Now I say - I affirm, or maintain. I, a “Jew,” admit that his work had reference to the Jews; I affirm also that it had reference to the Gentiles.
That Jesus Christ - That “the Messiah.” The force of the apostle’s reasoning would often be more striking if he would retain the word “Messiah,” and not regard the word “Christ” as a mere surname. It is the name of his “office;” and to “a Jew” the name “Messiah” would convey much more than the idea of a mere proper name.
Was a minister of the circumcision - Exercized his office - the office of the Messiah - among the Jews, or with respect to the Jews, for the purposes which he immediately specifies. He was born a Jew; was circumcised; came “to” that nation; and died in their midst, without having gone himself to any other people.
For the truth of God - To confirm or establish the truth of the promises of God. He remained among them in the exercise of his ministry, to show that God was “true,” who had said that the Messiah should come to them.
To confirm the promises ... - To “establish,” or to show that the promises were true; see the note at Acts 3:25-26. The “promises” referred to here, are those particularly which related to the coming of the Messiah. By thus admitting that the Messiah was the minister of the circumcision, the apostle conceded all that the Jew could ask, that he was to be peculiarly “their” Messiah; see the note at Luke 24:47.