Theodore of Mopsuestia — Commentary on Scripture

Romans 9:22

What Paul is saying is this: God has made this present life one of struggles and not of reward, and he agrees that wicked men and good ones alike will be tested in both good and bad things in order to have an exact touchstone for the predestination of each person. In this way those who are good will follow the path of virtue and will cling to it through all the changes of life, neither boasting in the good times nor being unable to bear reverses. Wicked people, on the other hand, will in all circumstances be shown to be lovers of evil, ignorant of the reason for their good fortune when they enjoy it and exaggerating the wretchedness of their condition when they suffer grief. God gives each of these what they deserve in the next life.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 9:32

It is impossible to be justified by the works of the law because it would be necessary to keep the whole law, which is not possible. But anyone who sins (which is inevitable) lies under the judgment of the law.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 10:15

If the heralds of these things are deemed worthy of such great admiration, how essential and how advantageous a thing the teaching of the apostles must be.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 10:16

The first part of this [verse] ought to be read as a question to which the second part is the apostle’s answer.… There is nothing surprising about this, for Isaiah also testifies to the small number of believers.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 10:17

It is perfectly clear to us, says Paul, following the voice of the prophet and what we have said, that there can be no faith without teaching, and the teaching of godliness is impossible unless it shows the truth about God.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 10:18

It is clear that Paul did not put this here as a kind of prophecy but rather as a statement of what was actually going on at the time.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 11:1

Paul has mentioned not only his first ancestor but also the head of his tribe in order to show that he is not fabricating his claim.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 11:9

Paul is using these words not as a prophecy but as a statement from the Scriptures which backs up what he has already said about the Jews, and at the same time he shows that there is nothing new under the sun.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 11:16

By “first fruits” Paul means Christ, because he was selected out of the entire race of the Jews; by “root” he means Abraham, from whom the race descended.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 11:22

Paul is telling us that we ought to learn from both these things and consider how great God’s love for us is, that we should have been counted worthy through faith. We ought to become ever more eager to live a godly life bearing in mind how God rejected them because of their unbelief and do everything in our power not to fall in the same way.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 12:13

Paul says that it is right for us always to remember the saints, to regard their needs as our own, and thus to lighten their suffering.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 13:7

“Taxes” refers to property taxes; “revenue” refers to sales taxes.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 13:9

Every law either forbids evil or tells us to do good. Legislators pass the first kind of law in order that we should not harm one another and the second kind in order that we should help one another as far as possible. But they are all summed up in the one command that we should love our neighbor.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 13:11

“Our salvation” means the general resurrection on the last day, for it is then that we shall enjoy true salvation.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 13:12

By “day” Paul means the time since the coming of Christ, for his appearing has made it much easier to tell the difference between good and evil. “Night” refers to the time before his coming.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 13:14

Paul wants to say that by the regeneration of baptism we have been conformed to Christ and become members of the one body of the church, of which he is the head, and so we must put him on in the understanding of what we are expecting, in that we hope to share in his resurrection.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 14:8

If we live, it is Christ’s life that we live; if we die, we die with him, under his custody.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 14:10

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother?” was said to the Jews. “Why do you despise your brother?” was said to the Gentiles. Neither of you should do either, says Paul, because you are under obligation to maintain Christ’s standards of behavior in your life.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 14:13

Paul is saying this to the Gentiles, even if it appears that he is speaking to the Jews.… For the Gentiles at Rome were doing many things deliberately in order to upset the Jews, partly because they were the majority in the church and partly because they were of a higher social class.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 14:17

We ought to laugh at those who think that after the resurrection we shall eat and drink, when Paul’s words so clearly say the opposite.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH