Bible Commentaries

Romans 9:3-4

Christian Patriotism.

I. It is a noble paradox. The sacrifice which is offered is impossible. There is something of sadness in the passion which suggests it. Great as is the offering, how could it possibly save a nation which trampled under foot a sacrifice far greater? It cost more to redeem souls; that more had been paid in vain: how should the less now suffice? St. Paul speaks as a man speaks—the language of feeling, not of logic. Only let us recognise that it is his genuine feeling that he speaks. It is not a mere figure consciously used and to be explained away before we can get at his meaning. He would give anything to save his brethren—life and everything in life and beyond life that is dearest and best to him.

II. The words are a Christian reading of that virtue of which ancient life and the Old Testament are so full—of the love of country, of patriotism. We feel that Paul at least is seeing all the facts of life. He is looking full in the face the realities of the spiritual world; yet this has not extinguished in him the yearning, the pride, the patriotic fervour of his race; it has only given it a deeper, more personal, more practical meaning. There is the tie of common blood; there is the pride of historic name; there is the fond memory of all that the race has been—its responsibilities, its glories, the marks of God's favour to it, the thought of its yet unfulfilled promise; there is all that we feel with respect to our own native country.

III. Two things, let us note, Christianity does for patriotism. (1) It gives the sentiment a truer basis in reason. (2) It teaches us how much deeper and wider a thing is the welfare of the community than men have dreamed before. Politics cannot be separated from morals. The law of God, the law of justice, mercy, unselfishness, rules the actions of a nation as well as every member of it.

E. C. Wickham, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxi., p. 409.

References: Romans 9:3-5.—E. M. Goulburn, Occasional Sermons, p. 207. Romans 9:5.—Homilist, vol. v., p. 270. Romans 9:11-13.—S. A. Tipple, Sunday Mornings at Norwood, p. 90. Romans 9:13, Romans 9:14.—J. Vaughan, Sermons, 12th series, p. 69. Romans 9:15.—Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 332. Romans 9:16.—Homilist, new series, vol. i., p. 627. Romans 9:17, Romans 9:18.—Ibid., vol. ii., p. 322. Romans 9:21.—Church of England Pulpit, vol. xxi., p. 61. Romans 9:21-23—Homilist, vol. ii., p. 23. Romans 9:30, Romans 9:31.—J. Salmon, The Anglican Pulpit of Today, p. 295. Romans 10:1.—Clergyman's Magazine, vol. ii., p. 80; vol. v., p. 285. Romans 10:1-11.—Homilist, 3rd series, vol. iv., p. 61. Romans 10:2.—J. Foster, Lectures, 1st series, p. 271.