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One would hardly
die for a
righteous man, that is, an
innocent man, one that is unjustly
condemned; every body will pity such
a one, but few will put such a value
upon his life as either to hazard,
or much less to deposit, their own
in his stead.
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It may be, one might perhaps be
persuaded to die for a good man,
that is, a useful man, who is more
than barely a righteous man. Many
that are good themselves yet do but
little good to others; but those
that are useful commonly get
themselves well beloved, and meet
with some that in a case of
necessity would venture to be their
antipsychoi—would engage life for
life, would be their bail, body
for body. Paul was, in this sense, a
very good man, one that was very
useful, and he met with some that
for his life laid down their own
necks, (Romans
16:4). And yet observe how he
qualifies this: it is but some that
would do so, and it is a daring act
if they do it, it must be some bold
venturing soul; and, after all, it
is but a peradventure.
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But Christ died for sinners
(v. 8), neither righteous nor good;
not only such as were useless, but
such as were guilty and obnoxious;
not only such as there would be no
loss of should they perish, but such
whose destruction would greatly
redound to the glory of God’s
justice, being malefactors and
criminals that ought to die. Some
think he alludes to a common
distinction the Jews had of their
people into ndyqym—righteous,
hsdym—merciful (compare
Isa. 17:1), and
rssym—wicked.
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Now herein God commended Hhis
love, not only proved or
evidenced His love (He might have
done that at a cheaper rate), but
magnified it and made it
illustrious. This circumstance did
greatly magnify and advance His
love, not only put it past dispute,
but rendered it the object of the
greatest wonder and admiration: "Now
my creatures shall see that I love
them, I will give them such an
instance of it as shall be without
parallel." Commendeth His love,
as merchants commend their goods
when they would put them off. This
commending of His love was in order
to the shedding abroad of His love
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. He
evinces His love in the most
winning, affecting, endearing way
imaginable. While we were yet
sinners, implying that we were
not to be always sinners, there
should be a change wrought; for He
died to save us, not in our sins,
but from our sins; but we were yet
sinners when He died for us.
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Nay, which is more,
we were
enemies (v. 10), not only
malefactors, but traitors and
rebels, in arms against the
government; the worst kind of
malefactors and of all malefactors
the most obnoxious. The carnal mind
is not only an enemy to God, but
enmity itself,
Romans 8:7;
Col. 1:21. This enmity is a
mutual enmity, God loathing the
sinner, and the sinner loathing God,
Zec. 11:8. And that for such as
these Christ should die is such a
mystery, such a paradox, such an
unprecedented instance of love, that
it may well be our business to
eternity to adore and wonder at it.
This is a commendation of love
indeed. Justly might He who had thus
loved us make it one of the laws of
His kingdom that we should love our
enemies.
