Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 20:21
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
21. testifying, &c. to the Greeks ] The Rev. Ver. omits “the” before both nouns, the Greek having no article. “ Both to Jews and to Greeks.” By “testifying” is meant “proclaiming the need of.” And this message the Apostle would support by his own witness.
repentance Christ ] By some MSS. the last word is omitted. Some have seen in these two clauses a reference to the character of the preaching, “repentance” indicating what was most needful for the Gentiles, and “faith toward our Lord” the demand made upon the Jews. This however seems fanciful, especially when we remember the Pentecostal sermon of St Peter (Act 2:38) which was certainly addressed to Jews rather than Gentiles, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Testifying – Bearing witness to the necessity of repentance toward God. Or teaching them the nature of repentance, and exhorting them to repent and believe. Perhaps the word testifying includes both ideas of giving evidence, and of urging with great earnestness and affection that repentance and faith were necessary. See 1Ti 5:21; 2Ti 2:14; where the word used here, and here translated testify, is there translated correctly, charge, in the sense of strongly urging, or entreating with great earnestness.
And also to the Greeks – To all who were not Jews. The Greeks properly denoted those who lived in Greece, and who spoke the Greek language. But the phrase, Jews and Greeks, among the Hebrews, denoted the whole human race. He urged the necessity of repentance and faith in all. Religion makes no distinction, but regards all as sinners, and as needing salvation by the blood of the Redeemer.
Repentance toward God – See the notes on Mat 3:2. Repentance is to be exercised toward God, because:
- Sin has been committed against him, and it is proper that we express our sorrow to the Being whom we have offended; and,
- Because only God can pardon. Sincere repentance exists only where there is a willingness to make acknowledgment to the very Being whom we have offended or injured.
And faith – See the notes on Mar 16:16.
Toward – eis. In regard to; in; confidence in the work and merits of the Lord Jesus. This is required, because there is no other one who can save from sin. See the notes on Act 4:12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. Testify both to – Jews and – Greeks] He always began with the Jews; and, in this case, he had preached to them alone for three months, Ac 19:8-10, and only left their synagogues when he found, through their obstinacy, he could do them no good.
Repentance toward God, c.] As all had sinned against God, so all should humble themselves before him against whom they have sinned but humiliation is no atonement for sin; therefore repentance is insufficient, unless faith in our Lord Jesus Christ accompany it. Repentance disposes and prepares the soul for pardoning mercy; but can never be considered as making compensation for past acts of transgression. This repentance and faith were necessary to the salvation both of Jews and Gentiles; for all had sinned, and come short of God’s glory. The Jews must repent, who had sinned so much, and so long, against light and knowledge. The Gentiles must repent, whose scandalous lives were a reproach to man. Faith in Jesus Christ was also indispensably necessary; for a Jew might repent, be sorry for his sin, and suppose that, by a proper discharge of his religious duty, and bringing proper sacrifices, he could conciliate the favour of God: No, this will not do; nothing but faith in Jesus Christ, as the end of the law, and the great and only vicarious sacrifice, will do; hence he testified to them the necessity of faith in this Messiah. The Gentiles might repent of their profligate lives, turn to the true God, and renounce all idolatry: this is well, but it is not sufficient: they also have sinned, and their present amendment and faith can make no atonement for what is past; therefore, they also must believe on the Lord Jesus, who died for their sins, and rose again for their justification.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Testifying to all sorts and conditions of men, for there is no difference with God, that repentance would be accepted from them by God, and that he was ready to give repentance unto them, as Act 11:18; and that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was the true saving faith, there being no other name given whereby we may be saved. Upon these two depends the whole gospel, and our salvation by it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. Testifying both to Jews and . .. Greekslaboring under a common malady, and recoverable onlyby a common treatment.
