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Theodore of Mopsuestia

Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500 · 490 passages across 31 books

Commentary

441–460 of 490
Romans 7:4

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

The phrase “in order that we” should be read as: “and so we shall”.… For Paul wants to say that once we have been established in this life we shall bear the fruits of righteousness for God, since we have been changed from our behavior under the law.It is most remarkable that Paul says that we have died not through baptism but through the body of Christ. For Adam was the beginning of this life, and Christ is the beginning of the life to come. So, just as in this life we have everything in common with Adam, so also in the next life we shall have everything in common with Christ, beginning with his resurrection. We are said to be a part of the Lord’s body because we share this with him. So just as we have been metaphorically born again by baptism, Paul says that we have become a part of Christ’s body by sharing in the resurrection which is typified by baptism.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Holy Scripture sometimes calls our human nature “flesh,” and sometimes it goes beyond this and includes the concept of mortality as well.… In any case, the flesh is never said to inherit or to be capable of inheriting eternal life in the age to come.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 7:6

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Now everything has changed, Paul says. We have died to this life and are no longer under any obligation to keep the law. Our life no longer has anything in common with that, because we have been renewed by the power of the Spirit and have become different people. We have crossed over from this present life to life eternal and cannot tolerate any captivity of the flesh.… What is more, we who follow Christ are much better off than those who are governed by the law.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

We often covet the things of this life, not merely food and drink and sex but fame and fortune as well. We have these desires inside us and would never know there was anything wrong with them unless the law told us so.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 7:8

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Paul says that without the law to define it sin would not be effective. Why? Because it is not the deed by itself which is sin but rather doing something when you know that it is wrong.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 7:12

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Paul calls the law “holy” because it gives us the principles on which to tell the difference between good and evil, … “just” because after showing us what is good it necessarily points out the punishment for the transgressor, but also “good” because it is the source of good things, showing us what they are and persuading us that they are desirable.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 7:23

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Paul was right to refer to his members here, because sin takes many forms according to the nature of our members. There are sins of the eyes, sins of the tongue, sins of other parts of the body as well.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 8:2

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The apostle says that the resurrection takes place by the working of the Spirit. … Paul calls the Spirit the “Spirit of life” because the Spirit is the firstfruits of the eternal life which we shall then enjoy. The Spirit has been given to us in the hope of immortality, and faith in Christ has permitted us to enjoy him, because he has set us free from death and sin. Clearly Paul is using the things which are to come as evidence for what has been promised to us in Christ.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

It is clear that these people will live the blessed life with their Father.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 8:15

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The text should be read like this: “You have not received the Spirit; instead you are again in fear of slavery.” … The slavery in question is slavery to the law.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 8:19

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Paul is referring here to the resurrection on the last day.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

How did the whole creation suffer this? The invisible creatures did it by thinking and feeling; the visible creatures did it by sharing in the thing itself.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We must not worry if we find that things which we expect to turn out for our good are unexpectedly evil in the present life, because we know that in the end everything works together for good for those who love God.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 9:20

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

How can the thing which is made blame its Maker for the construction of its own nature? Everything must be content with its own nature, whatever that may be.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 9:21

Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Whoever heard of a clay pot made for menial use blaming the potter for the way it was made and demanding to be remolded for some better purpose?

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 9:22

What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

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

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

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

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

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

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

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

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

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

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