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Ambrosiaster

Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 1,043 passages across 16 books

Commentary

921–940 of 1,043
Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

It is obvious that unless something is said, it can neither be heard nor believed.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 10:18

But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

They heard but they did not want to believe. For there are some who, in spite of the fact that they hear, do not believe. For they hear but do not understand, because their heart is blinded by wickedness. … If the sound of the gospel has gone out to the entire world, it is not possible that the Jews have not heard it, and so none of them can be pardoned from the sin of unbelief.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 10:19

But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Paul means here that of course Israel knew.… They all heard but they did not all believe.The jealousy of the Jews arose from their envy at seeing a people which earlier had been without God and barbarous claim the Jewish God as their own and receive the promise which had originally been made to the Jews.… Nothing destroys a man so much as jealousy, which is why God made it the avenger of unbelief, because that is a great sin.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 10:20

But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

Having made us aware of the words of Moses to talk about the rejection of the Jews, Paul here adds the testimony of the prophet Isaiah in order to make his point clearer still.… Isaiah here is speaking in the role of Christ.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 10:21

But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Here Israel refers to the Israel of the flesh, those who are children of Abraham but not according to faith. For the true Israel is spiritual and sees God by believing in him. “All day long” means “always.”This passage may also refer to the Savior, who held out his hands on the cross to plead forgiveness for those who were killing him.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:1

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Since Paul has shown that the people of Israel did not believe, now, in order that it should not be thought that he has said that they were all unbelievers, he shows that God has not rejected the inheritance which he promised to the descendants of Abraham. For he would not have promised them a kingdom if he knew that none of them would believe.… By using himself as an example, he shows that the part of Israel which God foreknew would be saved had in fact been saved and that the part which had been consigned to perdition because of its constant unbelief might yet be saved.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:2

God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

This is what the Savior says: “Father, I have kept those whom thou didst give to me, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition.”

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.”

Romans 11:4

But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

This is clear, for Paul shows that not only Elijah remained as one devoted to God who did not worship idols, but that there were many who remained faithful to God, just as there were not a few Jews who believed in Christ.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:5

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Even though many have fallen away, those whom God foreknew have remained in the promise of the law. For those who have accepted Christ as he was promised in the law have remained in the law, but those who rejected Christ have fallen away from it.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:6

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

It is clear that because grace is the gift of God there is no reward due for works, but it is granted freely because of the free mercy which intervenes.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:8

(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

These are the carnal Israelites who thought they were justified by the law and did not realize that they were justified by faith before God, because through the law they were all guilty.Those who were blinded were those who were unable to see the way of truth which in their wickedness they had rejected and gone away from so that they could no longer come to the grace of salvation. The examples taken from the prophets reveal that there are two kinds of blind people. The first kind consists of those who are blinded forever, who will never be saved. These people are of such evil will that they knowingly say that they do not know what they hear.… The second type consists of those who, although they try to live according to the law, do not accept the righteousness of Christ. These people are doing this not out of the envy of an evil will but by an erroneous imitation of the tradition of their ancestors. They are blinded for a time, for although they ought to recognize the great works of Christ which cannot be ignored.… They have forgotten God and follow human opinions instead.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:9

And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

He curses the feast of the wicked because the innocent are often deceived there. They are tricked into coming to dinner so that they may be ruined.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:11

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Paul says here what I have recorded above, that these people have not fallen into unbelief in such a way as to make their ultimate conversion impossible.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:12

Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

It is clear that the world will be even richer in good people if those who have been blinded are converted. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.

Romans 11:13

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

Paul is showing the Gentiles here how much he loves the Jews. For he magnifies his ministry, by which he is the apostle of the Gentiles, if by loving his own people he wins them to the faith as well. For he is more honored still if he wins to eternal life those to whom he has not been sent. For he who finds his lost brothers will have the greatest honor with his parents.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:15

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

This is why Paul worked so hard for the conversion of the Jews, since the handicap of their blindness will be removed at the time when their sin is paid for, so that they might receive the free exercise of their will.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:16

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

It is clear that they are one and the same substance, so it is impossible for the offering to be holy and the lump unclean, given that the offering comes from the lump. Thus Paul shows that those whose ancestors believed cannot be regarded as unworthy to receive the faith, for if some of the Jews have believed, why can it not be said that the others may also believe?

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:17

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

If some Jews have not believed, then they have been cut out of the promise.… The Gentiles, who were from a bad root, were grafted into a good tree, which is the opposite of what happens in agriculture, where it is the good branch which is grafted onto a bad root.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:18

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

It displeases God if someone rejoices at the misfortune of others, as Solomon says. In any case, the Jews were not rejected for the sake of the Gentiles. Rather, it was because they were rejected that they gave an opportunity for the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. If you boast against those onto whose root you have been grafted, you insult the people who have accepted you so that you might be converted from bad to good. You will not continue like that if you destroy the thing on which you stand.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

Romans 11:19

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

A believing Gentile says that he can rejoice that the Jews did not believe, saying that their condemnation made room for the Gentiles. But the Jews were not condemned by God in order to let the Gentiles in. They condemned themselves by rejecting God’s gift, and by doing that they gave the Gentiles an opportunity to be saved. Paul wants to stop this boasting, so that we might rejoice in our salvation rather than insult the weak. For the man who insults a sinner is easily deceived.

COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES

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