repentance toward God, andfaith toward our Lord Jesus Christ(See on Ac5:31). REPENTANCE, asdistinguished from faith, is that state of the “honestand good heart” which arises from a discovery of one’scontrariety to the righteous demands of the divine law. This is saidto be “toward God,” because seeing Him to be theparty dishonored by sin, it feels all its acknowledgments andcompunctions to be properly due to Him, as the great Lawgiver, anddirects them to Him accordingly; condemning, humbling itself, andgrieving before Him, looking also to Him as its only Hope ofdeliverance. FAITH is saidto be “toward our Lord Jesus Christ,” because inthat frame of mind just described it eagerly credits the testimony ofrelief divinely provided in Christ, gladly embraces the overtures ofreconciliation in Him, and directs all its expectations of salvation,from its first stage to its last, to Him as the one appointed Mediumof all grace from God to a sinful world. Thus we have here a briefsummary of all Gospel preaching. And it is easy to see why repentanceis here put before faith; for the former must of necessity precedethe latter. There is a repentance subsequent to faith, the fruit offelt pardon and restoration. It was this which drew the tears withwhich the Saviour’s feet were once so copiously moistened. (Luk 7:37;Luk 7:38; Luk 7:47;and compare Eze 16:63). Butthat is not the light in which it is here presented.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,…. To the Jews first in their synagogue, and then to both Jews and Greeks, or Gentiles, in the school of Tyrannus; opening and explaining to both the nature and use, urging and insisting upon, and proving by undeniable testimonies the necessity,
of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ: the former of these is not a legal repentance, but an evangelical one; which flows from a sense of the love of God, and an application of pardoning grace and mercy, and is always attended with hope, at least of interest in it, and as here with faith in Christ Jesus: it lies in a true sight and sense of sin, as exceeding sinful, being contrary to the nature and law of God, and a deformation of the image of God in man, as well as followed with dreadful and pernicious consequences; and in a godly sorrow for it, as it is committed against a God of infinite purity and holiness, and of love, grace, and mercy; and it shows itself in shame for sin, and blushing at it, and in an ingenious confession of it, and forsaking it: and the latter of these is not an historical faith, or an assent of the mind to whatsoever is true concerning the person, office, and grace of Christ; but is a spiritual act of the soul upon him; it is a looking and going out to him, a laying hold and leaning on him, and trusting in him, for grace, righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation. Now these two were the sum of the apostle’s ministry; this is a breviary or compendium of it; a form of sound words held fast and published by him: and as these two go together as doctrines in the ministry of the word, they go together as graces in the experience of the saints; where the one is, there the other is; they are wrought in the soul at one and the same time, by one and the same hand; the one is not before the other in order of time, however it may be in order of working, or as to visible observation; repentance is mentioned before faith, not that it precedes it, though it may be discerned in its outward acts before it; yet faith as to its inward exercise on Christ is full as early, if not earlier; souls first look to Christ by faith, and then they mourn in tears of evangelical repentance, Zec 12:10 though the order of the Gospel ministry is very fitly here expressed, which is first to lay before sinners the evil of sin, and their danger by it, in order to convince of it, and bring to repentance for it; and then to direct and encourage them to faith in Christ Jesus, as in the case of the jailer, Ac 16:29 and this is, generally speaking, the order and method in which the Holy Spirit proceeds; he is first a spirit of conviction and illumination, he shows to souls the exceeding sinfulness of sin, causes them to loath it and themselves for it, and humbles them under a sense of it; and then he is a spirit of faith, he reveals Christ unto them as God’s way or salvation, and works faith in them to believe in him. Moreover, these two, repentance and faith, were the two parts of Christ’s ministry, Mr 1:15 and are what, he would have published and insisted on, in the preaching of the word, Lu 24:47 so that the ministry of the apostle was very conformable to the mind and will of Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Testifying (). As Peter did (Ac 2:40) where Luke uses this same word thoroughly Lucan and Pauline. So again in verses Acts 20:23; Acts 20:24. Paul here as in Ro 1:16 includes both Jews and Greeks, to the Jew first.
