Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you,.... God is here described by his power, and the particular instance of it is the establishing of his people; that is, in the Gospel, as the Syriac version

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, Now to

He concludes all with an excellent doxology; wherein, first, he describes God, and then he ascribes eternal glory to him. He describes him by two of his attributes or perfections: the first is his power; He is able to establish you; i.e. in grace and in truth; to keep you from falling into sin and into error. The Scripture often attributes our establishment unto God: see . Our own weakness and Satan’ s power are such, that unless God did establish us, we shonld soon totter and fall: see , and the notes there. Our establishment is further amplified by the instrumental cause thereof, which is the gospel; touching which, several things are here to be noted. First, he calls it my gospel, because he was the preacher and publisher thereof: see , and the notes there. Secondly, he calls it the preaching of Jesus Christ: which may be taken actively, for the preaching of our Lord himself; so the doctrine of salvation is called, the word that was spoken by the Lord, : see . Or rather passively, for the gospel which was preached concerning Jesus Christ: see ,3, and the notes there. Thirdly: He calls it a mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest: see parallel places, . Some restrain this to the calling of the Gentiles; but it is better understood of the whole doctrine of the gospel, concerning the Trinity, the incarnation of the Son of God, &c., which. although it was in some sort made known under the Old Testament, yet, in respect of the present light and revelation, it was a hidden mystery.

25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, Ver. 25. Which was kept secret] Even from the very angels, 1 Peter 1:12, who do daily profit in the knowledge of this secret, Ephesians 3:10.

Verse 25. Now to him] In Clarke's note at "Romans 14:23", I have shown that this and the following verses are by the most reputable MSS. and versions placed at the end of that chapter, which is supposed by most critics to be their proper place. Some of the arguments adduced in favour of this transposition may be found in the note above mentioned. I shall therefore refer to Griesbach, and proceed to make a few short remarks on the verses as they occur here. Of power to stablish you] To that God, without whom nothing is wise, nothing strong; who is as willing to teach as he is wise; as ready to help as he is strong. According to my Gospel] That Gospel which explains and publishes God's purpose of taking the Gentiles to be his people under the Messiah, without subjecting them to the law of Moses. This is what he here calls the preaching of Jesus Christ; for without this he did not think, as Mr. Locke observes, that Christ vas preached to the Gentiles as he ought to be; and therefore in several places of his epistle to the Galatians he calls it the truth, and the truth of the Gospel, and uses the like expressions to the Ephesians and Colossians. This is that mystery which he is so much concerned that the Ephesians should understand and adhere to firmly, and which was revealed to him according to that Gospel whereof he was made a minister. And it is probable that this grand mystery of bringing the Gentiles into the kingdom of God, without passing through the rites of the Mosaic law, was revealed more particularly to St. Paul than to any other of the apostles, and that he preached it more pointedly, and certainly with more success. See Taylor and Locke. Which was kept secret] This purpose of calling the Gentiles, and giving them equal privileges to the Jews, without obliging them to submit to circumcision, &c.

25–27. Final Doxology to the Giver and Revealer of the universal Gospel of Salvation by Faith25. Now to him, &c.] The construction of this Doxology is irregular; for in Romans 16:27 the lit. Gr. is, To God only wise, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen; and the relative pronoun “to whom” is redundant. (See further on that verse.) The practical meaning, however, is clear. The whole is a Doxology to the Eternal Father, through the Son, for the gift and manifestation of the world-wide Salvation by Faith, which prophets had foretold and which was now at last fully proclaimed.—On the questions raised about this Doxology, see Introduction, ii. § 3.to stablish you] Cp. Romans 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Peter 5:10. See also Acts 14:23; Acts 20:32.according to my gospel] i.e. in the way revealed and promised in the Gospel as taught by St Paul; the Gospel which offers justification to the believer, and with it the gift of the Divine Spirit and His aid.—“My Gospel:”—same words as Romans 2:16, (where see note;) 2 Timothy 2:8. Cp. 1 Timothy 1:11.the preaching of Jesus Christ] This may grammatically mean either (1) “the preaching which speaks of Him;” (in which case it would be a phrase explanatory of “my Gospel;”) or (2) “the preaching which He Himself delivers.” In the latter case again the reference may be either (a) to the Lord’s utterances when on earth (as e.g. John 3, 6); or (b) to His after work through St Paul and the other Apostles; cp. Romans 15:18, and note there. On the whole, the last reference seems the most likely. St Paul thus both qualifies the thought that the Gospel he preached was “his,” and enforces the thought of its absolute truth.—“Preaching:”—the Gr. word (same as 1 Corinthians 1:21,) means the contents of the message, not the act of preaching.according to the revelation, &c.] St Paul’s Gospel and the Lord’s Proclamation were “according to,” in harmony with, this “unveiling” of the great hidden Truth. The unveiling of the Truth occasioned the proclamation, and was the substance of it. The unveiling and the proclamation were thus coincident and harmonious.the mystery] On the word “mystery,” see note on Romans 11:25.—The great Secret here is that of Salvation by Faith for all, of whatever nation, who come with “the obedience of faith” to Christ the Propitiation. See especially Ephesians 3:3-9. Here, however, more than there, the emphasis seems to be on the freedom of the Way of Acceptance as well as on the world-wide largeness of the offer;—on the “obedience of Faith” as well as on the “making of it known to all nations.” Not that Salvation by Faith was a secret unheard of till the Christian age; (for see ch. 4;) but that its Divine manifestation in the Cross, and consequent unreserved proclamation as the central truth of Redeeming Love, were new.which was kept secret since the world began] Lit. which had been reserved in silence during æonian times, or periods of ages.

Now to him - This and the two following verses are found in many manuscripts at the close of Rom. 14. Its proper place, however, is here; and the apostle thus concludes the whole Epistle with an ascription of praise.

25. To him—Reiterated in Romans 16:27, To God. Of power—Literally, able.Stablish you—Not merely in accordance with 18, 19, but in the faith of this entire epistle. My gospel—As expounded in this book of Romans.