Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

this scripture against the poor holiness bands and accuse them of creating schism, division and
heresy. This is where all the martyrs died under charge of schism, heresy and disloyalty. It was true,
and is yet, that the devout, sincere people, pursuant to their conscientious duty to God, are forced to
separate from these carnal shepherds who starve them to death and let Satan’s wolves devour them.
This state of things results from the predominate power and influence of Satan in this dark fallen
world, usurping the churches and passing himself for God, filling the pulpits with men of his own
calling and leading, who are really these very schismatics and heretics here anathematized by the
Holy Ghost. Hence if we did not separate from them, we would not only be untrue to God, but lose
our souls. Therefore in all ages the persecuted martyrs and the poor holiness people have really been
the true church of God, though everywhere denounced as schismatics and heretics, by the
ecclesiastical tyrants, who under Satanic leadership having usurped the visible church, hurl their
anathemas against all who dare to retreat away from the deadening influence of their carnal ministry.
The real heretic is the one who separates from God and His truth, and not the one who separates from
some visible organization claiming to be the church of God, but in countless instances signally
failing to verify a solitary differentia of the Holy Ecclesia.
19. “For your obedience is gone forth to all.” This flowed as a natural consequence from the fact
that Rome was the capital and metropolis of the world. “Therefore I rejoice over you and wish you
to be wise in that which is good, and unmixed in that which is evil.” “Unmixed” (E.V., “harmless”)
is from alpha “not,” kerannumi “mix”. Hence the word is exceedingly strong, beautiful and
conclusive of entire sanctification. The sinner has evil in him unmixed with good; the wholly
sanctified man is filled with good unmixed with evil; while the unsanctified Christian has a mixed
experience consisting of good and evil, engaged in an exterminating war either with other.
20. “The God of peace will quickly crush Satan beneath your feet.” Paul was a prophet, here
giving a cheering prediction of coming victory. “The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” This
benediction is short but sweet.
21. “Timothy, my fellow laborer, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow kinsman, salute
you.
22. “I Tertius, the one having written the epistle in the Lord, salute you.” This short verse is not
the dictation of Paul, but of Tertius, his amanuensis, on his own responsibility. “Gaius my host, and
that of the whole church, saluteth you.” Paul enjoyed the kind hospitality of Gaius while he dictated
this letter to Tertius. “Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, and brother Quartus salute you.” While
the Corinthian church was the largest in all the vast Pauline diocese, the members were nearly all
poor in temporal circumstances, with a few exceptions of Gaius, here mentioned as the host of Paul
and the whole church, Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, and Crispus, the chief ruler of the
synagogue.
25. “To him who is able to establish you according to my gospel according to the revelation of
the mystery having been hidden through eternal times,
26. “But having now been made manifest through the prophetical Scriptures, according to the
promise of eternal God unto the obedience of faith having been made known unto all the Gentiles,