Romans 16:25

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,

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Romans 16:25-27. Now to him that is of power, Τω δυναμενω, that is able, to establish you according to my gospel — That is, in your belief of the great and important doctrines contained in it, particularly those that respect the gratuitous justification of Jews and Gentiles by faith. “These doctrines he calls his gospel, or good news, not in contradistinction to the good news of the other apostles, as Locke fancies, to the great discredit of the rest, whose doctrine was the same with Paul’s, so far as it went: but in opposition to the doctrines taught by the Judaizers, and other false teachers, who added the law to the gospel, on pretence that the gospel was defective in rites of atonement.” This is not all: he doubtless desired also that they should be established in the possession of all Christian graces, particularly in the faith whereby the just live and walk; in that hope of life eternal which is as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast; and in that love to God, his people, and all mankind, in which whosoever abideth, dwelleth in God, and God in him; and in all other graces comprehended in, or flowing from these. He wished them to be established also in the steady, persevering performance of every Christian duty, whether toward God or man: or, in seeking glory, honour, and immortality; by a patient continuance in well-doing — By being steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord: according to the revelation of the mystery — Of the admission of the Gentiles into the church of God, without subjecting them to the law of Moses; which, as plainly as it was foretold in the prophets, was still hid from many even of the believing Jews, and is therefore called a mystery, (in allusion to the mysteries of the heathen, which used to be concealed from all but the initiated,) kept secret since the world began — Or, as χρονοις αιωνιοις σεσιγημενου, may be rendered, kept in silence from eternal ages; or in all former ages from the beginning of the world. But now is made manifest — By the preaching of the gospel; and by, or according to, the scriptures of the prophets, the meaning whereof is now set forth and elucidated by the revelation of the Spirit; not by chance, but according to the commandment (which is the chief foundation of the apostolical office) of the everlasting God — A more proper epithet could not be used. A new dispensation infers no change in God. Known unto him are all his works, and every variation of them, from eternity. Made known to all nations — To the Gentile nations as well as the people of Israel; for the obedience of the faith — That they might not only know the blessings of the gospel, but enjoy them also, by believing in Christ, and in the truths and promises of his gospel, as they are commanded to do. To God only wise — Whose manifold wisdom is known in the church through the gospel, and who has so prudently contrived, and so effectually executed, this grand scheme. Dr. Macknight renders the clause, To the wise God alone, thinking that is the true translation, both here and in 1 Timothy 1:17; Jdg 1:25; because, “if the translation were to be, To the only wise God, it would imply that there are some gods who are not wise. Or if we render the clause, To God only wise, the reader might be apt to think that God hath no perfection but wisdom.” Whereas “the apostle’s meaning is, that glory ought to be ascribed to God alone in the highest degree: or that God alone is entitled thereto, in and of himself;” all other beings, to whom any glory is due, deriving their title to it from the perfection which God has communicated to them, or the authority which he has bestowed on them: be glory in all the churches on earth, and in the general assembly and church of the firstborn in heaven; through Jesus Christ for ever — Through his mediation and grace, through which alone guilty and sinful creatures can give glory to God in an acceptable manner; and let every believer say, Amen!

“Thus endeth Paul’s Epistle to the Romans; a writing which, for sublimity and truth of sentiment, for brevity and strength of expression, for regularity in its structure, but above all, for the unspeakable importance of the discoveries which it contains, stands unrivalled by any human composition; and as far exceeds the most celebrated productions of the learned Greeks and Romans, as the shining of the sun exceedeth the twinkling of the stars.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:25-27 That which establishes souls, is, the plain preaching of Jesus Christ. Our redemption and salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, are, without controversy, a great mystery of godliness. And yet, blessed be God, there is as much of this mystery made plain as will bring us to heaven, if we do not wilfully neglect so great salvation. Life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel, and the Sun of Righteousness is risen on the world. The Scriptures of the prophets, what they left in writing, is not only made plain in itself, but by it this mystery is made known to all nations. Christ is salvation to all nations. And the gospel is revealed, not to be talked of and disputed about, but to be submitted to. The obedience of faith is that obedience which is paid to the word of faith, and which comes by the grace of faith. All the glory that passes from fallen man to God, so as to be accepted of him, must go through the Lord Jesus, in whom alone our persons and doings are, or can be, pleasing to God. Of his righteousness we must make mention, even of his only; who, as he is the Mediator of all our prayers, so he is, and will be, to eternity, the Mediator of all our praises. Remembering that we are called to the obedience of faith, and that every degree of wisdom is from the only wise God, we should, by word and deed, render glory to him through Jesus Christ; that so the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may be with us for ever.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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