Repentance toward God ( )
and faith toward our Lord Jesus ( ). These two elements run through the Epistle to the Romans which Paul had recently written and sent from Corinth. These two elements appear in all Paul’s preaching whether “to Jews or Gentiles, to philosophers at Athens or to peasants at Lystra, he preached repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus” (Knowling).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Repentance toward God. Repentance has the article : the repentance which is due to God. So, also, faith : the faith which is due toward Christ, as the advocate and mediator.
Act 20:29Bound in the spirit. In his own spirit. Constrained by an invincible sense of duty. Not by the Holy Spirit, which is mentioned in the next verse and distinguished by the epithet the Holy.
Act 20:23Testifieth [] . The compound verb signifies full, clear testimony. Not by internal intimations of the Spirit, but by prophetic declarations “in every city.” Two of these are mentioned subsequently, at Tyre and Caesarea (ch Act 21:4, 11).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, (diamarturomenos loudaiois te kai Hellesin) “Solemnly witnessing, both to Jews and to Greeks,” publicly in synagogues, schools, and market places, and privately in homes and in church assemblies, which met in homes, Rom 1:13-16; 1Co 9:19-23; 1Co 16:19.
2) “Repentance toward God,” (ten eis theon metanoian) “Repentance to or toward God,” the one true God, the Godhead. The essence of fact and form of Paul’s preaching to Jew and Gentile, like that of his Lord, varied or changed but little, whether to philosophers on Mars’ Hill in Athens, or to peasants in Lystra. His substance of teaching was the same, even when presented in varieties of form or style; Repentance and faith were the central core of the way to salvation, which he preached to and for all men, even as his Lord had done, Mar 1:15; Luk 13:3; Luk 13:5; Act 14:15; Act 17:30-32; Act 26:20. It is arbitrary, without scriptural or defensible sanction, to teach that repentance was for the Jews and faith was for the Gentiles, Rom 1:14-16; Act 10:43.
3) “And faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”(kai pistin eis ton kurion hemon lesoun) “And faith to, toward, or in our Lord Jesus;” (Directionally, Repentance is directed to the Godhead(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), against whom man is by nature and practice a sinner, then directionally, the wooed, convicted, pricked soul of the sinner, is commanded to accept the offered gift of faith (a noun) and “believe,” by volition, will, or expression of choice desire, place his accepted “gift of faith” in Jesus Christ, at which point of obedience, and by which, he becomes a child of God, receives a pure heart, is justified, etc., Heb 11:6; Rom 10:17; 1Co 13:13; Pro 1:22-23; Joh 1:11-12; Gal 3:26; Act 15:9; Act 13:38-39; Rom 1:16; Rom 4:3-5; Act 10:43. What Jesus and Paul taught and preached, true witnesses, and the church of Jesus Christ, must keep on preaching, till the Lord returns for His own, Mat 28:20.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
−
21. Testifying both to Jews. Descending now unto the third point, he setteth down the sum of this doctrine in a few words, to wit, that he exhorted all men unto faith and repentance, as it was said before, that the gospel consisteth upon [of] these two points only. Whence we do also gather wherein the true edifying of the Church doth properly consist, the care and burden whereof doth lie upon the pastor’s shoulders, and whereunto we must apply all our study, if we be desirous to profit profitably in God’s school. We have already said that the word of God is profaned, when the readers of the same do occupy themselves in frivolous questions. But to the end we may not read the same wanderingly, we must note and aim at this double mark which the apostle setteth before us. For whosoever he be that turneth unto any other thing, in taking great pains, he shall do nothing else but walk in a circuit. By the word testify he expresseth great vehemency, as if he should have said that by testifying he did commend, that the excuse of ignorance might not remain. For he alludeth unto the custom used in courts, where testifying is used to take away all doubt. As men are not only to be taught, but also to be constrained to embrace salvation in Christ, and to addict themselves to God, to lead a new life. And though he affirm that he was wanting to none, yet doth he place the Jews in the first place; because, as the Lord hath preferred them in the degree of honor before the Gentiles, so it was meet that Christ and his grace should be offered them until they should quite fall away. −
