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Theodore of Mopsuestia

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

Commentary

461–480 of 490
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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

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

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

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

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

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

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 13:9

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

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

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

“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

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

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

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

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

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

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

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

“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

Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

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

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

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

Romans 15:1

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Once again, Paul is speaking to the Gentiles, who looked down on the Jews because they kept the law.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Romans 15:15

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

Paul is telling them that he has not received anything new or wonderful which he is writing to teach them. Rather, he is just reminding them of things they have already learned.

PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH

Song of Solomon 1:5

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

[Solomon] took Pharaoh’s daughter as his wife. But … she was dark, as all the Egyptian and Ethiopian women are.… The Hebrews and their beautiful wives, and the other princesses as well, ridiculed her on account of her unseemliness, her small height and her dark complexion. To avoid any irritation on her part and so that no hostility would result between him and the Pharaoh, Solomon exclusively built for her a house of valuable stones [and decorated it] with gold and silver. During the meals he chanted [the Song of Songs] in her presence in order to honor her, and he made known with it that she was dark yet beautiful and loved by him.

PARAPHRASE OF THE COMMENTARY OF THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA

Titus 1:5

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Paul emphasizes that correct teaching must accompany these ordinations. He mentions only presbyters, since theirs is the most general office.

COMMENTARY ON TITUS

Titus 1:6

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

Paul does not measure the virtue of fathers by the depravity of their children, nor did the misbehavior of his sons make Samuel unworthy of the priesthood; Paul wishes only to show the likely intentions of the father from what has been created in the sons.

COMMENTARY ON TITUS

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