New Testament VI: Romans (Revised)
Overview
St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans has long been considered the theological high-water mark of the New Testament. It was no less regarded by the ancient church, and patristic interpreters have left us an abundance of valuable comment on Romans. This Ancient Christian Commentary on Romans collects the best and most representative of patristic commentary and homily on Romans, and it brings to the public some valuable material that has hitherto been unavailable in English translation. Outstanding among these commentators is “Ambrosiaster,” the name given to the unknown Latin commentator of the late fourth century, whose enduring worth is evident to all who read him. And the extensive commentary by Origen, largely inaccessible to modern readers, is frequently and extensively presented here in English for the first time. These commentators are joined by great figures such as John Chrysostom of Constantinople, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Augustine of Hippo, Theodoret of Cyrus, and several lesser commentators such as Diodore of Tarsus and Didymus the Blind of Alexandria. This commentary on Romans (now in its second edition) provides a rare opportunity to encounter the familiar Pauline exposition of the righteousness of God as it echoes in the great Christian minds and communities of the early church.
Top Highlights
“In Scripture, words like foreknew and predestined do not apply equally to both good and evil. For the careful student of the Bible will realize that these words are used only of the good.… When God speaks of evil people, he says that he ‘never knew’ them.18 … They are not said to be foreknown, not because there is anything which can escape God’s knowledge, which is present everywhere and nowhere absent, but because everything which is evil is considered to be unworthy of his knowledge or of his foreknowledge.” (Page 226)
“Paul talks about being called ‘according to his purpose’ in order to show that the calling itself is not enough.… The calling was not forced on anyone, nor was it compulsory. Everyone was called, but not everyone obeyed the call.” (Page 225)
“Saul changed his name to Paul, and the change was permanent. Because Saul means restlessness or trial, when he came to faith in Christ he called himself Paul, i.e., rest, because our faith is peace.” (Page 3)
“He calls the ones whom he knows will obey and does not call those whom he knows will not obey.” (Page 246)
“When the term ‘the Jews’ is used, as it so often is by Paul in his letter to the Roman Christians, many of whom were Jews, his reference was not to all Jews of all times but to Judaizing Christians who wanted to return Gentile Christians to Jewish practices, or to the pride of Jews over the Law that prevented their becoming open to the gift of forgiveness in Christ, or to those Jewish religious leaders who aggressively opposed the truth of Christianity. These were not racial but religious issues and controversies. In order to avoid these misleading implications we have at times rendered references to the Jews as to the covenant people or the people of Israel or sons of Abraham.” (Page xx)