Greeting
1 PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 Which he had promised before, by his prophets, in the holy scriptures, 3 Concerning his Son, who was made to him of the seed of David, according to the flesh, 4 Who was predestined the Son of God in power, according to the spirit of sanctification, by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead; 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, in all nations, for his name; 6 Among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all that are at Rome, the beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Commendation and desire to visit them
8 First I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all, because your faith is spoken of in the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make a commemoration of you; 10 Always in my prayers making request, if by any means now at length I may have a prosperous journey, by the will of God, to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual grace, to strengthen you: 12 That is to say, that I may be comforted together in you, by that which is common to us both, your faith and mine.
Why he wishes to visit them
13 And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I have often purposed to come to you, (and have been hindered up to now,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 To the Greeks and to the barbarians, to the wise and to the unwise, I am a debtor; 15 So (as much as is in me) I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are at Rome.
Theme of the epistle
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believe, to the Jew first, and to the Greek. 17 For the justice of God is revealed therein, from faith to faith, as it is written: The just man lives by faith. (Hab 2:4)
The pagans adore idols
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice: 19 Because that which is known of God is manifest in them. For God has manifested it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; his eternal power also, and divinity: so that they are inexcusable. 21 Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God, or given thanks; but became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. 23 And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of four footed beasts, and of creeping things.
Abandonment and punishment of idolaters
24 Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonour their own bodies among themselves. 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. 27 And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error. 28 And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness, full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity, whisperers, 30 Detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Foolish, dissolute, without affection, without fidelity, without mercy. 32 Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.
Commentary on Romans 1
1:1 Paul: Jerome says that whereas he had formerly been called Saul, later he wished to be called Paul on account of something notable he had done. But others have a better explanation, namely, that Paul always went by two names. For it was customary among the Jews, along with their Hebrew name, to take a name from among the people they served; thus, those who served the Greeks took Greek names, as is clear in the cases of Jason and Menelaus (2 Macc 4). Now the name Paul was held in esteem among the Romans from the earliest times; accordingly, he was called Saul among the Hebrews and Paul among the Romans, although he does not seem to have used the latter until he began to preach to the Gentiles. Acts (13:9) says: "But Saul, who is also called Paul." apostle: The apostolic dignity is the foremost in the Church, in accord with 1Corinthians 12(:18), "God has appointed in the church, first, apostles." For "apostle" means "sent": (St. Thomas Aquinas) gospel: means 'good news', the good news, that is, of Christ's birth, passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. (Pelagius) And it is the good news in which sinners are called to forgiveness. (Ambrosiaster)
1:2 He indicates that he preaches no other Christ than the Christ whose Gospel the prophets promised would issue from Jerusalem Isa. 2:3/ Mic. 4:2. (Pelagius) Also Jeremiah says, "Behold the days shall come, says the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda. Jer 31:31” And again, "And I will make an everlasting covenant. Jer 32:40” Holy, not heathen scriptures. Holy because they condemn sins and because they also contain, in the sacraments of God, the incarnation of the Son of God. (Haimo of Auxerre)
1:3 The Son of God was made man, in that he who made was assumed into the unity of person by the Son of God, who was not made but born, so that the same one is the Son of God who is the son of man, born of God the Father according to his divinity, made of the seed of David according to the flesh. (William of St. Thierry) seed of David: Because Mary was from David. The promise was made to Abraham and to David, but he chose to mention David here, who was also sinful, and not of the righteous man Abraham, so that his birth from him may be considered as coming through grace, not merit. (Haimo of Auxerre)
1:4 who was predestined as the Son of God in power: According to which a person is elected by grace alone that he might be a son of God in the same power and strength of divinity with the Father through union with the Word. (Interlinear Gloss) predestined: Predestination is the preparation of grace whereby from eternity God prepared blessings without merit for the human Christ and for all whom he knew beforehand would be conformed to the image of his Son. (Haimo of Auxerre) The Greek codices largely agree with the reading 'designated.' According to the interpretation of the scholia of the Greeks, this means ’surely and openly proclaimed,’ ’pointed out,’ and revealed.’ (Erasmus) spirit of sanctification: That is, Christ is the son of God is seen from the fact that he gives the sanctifying Spirit; or, Christ, through the Holy Spirit, was conceived in the Virgin’s womb. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
1:5 obedience to the faith: He means, as Chrysostom explains, that faith is not obtained by a painstaking process of logical reasoning, but by a simple obedience and quiet compliance. And this applies to both peoples; to the Jews who sought for signs, and to the gentiles who demanded philosophical arguments. (Erasmus)
1:7 called to be saints: Every Christian is, by his very profession, bound to be a saint. How few are there who correspond with this sublime end of their vocation! (Bishop John McEvilly)
1:8 in all the world: According to many Greek commentators, this is a figure of speech for ‘in many parts of the world.’ (Erasmus) Although the Romans ruled the world, they had submitted to the Christian faith, seemed lowly and stupid to the wise of this world… For it seemed a wonderful thing that the lords of the Gentiles should bow to a promise made to the Jews. (Ambrosiaster)
1:10 to come to you: By God’s will, the opportunity for Paul to go to Rome was eventually given. He was arrested and appealed to Caesar, so that I the end, he was sent to the city of Rome, for a different reason, but it was God’s will and in fulfillment of his own desires. (Ambrosiaster)
