Therefore — The apostle now makes a transition from the gentiles to the Jews, till, at Romans 2:6, he comprises both. Thou art inexcusable — Seeing knowledge without practice only increases guilt. O man — Having before spoken of the gentile in the third person, he addresses the Jew in the second per... [ Continue Reading ]
For we know — Without thy teaching That the judgment of God — Not thine, who exceptest thyself from its sentence. Is according to truth — Is just, making no exception, Romans 2:5, Romans 2:11; and reaches the heart as well as the life, Romans 2:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
That thou shalt escape — Rather than the gentile.... [ Continue Reading ]
Or despisest thou — Dost thou go farther still, — from hoping to escape his wrath, to the abuse of his love?. The riches — The abundance. Of his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering — Seeing thou both hast sinned, dost sin, and wilt sin. All these are afterwards comprised in the single word good... [ Continue Reading ]
Treasurest up wrath — Although thou thinkest thou art treasuring up all good things. O what a treasure may a man lay up either way, in this short day of life! To thyself — Not to him whom thou judgest. In the day of wrath, and revelation, and righteous judgment of God — Just opposite to "the goodnes... [ Continue Reading ]
Proverbs 24:12... [ Continue Reading ]
To them that seek for glory — For pure love does not exclude faith, hope, desire, 1 Corinthians 15:58.... [ Continue Reading ]
But to them that are contentious — Like thee, O Jew, who thus fightest against God. The character of a false Jew is disobedience, stubbornness, impatience. Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish — Alluding to Psalms 78:49, "He cast upon them," the Egyptians. "the fierceness of his anger, wra... [ Continue Reading ]
Of the Jew first — Here we have the first express mention of the Jews in this chapter. And it is introduced with great propriety. Their having been trained up in the true religion, and having had Christ and his apostles first sent to them, will place them in the foremost rank of the criminals that o... [ Continue Reading ]
But glory — Just opposite to "wrath," from the divine approbation. Honour — Opposite to "indignation," by the divine appointment; and peace now and for ever, opposed to tribulation and anguish.... [ Continue Reading ]
For there is no respect of persons with God — He will reward every one according to his works. But this is well consistent with his distributing advantages and opportunities of improvement, according to his own good pleasure.... [ Continue Reading ]
For as many as have sinned — He speaks as of the time past, for all time will be past at the day of judgment. Without the law — Without having any written law. Shall also perish without the law — Without regard had to any outward law; being condemned by the law written in their hearts. The word also... [ Continue Reading ]
For not the hearers of the law are, even now, just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified — Finally acquitted and rewarded a most sure and important truth, which respects the gentiles also, though principally the Jews. St. Paul speaks of the former, Romans 2:14, &c.; of the latter,... [ Continue Reading ]
For when the gentiles — That is, any of them. St. Paul, having refuted the perverse judgment of the Jews concerning the heathens, proceeds to show the just judgment of God against them. He now speaks directly of the heathens, in order to convince the heathens. Yet the concession he makes to these se... [ Continue Reading ]
Who show — To themselves, to other men, and, in a sense, to God himself. The work of the law — The substance, though not the letter, of it. Written on their hearts — By the same hand which wrote the commandments on the tables of stone. Their conscience — There is none of all its faculties which the... [ Continue Reading ]
In the day — That is, who show this in the day. Everything will then be shown to be what it really is. In that day will appear the law written in their hearts as it often does in the present life. When God shall judge the secrets of men — On secret circumstances depends the real quality of actions,... [ Continue Reading ]
But if thou art called a Jew — This highest point of Jewish glorying, after a farther description of it interposed, Romans 2:17, and refuted, Romans 2:21, is itself refuted, Romans 2:25, &c. The description consists of twice five articles; of which the former five, Romans 2:17, show what he boasts o... [ Continue Reading ]
Blind, in darkness, ignorant, babes — These were the titles which the Jews generally gave the gentiles.... [ Continue Reading ]
Having the form of knowledge and truth — That is, the most accurate knowledge of the truth.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou dost not teach thyself — He does not teach himself who does not practise what he teaches. Dost thou steal, commit adultery, commit sacrilege — Sin grievously against thy neighbour, thyself, God. St. Paul had shown the gentiles, first their sins against God, then against themselves, then against... [ Continue Reading ]
Isaiah 52:5... [ Continue Reading ]
Circumcision indeed profiteth — He does not say, justifies. How far it profited is shown in the third and fourth chapters. Thy circumcision is become uncircumcision — is so already in effect. Thou wilt have no more benefit by it than if thou hadst never received it. The very same observation holds w... [ Continue Reading ]
If the uncircumcision — That is, a person uncircumcised. Keep the law — Walk agreeably to it. Shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision — In the sight of God?... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea, the uncircumcision that is by nature — Those who are, literally speaking, uncircumcised. Fulfilling the law — As to the substance of it. Shall judge thee — Shall condemn thee in that day. Who by the letter and circumcision — Who having the bare, literal, external circumcision, transgressest the... [ Continue Reading ]
For he is not a Jew — In the most important sense, that is, one of God's beloved people. Who is one in outward show only; neither is that the true, acceptable circumcision, which is apparent in the flesh.... [ Continue Reading ]
But he is a Jew — That is, one of God's people. Who is one inwardly — In the secret recesses of his soul. And the acceptable circumcision is that of the heart — Referring to Deuteronomy 30:6; the putting away all inward impurity. This is seated in the spirit, the inmost soul, renewed by the Spirit o... [ Continue Reading ]