To him ... - To God; be glory; Romans 16:20.

Is of power - Greek, Is able; who has power; Ephesians 3:20; Jde 1:24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling," etc. God only can keep Christians in the path of salvation; and it was well to bring that truth prominently into view at the close of the Epistle.

To establish you - To strengthen and confirm you.

According to my gospel - According to the gospel which I preach; the doctrines which I have been defending in this Epistle. It is called "his" gospel, not because he was the author of it, or because others did not preach it also, but because he had been "particularly" defending it in this Epistle. The doctrines which he had advanced were just those which were suited to strengthen and confirm them, - the doctrine of justification, of election, of perseverance, and of the protection and favor of God to both Jews and Gentiles. These were the doctrines which he had defended; and it might easily be shown that "these" are the doctrines that give stability to the Christian faith, hope, and love.

And the preaching of Jesus Christ - Not his "personal" preaching; but according to that preaching of which Christ is the author and the subject; and particularly, as the following clause shows, to the doctrines by which the partition between the Jews and the Gentiles was broken down, and by which they were admitted to the same privileges and hopes.

According to the revelation - According to the communication of what has been so long concealed, but which is now made manifest. The word "revelation" refers to the "publication" of the plan by the gospel.

Of the mystery - The word "mystery" means properly what is "hidden" or "concealed," and is thus applied to any doctrine which was not before known. It does not mean necessarily what is "unintelligible;" but what had not been before revealed; see the note at Matthew 13:11. The word here seems to refer to the principal doctrines of the gospel; its main truths, which had been concealed, especially from the entire Gentile world, but which were now made known.

Which was kept secret - Which were kept in "silence" (Greek, σεσιγημένου sesigēmenou), were not divulged or proclaimed.

Since the world began - In all past times. This refers particularly to the Gentiles. The Jews had some obscure intimations of these truths, but they were now made known to all the world. The phrase "since the world began" is in Greek, "in eternal times;" that is, in all past times; or, as we should say, they have been "always" concealed.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25. Now to him that is of power—more simply, as in Jude 24, "to Him that is able."

to stablish—confirm, or uphold

you, according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ—that is, in conformity with the truths of that Gospel which I preach, and not I only, but all to whom has been committed "the preaching of Jesus Christ."

according to the revelation of the mystery—(See on [2276]Ro 11:25).

which was kept secret since the world began—literally, "which hath been kept in silence during eternal ages."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

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 1 Thessalonians 3:13 2 Thessalonians 2:17 2 Thessalonians 3:3 1 Peter 5:10. Our own weakness and Satan’s power are such, that unless God did establish us, we shonld soon totter and fall: see Romans 14:4, 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 Romans 2:16, 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, Hebrews 2:3: see Matthew 4:23 Matthew 9:35. Or rather passively, for the gospel which was preached concerning Jesus Christ: see Romans 1:1,3, 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, 1 Corinthians 2:7 Ephesians 3:9 Colossians 1:26. 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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 reads the next clause, and in the profession of it, with grace in their hearts, and in the exercise of it, and more lively and cheerful discharge of duty; See Gill on Romans 1:11;

according to my Gospel; this is the means by which God usually establishes his people in faith and holiness; it is, indeed, an act of divine power, and which there is reason to hope and believe will be exerted; for words which express the power of God to do this, or the other thing, generally import willingness to do it, as the word does here; but then this is commonly done in the use of means: and that is the Gospel, than which nothing has a greater tendency to, and is better calculated for, and with a divine blessing always issues in the establishment of the saints. The apostle calls the Gospel his, not because he was the author of it, or the subject of it; but because he was the minister of it; it was that Gospel which he was sent and qualified to preach, and did preach fully and faithfully, and which he explains by the following clauses:

and the preaching of Jesus Christ: being that Gospel which Jesus Christ himself preached, for which he was anointed and sent, and which first began to be spoken by him in its power and purity, and in such a manner as it never was before or since: and of which he also is the subject; it treats of his person, offices, righteousness, blood, sacrifice, and salvation; and which when preached aright is done in his name, by his authority, through gifts, grace, and strength received from him, and with a view to his glory: it follows as a further explanation of it,

according to the revelation of the mystery; by which is meant, not, as some think, only the calling and conversion of the Gentiles through the preaching of the Gospel, though what is said of it well agrees with it; see Ephesians 3:3; nor merely the mystery of Christ's incarnation and redemption by him; but the whole Gospel, and all the truths of it, which is often in Scripture called a "mystery", because the reason of many of its important doctrines does not clearly appear to the carnal reason of men; and the "modus" of several of them will ever remain inexplicable by us, as the doctrine of the Trinity, the sonship of Christ, and his incarnation, the resurrection, &c. though the things themselves are most clearly revealed, as here "revelation" is ascribed unto them; by which is meant not that internal revelation of them, by the Spirit of God to the souls of men, though absolutely necessary to the understanding of them in a spiritual manner; nor the revelation of them to the apostles by Christ, by which, and not by men, they were taught and received; but that revelation which they have made of them in the external ministry of the word:

which was kept secret since the world began, or "from eternal times": from all the ages of the former dispensation, or that have run out from the beginning of the world; not that this mystery of the Gospel was entirely unknown, nor any hints given of it in those ages; for there certainly were, as to our first parents after the fall, to Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and others; but it was but obscurely revealed, only some dark intimations were given of it; it was exhibited in types, shadows, and sacrifices; and, in a comparative sense, was wrapped up in darkness and silence, in reference to the more clear discovery and open exhibition of it under the Gospel dispensation.

Geneva Study Bible

{7} 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 {l} mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

(7) He sets forth the power and wisdom of God with great thanksgiving, which especially appears in the gospel, and makes mention also of the calling of the Gentiles, to confirm the Romans in the hope of this salvation.

(l) That secret and hidden thing, that is to say, the calling of the Gentiles.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Romans 16:25. Στηρίξαι] to make firm and stedfast. Luke 22:32; Romans 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:17, et al. The description of God by τῷ δυναμένῳ ὑμᾶς στηρίξαι corresponds to the entire scope of the epistle. Comp. Romans 1:11 (in opposition to Lucht).

ὑμᾶς] ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας, 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγ. μου] is closely connected with στηρ. (to strengthen in respect of my gospel), so that we are not to supply in fide (Koppe, de Wette, van Hengel) or the like (Reiche: “in the religious and moral life”); but the sense is not different from στηρ. ἐν τῷ εὐαγγ. μου (comp. 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Peter 1:12), namely: so to operate upon you that you may remain stedfastly faithful to my gospel, and not become addicted to doctrines and principles deviating from it. More far-fetched is the explanation of others (taking κατά in the sense of the rule): “so to strengthen you, that you may now live and act according to my gospel,” Köllner (comp. Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Wolf, Koppe, Tholuck); or (κατά of the regulative modal character): after the fashion of my gospel (Hofmann).