1:11 It was solely for the purpose of imparting to them, by his ministry, some spiritual gift, in addition to those they had already received, and thus to confirm their faith which had been imparted to them by St. Peter. By spiritual grace, is more probably understood some external grace, such as tongues, prophesies, etc. given for the benefit of others. (Bishop John McEvilly)
1:13 hindered: Hindered by whom? If we say God, it is certainly not unworthy of God to dispose of his servants’ acts, for He knows on which city the rain of the word of God should fall, and on which it should not. Therefore we find in the Acts of the Apostles, ‘we wished to go into Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus forbade us. Acts 16:7’ If we say that Paul was hindered by Satan, as he himself clearly says elsewhere 1 Th 2:18, God sometimes permits this order to put his servants’ perseverance to the test. But be assured that Satan cannot in any way know or disturb a holy intention or a holy counsel that is stirring in one’s heart, unless he becomes aware of it from external signs. But what is shown through outward signs he can block, only if God permits. (William of St. Thierry)
1:14 debtor: Because he was sent to all. to Greeks: Because all worldly philosophy had its origin from them. barbarians: He |
calls them barbarians those who are, as it were, without law; they are neither Hebrews nor Greeks nor Latins. (Haimo of Auxerre)
1:16 gospel.. it is the power of God: Because it proclaims God’s power, not weakness, God’s wisdom, not foolishness… Or, it is the power by which sin is pardoned for the one who believes. And when the case requires, miracles are performed by which the teaching is commended. (Haimo of Auxerre) This is also given to be understood that it is also the power of God for damnation to those who disbelieve. God’s power shows itself also in damnation. (William of St. Thierry) to the Jew first: Seeing that by being first he does not therefore receive any more of the grace, for the same gift is bestowed both on this person and that, but the first is an honor in order of time only. For he has no such advantage as that of receiving greater righteousness, but is only honored in respect of his receiving it first. (St. John Chrysostom) Or he places the Jews first for the sake of the fathers. (St. Hesychius of Jerusalem Com in Leviticus)
1:17 faith to faith: From the faith of the Old Testament, to the faith of the New Testament; from the faith of the first coming, to the faith of the second coming; from the faith of the first resurrection, to the faith of the second; from the faith of the promise to the faith of the fulfillment; from the faith of preacher to faith of people; from the faith of sowers to the faith of reapers. (Glossa Ordinaria) just man lives by faith: This is found in Habakkuk 2:4 restated in Galatians 3;11 and Hebrews 10:38. Because the first principle whereby God exists in us is faith, faith is called the principle of living. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
1:18 The wrath is punishment, which is the very thing revealed in the Gospel. It is revealed from heaven in that it accuses them. (St. Augustine) Or it is from heaven that our God and Savior will appear at the end of the world. (Theodoret of Cyrus)
1:19-20 He is describing what was able to be known about God. He speaks in the plural (invisible things) because God is know in many ways, namely that He is eternal, omnipotent, and such. These invisible attributes are perceived through things made, because through heaven and earth and other creatures, which they knew to be immeasurable and perpetual, their minds have perceived that the Creator is incomparable, immeasurable, and eternal. (Haimo of Auxerre)
1:21 their foolish hearts were darkened: They lost through pride what they had perceived through curiosity. This blindness or darkness of heart is a sin and both the punishment. (William of St. Thierry)
1:22 They were wise about the nature of things but foolish in regard to God. (Glossa Ordinaria)
1:23 From the time of Aeneas’ arrival in Italy, images of men were cultivated, Jupiter, Hercules and so on. But after the conquest of Egypt during the reign of Caesar Augustus, the Romans took up the worship of animal images on account of the figures of animals discovered in the sky, to which the Egyptians, given to astrology, rendered divine worship. (Glossa Ordinaria)
1:24 God gave them up: That is, to their passions; because, so that when men are deprived of the help of Divine grace, they are overcome by their passions. In this way sin is always said to be the punishment of a preceding sin. (St. Thomas Aquinas 1.87.2) God deprived them of providence and let them be tossed about like a vessel adrift, refraining from giving direction to those falling foul of extreme impiety, which gave rise also to a lawless life. (Theodoret of Cyrus)
1:27 But this the desire of intercourse effected, and united the sexes to one another. This desire the devil having taken away, and having turned the course thereof into another fashion, he thus sundered the sexes from one another, and made the one to become two parts in opposition to the law of God. For Genesis says, the two shall be one flesh; but he divided the one flesh into two: here then is one war. Again, these same two parts he provoked to war both against themselves and against one another. For even women again abused women, and not men only. And the men stood against one another, and against the female sex, as happens in a battle by night. You see a second and third war, and a fourth and fifth; there is also another, for beside what have been mentioned they also behaved lawlessly against nature itself. For when the Devil saw that this desire it is, principally, which draws the sexes together, he was bent on cutting through the tie, so as to destroy the race, not only by their not copulating lawfully, but also by their being stirred up to war, and in sedition against one another. (St. John Chrysostom)
1:28 For if God delivered some up to a reprobate sense, it follows that they already had a reprobate sense, so as to do what was not right. Accordingly God is said to deliver them up to a reprobate sense, in so far as He does not hinder them from following that reprobate sense, even as we are said to expose a person to danger if we do not protect him. (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 1.79.1.r1)
1:32 He has shown that because they were unwilling to acknowledge God they have been filled with all wickedness. He now shows that they do not even deserve forgiveness. For they cannot say, “We did not know what was right”; for they know the righteousness of God. Therefore they act willingly, and, what is worse, in addition they also approve of those who do evil, that is, they become patrons of wickedness, an incurable disease. (Theophylact) consent to them: It was the duty of the wise to restrain the unlearned common people from these vices; instead, those not only did the same things, but even confirmed by their own authority the madness of the people. (Erasmus) |
Catechism Cross-reference
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