Romans 2 - Introduction

They that sin, though they condemn it in others, cannot excuse themselves, and much less escape the judgment of God, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. The Gentiles cannot escape, nor yet the Jews, whom their circumcision shall not profit, if they keep not the law.

Anno Domini 58.

THE Apostle having shewn that the Gentiles could not entertain the least hope of salvation according to the tenor of the law of nature; it was next to be considered, whether the law of Moses gave the Jews any better hope. This inquiry the Apostle managed with great address. Well knowing, that, on reading his description of the manners of the Greeks, the Jews would pronounce them worthy of damnation, he suddenly turned his discourse to the Jews, telling them, that they who passed such a judgment on the Gentiles, were inexcusable in hoping to be saved through the law of Moses; because, by condemning the Gentiles, they virtually condemned themselves, who, being guilty of the very same crimes, were thereby under the curse of Moses' law, Romans 2:1.—And to enforce his argument, the Apostle observed, that God's sentence of condemnation, passed in the curse of the law upon them who commit such things, is known by all to be according to truth, Romans 2:2.—But although every Jew was condemned by the curse of the law of Moses, they all expected salvation on account of their being Abraham's children, Matthew 3:8 and of their enjoying the benefit of revelation, Romans 2:13. Wherefore to shew them the vanity of that hope, the Apostle proposed the following question: Dost thou, who condemnest the Gentiles for their crimes, and yet committest the same thyself, think thatthou shalt escape the righteous sentence of God, declared in the curse of the law of Moses, merely because thou art a son of Abraham, and a member of God's visible church? Romans 2:3.—By entertaining such a notion, thou judgest amiss of thy privileges, which are bestowed on thee, not to make sinning more safe to thee than to others, but to lead thee to repentance, Romans 2:4.—These privileges, therefore, instead of makingthy salvation sure, if abused by thy obdurate and impenitent heart, will make thy punishment greater in the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Romans 2:5.

Having mentioned the general judgment, the Apostle for the instruction of the Jews, and ofall who, like them, expect salvation, because they are favoured with revelation, discoursed at large concerning future retributions. And first of all, he shewed them from the natural character of God, that rewards and punishments will be dispensed at the judgement to every man, not according to the outward privileges and advantages which he enjoyed in this life, nor accordingto the flattering opinion which he entertains of himself, but according to his works, Romans 2:6. More particularly, to them who, by perseverance in well-doing, earnestly seek glory, honour, and immortality, God will render eternallife, Romans 2:7.—But them who obey unrighteousness, he will punish with indignation and wrath, Romans 2:8. Lest,however, the Jews might have imagined from the Apostle's mentioning eternal life (Romans 2:7.), that he spake of the members of the visible church of God only, and that no others are to have eternal life, he repeated his account of thejudgment in such terms as to make his readers sensible, that he is speaking of men of all nations and religions. Affliction and anguish shall come upon every soul of man who worketh evil, of the Jews first, and also of the Greek, Romans 2:9.—But glory, honour, and peace shall be to every one who worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, Romans 2:10. For as Jew and Greek is a division which comprehends all mankind, there can be no doubt of the Apostle's intention to declare, on the one hand,that every impenitent sinner, and among the rest the impenitent members of God's visible church, shall assuredly be punished; and, on the other, that all who have wrought good, whether they be Jews, or heathens, or Christians, shall through Jesus Christ alone have glory, honour, and peace, that is, eternal life, rendered to them: Because with God there is no respect of persons, Romans 2:11.

