An Exercise and Addition

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN MUNRO, OF HALKIRK.

Subject—ROMANS v. I.

THE following “Exercise and Addition” was composed by the late eminent Rev. John Munro, Halkirk, when he was about to be licensed to preach the Gospel. It is interesting for its intrinsic merit, as well as for its godly and honoured author, who was greatly beloved in his life, and whose memory is sweet with a lasting fragrance. Mr. Munro began his ministerial career in the Achreny Mission, Caithness, in 1806; he was called to the Gaelic Chapel, Edinburgh, about the year 1816, as successor to Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Macdonald, on his translation to Ferintosh; and was finally settled in the parish of Halkirk, Caithness, in 1825. He fell asleep on the 1st April, 1847, “in the seventy-ninth year of his age and forty-first of his ministry.” See “Ministers and Men in the Far North,” by the Rev. Alexander Auld, Ollrig. In the Exercise we have given the Greek words in English letters.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—ROMANS v. I.

THE apostle, in the preceding chapter, speaks concerning the manner of our justification before God. He introduces an instance of Abraham’s faith in believing the promise of God, when, upon the principles of natural reason, its accomplishment seemed utterly impossible. But Abraham, from a conviction of the faithfulness of God, against hope believed in hope, being persuaded that what the Lord had promised He was able to perform. Therefore we are told, at verse 22, that his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. But lest it should be thought that this was Abraham’s personal privilege, and did not at all belong to us, the apostle adds, at verse 23, “That it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him: but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe upon him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” It is the peculiar excellency of the Word of God that it is adapted to every nation and age, suited to all ranks and denominations. It is as applicable to us at present as it was to those to whom it was formerly spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles. Hence we may conclude that a belief in this fundamental doctrine of scripture (which the verse now read contains) will, in like manner, be imputed to us for righteousness, or in other words, that our belief on Christ crucified and raised by the Father for the expiation of our sins

and justification of our persons, will be accepted by God. Therefore we may reason, with the apostle, that being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The words in the original run thus: Dikaiothentes oun ek pisteos eirēnēn echomen pros ton Theon dia tou Kuriou hēmōn Iesou Christou.

According to the usual method observed in discourses of this kind, I shall endeavour (1) to give a critical analysis of the words in the text; (2) to comprehend their meaning in a short paraphrase; (3) to remove textual difficulties; and (4) to take notice of such doctrines as naturally arise from the subject.

(1) The first word that occurs is dikaiōthentes. It comes from the verb dikaiō, which signifies to justify or to free from the imputation of guilt. It is taken in this sense in 1 Cor. vi. 11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be ye not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but edikaiōthēte (ye are justified) in the name of the Lord Jesus.” It also signifies to receive the testimony of being righteous from a judge, as in Romans ii. 3. The apostle reasons thus: “And thinkest thou, O man, that judgest them that do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” and he adds at verse 13, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law dikaiōthēsontai (shall be justified)” or pronounced righteous. And likewise in Acts xiii. 39, it has the same signification. “And by him (viz., Christ) every one that believeth dikaioutai (is justified) from all things.” Thus I apprehend it is to be understood in the text; and indeed it may always ultimately refer to the being pronounced and treated as righteous by God at the day of judgment.

The next word is oun, a conjunction which signifies then, therefore. It is frequently used in drawing a conclusion from certain premises laid down, as in the text, where the apostle, after having in the preceding verses considered the nature of faith, draws this conclusion, that being justified by such a faith we have peace with God. It is also taken in this sense in Romans iii. 28, where the apostle, after exposing the futility of grounding our hopes for justification upon our personal righteousness, argues thus: “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Logizometha oun (therefore we conclude) that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

The next word to be noticed is pisteos, from pistis, signifying faith or belief, and is derived from peithō, which signifies to persuade. An example of this meaning of pistis is in Romans i. 8, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your pistis (faith) is spoken of throughout the whole world,” i.e., that

your belief of the gospel of Christ is so steadfast and produces such genuine fruits that it is celebrated throughout the world. It sometimes signifies a temporary belief of anything, as in 2 Tim. ii. 18, where the apostle, speaking of Hymenæus and Philetus, adds that “They have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow pistin (the faith) of some.” It signifies likewise a mere assent to the truth of any matter, as in James ii. 14. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath pistin (faith), and have not works? can faith save him?” i.e., though a man may profess to believe the gospel, yet so long as his faith or belief does not influence his heart, nor produce the fruits of righteousness and holiness, it is of no avail. Pistis likewise signifies Christ as the sum and substance of all the types and shadows and promises of the Old Testament, as in Gal. iii. 23, “But before pistin (faith) came,” i.e., before Christ came, “we were kept under the law.” The apostle gives us a description of faith in Hebrews xi. 1, “Now pistis (faith) is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It renders invisible things visible, and absent things present. It gives so lovely and realising a representation of things hoped for that they seem, as it were, actually existing before us. Our persuasion of them is as undoubted as if we saw them with our bodily eyes.

