Following are some quotes from WH Griffith Thomas's Commentary on Paul's Letter to the Romans. These are quotes that stood out to me as I have been reading through this commentary. This only covers chapters 1-8. Some background to this is posted here. I think most of the quotes are self-explanatory, but please comment if you have any questions. I particularly like the last two!
"The resurrection is the proof of
our acceptance, and is the antidote against all fear. 'Jesus paid it
all,' and the resurrection is the receipt, the full discharge of the
debt." - Romans 4:25
Justification is the strait gate
through which we enter the narrow way of holiness. - Romans 6
The view of the Cross takes in
Sanctification as well as Justification, to deal with sinfulness as
well as sins, to apply to what we are as well as what we do. - Romans 6:3-4
Being then made free from sin, ye
became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:18 KJV) To paraphrase
Griffith Thomas on this passage - this
is how God gives us the desires of our heart. Because we are "under
grace", His desires have become our desires and we delight
ourselves in them!
"So we, when we have died to sin,
enter with Him into this same life in which, like a re-married widow,
we have no other [beloved] than this new Spouse and His Spirit"
- Godet as quoted by Thomas on Romans 7:1-6
When we enter into union with Christ Jesus we find a
new power, the rule of the Holy Spirit, Who gives life and thereby
controls the evil nature. The presence of the Spirit brings life and
His power sustains it, and this gives the believer deliverance from
the law of sin and death. - Romans 8:32
Natural things suit the
natural man and spiritual things suit the spiritual man, As is the
life within, so will be the character and conduct, for fruit always
comes "according to its kind." - Romans
8:5-6
Regeneration concerns our nature and
condition, while adoption concerns our position and privileges. The
two are complementary aspects of our Divine sonship. - Romans 8:14
Hope is an essential element of our
salvation and must never be omitted from our contemplation of what
the Christian life means. Faith looks backward and upward; hope looks
onward. Faith accepts; but hope expects. Faith is concerned with Him
Who promises; but hope is occupied with the good things promised.
Faith appropriates; but hope anticipates. It is in the power of this
hope which the New Testament calls "that blessed hope" that
we are to live and labor. Hope is always centered on the coming of
the Lord, and included in that, on the resurrection from the dead
with complete deliverance from sin, likeness to Christ, and the full
revelation of our sonship to God in Him. - Romans 8:24-25
