From the early Church Fathers to now.
4 Patristic · 1 Orthodox · 1 Catholic
“What Caiaphas said was also true: "It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation should not perish," yet this was not the truth in Christ. Therefore the apostle says that he is speaking the truth in Christ, in contrast to that truth which is not in Christ.”
“"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost." Did I not seem yesterday to you to have spoken some great and exorbitant things of Paul's love toward Christ? And great indeed they were, too great for any words to express. Yet what you have heard to-day are as far above those things, as those things were above ours. And yet I did not think they could be exceeded, still when I came to what has been read to-day it did appear far more glorious than the whole of the former. And that he was aware of this himself he shows by his exordium. For as on the point of entering upon greater things than those, and therefore liable to be disbelieved by the generality, he first uses a strong asseveration about the matter he is going to speak of; which many are in the habit of doing when they are going to say somewhat which is not believed by the generality, and about which they feel the utmost certainty in their own minds. Hence he says, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, and my conscience beareth witness."”
“Because Paul says that his conscience bears him witness, he shows that he is telling the truth, which conscience corroborates in everyone, and he establishes that he is not charged with lying by an accusation from within.”
“The Jews who opposed the apostles and their message said that one or another of the following propositions must be true. Either the gospel is a lie, or God is a liar.… For God promised Abraham that he would bless his offspring, but now he has shown favor to impure and foreign people, i.e., the Gentiles, instead of us. Now if your preaching is a way out of these promises, as you claim, then it is clear that God lied to our ancestors. On the other hand, if it is wrong to speak of God in this way, then you and your message are a lie.It was to answer this kind of charge that the apostle Paul wanted to work out an alternative position and demonstrate both that the message of the gospel was true and that God was not lying.”
“In the following discourse he intends to prove that not all who descended from Abraham are his seed, and lest anyone think that he says this in strong agitation of spirit, he anticipates and, removing such a supposition, speaks favorably of the Jews, declaring that he loves them greatly. That you may believe me, he says, I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie. As proof of this he brings forward three witnesses: Christ, his own conscience, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Having shown the need and power of grace, the Apostle begins to discuss the origin of grace and ask whether it is conferred solely by God's choice or from the merits of previous works. He raises this question because the Jews, seemingly called to God's special protection, had fallen from grace; whereas the gentiles, previously alienated from God, had been admitted to it. First, therefore, he discusses the election of the gentiles; second, the fall of the Jews, at brethren, the will of my heart (Rom 10:1). In regard to the first he does two things. First, he recounts the greatness of the Jews; second, he shows how the gentiles have been drawn into that greatness, at not as though the word of God has failed (Rom 9:6). In regard to the first, he does two things. First, the Apostle shows his affection for the Jewish people, lest anything he had said or was about to say against them should seem to proceed from hatred; second, he shows their dignity, at who are Israelites. Concerning the first he does two things. First, he confirms what he was about to say; second, he demonstrates his affection, at that I have great sadness. Concerning the first he does two things. First, he confirms what he is about to say with a simple assertion, I speak the truth, which especially befits the preacher who is a witness to the truth: my mouth will utter truth (Prov 8:7); love truth and peace (Zech 8:19). And because a person sometimes mixes falsehood with the truth, he excludes this when he adds, I am not lying: putting away falsehood, let everyone speak the truth to his neighbor (Eph 4:25). Second, he confirms what he is about to say with an oath, which is a confirmation supported by the testimony of infallible truth. Such are the witnesses of the saints. First, God himself, as it says in Job: my witness is in heaven (Job 16:19). Hence Paul says, in Christ, i.e., through Jesus Christ who is the truth without falsehood: the Son of God whom we preached among you was not yes and no (2 Cor 1:19). Second, the infallible witness of the saints is their conscience; hence he adds: my conscience bearing me witness: our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience (2 Cor 1:12). But because one's conscience is sometimes erroneous unless it is corrected by the Holy Spirit, he adds: in the Holy Spirit: the Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit (Rom 8:16).”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.