The first thing worthy of remark is, that he so commends their faith,^29 that he implies that it
had been received from God. We are here taught that faith is God’s gift; for thanksgiving is an
acknowledgment of a benefit. He who gives thanks to God for faith, confesses that it comes from
him. And since we find that the Apostle ever begins his congratulations with thanksgiving, let us
know that we are hereby reminded, that all our blessings are God’s free gifts. It is also needful to
become accustomed to such forms of speaking, that we may be led more fully to rouse ourselves
in the duty of acknowledging God as the giver of all our blessings, and to stir up others to join us
in the same acknowledgment. If it be right to do this in little things, how much more with regard
to faith; Which is neither a small nor an indiscriminate (promiscua) gift of God. We have here
besides an example, that thanks ought to be given through Christ, according to the Apostle’s
command in Hebrews 13:15; inasmuch as in his name we seek and obtain mercy from the Father.
— I observe in the last place, that he calls him his God. This is the faithful’s special privilege, and
on them alone God bestows this honor. There is indeed implied in this a mutual relationship, which
is expressed in this promise,
“I will be to them a God;
they shall be to me a people.” (Jeremiah 30:22.)
I prefer at the same time to confine this to the character which Paul sustained, as an attestation
of his obedience to the end in the work of preaching the gospel. So Hezekiah called God the God
of Isaiah, when he desired him to give him the testimony of a true and faithful Prophet. (Isaiah
37:4.) So also he is called in an especial manner the God of Daniel. (Daniel 6:20.)
Through the whole world. The eulogy of faithful men was to Paul equal to that of the whole
world, with regard to the faith of the Romans; for the unbelieving, who deemed it detestable, could
not have given an impartial or a correct testimony respecting it. We then understood that it was by
the mouths of the faithful that the faith of the Romans was proclaimed through the whole world;
and that they were alone able to judge rightly of it, and to pronounce a correct opinion. That this
small and despised handful of men were unknown as to their character to the ungodly, even at
Rome, was a circumstance he regarded as nothing; for Paul made no account of their judgment.
9.For God is my witness,etc. He proves his love by its effects; for had he not greatly loved
them, he would not have so anxiously commended them to the Lord, and especially he would not
have so ardently desired to promote their welfare by his own labors. His anxiety then and his ardent
desire were certain evidences of his love; for had they not sprung from it, they would never have
existed. And as he knew it to be necessary for establishing confidence in his preaching, that the
Romans should be fully persuaded of his sincerity, he added an oath — a needful remedy, whenever
a declaration, which ought to be received as true and indubitable vacillates through uncertainty.
For since an oath is nothing else but an appeal to God as to the truth of what we declare, most
foolish is it to deny that the Apostle used here an oath. He did not notwithstanding transgress the
prohibition of Christ.
It hence appears that it was not Christ’s design (as the superstitious Anabaptists dream) to
abolish oaths altogether, but on the contrary to call attention to the due observance of the law; and
the law, allowing an oath, only condemns perjury and needless swearing. If then we would use an
(^29) “Faith is put here for the whole religion, and means the same as your piety. Faith is one of the principal things of religion,
one of its first requirements, and hence it signifies religion itself.” — Barnes. It is indeed the principal thing, the very basis of
religion. Hebrews 11:6. — Ed.