Romans 1:6
Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
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EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
(6) Among whom are ye also.—It is, perhaps, best not to put a comma at “also.” Among these Gentile churches, to which I am specially commissioned, you Romans too are called to the same obedience of faith, and therefore I have the more right to address you.

Called of Jesus Christi.e., not “called by Jesus Christ,” but “called and so belonging to Jesus Christ,” “your Master’s own elect ones.” (Comp. LXX., 1Kings 1:41, where the words “guests of Adonijah” are in the Greek “called of Adonijah.”)

1:1-7 The doctrine of which the apostle Paul wrote, set forth the fulfilment of the promises by the prophets. It spoke of the Son of God, even Jesus the Saviour, the promised Messiah, who came from David as to his human nature, but was also declared to be the Son of God, by the Divine power which raised him from the dead. The Christian profession does not consist in a notional knowledge or a bare assent, much less in perverse disputings, but in obedience. And all those, and those only, are brought to obedience of the faith, who are effectually called of Jesus Christ. Here is, 1. The privilege of Christians; they are beloved of God, and are members of that body which is beloved. 2. The duty of Christians; to be holy, hereunto are they called, called to be saints. These the apostle saluted, by wishing them grace to sanctify their souls, and peace to comfort their hearts, as springing from the free mercy of God, the reconciled Father of all believers, and coming to them through the Lord Jesus Christ.Among whom - That is, among the Gentiles who had become obedient to the Christian faith in accordance with the design of the gospel, Romans 1:8. This proves that the church at Rome was made up partly at least, if not mainly, of Gentiles or pagans. This is fully proved in the xvith. chapter by the names of the persons whom Paul salutes.

The called of Jesus Christ - Those whom Jesus Christ has called to be his followers. The word "called" (see Romans 1:1) denotes not merely an external invitation to privilege, but it also denotes the "internal" or "effectual" call which secures conformity to the will of him who calls, and is thus synonymous with the name Christians, or believers. That true Christians are contemplated by this address, is clear from the whole scope of the Epistle; see particularly Romans 8; compare Philippians 3:14; Hebrews 3:1.

6. Among whom are ye also—that is, along with others; for the apostle ascribes nothing special to the Church of Rome (compare 1Co 14:36) [Bengel].

the called—(See on [2174]Ro 8:30).

of Christ Jesus—that is, either called "by Him" (Joh 5:25), or the called "belonging to Him"; "Christ's called ones." Perhaps this latter sense is best supported, but one hardly knows which to prefer.

Among whom are ye also; the Romans are in this number, and a part of the nations to whom I have a commission, and for whom I have received the grace of apostleship. He adds this, to show his warrant for writing to them, he did it by virtue of his office; as also to humble them; for though they were Romans, and such as bore the greatest sway in the world, yet they were formerly pagans and idolaters.

The called of Jesus Christ: though such were some of you, to wit, heathen idolaters; yet now you are Christians, and the called of Jesus Christ: called outwardly by his word, and inwardly by his Spirit. By effectual calling you are become his disciples and followers.

Among whom are ye also,.... The Romans, though they were the chief, were among the nations of the world to whom the apostles were sent; and since Paul was called to be an apostle, and had, as others, grace and apostleship, and particularly the apostleship of the uncircumcision, or was ordained a teacher of the Gentiles, more especially he was an apostle to them, and as such was to be regarded by them. This seems to point out what they were originally; they were among all nations which lay in darkness; and were without Christ and hope, and God in the world; but now,

the called of Jesus Christ. The calling here spoken of is not to an office, or a mere external one by the ministry of the word, but an internal special call by the grace of God; and which is irresistible, efficacious, and unchangeable, and is an high, holy, and heavenly one; by it persons are called out of darkness into light, out of bondage into liberty, out of the world, from the company of the men of it, and the sinful pleasures thereof, to fellowship with Christ and his saints, and off a dependence on themselves, and their own righteousness, to the grace and righteousness of Christ, and to eternal glory. The persons so called are the elect of God, who are secured in Christ, and redeemed by him, and who has a concern with the Father and Spirit in the calling of them: hence they are styled, "the called of Jesus Christ"; they are called by him, and after his name; he has an interest in them; as they were before his chosen and redeemed ones, they are now his called ones; as Jacob and Israel of old were named of God, "my called", Isaiah 48:12; so these were named Christ's called ones; and who by calling came to be partakers of him and of his grace.