Repentance toward God. We must first note the distinction of faith and repentance, which some do falsely and unskillfully confound, saying, that repentance is a part of faith. I grant, indeed, that they cannot be separate; because God doth illuminate no man with the Spirit of faith whom he doth not also regenerate unto newness of life. Yet they must needs be distinguished, as Paul doth in this place. For repentance is a turning unto God, when we frame ourselves and all our life to obey him; but faith is a receiving of the grace offered us in Christ. For all religion tendeth to this end, that, embracing holiness and righteousness, we serve the Lord purely, also that we seek no part of our salvation anywhere else save only at his hands, and that we seek salvation in Christ alone. Therefore, the doctrine of repentance containeth a rule of good life; it requireth the denial of ourselves, the mortifying of our flesh, and meditating upon the heavenly life. But because we be all naturally corrupt, strangers from righteousness, and turned away from God himself. Again, because we fly from God, because we know that he is displeased with us, the means, as well to obtain free reconciliation as newness of life, must be set before us. −
Therefore, unless faith be added, it is in vain to speak of repentance; yea, those teachers of repentance who, neglecting faith, stand only upon the framing of life, and precepts of good works, differ nothing, or very little from profane philosophers. They teach how men must live; but, forasmuch as they leave men in their nature, there can no bettering be hoped for thence, until they invite those who are lost unto hope of salvation; until they quicken the dead, promising forgiveness of sins; until they show that God doth, by his free adoption, take those for his children who were before bond-slaves of Satan; until they teach that the Spirit of regeneration must be begged at the hands of the heavenly Father, that we must draw godliness, righteousness, and goodness, from him who is the fountain of all good things. And hereupon followeth calling upon God, which is the chiefest thing in the worship of God. −
We see now how that repentance and faith are so linked together that they cannot be separate. For it is faith which reconcileth God to us, not only that he may be favorable unto us, by acquitting us of the guiltiness of death, by not imputing to us our sins, but also that by purging the filthiness of our flesh by his Spirit, he may fashion us again after his own image. He doth not, therefore, name repentance in the former place, as if it did wholly go before faith, forasmuch as a part thereof proceedeth from faith, and is an effect thereof; but because the beginning of repentance is a preparation unto faith. I call the displeasing of ourselves the beginning, which doth enforce us, after we be thoroughly touched with the fear of the wrath of God, to seek some remedy. −
Faith toward Christ. It is not without cause that the Scripture doth everywhere make Christ the mark whereat our faith must aim, and as they say commonly, set him before us as the object. For the majesty of God is of itself higher than that men can climb thereunto. Therefore, unless Christ come between, all our senses do vanish away in seeking God. Again, inasmuch as he is the Judge of the world, it must needs be that the beholding of him without Christ shall make us afraid. − (424) But God doth not only represent himself unto us in Christ’s image, but also refresh us with his Fatherly favor, and by all means restore us to life. For there is no part of our salvation which may not be found in Christ. By the sacrifice of his death he hath purged our sins; he hath suffered the punishment that he might acquit us; he hath made us clean by his blood; by his obedience he hath appeased his Father’s wrath; by his resurrection he hath purchased righteousness for us. No marvel, therefore, if we said, that faith must be fixed − (425) in the beholding of Christ.
(424) −
“
Nos terrore exanimet,” make us dead with terror.