Eirēnē is the next word to be considered. It generally signifies peace; sometimes it is used to signify a course of success or prosperity, as in John xx. 19, when our Saviour, upon His appearing to His disciples after His resurrection, saith, “Eirēnē (peace) be unto you.” In the text it signifies reconciliation, and supposes an interposition made in order to bring about a reconciliation, harmony, or agreement between parties who were formerly at variance. Echomen, from echo, which almost invariably signifies to have or possess. Its import is so obvious that I forbear to say anything further about it.

Pros ton Theon, which signifies towards or with God. The word Theos is used to signify the whole Trinity, as in John iv. 24, “Theos (God) is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” It is taken personally for the Father, Ephes. i. 3, “Blessed be Theos (God) and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is taken for the Son, John i. 1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was Theos (God).” It is taken for the Holy Ghost, Acts v. 4 when Peter, re proving Ananias for lying to the Holy Ghost, says “Thou hast not lied to men, but Theō (to God).” Theos is also used to signify the devil. Thus in 2 Cor. iv. 4, the apostle says, “In whom theos (the god) of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.” Again, theos is used to express the heathen deities. Thus Acts xiv. 11, the men of Lystra, upon seeing Paul and Barnabas heal an impotent man, cried out, “Hoi theoi (the gods) are come down to us in the likeness of men.”

Lastly, theos is used to signify that which a person most delights in—any darling pleasure or lust, as Phil. iii. 19, “Whose ho theos (god) is their belly.”

The next word that comes to be considered is dia, a preposition which generally denotes the efficient cause of anything, as in John i. 3, “All things were made di’ autou (by him).” It is taken in the same sense here, and alludes to that atonement which our Lord Jesus Christ made for sin, by which pardon is obtained, and our peace with God ensured. Kuriou, from kurios, which signifies a lord or a person entrusted with authority. Sometimes in New Testament it applies to God, as in Col. iv. 1, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master (kurion) in heaven.” Iesou, from Iesous, a word derived from the Hebrew. It is of the same import with the Greek sōtēr, a Saviour.

The last word that claims our attention is Christou, from Christos, which signifies Christ or the Anointed. This word comes from the verb chriō, which signifies to anoint. The apostle, in Hebrews i. 9, when he speaks of our salvation, “God echrise (has anointed) thee with the oil of gladness,” and in John i. 41 our Saviour is styled Christ or the Anointed One, “We have found (says Andrew to his brother, Peter) the Messias, which is, being interpreted, ho Christos (the Christ).” This is the name of our Lord which indicates His being anointed and set apart by the Father for the performance of His mediatorial offices; accordingly we are told, 2 Cor. v. 19, “That God was in Christ (en Christō), reconciling the world to himself, not imputing unto men their trespasses; . . . and that he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Having thus given a critical analysis of the words in the text, I proceed, in the second place, to sum up their meaning in a short paraphrase:—We conclude then, that, as Abraham and others who now inherit the promises expected and obtained justification by faith, we, in like manner, will be accepted of, and pronounced righteous, by means of faith in Christ. The dreadful breach which sin occasioned between God and us being made up, we are admitted into a state of friendship, peace, and favour with Him through the atoning death, obedience, and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was anointed as our Great High Priest to purchase salvation for us, who has paid the price of our redemption, and ever liveth to intercede on our behalf.

