But none of these things move me
From the hope of the Gospel, nor from the ministry of the word,
nor from his journey to Jerusalem; they did not shake his faith,
nor inject fear into him, nor cause him to alter his purpose and
design:
neither count I my life dear unto myself:
life is a very valuable thing, no outward or temporal enjoyment
can be dearer to a man than life; all that he has he will give
for his life: this therefore must not be understood in an
absolute sense, as if the apostle despised his life, and esteemed
of it meanly, when it was the gift of God, and had been not only
so eminently preserved in providence, but had been so useful in a
way of grace to so many valuable purposes; but it must be taken
in a comparative sense, with respect to Christ and his Gospel,
and when it should be called for to be laid down for him; and
that, in such circumstances, and under such considerations, he
made no account of it at all, but preferred Christ and his Gospel
to it: this sense appears by what follows,
so that I might finish my course with joy;
the course and race of his life, ending it by suffering
cheerfully and joyfully for Christ; or his Christian course and
race, which began at his conversion, ending that with a joyful
prospect of being with Christ in an endless eternity; or else the
course of his ministry, sealing that with his blood, and
rejoicing that he was counted worthy to suffer for the name of
Christ, and so he did finish his course, ( 2 Timothy
4:7 )
and the ministry which I have received of the Lord
Jesus;
which seems to be explanative of the former, or of what is meant
by his course, namely his ministry, the ministry of the Gospel:
Beza's ancient copy, and the Vulgate Latin version read, "the
ministry of the word"; this he had received from Christ, both the
Gospel which he ministered, and gifts qualifying him for it, and
a mission and commission to minister it; and which he was
desirous of fulfilling in such a manner, as to give up his
account with joy to him from whom he had received it, and to whom
he was accountable; namely,
to testify the Gospel of the grace of God;
to profess and preach it, to bear a constant and public testimony
to it at death, as in life, and faithfully to declare it, and
assert it to the last; which he calls not only the "Gospel", or
good news of salvation by Christ; but the Gospel "of the grace"
of God: which brings the account of the free grace, love, and
mercy of God, displayed in the scheme of salvation of the grace
of God the Father, in pitching his love upon any of the sons of
men; not because they were better and more deserving of his
favour, than others, but because of his sovereign will and
pleasure, who will be gracious to whom he will be gracious; and
in choosing them in Christ unto salvation, before they had done
good or evil, and without any consideration or foresight of, or
motive from good works hereafter done by them; in drawing the
scheme and model of their salvation in Christ, appointing him to
be the author of it; and in making a covenant of grace with him,
stored with all the blessings and promises of grace; and in
sending him, in the fulness of time, to suffer and die for them,
not sparing him, but delivering him up for them all, and giving
all things freely with him; and in accepting the sacrifice,
satisfaction, and righteousness of his Son on their account, as
if done by themselves. It also gives an account of the grace of
Christ in undertaking the salvation of men; in assuming their
nature, and becoming mean and low in it; in dying for their sins;
in his intercession for them at the right hand of God; and in the
care he takes of them in this world, until he has brought them
safe home to himself. Likewise it gives an account of the grace
of the Spirit in regeneration and sanctification; in working
faith in the hearts of men; in being a comforter to them, a
witnesser of their adoption, the earnest of their inheritance,
and the sealer of them unto the day of redemption. And the Gospel
may be so called, because all the doctrines of it are doctrines
of grace; it asserts election to be of grace, and not of works;
and ascribes the justification of a sinner to the free grace of
God, through the righteousness of Christ, imputed without works
and received by faith, which faith is the gift of God, and it
denies it to be of the deeds of the law; it represents the pardon
of sin to be according to the riches of God's grace, though it is
through the blood of Christ, and not owing to humiliation,
repentance, confession, and new obedience, as causes of it; it
attributes regeneration and conversion to the abundant mercy, the
free favour of God, and to the efficacy of his grace, and not to
the will of the flesh, or the will of man; and in a word, as the
great doctrine of it is salvation, whence it is called the Gospel
of salvation, it declares that the whole of salvation, from first
to last, is all of grace. And it may also bear this name, because
it is a means of conveying grace unto, and implanting it in the
hearts of men; regenerating grace comes this way; God begets men
by the word of truth, they are born again of incorruptible seed
by it; the Spirit of God, as a spirit of sanctification, is
received through it, and faith comes by hearing it; and both that
and hope, and every other grace, are quickened, encouraged, and
drawn forth into exercise by it; all which is, when it is
attended with the Spirit of God and power: and this being the
nature and use of the Gospel, made it so precious and valuable to
the apostle, and made him so intent upon testifying it, and
fulfilling the ministry of it, and to prefer it to life and
everything in this world; and it cannot but be highly valued and
greatly desired by all those who have tasted that the Lord is
gracious. Beza's ancient copy, and some others, read, "to testify
to Jews and Greeks the Gospel of the grace of God".