in religion, and the many excellent persons who are resident among you. IMPROVEMENT. kiss. The churches THOUGH SO much of this section be a mere catalogue of names, it is not without its moral and religious instruction. We see in it the good heart of the apostle; how full he was of the sentiments of Christian friendship; how solicitous he was to express his esteem and love for his brethren in the Lord. And God hath made him the means of transmitting to posterity, the memorials of many excellent persons, of whom we no where else read, or hear, any thing: of whom all that we know is, that they were such as deserved the particular affection of St. Paul, and were professors of the gospel at Rome, in the reign of a very worthless and wicked prince, under whom it is highly probable, that some of them suffered martyrdom for Christ. All the saints, &c.] Calvin, and others, very justly observe, that had Peter been now at Rome, he would undoubtedly have been named; since no one in this numerous catalogue was of a dignity and eminence, by any means comparable to him; and yet, if he were not there at this time, the whole tradition of the Roman bishops, as the Roman church delivers it, fails in the most fundamental article of all. * A holy kiss.] The custom of thus saluting each other, was borrowed from the Jewish Synagogue; and as chastely and prudently as it was managed, it seems to have been the occasion of those false and scandalous reports which were so industriously propagated among the heathen of the adulterous and incestuous practices, in Christian assemblies; on which account, it seems to have been laid aside very early. Reflections on the friendly salutations of St. Paul. 177 xxxiv. verse His large heart opened to embrace them all, whether by birth SECT. Jews or Gentiles; and as they shared in his salutations, we cannot doubt, but they shared in his prayers too. We find some of these pious, and much esteemed friends of the apostle, were 1,2 women, of whom he speaks with great regard, as of persons whom divine grace had made very useful in the church: who had been helpers of many, and particularly of him; who had laboured, yea, had laboured much, in the Lord. Let not that sex 12 therefore think that it is cut off from the service of Christ, because the ministry is appropriated to men. Eminently useful have many of them been. The most valuable ministers have often been assisted by them, in the success of their work, while their pious care, under the restraint of the strictest modesty and decorum, has happily and effectually influenced children, servants, and young friends; yea, has been the means of sowing the seeds of religion in tender minds, before they have been capable of coming under ministerial care. Generous was the zeal which Aquila and Priscilla shewed in 3 exposing even their own lives in the defence of this holy apostle. Great obligations did they, thereby, lay upon all the churches of the Gentiles, and on us, who, at this distance of time, receive so many blessings from the long continuance of St. Paul's life, which they were ready so heroically to defend at the hazard of their own. 4 Truly valuable were these mutual friendships, of which, zeal for Christ was the common bond; lasting, and indeed everlasting. These excellent persons are doubtless the companions of Paul in glory now, and will many of them be his crown in the day of the Lord. Some of them indeed were in Christ before him; and he speaks of it as peculiarly to their honour. Let those, who were early in Christ, rejoice in the thought. Let those who came later into his church, be exhorted to exert themselves with the greater vigour in his service, that they may recover the time they have lost and let us all learn to esteem it, as the most substantial proof of our love to those who are peculiarly dear to us, to shew, upon all occasions, how sincerely we wish, that they may early form an acquaintance with Christ; that they may constantly walk in him, and grow up in all things in him, as our common head. SECT. XXXV. The apostle concludes with other salutations, and a necessary cau tion against those who would divide the church, together with a doxology, suited to the general purport of what he had been writing. Rom. XVI. 17, to the end. XXXV. Rom. 178 The apostle cautions against those that cause divisions, SECT. largely dictated, let me conclude my epistle to mark them which you, with a few words of additional advice. cause divisions and And I would particularly exhort you, brethren, the doctrine which offences, contrary to xvi. to have your eyes upon, and to mark out for the ye have learned: 17 caution of others, those persons, whether in and avoid them. public or private life, which cause divisions and offences [among you,] by false doctrines, factious tempers, and scandalous lives: therein doing contrary to that pure, certain and uniting doctrine which you have learned of us, the apostles of Jesus Christ, who have been commissioned by him, as the authentic teachers of his gospel. And when you have discovered such pernicious seducers, avoid them, so as to have no intimate converse with them; nor even to permit them to continue in your communion, if they will not be reclaimed by the milder 18 methods of brotherly admonition. For you may be assured, that such, whatever they may are such, serve not 18 For they that pretend, serve not the Lord Jesus Christ; under our Lord whose commission we so apparently act, and belly; and by good Christ, but their own the nature of whose religion is so holy and be- words nevolent but on the contrary, it is plain they speeches deceive the serve their own belly; they have only their own hearts of the simple. secular interest in view, and hope to gain some temporal advantage, by setting themselves up as heads of parties among you; and by fair speeches, and flattering forms of address, they deceive the hearts of the innocent and well meaning, and lead them into snares of which they are little aware. 