God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might
be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy
Ghost.Gentium acceptabilis, sanctificata per Spiritum
sanctum.13.And may the God, etc. He now concludes the passage, as before, with prayer; in which he
desires the Lord to give them whatever he had commanded. It hence appears, that the Lord does
in no degree measure his precepts according to our strength or the power of free-will; and that he
does not command what we ought to do, that we, relying on our own power, may gird up ourselves
to render obedience; but that he commands those things which require the aid of his grace, that he
may stimulate us in our attention to prayer.
In saying the God of hope, he had in view the last verse; as though he said, — “May then the
God in whom we all hope fill you with joy, that is, with cheerfulness of heart, and also with unity
and concord, and this by believing:”^449 for in order that our peace may be approved by God, we
must be bound together by real and genuine faith. If any one prefers taking in believing, for, in
order to believe,^450 the sense will be, — that they were to cultivate peace for the purpose of believing;
for then only are we rightly prepared to believe, when we, being peaceable and unanimous, do
willingly embrace what is taught us. It is however preferable, that faith should be connected with
peace and joy; for it is the bond of holy and legitimate concord, and the support of godly joy. And
though the peace which one has within with God may also be understood, yet the context leads us
rather to the former explanation.^451
He further adds, that ye may abound in hope; for in this way also is hope confirmed and increased
in us. The words, through the power of the Holy Spirit, intimate that all things are the gifts of the
divine bounty: and the word power is intended emphatically to set forth that wonderful energy, by
which the Spirit works in us faith, hope, joy, and peace.
14.But even I myself am persuaded, etc. This was said to anticipate an objection, or it may be
deemed a kind of concession, made with the view of pacifying the Romans; in case they thought
themselves reproved by so many and so urgent admonitions, and thus unjustly treated. He then
makes an excuse for having ventured to assume towards them the character of a teacher and of an
exhorter; and he says, that he had done so, not because he had any doubt as to their wisdom, or
kindness, or perseverance; but because he was constrained by his office. Thus he removed every
suspicion of presumption, which especially shows itself when any one thrusts himself into an office
which does not belong to him, or speaks of those things which are unsuitable to him. We see in
(^449) The God of hope may mean one of two things, — the giver or author of hope, as in 1 Peter 1:3, — or the object of hope,
he in whom hope is placed, as in 1 Timothy 6:17.
Why does he mention joy before peace? It is in accordance with his usual manner, — the most visible, the stream first, then
the most hidden, the spring. — Ed.
(^450) That is , instead of. — Ed.
(^451) This is the view approved by Theophylact, Beza, Grotius, Mede, and Hammond: but Doddridge, Scott, Stuart, and Chalmers
consider “peace” here to be that with God, and “joy” as its accompaniment; while Pareus and Hodge view both as included,
especially the latter. If we consider the subject in hand, that the Apostle was attempting to produce union and concord between
the Jews and the Gentiles, we shall see reason to accede to Calvin’s explanations. This joy and peace seem to be the same as in
Romans 14:17. Concord, union, and mutual enjoyment, are graces which come by believing, or by faith, as well as concord or
peace with God, and its accompanying joy; and these graces have no doubt an influence on hope, so as to make it brighter and
stronger, when they are produced by the Holy Spirit. There are three things which distinguish these graces from such as are
fictitious, — they proceed from faith, — they increase hope, — they are produced by the Spirit. — Ed.