But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I believed, for which cause I have spoken; we also believe, for which cause we speak also:

“"But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak; that He which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus." He has reminded us of a Psalm which abounds in heavenly wisdom, and is especially fitted to encourage in dangers. For this saying that just man uttered when he was in great dangers, and from which there was no other possibility of recovery than by the aid of God. Since then kindred circumstances are most effective in comforting, therefore he says, "having the same Spirit;" that is, 'by the same succor by which he was saved, we also are saved; by the Spirit through which he spake, we also speak.' Whence he shows, that between the New and Old Covenants great harmony exists, and that the same Spirit wrought in either; and that not we alone are in dangers, but all those of old were so too; and that we must find a remedy through faith and hope, and not seek at once to be released from what is laid upon us. For having showed by arguments the resurrection and the life, and that the danger was not a mark of helplessness or destitution; he thenceforward brings in faith also, and to it commits the whole. But still of this also, he furnishes a proof, the resurrection, namely, of Christ, saying, "we also believe, and therefore also we speak." What do we believe? tell me.”

“Moreover, our Mediator, when revealed to us, wished the sacrament of our regeneration to be manifest. But for the just men of old it was something hidden, although they also were to be saved by the same faith which was to be revealed in its own time. For we do not dare to prefer the faithful of our own time to the friends of God by whom those prophecies were to be made, since God so announced himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, as to give himself that name forever. If the belief is correct that circumcision served instead of baptism in the saints of old, what shall be said of those who pleased God before this was commanded, except that they pleased him by faith, because, as it is written in Hebrews: "Without faith it is impossible to please God"? "But having the same spirit of faith," says the apostle, "as it is written: I believed, for which cause I have spoken, we also believe, for which reason we also speak." He would not have said "the same" unless this very spirit of faith was also theirs. For, just as they, when this same mystery was hidden, believed in the incarnation of Christ which was to come, so we also believe that it has come.”

“Having set down the patience of the apostles in evils, and the cause of that patience having been shown, here the apostle consequently makes these things clear; and first he makes clear what he said about the hope of glory; second, what he said about his patience, at the place "therefore we do not fail," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he makes clear the hope of glory which he has; second he shows whence this hope comes to him, at the place "but having the same," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows how he bears the mortification of Jesus in his body; second he makes clear how he bears the life of Jesus, at the place "that also the life," etc.; third he makes clear what comes of this for himself and for others, at the place "therefore death," etc. He says therefore first: I say that we bear the mortification in our bodies, not that we die, but because we who live, by bodily life or by virtues, are always handed over to death, or to the dangers of death. And this indeed, for the sake of Jesus. Ps. 43:22: "we are accounted as sheep," etc. But how we bear the life of Jesus in the body he explains, adding: "so," namely that the life of Jesus, immortal and impassible, may be made manifest in our flesh, now mortal, so that our mortal flesh may receive immortality in the resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:53: "but this mortal must put on," etc. But what comes of this, he adds, saying "therefore death works," that is, exercises its dominion in us, "but life," namely the present life, "works in you," because you are in prosperity, according to that word, 1 Cor. 4:10: "we are fools," etc. So that death works in us a great good, namely the attainment of spiritual life. Ps. 115:15: "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," etc. But the earthly life which you love works in you a great evil, namely eternal death. Prov. 10:16: "the work of the just is unto life," etc. John 12:25: "he who loves his soul in this world," etc. Or otherwise: there were two things in Christ, bodily death and spiritual life. He says therefore "therefore death," etc., as if to say: in us not only does spiritual life work, insofar as we imitate spiritually, but death also works, that is, on account of the hope of resurrection, and on account of the love of Christ, the traces of the death of Christ appear in us, insofar as we are exposed to the sufferings of death, Ps. 43:22: "for thy sake we are put to death all the day long;" but in you only the life of Christ works, through which life faith is planted in you, and spiritual life. But whence this hope of certitude comes to the apostle, he adds, saying "but having," etc. And concerning this he does two things. First he sets down the cause of the certitude; second he concludes the certitude itself, at the place "knowing that he who," etc. But the cause of this certitude is the spirit, infusing faith into their hearts. Hence first he sets down this cause; second he makes it clear by an example, at the place "as it is written," etc. He says therefore: from this we hope and do not fail, because we are having the same spirit of faith which the ancients had, because, although the times have changed, yet the spirit and faith have not changed, except that they believed Christ was to come and to suffer, but we believe that he has come and has suffered. And this spirit is the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of faith. 1 Cor. 12:11: "but all these things one and the same spirit works," etc. And in the same place: "to another faith in the same spirit." Having therefore this spirit, which the ancients had, we do the same things as they, and we believe. But what they did, Ps. 115:10 says: "I believed," namely God, and perfectly. And this all the ancients did. Heb. 11:39: "all these by the testimony of faith," etc. "For which cause," namely I believed, "I have spoken," that is, I have confessed the faith. Rom. 10:10: "with the heart we believe unto justice," etc. Which we also do, because on account of the fact that we believe, we speak and confess the faith and preach. Acts 4:20: "for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." The Holy Spirit therefore is the cause of this certitude. Finally therefore he concludes the intended conclusion, namely the certitude itself. And first concerning his own salvation; second concerning the salvation of others, at the place "and will set with you," etc. He says therefore "knowing," that is, having certain knowledge, "that he who raised up Jesus," that is, God the Father, or the whole Trinity, "will raise us also with Jesus," namely that we may take up the same glory with Jesus, because since we are his members, we ought to be with the head. John 12:26: "I will, Father, that where I am, there also my minister may be," etc. Rom. 8:11: "he who raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead, will raise," etc. And I am certain not only of our salvation, but also of yours, because "he will set us with you," that is, we shall be together; because just as we are members of Christ, so also you through us. 1 Thess. 4:16: "and so we shall always be with the Lord." Matt. 24:28: "wherever the body shall be," etc. And therefore he says "with you," so as to encourage them to good, insofar as he shows them not to be inferior, but equal. And well can I say this with certainty, because all things are for your benefit. For all things which we endure, all the graces which we receive from God, are for you, namely that you may be instructed by our example. And this for the reason that the grace abounding from us may abound in you through many unto the glory of God, that is, that many may give thanks to God for so great a benefit. Eph. 5:20: "giving thanks to God and the Father," etc.”

