Romans 2:16

“ In the day when God shall judge the hidden things of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. ”

In this final proposition there is expressed and summed up the idea of the whole preceding passage (from Romans 2:6), that of the final judgment. But what is the grammatical and logical connection of this dependent proposition? It would seem natural to connect it with what immediately precedes (Romans 2:15), as Calvin does: “Their inward thoughts condemn or approve them in the day when”...for: “till the day when”...But this sense would have required ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας. Tholuck and Philippi employ another expedient; they understand: “and that especially in the day when”...; or: “and that more completely still in the day when”...Others: “ as will be seen clearly in the day when”...But if Paul had meant to say all that, he would have said it. Hofmann and Lange, also connecting this proposition with Romans 2:15 (Hofmann especially with ἐνδείκνυνται, manifest), regard the judgment of Romans 2:16 as being only the internal and purely moral judgment which is produced in the human conscience every time the gospel is preached to man. They read κρίνει, judges, and not κρινεῖ, will judge. The phrase: in the day when, would therefore denote, not the last judgment, but every day that a man hears the gospel for the first time. There is a context in which this explanation would be possible; but here, where the dominant idea from Romans 2:6 has been the final judgment, it is inadmissible. Besides, the phrase: by Jesus Christ, is not exactly suitable to any but the last judgment; comp. the words, Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31 et seq.; and especially the very similar phrases in 1 Corinthians 4:5. Moreover, Romans 2:29 can leave no doubt as to the apostle's meaning. The only tolerable explanation, if it were wished to connect Romans 2:16 with Romans 2:15, would be to take the verbs of Romans 2:15 as expressing the permanent present of the idea: “The manifestation of the presence of the law, written within their hearts, takes place, for: will certainly take place, in the day when”...; but this meaning of the verbs in the present in Romans 2:15 could not be guessed till after reading Romans 2:16. The time of the manifestation would have required to be indicated immediately to prevent a misunderstanding. The only natural connection of the words: in the day when, is to join them to the end of Romans 2:13: “The doers of the law shall be justified... in the day when ”...No doubt Romans 2:14-15 thus become a sort of parenthesis. But, notwithstanding, Paul has not deviated for a moment from his principal thought. These two verses contained an explanatory remark, such as we nowadays would put in a note; it was intended to show that the Gentiles also would be entitled to believe themselves justified, if all that was necessary for this end were to possess and hear a law without doing it. This false idea set aside, Paul resumes the thread of his discourse at Romans 2:16. To explain this verse, there is clearly no need of the two expedients proposed, the one by Ewald, to join it with Romans 2:4, the other by Laurent, to regard it as an interpolation.

The phrase: hidden things, is to be explained only by the understood contrast to external works, legal or ceremonial, in which the Jews put their confidence. None of those fine externals of piety or morality will deceive the eye of God in that day of truth. He will demand holiness of heart; comp. the expression, Romans 2:29; ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ᾿Ιουδαῖος, the Jew who is one inwardly, and: the circumcision of the heart; comp. also, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:20-48; Matthew 6:1-18. This idea was indispensable to complete what had been said of judgment according to deeds.

The word men sets the whole body of the judged face to face with the Judge, and reminds the Jews that they also will be there, and will form no exception.

At the first glance the phrase: according to my gospel, is surprising, for the expectation of the final judgment by Jesus Christ belongs to the apostolic teaching in general, and not to Paul's gospel in particular. Nevertheless, it is this apostle who, in consequence of his personal experience, and of the revelation which had been made to him, has brought out most powerfully the contrast between the ἔργα νόμου, legal and purely external works, wanting the truly moral principle of love and good works, the fruits of faith working by love (Ephesians 2:9-10; Galatians 5:6). This antithesis was one of the foundations of Paul's preaching.

The last words: by Jesus Christ, recall all the sayings in which Jesus announced His advent as judge. If it is really He who is to preside in the great act of final judgment, it is plain that, being such as He has made Himself known to us, He will not be satisfied with a parade of external righteousness, and that He will demand a holiness like that which He realized Himself, which, taking its origin in consecration of heart, extends over the whole life.