I go on, in the third place, to remove textual difficulties, and here I shall satisfy myself with obviating one of the many objections that have been brought against this doctrine. Such is the depravity of mankind that many cavil against the most important doctrines of the Gospel, and avail themselves of their pretended superior knowledge, by wresting the Scriptures and venting their spleen in the most inveterate manner against the

professors of religion; while they do not consider that thus they take the most effectual way to expose their own ignorance and total want of acquaintance with the vital principles of piety and holiness. Some have charged this doctrine with even being unfriendly to holiness and tending to sap the foundations of morality. But what room can there be for such a charge against a doctrine that evidently tends to fill us with the warmest sense of the love of God, at the same time that it gives us the most awful and affecting view of His justice and holiness? A doctrine that shows sin to be, in the highest degree, opposite to the righteous nature of God, nor points out any way for the pardon of it but what will not suffer us to forget the wrath that is due unto it? A doctrine that, whilst it directs us to the fullest satisfaction in the death of Christ for the guilt of sin, impresseth, in the strongest manner, the necessity of that faith which purifies the heart, and is the living principle of all holiness and obedience? Upon the strictest examination it will appear worthy of God, and calculated to answer the noblest purposes, both with respect to the glory of God, and the interests of our faith, holiness, and comfort.

Lastly, I shall take notice of such doctrines as naturally arise from the subject.

1. That we are by nature destitute of such a righteousness as is sufficient to justify us before God. The apostle (in Romans, third chapter), after having, at great length, represented the misery in which all mankind, whether Jews or Gentiles, are involved by sin, when he comes to draw his argument to a conclusion, tells us that “all are under sin,” that “there is none righteous, no, not one,” and that “every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God.” Upon which he advances it as an undeniable truth that by the deeds of the law, i.e., any obedience of our own paid to the law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight. Had man, indeed, continued in his integrity, and yielded to the law that perfect obedience which it required, the law would have pronounced him righteous, and he would be justly entitled to all the blessings that were promised in it, as the apostle argues (Gal. iii. 21), that if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But, on the contrary, the law, having become weak through the flesh, is unable to justify us. Man in his present state cannot perform that obedience which the law requires, and hence it is that the law cannot justify him. Besides, it is uniformly asserted in Scripture that we are all as an unclean thing before God, and our righteousness as filthy rags, impure and deficient, such as cannot justify us in His sight. We must, therefore, adopt the language of Job, and say, “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it also shall prove me perverse.”

2. That we must be justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way appointed by God in which we, upon believing,

shall be judged righteous in His sight. Agreeable to this, it is expressly affirmed in Scripture that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, and is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all, them that believe. In Romans iii. 25 we are told that God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus; where faith is evidently represented as a belief that, through Christ’s righteousness, God may be just in justifying men who have sinned and come short of His glory. But more particularly, faith in Christ necessarily supposes a belief that mankind, by their rebellion against God, had merited the severest effect of His displeasure, were unable to satisfy Divine justice for their offences, and that they were unworthy of the Divine pity and help, so that their salvation is wholly to be ascribed to the free grace of God, and to the obedience and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. God sending His Son to be the Saviour of the world demonstrates that all mankind were under sentence of condemnation, and that without this amazing interposition, they must have actually perished. And here again may be clearly discerned the infinite evil of sin, as well as the unutterable obligation men are under to love and serve God.

The apostle, in Phil. iii. 8-9, describes the righteousness by which he was justified, and the way in which he was interested in it. “Yea, doubtless,” says he, “I do count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Here the apostle excludes every other righteousness but that of Christ for his justification. He distinguishes this righteousness from that faith by which we receive it, and shows also how this righteousness is made ours, namely, by believing. God imputes it to us; we are enabled to receive it by faith; and thus, according to the constitution of the Gospel, we come to have an actual and personal interest in it.

1. That, being thus justified by faith in Christ, we have peace with God. As it was necessary that the law of God should be satisfied, so the Almighty, by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead, hath given the most convincing proof that He hath accepted of that atonement which Christ hath made for sin, as a full and adequate satisfaction to His justice, and every way sufficient for vindicating the honour of His law. As the prophet Isaiah, alluding to Christ, says that He was taken from prison and from judgment, released and discharged from the prison of the grave, in full evidence that he had paid the whole debt which He had taken upon Himself, and that God had accepted the payment at His hands. Of this there is mention made more particularly in a parallel scripture, viz., Acts ii. 24, “Whom God hath raised

up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” As it is not fair or equitable that the prisoner should be detained longer in prison who had satisfied every demand that the law had upon him, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is an open acknowledgment that God, considered as the Supreme Judge of the universe, acquiesces in the death of Christ as a proper satisfaction for sin. So we, upon being interested in that everlasting righteousness which he hath purchased for us, may draw near to God with filial reverence and confidence, while we no longer consider Him as an angry Judge, but under the endearing character of our Father, our best Friend, and Benefactor.