THE FAILURE OF THE JEWS In Romans 1 St. Paul showed that the Gentiles were under God's judgment on account of sin. Now he is about to turn to the Jews. He asserts first, that God's judgment will fall impartially upon all sinners (Romans 2:1). Each man will be judged by the light which he has (Roman... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE LETTER] RV 'with the letter,' i.e. with written law. INEXCUSABLE] RV 'without excuse': cp. Romans 1:20. JUDGES] cp. Galatians 2:15. THE SAME THINGS] of the same kind, if not so glaring.... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE SURE] RV 'know,' i.e. by reason and revelation.... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER] i.e. in accordance with. AGAINST] RV 'in.'... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTENTIONS] RV 'factions,' i.e. upholding their ideas and traditions against God's voice: cp. John 5:44. INDIGNATION] RV 'shall be indignation.'... [ Continue Reading ]
JEW FIRST] privilege increases responsibility.... [ Continue Reading ]
RESPECT OF PERSONS] i.e. regard for the outward circumstances of a man instead of his real character; here of the partiality of an unjust judge: cp. Acts 10:34; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1. 12-16. All men are under a law of some kind, whether revealed law or the light o... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT LAW] i.e. without a revealed law of right and wrong. IN THE LAW] RV 'under law.' BY THE LAW] RV 'by law.' The expression 'the law' means the Law of Moses; 'law,' without the article, means law in general, 'the will of God for man's conduct.' St. Paul regards the pre-Messianic period as essen... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW] RV 'a law.' JUSTIFIED] i.e. declared righteous at the Judgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT THE LAW] RV 'no law.' BY NATURE] i.e. without a revelation.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH] RV 'in that they.' THE WORK OF THE LAW] i.e. the effect of the law in marking what is right from what is wrong. CONSCIENCE] the faculty by which we reflect upon the character of our actions. It may be more or less enlightened, cp. 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 8:10. it may become corrupt... [ Continue Reading ]
MY GOSPEL] i.e. the message I am commissioned to preach: cp. Romans 16:25; 2 Timothy 2:8. Judgment by Christ is a distinctive doctrine of the gospel: cp. Matthew 25:31.; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10. 17-24. Here, first, the Jew is expressly addressed. He relied upon God's favour... [ Continue Reading ]
JEW] the national name. RESTEST IN] RV 'restest upon,' i.e. feeling secure of God's favour from the mere possession of the Law. OF GOD] i.e. as peculiarly bound to the Jew.... [ Continue Reading ]
APPROVEST, etc.] i.e. able to distinguish delicately between the more and the less good.... [ Continue Reading ]
FORM] i.e. perfect embodiment.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Matthew 3:7; Mark 12:40; John 8:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
COMMIT SACRILEGE] RV 'rob temples': cp. Acts 19:37.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:21. 25-29. The Jew thought that because he was circumcised, i.e. a member of the covenant people, he was sure of God's favour. But circumcision implied a surrendered life, which is the only thing acceptable to God. PARAPHRASE. '(25) You trust in circumcision, and it is g... [ Continue Reading ]
PROFITETH] cp. Romans 3:1.; Romans 9:1.; KEEP] i.e. as a habit, opposed to habitual transgression.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE UNCIRCUMCISION] i.e. the uncircumcised man. RIGHTEOUSNESS] RV 'ordinances': cp. Acts 10:35.... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE] cp. v.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Romans 9:6.; Philippians 3:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
HEART] cp. Deuteronomy 10:16; Acts 7:51. LETTER] i.e. outward conformity to the literal command, contrasted with the spiritual change which it represented. PRAISE] The word 'Jew' is derived from 'Judah,' which means 'praised': cp. Genesis 29:35.... [ Continue Reading ]