(425) −
“
Prorsus esse defixam,” must be wholly fixed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.These, under all varieties of form, whether speaking to Jews or Gentiles, to philosophers at Athens (Act. 17:30) or peasants of Lystra (Act. 14:15), formed the substance of his teaching. It is obvious, however, that out of these might be developed a whole system of theologywhy repentance was needed, and what it was, and how it should show itself, what was involved in the statement that Jesus was the Christ, and why men should believe in Him, and what works were the proper fruit of faith. All these were questions which had to be answered, before even the most elementary truths could be rightly apprehended.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Repentance faith This is the order of all true conversion. First, the renunciation of all sin, and the turning from Satan to God. But what avails repentance and there stopping? Faith must finish the work repentance commences.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 20:21. Testifying both to the Jews, &c. The word rendered testifying sometimes means to prove a thing by testimony (ch. Act 2:40 Act 8:25.); and sometimes, from a conviction ofits truth and importance, to urge it with great earnestness; 1Ti 5:21. 2Ti 2:14. It is plain that we are to take it in the latter sense in this place, but both are included, Act 20:24. Repentance toward God, implies our turning to him in sorrow and contrition, as he is infinitely offended by sin; and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ signifies the making Christ the grand object of our faith and confidence for the pardon of our sins, the sanctification of our soulsin short, as the meritorious cause of every blessing that we can possibly receive for time and eternity.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ver. 21. Testifying ] Not barely preaching, but vehemently pressing (as matters of greatest importance).
Repentance towards God ] Not a desperate repentance (as was that of Judas), that drives men from God, but such as draws them towards him, and brings them before him, submitting to his justice, and imploring his mercy, as at the meet at Mizpeh,1Sa 7:51Sa 7:5 .
Faith towards Jesus Christ ] Repentance is put first, because initial repentance is a preparation to effectual faith. See Mar 1:15 . See Trapp on “ Mar 1:15 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
21. . .] This use of is mostly Pauline: and in ch. Act 24:24 it seems to be taken from his own expression.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 20:21 . ., see above on p. 92; Lucan Pauline. . , cf. the earliest notes in the preaching of Jesus, Mar 1:15 , and these were equally the notes of the preaching of St. Peter and St. Paul alike. Whether Paul was preaching to Jews or Gentiles, to philosophers at Athens or to peasants at Lystra, the substance of his teaching was the same under all varieties of forms, cf. Act 14:15 , Act 17:30 , Act 26:20 . It is quite arbitrary to refer to the Gentile and to the Jew. . , Pauline, cf. Rom 1:16 ; Rom 2:9-10 ; Rom 3:9 ; Rom 3:12 , 1Co 1:24 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Testifying = witnessing. Greek. diamarturomai. See note on Act 2:40.
to the Jews, &c. = to. Jews and Greeks.
repentance. Greek. metanoia. App-111.
faith. Greek. pistis. App-150.
Jesus Cirist. App-98.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
21. . .] This use of is mostly Pauline: and in ch. Act 24:24 it seems to be taken from his own expression.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 20:21. ) The sum of those things which are profitable is the sum of Christian doctrine, the sum of the Divine counsel, Repentance and Faith.-, towards) repentance, whereby men betake themselves to God. Refer this to the Greeks, who were mentioned just before; and refer the word faith to the Jews who betake themselves to Christ, mentioned a little before. It is a Chiasmus, as in Philem. Act 20:5, where see the note. [The Jews ([115]); the Greeks ([116]); Repentance ([117]); Faith ([118]): [119] refers to [120]; [121] to [122]: inverted Chiasmus. See Append. on the distinction of Immediate Relation, Direct Chiasmus, and Inverted.]
[115] the Alexandrine MS.: in Brit. Museum: fifth century: publ. by Woide, 1786-1819: O. and N. Test. defective.
[116] the Vatican MS., 1209: in Vat. Iibr., Rome: fourth cent.: O. and N. Test. def.
[117] Ephrmi Rescriptus: Royal libr., Paris: fifth or sixth cent.: publ. by Tisch. 1843: O. and N. T. def.
[118] Bez, or Cantabrig.: Univ. libr., Cambridge: fifth cent.: publ. by Kipling, 1793: Gospels, Acts, and some Epp. def.
[119] the Alexandrine MS.: in Brit. Museum: fifth century: publ. by Woide, 1786-1819: O. and N. Test. defective.