Among whom are ye also the {n} called of Jesus Christ:

(n) Who through God's goodness belong to Christ.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Romans 1:6. Application of the contents of Romans 1:5 to the relation in which the Apostle stood to his readers, whereby he indicates how he is officially entitled to address them also, teaching, exhorting, and so forth

ἐν οἷς ἐστε καὶ ὑμεῖς κλητοὶ Ἰ. Χ.] To be written thus, without a comma after ὑμεῖς, with Heumann, Lachmann, Tischendorf, de Wette, Hofmann, and Bisping: among whom also are ye called (ones) of Jesus Christ. Among the Gentile nations the Roman Christians were, like other Gentile-Christian churches, called of the Lord; amidst the Gentile world, nationally belonging to it (in opposition to Mangold’s mere geographical interpretation), they also shared this high distinction. The reference of the καὶ to Paul (Th. Schott), and consequently the interpretation: as I, so also ye, is erroneous, because the Apostle has asserted concerning himself something far higher than the mere Christian calling. The common interpretation of κλητοὶ Ἰ. Χ. as an address (so too Rückert, Fritzsche, Philippi, van Hengel, Mehring) makes the ἐν οἶς ἐστε κ. ὑμ. quite a meaningless assertion; for Bengel’s suggestion for meeting the difficulty, that ἐν οἶς has the implied meaning: among which converted nations, is purely arbitrary.

Since the calling (to the Messianic salvation; see on Galatians 1:6; also 1 Corinthians 7:17) is invariably ascribed by Paul to God (Romans 8:30, Romans 9:24; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 7:15; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; comp Usteri, p. 281; Weiss, bibl. Theol. § 127; what Schmidt urges in opposition, in Rudelbach’s Zeitschr. 1849, II. p. 188 ff. is untenable) we must explain it, hot as: called by Christ (Luther, Rückert, Mehring, Hofmann, and others), but as: called (by God) who belong to Christ (so Erasmus, Beza, Estius, and most modern commentators, also Winer, p. 183). The genitive is possessive, just as in the analogous τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ in Matthew 24:31. With the substantive nature of κλητός (comp Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 147) the genitive by no means admits merely the interpretation which points to the calling subject, as in 2 Samuel 15:11; 1 Kings 1:41; 1 Kings 1:49; Zephaniah 1:7; but admits of very different references, as e.g. in Homer, Od. xvii. 386, κλητοί γε βροτῶν are not those called by mortals, but those who are called among mortals (genitive totius).

Romans 1:6. The Romans, as well as others, are included among the Gentiles, and described as Jesus Christ’s called. They belong to Him, because they have heard and obeyed the Gospel. “Calling” in Paul always includes obedience as well as hearing. It is effectual calling, the κλητοὶ being those who have accepted the Divine invitation.

6. the called of Jesus Christ] Jesus Christ’s called ones; called, and as such belonging to Him. The “call” here referred to, as almost always in the Epistles, is the effectual call of Divine grace; more than the external message. In the Gospels “call” and “choice” are almost contrasted; e.g. Matthew 22:14. In the Epp. they are (not indeed identical but) united. See Romans 8:28, Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 1:24; Judges 1; Revelation 17:14.

Romans 1:6. Ἐν οἷς), among which nations, that have been brought to the obedience of the faith by the calling of Jesus Christκαὶ ὑμεῖς, ye also) Paul ascribes no particular superiority to the Romans.—Comp. 1 Corinthians 14:36. He, however, touches upon the reason for his writing to the Romans. Presently, in the following verse, he directly addresses them—κλητοὶ, called), Romans 1:7.

