GOD’S wrath, thus revealed in human life through the consequences of man’s rejection of GOD, is also seen in the judgment of GOD upon man’s conduct—the only just judgment (1) because all men being implicated no man has the right to judge, and (4) a just judgment because GOD has offered man the oppor... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΠΟΛΌΓΗΤΟΣ Κ.Τ.Λ. The consequence of this state of man, being universal, is that there is no excuse for men judging their neighbours. The statement is quite general; but Romans 2:9-11 show that the Apostle is thinking in particular of the Jew’s wholesale condemnation of Gentiles and justification... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΚΡΊΜΑ ΤΟΥ͂ ΘΕΟΥ͂. The ὀργή is now conceived as an act of judgment. ΚΑΤᾺ�, in accordance with truth—i.e. the true facts of GOD’S nature and man’s condition. Moral judgment ought to express the actual mind of the judge in relation to the case submitted to him. This is the case with GOD’S judgment,... [ Continue Reading ]
The nexus seems to be this: do you calculate that this correct attitude towards sin in others will exempt your case from being considered by GOD, or are you merely indifferent to His merciful dealing with you? The case is put in the most general way and applies to all theoretic judgment of others; b... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΡΗΣΤΌΤΗΤΟΣ. The word has special reference to GOD’S generous gifts to men; cf. Romans 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4. Here = the generosity which has conferred graces and benefits which the man, who presumes to judge, mistakes for special excellences of his own, and so makes light of the Giver; e.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔῈ Κ.Τ.Λ. = however you are deceiving yourself all the while, in fact you are storing up wrath. ΚΑΤᾺ ΤῊΝ ΣΚΛ. Deuteronomy 9:27; cf. Matthew 19:8; Acts 7:51. ΚΑΤᾺ, the hardness and unrepentant heart is the measure of the wrath stored up. ἈΜΕΤΑΝΌΗΤΟΝ. Only here. ΘΗΣΑΥΡΊΖΕΙΣ. Cf. James 5:3. Contrast... [ Continue Reading ]
ὋΣ�. Cf. Psalms 42:3; Proverbs 24:12. ΤᾺ ἜΡΓΑ. The judgment will correspond to the man’s real character as shown by the works he produces, not as merits that earn but as evidence of character: the works are then described in Romans 2:8 f. as the main effort and tendency of a man’s life, the temper... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΙ͂Σ ΜῈΝ. Explanatory, therefore the asyndeton. The rhythmical movement and the balanced antitheses of these clauses decide two ambiguities: (1) ζητοῦσιν governs the preceding accusatives; (2) there should be a colon at θυμός; θλ. κ. στ. begin the second pair of antitheses. The whole structure is n... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΞ ἘΡΙΘΊΑΣ. From the literal sense of ‘work for hire,’ through the political sense of ‘self-seeking or partisan factiousness’ (cf. Galatians 5:20), the word gets the general ethical sense of ‘self-seeking’ (cf. Philippians 2:3; James 3:16) to the disregard of service, whether of GOD or man. So = μισ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΛΊΨΙΣ ΚΑῚ ΣΤΕΝΟΧΩΡΊΑ. These words must be separated from ὀ. κ. θ.: they begin the second pair of antitheses; the adoption of the false and wrong aim worries and narrows the whole life; cf. Romans 8:35; 2 Corinthians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 6:12. But the direct reference here again is to the final state,... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΡΉΝΗ replaces ἀφθαρσία, wider and more ethical: peace with GOD and man, characterising the true life; in contrast also with ἐξ ἐριθείας.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΓΆΡ ἘΣΤΙΝ ΠΡΟΣΩΠΟΛΗΜΨΊΑ. The fundamental quality of the righteous judge. Cf. Deuteronomy 10:17; Matthew 22:16 |[84] Luke 20:21; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9, _alibi_ [84] | parallel to ΠΑΡᾺ ΤΩ͂Ι ΘΕΩ͂Ι, ‘with GOD,’ that is, in Him and His acts, as judge; for this use of παρά (for ἐν) due to rev... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΣΟΙ. All without distinction. ἈΝΌΜΩΣ. The antithesis ἐν νόμῳ and διὰ νόμου and the parallel τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα, prove that ἀν. = without law (not ‘against law,’ as 1 Timothy 1:9 (?)); cf. 1 Corinthians 9:21. In fact it is arguable that ἄνομος should always be taken in this sense in N.T. See on 14.... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses bring out, further, the principle of judgment in accordance with the opportunities a man has had and the use he has made of them. Privilege does not exempt from judgment but heightens responsibility; nor does the absence of privilege exempt, provided there is some knowledge which demand... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΓᾺΡ justifies the latter clause of 12. If law is a ground of sinning, law must be done, if a verdict of acquittal is to be gained. ΔΙΚΑΙΩΘΉΣΟΝΤΑΙ. A clear case of the forensic use of δικαιοῦν = shall be acquitted. See Introduction, p. xxxvi.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΤΑΝ ΓᾺΡ. The principle of Romans 2:13 applies to Gentiles, only we have to think not of explicit law, but of knowledge of right and wrong evidenced in their conscience and utterances. Suspicion has been cast on these verses (14, 15) on the ground that they interrupt, both the rhythmical antitheses,... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἽΤΙΝΕΣ explains the preceding phrase. ἘΝΔΕΊΚΝΥΝΤΑΙ, ‘give proof of’; cf. Romans 9:17; cf. 2 Corinthians 8:24; Ephesians 2:7; i.e. by their actions. The fact that moral goodness is found in Gentiles is assumed throughout this argument as much as the fact that all sin. ΤῸ ἜΡΓΟΝ ΤΟΥ͂ ΝΌΜΟΥ. Not the l... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ Ἧ ἩΜΈΡΑΙ Κ.Τ.Λ. = at the assize (by the judgment) of GOD who judges not by privilege or appearance but by the secret contents of a man’s heart: to be taken with the whole of the preceding sentence, as supporting the analysis of the Gentile state by appeal to the method by which GOD judges. Gentil... [ Continue Reading ]