His account of the judgment, the Apostle introduced in this place with admirable propriety, not only for the reason already mentioned, but lest the heathen philosophers and Jewish scribes, from his teaching that no man can be saved, either by the law of nature, or by the law of Moses, might have suspected it to be his opinion, that all are to be condemned who have not the Gospel-revelation; and that the holiness and good works of Jews and heathens will be of no use to them at the last. For by declaring that gloryand peace shall come through Jesus Christ alone (which must be always implied) not only upon such Jews, but upon such Greeks, as have lived to God by the secret influences of his Spirit, he has taught that salvation is not confined to them who have enjoyed revelation; that in all nations there are men who fear God and work righteousness; and that at the judgment, such shall have the benefit of the method of salvation established atthe fall, and revealed in the Gospel, extended to them through the Divine Mediator, though it was not discovered to them during their lifetime on earth.
Moreover, because the Jews really held the uncharitable opinion, falsely imputed to the Apostle, consigning to damnation all who had not the Mosaic revelation, the Apostle assured them, that the revealed law of God is not the rule by which the heathens are to be judged: as many as have sinned without law, shall perish without law; without being judged by any revealed law. So that in punishing them, Godwillconsiderthosehindrancesoftheirholiness and virtues, and those alleviations of their sins, which resulted from the imperfection ofthe dispensation under which they were placed. Whereas all who have sinned under a revealed law, shall be judged by that law: the aggravations of their sins, resulting from the advantages which they enjoyed, will be taken into the account, and punished, Romans 2:12.—And with respect to men's being saved, because they have enjoyed an external revelation, the Apostle expressly declared, that not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified: Romans 2:13.—He therefore concluded, that when the Gentiles, who have not a revealed law, do, by the secret influences of the Spirit of God (which must be implied according to the analogy of faith) the internal and external works which conscience dictates to them, Romans 2:14 and shew thereby, that there is a law of God written in their hearts, to which their reason and conscience bear witness, Romans 2:15 they shall, through the alone merit of Jesus Christ obtain eternal life, in the day when God will judge the hidden things of men, namely, their inward dispositions, by Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel which Paul every where preached, Romans 2:1

Here let it beobserved, first, that to shew the unbelieving Jews the vanity of placing their hope of salvation on God's having chosen them for hispeople, and on his having given them the law, the Apostle inquired what efficacy the law of Moses, with their other privileges as the people of God, had hadin leading the men of rank and learning among the Jews to a right practice. Now, that he might not seem to undervalue their privileges as Jews, he enumerated them particularly: Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, &c. Romans 2:17. Then he asked the doctors and scribes, how it came to pass that, notwithstanding they had the express image of knowledge and truth in the law, and had set themselves up as guides of the blind Gentiles, they had not so instructed themselves, as to refrain from breaking the law in the many flagrant instances which he mentioned, Romans 2:20. At the same time, that he might not charge the Jews with those gross immoralities without foundation, he quoted passages from their own Scriptures, which declare, that the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles through the wickedness of the Jewish rulers and scribes, Romans 2:24. Wherefore, seeing that not the hearers of the law, but the doers of it shall be justified, the men of rank and learning, as well as the people in general among the Jews, had not the least ground to expect salvation through the law, but were under a necessity of seeking justification through faith: and the Gentiles were under no obligation to be guided, in the interpretation of the revelations of God (see Romans 2:19.), by persons whose practice was so contrary to the precepts of revelation.

In the second place, because the Jews expected salvation on account of their being the children of Abraham, and members of God's covenant, and gloried in their circumcision, as the sign of that covenant, and of their descent from Abraham, the Apostle told them that their circumcision, though a proof of their descent from Abraham, and of their relation to God as his people, would not profit them, if they were breakers of the law: but in that case, they would be in no better a condition than the uncircumcised Gentiles, Romans 2:25.; whereas if the Gentiles are found through the secret power of divine grace to have possessed the holiness, and performed the good actions enjoined by the law of God given to the Jews, their circumcision will be no obstacle to their salvation through the alone merits of Christ, Romans 2:26.; consequently they will put the Jews to shame, by obtaining that salvation which shall be denied to the unregenerate Jews, Romans 2:27. For he is not a Jew, or son of Abraham, and heir of the promises, who is so by descent and profession only; Romans 2:28.: but he is a son of Abraham, and an heir of the promises, in their highest meaning, whatever his pedigree maybe, who is Abraham's son in the temper of his mind: and true circumcision is that of the heart, which is made by cutting off evil affections, according to the spirit, and not according to the letter of the law of circumcision. And where that circumcision was found, though such a person might not receive praise from the Jews, as one of the people of God, he shall assuredly receive it from God at the judgment, who will own him as one of his people, by conferring upon him the blessings promised to Abraham, and to his seed, through Jesus Christ alone, Romans 2:29.

Reader, behold and admire the benignity and impartiality of thedivine government, as set forth in the Gospel. At the judgment, God will render to every man according to his works; without shewing more favour to those who have enjoyed revelation, merely because they have enjoyed it, than to those who, in the exercise of his sovereignty, have been denied that favour. In other words, the enjoyment of revelation will not be imputed to any man for commendation, nor the want of it be considered as a fault: but, in judging men, God most righteous will consider the advantages and disadvantages which result from the nature of the dispensation under which they lived, and will pass sentence upon them accordingly. And therefore, if, at the judgment, some who have not enjoyed revelation are found to have feared God, and wrought righteousness notwithstanding the disadvantages they laboured under, he will not deny them those rewards which are proportionable to the dispensation under which they lived, and the measures of holiness which they experienced, but all through the alone merits of the Son of his love.
To this liberal and scriptural doctrine, it has been objected,
1. That, no works being good but such as proceed from faith, none of the heathens will be found, at the judgment, to have wrought good, as they had no opportunity to believe the revelations of God: consequently the Apostle's doctrine, that glory, honour, and peace, shall be to every one who worketh good, is not to be understood of the heathens, but must be limited to such Jews and Greeks, as have enjoyed the benefit of an external revelation.