The expression τὸ εὐαγγελ. μου, the gospel preached by me, cannot, seeing that in Rome Pauline Christianity was in the ascendant, be accounted, on an impartial consideration of the apostolic consciousness, and in comparison with Romans 2:16 (see also 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:8; Galatians 2:2), as in itself surprising, least of all when we attend to the added: καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. This, namely, far from aiming at a conciliatory comparison with the preaching of the other apostles (Lucht), is a more precise definition of τὸ εὐαγγ. μου, proceeding from the humble piety of the apostle. As he wrote or uttered the latter expression, he at once vividly felt that his gospel was withal nothing else than the preaching which Christ Himself caused to go forth (through him as His organ); and by making this addition, he satisfies his own principle: οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω λαλεῖν τι ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο Χριστὸς διʼ ἐμοῦ λόγῳ κ. ἔργῳ, Romans 15:18. Comp. on the thought, Ephesians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 13:3. This humility, amidst all the boldness in other respects of his apostolic consciousness, suggested itself the more to his heart, because in connection with a praise of God. With this view of the genitive agree substantially Rückert, de Wette, Fritzsche, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald. The more usual explanation: the preaching concerning Christ (Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, and many others, including Köllner, Tholuck (?), Reithmayr, Philippi), yields after τὸ εὐαγγ. μου somewhat of tautology, and forfeits the thoughtful correlation between μου and Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. The personal oral preaching of Christ Himself during His earthly life (Grotius, Wolf, Koppe, Böhme, Hofmann), to which Paul never expressly refers in his epistles (not even in Galatians 5:1), is not to he thought of.

κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν μυστηρ. κ.τ.λ.] co-ordinated to the preceding κατὰ … Χριστοῦ, and likewise dependent on στηρίξαι. In the exalted feeling of the sublime dignity of the gospel, in so far as he has just designated it as the κήρυγμα of Jesus Christ, the apostle cannot leave the description of its character without also designating it further according to its grand and sacred contents (not according to its novelty, as Hofmann explains, which lies neither in the text nor in the connection), and that with a theocratic glance back upon the primitive counsel of salvation of God: as revelation of a secret kept in silence in eternal times (comp. Colossians 1:26; Ephesians 3:9; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 2:7). Note the bipartite character of the designation by the twofold κατά, according to which Paul sets forth the gospel, (1) ratione subjecti, as his gospel and κήρυγμα of Christ, and (2) ratione objecti, as the revelation of the primitive sacred mystery.

The second κατά is to be taken quite like the first (comp. Colossians 2:8); but Paul designates the divine decree of the redemption of the world[51] as μυστήριον (comp. generally on Romans 11:25), in so far as it, formed indeed by God from eternity (hidden in God, Ephesians 3:9), and in the fulness of time accomplished by Christ, was first disclosed[52] through the gospel, i.e. laid open to human contemplation (Ephesians 3:4; Ephesians 3:8-9; Ephesians 6:19); hence the gospel is the actual ἀποκάλυψις of this secret. The article was not requisite with ἀποκ., since the following genitive has no article, and, besides, a preposition precedes (Winer, p. 118 f. [E. T. p. 155]; comp. 1 Peter 1:7). But μυστηρίου, if it was to be in itself the definite secret, must have had the article (Ephesians 3:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26); hence we must explain “of a secret,” so that it is only the subsequent concrete description which expresses what secret is meant: “in respect to the revelation of a secret, which was kept silent in eternal times, but now has been brought to light,” etc. Among the varying explanations, the only one linguistically correct is that of Fritzsche (comp. Köllner, Rückert, Tholuck, and Philippi), who makes κατὰ ἀποκ. μυστ. dependent not merely on στηρίξαι, but on τῷ δὲ δυναμ. ὑμᾶς στηρ. taken together, and takes κατά as in consequence of, thus namely: “qui potest vos corroborare in … secundum patefactionem arcani, h. e. postquam facta est patefactio arcani, i. q. ἐπεὶ ἀπεκαλύφθη μυστήριον;” more exactly Rückert, Philippi, Tholuck: in correspondence with the revelation, etc. But no necessity exists for taking κατά here in another sense than previously (as e.g. there is such a necessity, obviously, with κατʼ ἐπιταγήν immediately below); on the contrary, after the words, “who is in a position to strengthen you in respect of the gospel,” the idea “secundum patefactionem arcani” would be superfluous and self-evident, and therefore the weighty mode of its expression would be without motive and turgid. It would be otherwise if κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν κ.τ.λ. were intended to establish not the ability of God, but His willingness. Incorrectly, in fine, Olshausen and older expositors think that τὸ γεγενημένον should be supplied: “which preaching has taken place through revelation of a secret,” etc. This Paul would have known how to say properly, had he meant it.

