Theodore of Mopsuestia — Commentary on Scripture

Romans 1:1

All things are servants of Christ, and he is Lord of all. Therefore Paul calls himself a servant first of all, thereby encouraging the rest to do likewise. He also recalls the unique lordship of the Son but not in such a way as to deny the lordship of the Father, which is confessed by everybody. In saying that he was set apart, he showed that he was not only called but also chosen from among many as useful for the preaching of the gospel.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:7

Paul says to all because with Christ everyone is equal. When he says: “to those beloved of God, called to be holy,” he cuts out unbelievers. The forgiveness of sins and the gift of sonship may be what he means by “grace,” and the defeat of the invisible enemies, from whom Christ has delivered us, may be what he means by “peace,” as well as the refusal of the body to rebel against the reasonings of the soul and godly agreement with one another.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:8

It seems that Paul begins by giving thanks in his other epistles too, thereby teaching by word and deed those to whom the letter is written that one ought to begin by thanking God, not only for one’s own but also for others. But here this salutation has a special importance, because after the teaching of Peter, anyonewho wanted to teach them the doctrines of godliness had to show that he accepted Peter’s teaching and was not trying to introduce them to anything which went against that. Therefore his praise of the Romans was no accident. Often in his letters he used the salutation as a way of preparing those who would be better disposed toward him as a result of such praise, for the reading of what had been written.“Through Jesus Christ” had to be added here, not to qualify Christ’s ministry, as it seemed to some of the heretics, but because he is the cause of our thanks. Hence the apostle says that he thanks God for them all and that Christ is the cause of his thanksgiving.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:9

Paul rightly says “with my spirit,” contrasting this with the carnal worship of the Jews in circumcision and sabbatarianism and other such sacrifices, none of which is either spiritual or true. Some have pointed out that the phrase is a simpler way of saying “with my mind and with my will.”

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:11

Paul showed by his longing to see them that his desire was genuine, and by his eagerness to share, that the Romans’ spiritual gift was not something private but that he himself would be the one who would impart it.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:13

Paul here shows quite clearly that he wanted to go to Rome but that he had often been prevented. At the same time he wants to put them in fear, lest perhaps it was because of their unworthiness that he had been prevented from going to them.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:18

Since the forthcoming punishment of the ungodly and unrighteous has already been decreed, it is essential to walk in the righteousness of faith, in order to avoid the evils to come. Paul rightly said that the wrath of God is being revealed … in this present age, when God restrains himself and does not render the full punishment, so as not to remove the opportunity to repent, with the result that either they will turn around and be saved or else they will turn away and have no excuse.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 1:25

The truth about God is that he is the true God. But human beings have made idols and falsely called them gods. They have transferred the truth of God to idols. In other words, they have changed what could rightly be said and thought about God into a lie by applying it to idols instead.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 2:2

“Judgment” means the tribunal and judgment seat of God, and as if to make the condemnation of the wicked certain Paul added “rightly.”

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 2:12

So as not to appear to be condemning them out of hatred Paul has repeated himself here, saying that those who have sinned without the law will perish without the law and that those under the law will be judged by the law.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 2:16

Paul continually preached that there will be a day of judgment and that it will be necessary to have believed in Christ in order to escape punishment.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 2:17

This is not to be read as a question, as some people think, but rather as a statement, as if to say: “Not as a true Jew, albeit in secret, but merely claiming to be one and making false pretenses.”

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 2:20

By “embodiment” is meant not the form but the substance and the knowledge and the truth, like the one “who was in the form of God.”

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 2:29

“Spiritual” here does not refer to the Holy Spirit. For Paul is not talking about those who have been put right by grace but is referring above all to those outside the faith who do the works of the law and who show themselves to be better than those transgressors who are under the law.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 3:12

Paul did not treat this passage as if it were prophetic but rather because what David said about transgressors was still a good summary of what was going on in Paul’s day. Even now we still cite texts of this kind in our sermons, because what they say can be applied to our congregations.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 3:27

Now you say to me (says Paul), What new law has thrown the old one out? For when the ruler adds to the law, the law is changed. Paul answers: When the law of works came in it did not abolish the former law—on the contrary, it actually contained the former law. But when the law of faith appeared it did abolish the earlier law, having overcome the boasting which came from the law of works. These things have been given to us by the grace of God, which our forefathers, however hard they may have tried, were unable to obtain.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 3:28

Paul did not say “we hold” because he was himself uncertain. He said it in order to counter those who concluded from this that anyone who wished to could be justified simply by willing faith. Note carefully that Paul does not say simply “without the law,” as if we could just perform virtue by wanting to, nor do we do the works of the law by force. We do them because we have been led to do them by Christ. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.AUGUSTINE:This must not be understood in such a way as to say that a man who has received faith and continues to live is righteous, even though he leads a wicked life.

QUESTIONS 76.1

Romans 4:8

Sinful works are not counted against the faithful. God’s love of humanity is the greatest thing that has happened.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 5:13

The coming of the law did not remove sin. On the contrary, even though the law was observed and kept by men, sin continued to increase and the law could do nothing to stop it.… So far was the law from being the cure for sin that Paul even says that there would not have been sin at all had there been no law! By “law” Paul means the discernment which comes by both the natural law and the law of Moses. For without this discernment, nobody would be able to call sin by its name, since there would be no way of knowing the difference between good and evil.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 5:14

Death came to all men not because they committed the same sin as Adam but because they sinned.… Death is not just the punishment for one particular sin; it is the punishment for every sin.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH