ACC ~ Romans 9 v1

I AM SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN CHRIST. ORIGEN: What Caiaphas said was also true: “It is ex-

pedient for you that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation should not perish,” yet this was not the truth in Christ. Therefore the apostle says that he is speaking the truth in Christ, in contrast to that truth which is not in Christ. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

CONSCIENCE BEARS ME WITNESS. PELAGIUS: Because Paul says that his conscience bears him witness, he shows that he is telling the truth, which conscience corroborates in everyone, and he establishes that he is not charged with lying by an accusation from within. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

I AM NOT LYING. GENNADIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE: The Jews who opposed the apostles and their message said that one or another of the following propositions must be true. Either the gospel is a lie, or God is a liar. … For God promised Abraham that he would bless his offspring, but now he has shown favor to impure and foreign people, i.e., the Gentiles, instead of us. Now if your preaching is a way out of these promises, as you claim, then it is clear that God lied to our ancestors. On the other hand, if it is wrong to speak of God in this way, then you and your message are a lie.

It was to answer this kind of charge that the apostle Paul wanted to work out an alternative position and demonstrate both that the message of the gospel was true and that God was not lying. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

Rom