Diodorus of Tarsus — Commentary on Scripture

Romans 8:1

Paul shows here that those who are under the law, because they live according to the flesh, are under sin and condemnation. But those who are in Christ are not under condemnation because they do not walk according to the flesh.

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Romans 8:11

Having already mentioned the Spirit of Christ, Paul refers to him once more, calling him “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead.” By saying that the Spirit of Christ is also the Spirit of the Father, Paul teaches clearly that the Spirit of the Son partakes of the Father’s divinity and that their power is one, because they share the same essence as the Father.

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Romans 8:15

In reality, the spirit of slavery and the spirit of sonship were one and the same Spirit, who was given to people according to what they deserved, whether it was good or evil.

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Romans 8:16

Paul showed by this that he called the soul “spirit” when it was spiritual, and the gift of the Spirit “Spirit.”

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Romans 8:17

Here “suffer with him” does not mean that we should sympathize and come to the aid of the sufferer, as it usually does in everyday parlance. Christ did not suffer in order to get attention, nor did he undergo weakness in order to gain the sympathy of those who felt sorry for him. To suffer with Christ means to endure the same sufferings that he was forced to suffer by the Jews because he preached the gospel.… If we suffer with him we shall be worthy to be glorified with him as well. This glory is the reward of our sufferings and is not to be regarded as a free gift. The free gift is that we have received remission of our former sins.

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Romans 8:19

The Scriptures often suggest that the visible creation is animate and that the universe has a rational sensibility.

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Romans 8:29

This text does not take away our free will. It uses the word foreknew before predestined. Now it is clear that “foreknowledge” does not by itself impose any particular kind of behavior. What is said here would be clearer if we started from the end and worked backwards. Whom did God glorify? Those whom he justified. Whom did he predestine? Those whom he foreknew, who were called according to his plan, i.e., who demonstrated that they were worthy to be called by his plan and made conformable to Christ.

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Romans 9:6

Because the promises which had been given to the Jews had been transferred to the Gentiles, Paul wanted to avoid the charge that God had lied about his promises, and so he shows how God remains faithful. The Scriptures make it clear that it was not those who were Israelites according to the flesh but those who by their godliness showed that they were worthy to be Israelites who were called children of Abraham.

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Romans 9:7

Paul wants to say that it is not those who are of Abraham’s flesh who are his children, but those who are of the promise, who are godly and just, whom God promised according to his foreknowledge would be children of Abraham, just as Isaac was made righteous by the promise.

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Romans 9:16

God is not unjust simply because he does not give everyone what they deserve.

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Romans 9:21

Do not dare to condemn God or imagine that he showed mercy on one and hardened another by accident, for it was according to the power of his foreknowledge that he gave each one his due. Nor is he guilty because he knew in advance what would happen, but rather each of those who was foreknown in this way is responsible for his own actions, whether good or evil.

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Romans 10:5

Paul says that the man who fulfilled the law would enjoy the good things promised by it, that is to say, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

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Romans 10:7

The Word of God leaves believers in no doubt either about the descent of the Lord from heaven for our sake or about the resurrection from the dead and the ascent into heaven.

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Romans 10:21

It appears from the holding out of his hands that God is calling the people to himself. It is also a sign pointing toward the form of the cross.

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Romans 11:1

Fearing once again that exaggerating the rejection of the Jews might lead to a choice of disobedience, Paul turns to the small remnant of the election—the apostles and their fellow believers.

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Romans 11:3

Paul takes these words of Elijah and applies them by analogy to the Savior, in that only a remnant obtained the grace of the promise.

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Romans 11:6

Grace shows the love for mankind of the one who gives it, but works demand compensation according to what they are worth.

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Romans 11:7

What was Israel seeking? The promise that they would be made sons and heirs of the universe.

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Romans 11:16

“First fruits” and “root” both refer here to the patriarchs, the lawgiver and the prophets. “Lump” and “branches” refer to the whole of the Jewish people.

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Romans 11:26

What does it mean to say that “all Israel will be saved?” Just as we say that the whole world and all the nations are being saved because everywhere and among all nations there are those who are coming to faith, so also “all Israel will be saved” does not mean that every one of them will be but that either those who were understood by Elijah or those who are scattered all over the world will one day come to faith.

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