“We having the same Spirit of faith,.... By faith here is meant, not the doctrine, but the grace of faith; a believing in the doctrines of the Gospel, and in the person of Christ; an exercise of that grace upon the death and resurrection of Christ; and particularly a looking by faith in full expectation of the saints' resurrection from the dead, and eternal glory, together with a reliance on the power, faithfulness, and promises of God to support under the afflictions of this life. Now of this faith the Spirit of God is the author; this is not of ourselves, of our own power, it is the free gift of God, and a valuable gift it is; it is of the operation of God, and the produce of his almighty power; and of this the Spirit of God, in conversion, is the powerful operator: hence he is here called the "Spirit of faith". So the "third" number in the Cabalistic tree of the Jews, the intelligence sanctifying, which answers to the third person in our doctrine of the Trinity, is called (x), "Nmwa hnwma and , "the artificer of faith", and "the author or parent of faith", because from its power faith flows.'' Which is the "same" in all saints; the Spirit is the same in one as in another, and so is the faith which he is the author of; see Pe2 1:1. Faith is the same in all the saints that have been from the beginning of the world, under the Old and New Testament dispensations; it was the same in all the churches in the apostle's time, in Rome as at Ephesus, in Ephesus as at Rome, and in Thessalonica as at Rome and Ephesus, and so in all the other churches; though it may be, the apostle may chiefly design the sameness of faith, and of the Spirit, in him and his fellow ministers, and in these Corinthians, though death was working in the one, and life in the other; which appeared in their free and bold ministration of the word, notwithstanding all they met with on account of it, in imitation and encouraged by the example of David, according as it is written, Psa 116:10. I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak: where there is true faith, and the true Spirit of faith, there will be a speaking of, for, and in the name of Christ, as there ought to be: for as "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". This is true of believers in common, sooner or later, at one time or another; but more especially of the ministers of the word, who have a firm and well grounded belief in the doctrines of the Gospel, and person of Christ; and therefore speak freely, and without any doubt and hesitation about these things, boldly, and without the fear of men, and sincerely and faithfully, as in the sight of God: hence they make Christ the main subject of their ministry, because they believe in him, and nothing can stop their mouths from speaking of him; faith, and a spirit of faith, fit for public work and service, and give freedom and boldness in the ministration of the Gospel, and are a great support under persecution for the sake of it. (x) Sepher Jetzirah, Semit 3. p. 6.”

“We having the same spirit of faith - As David had when he wrote Psa 116:10 : I believed, therefore have I spoken: we also believe that we shall receive the fulfillment of all God's promises; and being fully convinced of the truth of the Christian religion, we speak and testify that our deliverance is from God; and that he does not fail those who trust in him, and that he saves to the uttermost them who come unto him through Christ Jesus.”

“Translate as Greek, "BUT having," &c., that is, not withstanding the trials just mentioned, we having, &c. the same spirit of faith, according as it, &c.--Compare Rom 8:15, on the usage of "spirit of faith." The Holy Spirit acting on our spirit. Though "death worketh in us, and life in you" (Co2 4:12), yet as we have the same spirit of faith as you, we therefore [believingly] look for the same immortal life as you [ESTIUS], and speak as we believe. ALFORD not so well translates, "The same . . . faith with that described in the Scriptures" (Psa 116:10). The balance of the sentence requires the parallelism to be this, "According to that which is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak," namely, without fear, amidst "afflictions" and "deaths" (Co2 4:17).”