19 a Jesus and fair It is very possible, that having done so much mischief here at Corinth, and at other places, dience is come a 19 For your obethey may also make some attempts upon you; especially considering the figure you make in on your behalf: but broad unto all men. I am glad therefore the Christian world; but I trust their endeavours will be unsuccessful, for the report of your exemplary obedience to the dictates of our holy religion, is come abroad unto all therefore I rejoice on your account, in hope you will overcome this, and every other danger, and maintain the good character you have already gained. But I give you this caution out of my abund Flattering forms of address.] Euxoyia, periphrasis. We see here what these in this connection, has a force, which I weapons are which these false apostles opknew not how to express, but by this posed to the miracles of the true. and prays, that the God of peace may be with them. 179 XXXV. Rom. get I would have ant tenderness and care; because I am desir- SECT. you wise unto that ous you may be wise, and sagacious, with respect which is good, and to every opportunity of practising and mainsimple concerning evil. taining that which is good, and as simple as pos- xvi. sible, with regard to that which is evil: per- 19 fectly free from all ill views, and designs of every kind. And I know, how much the insinuations of those men tend to destroy those benevolent dispositions, which should ever reign in the hearts of Christians, and to fill them with such prejudices against each other, as may produce mutual injuries. 20 And the God And I have an agreeable persuasion, that you 20 of peace shall bruise will take care to maintain this happy mixture Satan under your of innocence and prudence, and will succeed in grace of our Lord that care. Yes, my brethren, I am well assurJesus Christ be with ed, that the God of peace, from whom we de feet shortly. The you. Amen. 21 Timotheus my work tellow and rive all our peace and happiness, and who de- I add, by way of postscript, that Timothy, 21 Lucius, and Jason, my pious and zealous fellow labourer, to whose Lucius, and Jason, affection I am so much obliged, and Lucius, and and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. Jason, and Sosipater, the messengers of the church at Berea, and both of them my kinsmen, salute you with sincere Christian friendship. 22 I Tertius, who ITertius, or Silas, who wrote [this] epistle, 22 wrote this epistle, while the apostle Paul dictated it to me, as Sosipater] As it appears from Acts IX. 4, that Sosipater was with St. Paul, when he travelled in Greece, in the year 58, this is one argument for fixing the date of this epistle to that year. e Who wrote this epistle, &c.] St. Paul seems not himself to have been very well versed in the Greek characters, Gal. vi. 11. Compare 1 Cor. xvi. 21. He therefore made use of the hand of Silas, or as the 180 He adds the salutations of some other Christian friends; SECT. his secretary, do also most affectionately salute salute you in the in the Lord. XXXV. Rom you Lord. whole church, salut The generous Gaius, who is my host, and 23 Gaius mine xvi. indeed, I may say, that of the whole church, so host, and of the 23 ready is he to every act of hospitality and eth you. Erastus the goodness, salutes you, [and] Erastus the steward chamberlain of the of the city, [also] salutes you; and so doth one city saluteth you, Quartus, who, though you may not particularly and Quartus a brothknow him, is a Christian brother, whose name I think worthy of being inserted. 24 25 Once more receive my repeated good wishes, that the best of all blessings may attend you ; even that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with you all; to which I again put my cordial Amen. er. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. cording to the rev Now, let me sum up all, with ascribing praise 25 Now to him to the great Author of all the blessings, of that is of power to which I have been writing; even to him who, ing to my gospel, stablish you accordas he has called you to participate these invalua- and the preaching ble blessings, is able to strengthen you in every of Jesus Christ, (ac virtuous disposition and good resolution; ac- elation of the mys cording to the tenour of my gospel, even the tery, which was preaching of Jesus Christ, as our only and al- kept secret since mighty Saviour, whom I proclaim, wherever I the world began, come, to Gentiles, as well as to Jews: a gospel which, however it is opposed as contrary, is indeed most exactly agreeable to the revelation which God has now been pleased to make of that mystery, in ancient times kept in silence, and Latin would express his name, Tartius, Sir Norton Knatchbull conjectures, that, who wrote what the apostle dictated; and I submit to consideration, whether some of the intricate, and some of the unfinished sentences, which we meet with in these epistles, might not be owing to this method of writing by an amanuensis. They, whose variety of business has obliged them to dictate to others, and use their pens in such a manner, will be very sensible, this is no absurd, or very improbable conjecture. Compare Jer. xxxvi. 17, 18, as an instance of a similar nature. in order to prevent any suspicion, as if the epistle ended with the xivth chapter, some or hodox Christian transferred this passage from thence, which he supposes to have been in its true place. Dr. Mills is of the same opinion; and supposes the two last chapters to have been added by way of postscript, as the apostle had time, before he sent it away. All the other epistles of Paul end with the benediction. A brother.] Mr. Pierce thinks this expression intimates, that he was a Christian minister. Compare Phil. iv. 21, 22, but I cannot say it appears sufficiently evident. • Now to him, &c.] This doxology is found, in many copies, at the end of the Xivth chapter, and in the Alexandrian MS. is inserted both there and here. Jerome says, that Marcian rejected the two last chapters, as contrary to his opinion; and f Mystery, &c.] Many commentators explain these verses as referring to the calling of the Gentiles into the church; and then some of them suppose the xpovous avions to refer to the division of time by jubilees; but it is certain, the words will make good and weighty sense on the different interpretation we have given; and as the jubilees so early grew into neglect among the Jews, it would be less natural to suppose, the periods of time they measured, to be designed here, |