But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
But God commendeth, х sunisteesin (G4921)] - 'setteth forth,' 'displayeth' (see the same word in Romans 3:5; Romans 16:1; 2 Corinthians 3:1),
His (own) love toward us, [ tou (G3588 ) heautou (G1438 ) agapeen (G26 )] in that, while we were - far from being positively "good," or even negatively "righteous," while we were
Yet (or 'still') sinners - a state which His soul hateth,
Christ died for us. This is not exactly how we should have expected the argument to run. 'Men (he had been saying) will hardly die for men even when "righteous," though for one emphatically "good" one might be found doing so in some rare case; but God commendeth His love to us in that, while we were yet sinners'-what? 'He Himself died for us' would seem the natural conclusion of the argument. But as this would hardly have been congruous, he puts it thus, "God commendeth His love to us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Who can fail to see what a light this throws upon the Person of Christ? Had the apostle regarded Christ as a mere creature, however exalted-had he held Him to be in no proper sense of the essence of the Godhead-the comparison he has drawn between what men will do for one another and what God has done for us in Christ, is surely a halting one. For thus it would run: 'Hardly will any man die even for the best of men; but God so loved us that an exalted creature died for us.' Now what force is there in this? But if Christ is so of the essence of the Godhead as to be God manifested in the flesh, sent of God to give His life a Ransom for many-if He is so of the essence of the Godhead, that in all that He was and all that He did God was in Him of a truth, then His dying for us was as really a Personal sacrifice on the part of God as the glorious perfection of His nature will permit us to conceive and express. This makes the parallel a strict one, and the contrast sublime. Now comes the overpowering contrast, emphatically redoubled.