John Calvin Commentary Romans 16:21

"Timothy my fellow-worker saluteth you; and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen." — Romans 16:21 (ASV)

Timothy, etc. The salutations which he records served in part to foster union between those who were far apart, and in part to make the Romans know that their brothers endorsed the Epistle; not that Paul needed the testimony of others, but because the consent of the godly is of considerable importance.

The Epistle closes, as we see, with praise and thanksgiving to God. It indeed records the remarkable kindness of God in favoring the Gentiles with the light of the gospel, by which His infinite and unspeakable goodness has been made evident. The conclusion also has this to recommend it: it serves to build up and strengthen the confidence of the godly, so that with hearts lifted up to God they may fully expect all those things which are here ascribed to Him, and may also confirm their hope regarding what is to come by considering His past benefits. But as Paul has constructed a long sentence by collecting many things into one passage, the different clauses, interwoven and sometimes transposed, must be considered separately.

He first ascribes all the glory to God alone; and then, to show that it is rightly due to Him, he in passing mentions some of His attributes, from which it appears that He alone is worthy of all praise. He says that He only is wise; which praise, being claimed for Him alone, is taken away from all creatures. Paul, at the same time, after having spoken of the secret counsel of God, seems to have intentionally added this eulogy, so that he might draw all people to reverence and adore the wisdom of God: for we know how inclined people are to complain loudly when they cannot discern a reason for the works of God.

By adding that God was able to confirm the Romans, he made them more certain of their final perseverance. And so that they might rest more fully in His power, he adds that testimony is given to it in the gospel. Here you see that the gospel not only promises us present grace, but also brings us an assurance of that grace which is to endure forever; for God declares in it that He is our Father, not only at present, but that He will be so to the end. Indeed, His adoption extends beyond death, for it will lead us to an eternal inheritance.

The other things are mentioned to commend the power and dignity of the gospel. He calls the gospel the preaching of Jesus Christ; since the whole sum and substance of it is no doubt included in the knowledge of Christ. Its doctrine is the revelation of the mystery; and this characteristic of it ought not only to make us more attentive to hear it, but also to impress on our minds the highest veneration for it. And he intimates how sublime a secret it is by adding that it was hidden for many ages, from the beginning of the world.

It does not indeed contain a pompous and proud wisdom, such as the people of this world seek, who for this reason hold it in contempt. Instead, it unfolds the ineffable treasures of celestial wisdom, much higher than all human learning; and since the very angels regard them with wonder, surely none of us can sufficiently admire them. But this wisdom ought not to be less valued because it is conveyed in a humble, plain, and simple style; for in this way it has pleased the Lord to humble the arrogance of the flesh.

And as it might have created some doubt how this mystery, concealed for so many ages, could have so suddenly emerged, he teaches us that this has not happened through the hasty actions of humans, or through chance, but through the eternal ordination of God. Here, also, he shuts the door on all those speculative questions which the waywardness of the human mind tends to raise. For whatever happens suddenly and unexpectedly, they think, happens at random; and thus they absurdly conclude that the works of God are unreasonable, or at least they entangle themselves in many perplexing doubts. Paul therefore reminds us that what appeared then suddenly had been decreed by God before the foundation of the world.

But so that no one might raise a dispute on the subject, and accuse the gospel of being something new, and thus discredit it, he refers to the prophetic Scriptures. In these we now see that what is fulfilled had been foretold, for all the Prophets have given such clear testimony to the gospel that it can in no other way be so fully confirmed. And God thus properly prepared the minds of His people, so that the novelty of what they were not accustomed to would not overwhelm them.

If anyone objects and says that there is an inconsistency in the words of Paul, because he says that the mystery, of which God had testified by His Prophets, was hidden throughout all the ages—the solution to this difficulty is plainly given by Peter: that the Prophets, when they diligently inquired about the salvation made known to us, ministered not to themselves, but to us (1 Peter 1:12). God then was at that time silent, though He spoke; for He held in suspense the revelation of those things about which He intended His servants to prophesy.

Although it is not agreed among scholars in what sense he calls the gospel a hidden mystery in this place, and in Ephesians 3:9, and Colossians 1:26; yet the opinion of those who apply it to the calling of the Gentiles has the most support. Paul himself expressly refers to this in his Epistle to the Colossians.

Now, although I allow this to be one reason, I am still not convinced that it is the only reason. It seems to me more probable that Paul also had in mind some other differences between the Old and the New Testament. For though the Prophets previously taught all those things which have been explained by Christ and His Apostles, yet they taught them with such obscurity that, in comparison with the clear brightness of gospel light, it is no wonder that those things are said to have been hidden which are now revealed.

Nor was it indeed without reason that Malachi declared that the Sun of righteousness would arise (Malachi 4:2), or that Isaiah had beforehand so highly praised the mission of the Messiah. And lastly, it is not without reason that the gospel is called the kingdom of God. We may conclude from the event itself that only then were the treasures of celestial wisdom opened, when God appeared to His ancient people through His only-begotten Son, as it were face to face, all shadows having been removed. He again refers to the purpose, mentioned at the beginning of the first chapter, for which the gospel is to be preached: that God may lead all nations to the obedience of faith.

PRAISE FOR EVER TO THE ONLY WISE GOD:

AMEN.