Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Romans
Book: Romans
Chapter: 3
Overview:
Objections answered.
(1-8) All mankind are sinners.
(9-18)
Both Jews and
Gentiles cannot be justified
By their own deeds.
(19,20) It is owing to the free
Grace of
God, through
Faith in
the
Righteousness of
Christ, yet the
Law is not done away.
(21-31)
1-8 The
Law could not save in or from sins, yet it gave the
Jews advantages for obtaining
Salvation. Their stated
ordinances, education in the knowledge of the true
God and his
service, and many favours shown to the children of
Abraham, all
were
Means of Grace, and doubtless were made useful to the
Conversion of many. But especially the Scriptures were committed
to them. Enjoyment of
God's
Word and ordinances, is the chief
happiness of a people. But
God's promises are made only to
believers; therefore the unbelief of some, or of many
professors, cannot make this faithfulness of
No effect. He will
fulfil his promises to his people, and bring his threatened
vengeance upon unbelievers.
God's judging the world, should for
ever silence all doubtings and reflections upon his
Justice. The
wickedness and obstinate unbelief of the Jews, proved
Man's need
of the
Righteousness of
God By Faith, and also his
Justice in
punishing for
Sin. Let us do evil, that good may come, is
oftener in the
Heart than in the mouth of sinners; for few thus
justify themselves in their wicked ways. The believer knows that
duty belongs to him, and events to
God; and that he must not
commit any
Sin, or speak one falsehood, upon the
Hope, or even
Assurance, that
God may thereby
Glorify himself. If any speak
and act thus, their condemnation is just.
9-18 Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt
of
Sin, as a
Burden; and under the government and dominion of
Sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness. This is made
Plain
By several passages of
Scripture from the Old
Testament, which
describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till
Grace
restrain or change them. Great as our advantages are, these
texts describe multitudes who
Call themselves Christians. Their
principles and conduct prove that there is
No fear of
God before
their eyes. And where
No fear of
God is,
No good is to be looked
for.
19,20 It is in vain to seek for
Justification By the
Works of
the
Law. All must plead guilty. Guilty before
God, is a dreadful
Word; but
No Man can be justified
By a
Law which condemns him
for breaking it. The corruption in our nature, will for ever
stop any
Justification By our own
Works.
21-26 Must guilty
Man remain under wrath? Is the wound for ever
incurable?
No; blessed be
God, there is another way laid open
for us. This is the
Righteousness of
God;
Righteousness of his
ordaining, and providing, and accepting. It is
By that
Faith
which has
Jesus Christ for its object; an anointed
Saviour,
So
Jesus Christ signifies. Justifying
Faith respects
Christ as a
Saviour, in all his three anointed offices, as
Prophet,
Priest,
and
King; trusting in him, accepting him, and cleaving to him:
in all these, Jews and
Gentiles are alike welcome to
God through
Christ. There is
No difference, his
Righteousness is upon all
that believe; not only offered to them, but
Put upon them as a
Crown, as a robe. It is free
Grace, mere
Mercy; there is nothing
in us to deserve such favours. It comes freely unto us, but
Christ bought it, and paid the price. And
Faith has special
regard to the
Blood of
Christ, as that which made the
Atonement.
God, in all this, declares his
Righteousness. It is
Plain that
he hates
Sin, when nothing less than the
Blood of
Christ would
satisfy for it. And it would not agree with his
Justice to
demand the
Debt, when the
Surety has paid it, and he has
accepted that payment in full satisfaction.
27-31 God will have the great work of the
Justification and
Salvation of sinners carried
On from first to last,
So as to
shut out boasting. Now, if we were saved
By our own
Works,
boasting would not be excluded. But the way of
Justification By
Faith for ever shuts out boasting. Yet believers are not left to
be lawless;
Faith is a
Law, it is a working
Grace, wherever it
is in
Truth.
By Faith, not in this matter an act of obedience,
or a good work, but forming the relation between
Christ and the
sinner, which renders it proper that the believer should be
pardoned and justified for the sake of the
Saviour, and that the
unbeliever who is not thus united or related to him, should
remain under condemnation. The
Law is still of use to convince
us of what is past, and to direct us for the future. Though we
cannot be saved
By it as a
Covenant, yet we own and submit to
it, as a rule in the
Hand of the
Mediator.