Romans 1:4
‘His Son Jesus Christ our Lord…was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead’ Romans 1:3-4.
Calvin comments: “Paul teaches us that the whole Gospel is contained in Christ…. Since Christ is the living and express image of the Father, it need not surprise us that He Alone is set in front of us as the One Who is both the object and centre of our whole faith….
“I have translated the words ‘Jesus Christ our Lord’ which follow, in the same case as ‘His Son’…. Any due progress in the knowledge of Christ, brings with it all that can be learned from the Gospel…. To search for wisdom apart from Christ means…utter insanity!
“‘(Christ) was born’ (of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power).’ Divinity and humanity are the two requisites which we must look for in Christ…. His divinity contains power, righteousness and life — which are communicated to us by His humanity….
“The Apostle has expressly mentioned both in his summary of the Gospel — in stating that Christ was made manifest in the flesh, and that in the flesh He declared Himself to be the Son of God. So too John (1:14), after saying that ‘the Word became flesh’ — adds that there was ‘the glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father’ in His very flesh.
“The special note which Paul makes of the lineage and descent of Christ from His ancestor David, is quite deliberate…. This particular phrase recalls us to the promise and removes any doubt which we may have of His being the very One Who was previously promised…. The fact of Christ’s descent from David, contributes therefore to the confirmation of our faith….
“‘(Christ was) declared to be the Son of God’…. Paul is saying that the power of the resurrection represented the decrees by which…Christ was declared to be the Son of God…. Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the open exercise of a truly heavenly power — i.e., the power of the Spirit when He rose from the dead…. He was God…. Paul elsewhere…extols the power of
the Spirit in His resurrection (Second Corinthians 13:4)….
Paul also includes the evidence…believers experience in their own hearts with the stupendous power of the Spirit Whom Christ manifested by rising from the dead…. Christ gained victory out of death, to which He had yielded by reason of the weakness of His flesh — not by external aid, but by the heavenly operation of His Own Spirit.”
Calvin also says in his Institutes II:14:6 & 16:13: “This honour we extend to His whole character of Mediator…. Paul…says…’Christ our Lord…was made of the seed of David…and declared to be the Son of God with power’…. Paul…affirms that He was declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection (Romans 1:3-4).” So Christ was declared to be the Son of God, by His resurrection! Is this what you believe?