Under the same principle comes the Jew, who has full and privileged opportunities (21) and yet makes ill use of them by open unrighteousness (25) from the consequences of which no privilege can deliver him in face of a judgment which considers character and not privilege, (Romans 3:1) His advantage... [ Continue Reading ]
17–3:20. The Gospel is needed by Jews, who have also failed through ignoring the one condition of righteousness.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΘΈΛΗΜΑ. cf. Lft, _Revision_, p. 106, ed. 1; p. 118, ed. 2 (S.H.). ΔΟΚΙΜΆΖΕΙΣ. As above, Romans 1:28, ‘approvest, after testing.’ ΤᾺ ΔΙΑΦΈΡΟΝΤΑ = the things that are better, the better courses of conduct; cf. Philippians 1:10, and for the verb 1 Corinthians 15:41; Galatians 4:1. ΚΑΤΗΧΟΎΜΕΝΟΣ =... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΈΠΟΙΘΆΣ ΤΕ passes to the Jew’s conviction of his true relation to other men. ὈΔΗΓῸΝ. Perh. an echo of Matthew 15:14; cf. S.H.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΧΟΝΤΑ = as one who has. ΤῊΝ ΜΌΡΦΩΣΙΝ = the true shaping. The Law was a true expression of the knowledge and truth of GOD; cf. Romans 7:12. On ΜΟΡΦΉ as the proper expression of the inner reality of. Lft, _Phil._ 127 f. ΤΗ͂Σ ΓΝ. Κ. ΤΗ͂Σ�. Cf. τὸ θέλημα—all in the most general form. ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ΝΌΜΩΙ.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓͂Ν. Well then, does practice correspond to prerogative? If not, prerogative does not exempt from judgment. The charge is put in the form of questions, by way of convicting the Jew in his own conscience. He cannot plead not guilty. Much more forcible than bare statements.... [ Continue Reading ]
The nexus is marked by the particles—οὖν (21) sums up the privileges and introduces, in the form of questions, the contrast in the actual facts; γὰρ (24) implies the answer yes to the preceding questions and justifies it; γὰρ (25) explains how the event has come about, in spite of the privileges; οὖ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἹΕΡΟΣΥΛΕΙ͂Σ. Cf. Acts 19:37. S. H. refers to Jos. _Antiq._ iv. 8, 10; Lft, _Supern. Rel._ p. 299 f.; Ramsay, _Ch. & R. E._ p. 144 n.; Deuteronomy 7:26. The antithesis is less clear than in the former cases. The charge seems to be that, though they regard idols as ‘abominable’ things, they do not hes... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΤΙΜΆΖΕΙΣ; S. H. and Giff. support ἀτιμάζεις. and treat it as a direct statement summing up the points of the preceding questions. Yet the interrogative form is more forcible here too. The claim explicitly brings the Jews under the same imputation as the Gentiles, Romans 1:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΓᾺΡ ὌΝΟΜΑ Κ.Τ.Λ. Isaiah 52:5; the words are adopted (practically in LXX[92] form), but in a new sense. Here of the contempt brought upon the Name of GOD by the lives of His professed worshippers; cf. Romans 14:16; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:5; 2 Peter 2:2. [92] LXX. the Septuagint Version of the Old... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΕΡΙΤΟΜῊ ΜῈΝ ΓᾺΡ Κ.Τ.Λ. The explanation of the awful contrast between the formal condition of the Jew and his actual condition. ΠΕΡΙΤΟΜῊΙ is the symbol of the whole covenant relation of the Jew with GOD. The symbol has no effect unless the condition imposed by the covenant is kept. It did not either... [ Continue Reading ]
26 F. It follows that the formal positions of Jew and Gentile may be reversed. Ἡ�. Abstract for concrete = the Gentiles; to emphasise the absence of the formal condition. ΤᾺ ΔΙΚΑΙΏΜΑΤΑ—the ordinances in detail as rules of life.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἡ ἘΚ ΦΎΣΕΩΣ�. This introduces the distinction between the external symbol and the spiritual condition. ΤῸΝ ΝΌΜΟΝ ΤΕΛΟΥ͂ΣΑ, ‘if it keep …’ or ‘by keeping …’: perhaps better = ‘which keeps …,’ τελοῦσα, adjectival, owing its position to the fact that there is a second adj., ἐκ φύσεως. ΔΙᾺ ΓΡΆΜΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑ... [ Continue Reading ]
28. The grammar is ambiguous, but the sense is clear. The outward state and sign, if they are to have spiritual value, demand a corresponding inward state; which itself has value, even if the outward is absent.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ΚΡΥΠΤΩ͂Ι. Cf. Romans 2:16; 1 Peter 3:4. ΠΕΡΙΤΟΜῊ ΚΑΡΔΊΑΣ. Here the symbol becomes the reality; cf. Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:26; Ezekiel 46:7; Acts 7:51, S. H. Ὁ ἜΠΑΙΝΟΣ. An allusion to Ἰουδαῖος, Judah = praise; cf. Genesis 29:35;... [ Continue Reading ]