Romans 8:19-23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Romans 8:19-23.— I must think, that it was quite to the Apostle's purpose in this place to point at the common calamities of mankind. Christians ought not to be uneasy if they are exposed to sufferings on account of religion; for this world is a state of suffering and distress, and all mankind are groaning under various pressures. That the Apostle in these verses does not mean only the Christian world or creation, seems evident; because first, that even the creature itself, or even the very creature shall be delivered, Romans 8:21 plainly points at something different from the body of Christians. Secondly, the children of God are distinguished from the creature, or the creation, Romans 8:21 but the children of God are real Christians, Romans 8:16 therefore the creature cannot mean real Christians. Thirdly, he says Romans 8:20 that the creature was made subject to vanity, not wilfully, but through him who hath subjected the same in hope. Now we know of no other subjecting the creature to vanity, than that Genesis 3:19 which includes all mankind. Fourthly, Πασα η κτισις, (Romans 8:22.) the whole creation, must surely comprehend all mankind, as it does Mark 16:15. Colossians 1:23 and that we have no sufficient ground to extend it farther than mankind,—namely, to the brute creation,—will appear, if we consider, first, that the same phrase is used to signify all mankind in the two places just referred to; secondly, no creature in this world, but man, could be subject to vanity, wilfully or not wilfully; thirdly, whether we understand the 23rd verse of Christians in general, or of the Apostles only, we cannot well suppose that St. Paul would bring either into a comparison with brutes;—and not only they, but we also, &c. We may properly render κτισις throughout this passage by creation, as it is Romans 8:22. 'Αποκαραδοκια, rendered earnest expectation, signifies a solicitous, anxious waiting for a thing, and so includes a vehement desire. But it may be asked, How can all mankind desire and wait for the revelation of the sons of God, or the glory that shall be revealed in them, when but a small part of mankind know any thing of it? To this it may be answered, We know, as the Apostle observes, Romans 8:22 that all mankind do groan under the afflictions and pressures of this present world, sensible of its imperfection and vanity, and consequently must desire something better; and although they may not know what that better thing is, yet the Apostle knew it. And he speaks according to his own knowledge, and not theirs. He affirms of his own knowledge, what their expectation would issue in: their earnest waiting was in fact, however they might be ignorant of it, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God: and he proves this, Romans 8:20-21 as supposing the Christians to whom he wrote might be ignorant of it. Which shews that when he affirms that the earnest desires of mankind, after a release from the sufferings of this life, are a waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, he speaks, not of what heathens, or even Christians, understood or believed, but of what he himself knew and believed to be true. Dr. Whitby upon this place justly observes, that in the sacred dialect, desire and expectation are ascribed to creatures, in reference to things that they want, and which tend to their advantage, though they explicitly knew nothing of them. Thus the Messiah, before he came, is called, The desire of all nations, Haggai 2:7. Mr. Locke remarks, that 'Αποκαλυψιν των υιων, is revelation of the sons, that is, to the sons: the genitive case in the New Testament often denotes the object. The word 'Αποκαλυψις, should certainly be rendered revelation, as the word αποκαλυφθηναι is rendered revealed in the foregoing verse. See Locke, Whitby, Doddridge, and Grove.