SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:1
¶ Verdad digo en el Cristo, no miento, dndome testimonio mi conciencia en el Espíritu Santo,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 9:1
Verse 1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not] This is one of the most solemn oaths any man can possibly take. He appeals to Christ as the searcher of hearts that he tells the truth; asserts that his conscience was free from all guile in this matter, and that the Holy Ghost bore him testimony that what he said was true. Hence we find that the testimony of a man's own conscience, and the testimony of the Holy Ghost, are two distinct things, and that the apostle had both at the same time. As the apostle had still remaining a very awful part of his commission to execute, namely, to declare to the Jews not only that God had chosen the Gentiles, but had rejected them because they had rejected Christ and his Gospel, it was necessary that he should assure them that however he had been persecuted by them because he had embraced the Gospel, yet it was so far from being a gratification to him that they had now fallen under the displeasure of God, that it was a subject of continual distress to his mind, and that it produced in him great heaviness and continual sorrow.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not , etc..] The apostle being about to discourse concerning predestination, which he had mentioned in the preceding chapter, and to open the springs and causes of it, and also concerning the induration and rejection of the Jewish nation; he thought it necessary to preface his account of these things with some strong assurances of his great attachment to that people, and his affection for them, lest it should be thought he spoke out of prejudice to them; and well knowing in what situation he stood in with them, on account of his preaching up the abrogation of the ceremonial law, and how difficult it might be for him to obtain their belief in what he should say, he introduces it with a solemn oath, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not: which refers not to what he had said in the foregoing chapter, but to what he was going to say; and is all one as if he had said, as I am in Christ, a converted person, one born again, and renewed in the spirit of my mind, what I am about to speak is truth, and no lie; or I swear by Christ the God of truth, who is truth itself, and I appeal to him as the true God, the searcher of hearts, that what I now deliver is truth, and nothing but truth, and has no falsehood in it. This both shows that the taking of an oath is lawful, and that Christ is truly God, by whom only persons ought to swear: my conscience bearing me witness . The apostle, besides his appeal to Christ, calls his conscience to witness to the truth of his words; and this is as a thousand witnesses; there is in every man a conscience, which unless seared as with a red hot iron, will accuse or excuse, and bear a faithful testimony to words and actions; and especially a conscience enlightened, cleansed, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, as was the apostle's: hence he adds, in the Holy Ghost ; meaning either that his conscience was influenced and directed by the Holy Ghost in what he was about to say; or it bore witness in and with the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost with that; so that here are three witnesses called in, Christ, conscience, and the Holy Ghost; and by three such witnesses, his words must be thought to be well established.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Being about to discuss the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and to show that the whole agrees with the sovereign electin love of God, the apostle expresses strongly his affection for his people. He solemnly appeals to Christ; and his conscience, enlightene and directed by the Holy Spirit, bore witness to his sincerity. He would submit to be treated as "accursed," to be disgraced, crucified and even for a time be in the deepest horror and distress; if he coul rescue his nation from the destruction about to come upon them for their obstinate unbelief. To be insensible to the eternal condition of our fellow-creatures, is contrary both to the love required by the law and the mercy of the gospel. They had long been professed worshipper of Jehovah. The law, and the national covenant which was grounde thereon, belonged to them. The temple worship was typical of salvatio by the Messiah, and the means of communion with God. All the promise concerning Christ and his salvation were given to them. He is not onl over all, as Mediator, but he is God blessed for ever.
Greek Textus Receptus
αληθειαν 225 N-ASF λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S εν 1722 PREP χριστω 5547 N-DSM ου 3756 PRT-N ψευδομαι 5574 5736 V-PNI-1S συμμαρτυρουσης 4828 5723 V-PAP-GSF μοι 3427 P-1DS της 3588 T-GSF συνειδησεως 4893 N-GSF μου 3450 P-1GS εν 1722 PREP πνευματι 4151 N-DSN αγιω 40 A-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. In Christ. Not by Christ, as the formula of an oath, Christ being never used by the apostles in such a formula, but God. Rom. i. 9; 2 Corinthians i. 23; xi. 31; Philip. i. 8. For this favorite expression of Paul, see Gal. ii. 17; 1 Cor. i. 2; 2 Cor. ii. 14, 17; xii. 19, etc.Conscience. See on 1 Pet. iii. 16.
Bearing me witness. Rev., bearing witness with me. See on ch. viii. 16. Concurring with my testimony. Morison remarks that Paul speaks of conscience as if it were something distinct from himself, and he cites Adam Smith's phrase, "the man within the breast."
In the Holy Ghost. So Rev. The concurrent testimony of his declaration and of conscience was "the echo of the voice of God's Holy Spirit" (Morison). 49
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:1 {In Christ} (en Christ"i). Paul really takes a triple oath here so strongly is he stirred. He makes a positive affirmation in Christ, a negative one (not lying), the appeal to his conscience as co-witness (sunmarturouss, genitive absolute as in #2:15 which see) "in the Holy Spirit."