V. 7. Πᾶσι το͂ις οὖσιν ἐν Ῥώμῃ, to all that be in Rome) Most of these were of the Gentiles, Romans 1:13, with whom, however, Jews were mixed. They had been either born and educated at Rome, or, at least, were residing there at that time. They were dwelling scattered throughout a very large city, and had not hitherto been brought into the form of a regularly constituted church. Only some of them were in the habit of assembling in the house of Priscilla and Aquila, Romans 16:5. What follows, beloved, etc., agrees with the word all; for he does not address the idolaters at Rome—ἀγαπητοῖς Θεοῦ, κλητοῖς ἁγίοις) These two clauses want the copulative conjunction, and are parallel; for he, who belongs to God, is holy [set apart]. Comp. Hebrews 3:1. The expression, the beloved of God, he particularly applies to the believing Israelites, ch. Romans 11:28; called to be saints, to believers of the Gentiles. The Israelites are holy by descent from their fathers, Acts 20:32, note. Comp. with annot. on Romans 1:1 of this chapter; but believers of the Gentiles are said to be sanctified or called saints, holy by calling, as Paul interprets it [‘sanctified’], 1 Corinthians 1:2. We have here a double title, and I have referred the first part to the Israelites, the second to the Gentiles. Comp. Romans 1:5-6, and add the passages, which have just now been quoted. The celebrated Baumgarten, in his German exposition of this Epistle, to which we shall often have occasion to refer, writes thus: “Hiedurch würde der gottesdienstliche Unterschied der Gläubigen und eingebildete Vorzug der Israëliten zu sehr bestätiget worden seyn, den Paulus vielmehr bestreitet und abgeschaffet oder aufgehoben zu seyn versichert.”[6] We answer: The privilege of the Israelite (although he who is called holy, is as highly blessed, as he who is the beloved of God) is as appropriate to be mentioned in Paul’s introduction, as the πρῶτον, ch. Romans 1:16 [to the Jew first], is appropriate in the Statement of his subject[7] there; which [the statement of the priority of the Jew, at Romans 1:16] Baumgarten defends enough and more than enough.—χάρις, grace, etc. This form of expression is the customary one in the writings of Paul. See the beginnings of his epistles, and also Ephesians 6:23.—ὑμῖν, to you) Supply, may there fall to your lot.—εἰρήνη, peace) שלום, peace: a form of salutation in common use among the Hebrews, before which is placed ΧΆΡΙς, grace, a term altogether consonant to the New Testament, and to the preaching of the apostles. Grace comes from God; then, in consequence, man is in a state of peace, ch. Romans 5:2, note.—ἀπὸ Θεο͂υ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ιησο͂υ Χριστο͂υ, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ) The solemn form of appellation used by the apostles, God and the Father, God our Father; and, when they speak to one another, they do not often say Κυρίος, Lord, inasmuch as by it the proper name of GOD with four letters [יהוה were the four letters, tetragrammaton] is intended; but, in the Old Testament, they had said, Jehovah our God. The reason of the difference is: in the Old Testament they were, so to speak, slaves; in the New Testament they are sons; but sons so know their father, as to render it unnecessary to call him often by his proper name. Comp. Hebrews 8:11. Farther, when Polytheism was rooted out, it was not so necessary, that the true God should be distinguished from false gods, by His proper name. ΚΥΡΊΟΥ is construed, not with ἩΜῶΝ; for God is declared to be the Father of Jesus Christ, and our Father, not, our Father, and the Father of Jesus Christ; but [Κυρίου is construed] with ἀπὸ, as is evident from 2 Timothy 1:2. There is one and the same grace, one and the same peace, from God and Christ. Our confidence and prayers are directed to God, inasmuch as He is the Father of our Lord; and to Jesus Christ, inasmuch as He makes us, through Himself, stand in the presence of the Father.

[6] Here lay the difference in divine services among believers, and the imaginary superiority of the Israelites would have been too strongly confirmed, which Paul, to make quite sure of it, would much rather have disputed and cancelled or abolished.

[7] ‘Propositioni’ in the Latin: Cic. Inv. ii.18, defines it as “per quem locus is breviter exponitur, ex quo vis omnis oportet emanet ratiocinationis.”

Verse 6. - Among whom are ye also, called ones of Jesus Christ; and therefore included in my apostolic mission. Here the parenthetic passage ends, ver. 7 being the sequence of ver. 1. Romans 1:6Ye also

As Romans among other Gentiles: not, called as I am called.

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