[120] Bez, or Cantabrig.: Univ. libr., Cambridge: fifth cent.: publ. by Kipling, 1793: Gospels, Acts, and some Epp. def.
[121] the Vatican MS., 1209: in Vat. Iibr., Rome: fourth cent.: O. and N. Test. def.
[122] Ephrmi Rescriptus: Royal libr., Paris: fifth or sixth cent.: publ. by Tisch. 1843: O. and N. T. def.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Testifying: Act 20:24, Act 2:40, Act 8:25, Act 18:5, Act 28:23, 1Jo 5:11-13
to the Jews: Act 18:4, Act 19:17, Rom 1:14, 1Co 1:22
repentance: Act 2:38, Act 3:19, Act 11:18, Act 17:30, Act 26:20, Eze 18:30-32, Mat 3:2, Mat 4:17, Mat 21:31, Mat 21:32, Mar 1:15, Mar 6:12, Luk 13:3, Luk 13:5, Luk 15:7, Luk 15:10, Luk 24:47, Rom 2:4, 2Co 7:10, 2Ti 2:25, 2Ti 2:26
faith: Act 10:43, Act 13:38, Act 13:39, Act 16:31, Joh 3:15-18, Joh 3:36, Joh 20:31, Rom 1:16, Rom 3:22-26, Rom 4:24, Rom 5:1, Rom 10:9, Gal 2:16, Gal 2:20, Gal 3:22, 1Jo 5:1, 1Jo 5:5, 1Jo 5:11-13
Reciprocal: Lev 11:9 – General 2Ki 17:13 – testified Neh 13:15 – I testified Psa 22:27 – turn Psa 40:10 – not hid Psa 81:8 – Hear Pro 14:25 – General Eze 18:27 – when Amo 3:13 – and testify Mat 9:13 – but Mat 28:20 – them Mar 2:17 – I came Luk 5:32 – General Luk 23:42 – Lord Joh 12:20 – Greeks Act 8:12 – concerning Act 14:1 – Greeks Act 19:10 – both Act 24:24 – the faith Rom 2:9 – of the Jew 1Co 1:6 – the 1Co 2:1 – the testimony 1Co 15:15 – we have 2Co 7:9 – I rejoice Gal 5:3 – testify Eph 4:17 – testify Heb 6:1 – repentance Heb 6:9 – things Heb 11:1 – faith Jam 2:1 – the faith 1Jo 3:22 – because
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 20:21
Repentance must have in it three things. It must have in it hope; it must have in it love; it must have in it God.
I. It must have in it hope.The sorrow which comes without hope, mere fear, is remorse. Remorse made Judas a suicide. Repentance made Peters tears, and Peters life of holiness and service.
II. It must have love, and God is love. God is all love.
III. It must have God.It is a real, deep sorrow for sin, because the sin has grieved God, with a strong desire and an earnest and immediate effort. With an innate sense to do right, because we love God, and we believe God loves us.
Repentance such as this is never the result of natural causes.
IV. The faith which believes without repentance would be presumption; and the repentance that has not faith in it is infidelity. The two are one, the two are one. Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. The degree of each is the measure of both.
Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustration
A lady went to Charles Wesley, complaining that she was the chief of sinners, the worst of transgressors, utterly lost and helpless. I have no doubt, madam, replied he, that you are bad enough. She instantly flew into a passion, declaring that she was no worse than her neighbours, and scolded the preacher as a slanderer. She had not the spirit of repentance.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
1
Act 20:21. Repentance here seems to be required before faith, which is really not the order of the items pertaining to the Gospel. (See the comments at Mar 1:15.)
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 20:21. Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. These two make up the sum of all Christian doctrinea change of heart, and then a return to God and faith in the Lord Jesus.
The one cannot be separated from the other. True faith cannot exist without the sorrowful heart. Again, repentance without faith in Christ is without comfort or hope, and ends too surely in faint-heartedness and despair. All efforts at self-redemption have been found again and again utterly useless.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 18