χρόνοις αἰων.] Period in which the σεσιγ. took place; Acts 8:11; Acts 13:20; Joshua 2:20; Winer, p. 205 [E. T. p. 273]; Kuhner, II. 1, p. 386. From the very beginning down to the time of the N. T. proclamation reach the χρόνοι αἰώνιοι, which are meant and popularly so designated. Bengel: “tempora primo sui initio aeternitatem quasi praeviam attingentia.” Comp. 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2. As at almost every word of the doxology, Lucht has taken offence at the expression χρόνοις αἰων.[53] And Reiche incorrectly understands the course of eternity down to the time of the prophets. For by ἀποκάλ. μυστηρ. κ.τ.λ. Paul wished to designate the New Testament gospel (κήρυγμα Ἰησου Χριστοῦ), which therefore had not been preached before Christ; but he thinks of the prophetical predictions as the means used (Romans 16:26) for the making it known, and justly, since in them the publication has not yet taken place, but there is contained merely the still obscure preindication and preparatory promise (Romans 1:2) which were only to obtain their full and certain light through the far later ἀποκάλυψις of the mystery, and consequently were to serve as a medium of faith to the preaching which announces the secret of salvation. Comp. Weiss, bibl. Theol. p. 293. Suggestively Bengel remarks: “V. T. est tanquam horologium in suo cursu tacito; N. T. est sonitus et pulsus aeris.” The silence respecting the secret was first put an end to by the preaching of the N. T., so that now the φανέρωσις came in its place; and up to that time even the prophetic language was, in reference to the world, as yet a silence, because containing only συνεσκιασμένως (Theodoret) what afterwards (“a complemento,” Calovius) was to become through the evangelical preaching manifest, brought clearly to light (comp. Romans 1:19, Romans 3:21; Colossians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:10-11; 1 Peter 1:20; Titus 1:2-3

Expositor's Greek Testament

Romans 16:25-27. The doxology. St. Paul’s letters, as a rule, terminate with a benediction, and even apart from the questions of textual criticism, connected with it, this doxology has given rise to much discussion. The closest analogies to it are found in the doxology at the end of Ephesians 3, and in Jude (Judges 1:24-25); there is something similar in the last chapter of Hebrews (Hebrews 13:20 f.), though not quite at the end; Pauline doxologies as a rule are briefer (Romans 1:25, Romans 9:5, Romans 11:36, Php 4:20), and more closely related to what immediately precedes. This one, in which all the leading ideas of the Epistle to the Romans may be discovered, though in a style which reminds one uncomfortably of the Pastoral Epistles rather than of that to which it is appended, would seem more in place if it stood where [42] [43] and an immense number of MSS. place it—after Romans 14:23. It may represent the first emergence and conscious apprehension of thoughts which were afterwards to become familiar; but it cannot be denied that the many distinct points of contact with later writings give it, in spite of all it has of imposing, a somewhat artificial character, and it may not belong to the Epistle to the Romans any more than the doxology in Matthew 6 belongs to the Lord’s Prayer.

[42] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).

[43] Codex Angelicus (sæc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25–27. Final Doxology to the Giver and Revealer of the universal Gospel of Salvation by Faith

25. 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. The “ages” here probably refer to the whole lapse of periods before the Gospel “age,” perhaps including not only human time with its patriarchal and Mosaic “ages,” and its ranges of pagan history, but the “age” of angelic life. For we gather (cp. Ephesians 3:10) that even to angels the Incarnation and its results in believing mankind formed a new manifestation of the Divine wisdom.—The E. V. thus well represents the Gr. as a paraphrase.—Cp. again Ephesians 3:3-9.

