Pietisten

Vol. XI, No. 3 Herald of Awakening and Spiritual Upbuilding Fall 1996

Waldenstrom's Commentary

Romans 16:25-27 and Waldenström's Commentary

Epistle Lesson for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

by Paul Peter Waldenström and translated by Tommy Carlson

[Dr. Paul Peter Waldenström based his comments on a Greek New Testament text that he translated into Swedish. Tommy Carlson has translated both the Biblical text and Waldenström's comments from the Swedish text, 2nd Edition, 1892. — Ed.]

Verse 25 — 1But he who is able to strengthen2 you according to my gospel3 and preaching about Jesus Christ4 according to the revelation5 of a mystery6 which has been a secret for endless ages,7 Ephesians 3:20f; Jude 24

  1. In some New Testament manuscripts there appears a verse, which in some old Bibles is numbered 24, It reads as follows: "Our Lord Jesus Christ's grace be with you all. Amen." This verse is missing in some of the oldest and best manuscripts and so is not to be regarded as genuine.
  2. Compare Acts 16:5, 18:23; Romans 16:25; I Thessalonians 3:2. The Greek word used by the apostle means to make firm, establish (see Luke 16:26), confirm, strengthen, and fortify (see Luke 2:32).
  3. So that you will remain faithful to my gospel, and not give way to foreign teaching. The gospel, which the believers in Rome had accepted, Paul calls his gospel. That is to say, the gospel he preached. Compare Romans 2:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; II Tim 2:8; Galatians 2:2. Since the apostle had not been in Rome to preach, it is clear that the Romans had received the gospel through one or more of his disciples. Paul was certain that it was the only true gospel.
  4. The expression in the original text can mean either "preaching about Jesus" or "Jesus Christ's preaching." I have translated it "preaching about Jesus," the apostle wants to emphasize that his gospel is preaching about Jesus. Compare I Corinthians 1:23, 2:2. If it is translated "Jesus Christ's preaching," then the apostle wants to emphasize that his gospel is Jesus Christ's own preaching through time. Compare Luke 10:16; Romans 15:18; 2 Corinthians 13:3. Both translations give good meaning, but the former has more support in this context.
  5. The apostle emphasizes that his preaching about Jesus is grounded in a divine revelation which he experienced. See Galations 1:12, 16.
  6. Mystery refers to God's eternal saving grace which the apostle learned through his revelation. It is something humanity cannot fathom and can only learn through divine revelation.
  7. Compare II Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2. God's saving grace had never before been revealed. The apostle expresses this by saying that it had been kept secret in endless ages (or eternity). Compare Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26, In the Old Testament, there certainly are promises and prophesies about salvation, but a revelation of God's saving grace in full meaning was not there. That was first given through Jesus. Compare John 1:17.

Verse 26 — but who has now been revealed1 and through prophetic writings according to the eternal God's decree, been made known2 among all pagans3 for the obedience of faith.

  1. Namely, through Jesus Christ's arrival in the world. Compare Romans 3:21. Christ's arrival was an act whereby God showed the world God's plan for its salvation.
  2. The mystery had be revealed through Jesus' arrival in the world. And later it had been made known through preaching. When the apostle says "through prophetic writings," he emphasizes that the apostolic preaching is grounded in the Old Testament prophesies. Compare Romans 1:2; I Peter 1:11; Acts 17:11 and others. Without these, the evangelical proclamation would not have its real foundation. For Paul himself the mystery had been made known through a special divine revelation (vs. 25).
  3. Verbatim: to all pagans. It was God's decree, given through Jesus (Matthew 28:19), that the mystery should be made known even to the pagan world. Paul had been the special tool to accomplish the decree. See Galations 2:9.

Verse 27 — The only wise God1 through Jesus Christ2 who3 (is) given glory for everlasting eternity.4 Amen5

  1. In comparison with God, no one can be called wise. Compare Luke 18:19; I Timothy 6:15f. The apostle is praising God's wisdom and God's saving grace is expressed as the highest wisdom.
  2. When the apostle portrays God as the only wise one through Jesus Christ, he says through Jesus Christ God demonstrated himself as the one who alone is wise. Jesus is the one through whom God's eternal saving grace is realized. This saving grace is an expression of the highest wisdom.
  3. The sentence is interrupted here. One waits for the apostle to say: "Him." But in the exuberant feeling of God's promise that this word in vs. 25 awakened, the apostle forgot how he started the sentence. Therefore, his description goes in a different direction as if he had started in vs. 25 this way: "Thanks be to God who is able to etc." It can be shown by the context that the word "who" refers back to the one and only wise God. Some Biblical scholars believe that it refers to Christ and though the apostle began this song of praise to God, he finally directed it to Christ. This requires an unnatural change of the whole context. On the other hand, there are such songs of praise that are directed toward Christ. See 11 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 13:21; Revelation 1:6.
  4. Verbatim: the ages of the ages.
  5. This is a Hebrew word that implies a protest. It is often used with assurances, frequently by Jesus and by him alone. Only in the Gospel of John only, is it repeated twice in a row. In the apostolic letters it is often used as a confirmation after an expression of God's promise (Romans 1:25, 9:5, 11:36, and others) sometimes, however, rarely after a wish for God's grace (Galatians 6:18).