Bengel's Gnomen

Romans 16:25. Τῷ δὲ, now to Him) As a doxology concludes the disquisition, ch. Romans 11:36, so it now concludes the whole epistle. So 2 Peter 3:18; Judges 1:25. The last words of this epistle plainly correspond to the first, ch. Romans 1:1-5; especially in regard to “the Power of God,” the ‘Gospel,’ ‘Jesus Christ,’ the ‘Scriptures, the “obedience of faith,” “all nations.”—δυναμένῳ, that is of power—κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγελιόν μου, according to my Gospel) The power of God is certain, Romans 1:16; Acts 20:32, note.—ὑμᾶς, you) Jews and Gentiles.—στηρίξαι) we have the same word, Romans 1:11.—ἀποκάλυψιν) This same word is found at Romans 1:17.—κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν must be construed with εὐαγγελιόν μου.—μυστηρίου, of the mystery) concerning the Gentiles being made of the same body, Ephesians 3:3; Ephesians 3:6.—χρόνοις ἀιωνίοις, since the world began) [during the eternal ages], from the time, when not only men, but even angels, were created, to both of whom the mystery had been at first unknown, Ephesians 3:9-10. The times are denoted, which with their first commencement as it were touch upon the previous eternity, and are, so to speak, mixed with it; not eternity itself, of which times are only the streams; for the phrase, BEFORE eternal ages (Engl. Ver. before the world began) is used at 2 Timothy 1:9; Psalms 77 (76):6, ἡμέοας ἀρχαίας καὶ ἔτη αἰώνια.—σεσιγημένου, kept secret) The Old Testament is like a clock in its silent course: the New Testament like the sound of brass, that is struck [viz. brazen cymbals, or drums]. In the Scriptures of the prophets, the calling of the Gentiles had been foretold; but the Jews did not understand it.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 25-27. - G. Doxology. (For its original position, see above.) It may have been written by the apostle with his own hand. It differs, indeed, in form as well as fulness, from other autographic conclusions of his Epistles; but it is a suitable and grand ending of an Epistle of the peculiar character of this; summing up pregnantly in the form of a glowing thanksgiving the essential ideas of the whole Epistle, which had been more or less intimated in its preface. Verses 25, 26. - Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel (i.e. the gospel committed unto me to preach; cf. Romans 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:11; 2 Timothy 2:8), and the preaching of Jesus Christ (i.e., as appears from the use of κήρυγμα elsewhere, concerning Jesus Christ. or the announcement of Jesus Christ. The phrase seems to be added as declaring what Paul's gospel was, rather than as referring back to Christ's personal preaching), according to the revelation of the mystery (on the meaning of μυστηρίον, see note on Romans 11:25), which was kept secret (literally, kept in silence) since the world began (literally, in times eternal), but is now made manifest, and through the Scriptures of the prophets (literally, prophetic Scriptures), according to the command. meat of the eternal God, made known unto all the nations unto the obedience of faith. We have seen throughout the Epistle how the Scriptures of the Old Testament are referred to as foretelling the revelation in Christ of the long-hidden mystery (cf. also Romans 1:2); and it was through showing them to be fulfilled that, in all the apostolic preaching, the mystery, now manifested, was made known to all the nations; and this according to the commandment or appoint-merit of God, that the mystery should thus be now at last made known. Romans 16:25

Vincent's Word Studies

This is the only epistle of Paul which closes with a doxology. The doxology (see on Romans 14:23) stands at the close of this chapter in most of the very oldest MSS., and in the Peshito or Syriac and Vulgate versions. In a very few MSS. it is omitted or erased by a later hand. In many MSS. including most of the cursives, it is found at the close of ch. 14, and in a very few, at the close of both 14 and 16. Weiss ("Introduction to the New Testament") says that the attempt to prove its un-Pauline character has only been the result of extreme ingenuity.

Stablish (στηρίξαι)

See on 1 Peter 5:10.

Mystery

See on Romans 11:25. The divine plan of redemption. The particular mystery of the conversion of the Gentiles, which is emphasized in Ephesians 3:3-9; Colossians 1:26, is included, but the reference is not to be limited to this.

Kept secret (σεσιγημένου)

Rev., more accurately, kept in silence. In Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26, ἀποκεκρυμμένον hidden away, is used.