But the answer is, inasmuch as the influences of the Spirit of God are not confined to them who enjoy revelation, but are promised in the gracious covenant made with mankind at the fall to all who are sincere, a heathen by those influences may in his measure attain saving faith, and thereby may please God. For faith is more a work of the heart than of the understanding. So our Apostle teaches, Romans 10:10. With the heart we believe unto righteousness. So that although the persons to whom revelation is denied, may not have the same objects of belief with those who enjoy revelation, they may have the same Spirit of faith, as it is termed, 2 Corinthians 4:13. Of this Abraham, Rahab, the centurion, whose servant Christ healed, the Ethiopian eunuch,andCornelius,areexamples; for, in uncircumcision, they exercised such faith as was acceptable to God. And therefore St. Peter did not scruple to say, Acts 10:33. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

And 1 Peter 1:17. The Father, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work.

That the pious heathens shouldhave their faith counted to them for righteousness at the judgment, notwithstanding it may have been deficient inmany particulars, and even erroneous, is not unreasonable; provided that, in these instances of error, they have used their best endeavours to know the truth, and have not been led by these errors into habitual sin.

2. It has been objected to the salvation of the heathens, that they have not that explicit knowledge of Christ, nor faith in him as the Saviour of the world, which is required in the Gospel. But to this I reply: The Gospel does not make it necessary to salvation, that men should have an explicit knowledge of Christ, and a direct faith in him, if they never have had an opportunity of knowing and believing on him. On the contrary, by informing us, that all mankind live at present, and shall hereafter be raised from the dead, through the obedience of Christ to the death of the cross, although the greatest part of them know nothing of him, nor of his obedience, the sacred oracles lead us to conclude, that, at the general judgment, many shall be saved through Christ, who till then never heard of him. Besides, is it not as agreeable to justice and goodness,tosavethepiousheathensthroughChrist,notwithstandingtheyneverheard of him, as it was to condemn all mankind to death for the sin of Adam, although the greatest part of them never heard of his disobedience? Withal, since at the judgment, the ground of the salvation of mankind shall be declared in the hearing of the assembled universe, the discovery of Christ as Saviour will be made to the saved heathens, in time sufficient to lay a foundation for their gratitude and love to him through all eternity. In fine, if the efficacy of Christ's obedience to death does not extend to the saving of the pious heathens, what interpretation can we put on Romans 5:12, where the professed purpose of the Apostle's reasoning is, to shew that the effects of Christ's obedience are greater than the consequence of Adam's disobedience?

3. To the salvation of the heathens it has been objected, that if justifying faith consists not so much in the number and extent of the doctrines believed, as in the disposition of the heart to believe, so that many who have lived and died in false religion may be saved, what purpose does it serve, to give any of mankind the true form of faith and worship by revelation? This objection the Apostle himself has stated in the beginning of chap. 3: and has answered it very solidly, by shewing, that in the true religion men have many more and better opportunities of cultivating good dispositions, by the Spirit of God, and of being prepared for heaven, by the discoveries which revelation makes of spiritual things, than can be had in any false religion. In short, the true form of religion, instead of being of no use, is the greatest blessing that men can enjoy; because, by affording better means of improvement, it enables them to acquire, through divine grace, a greater measure of holiness, and a more distinguished reward.
This illustration will not be thought tedious by those who consider the importance of rightly understanding what the Gospel teaches concerning the salvation of the heathens. For,

First, To know that this liberal doctrine makes part of the Christian revelation, must give the highest pleasure to every benevolent mind, on account of the glory which will redound to God, from the salvation of so many of the human race, through the coming of his Son into the world.

In the second place, this liberal doctrine puts an end to those specious cavils, whereby the enemies of revelation have endeavoured to discredit the Gospel in the eyes of the intelligent. For it can no longer be pretended, that by making faith the means of salvation, the Gospel has consigned all the heathens to damnation. Neither can God be accused of partiality, in conferring the benefit of revelation upon so small a portion of the human race, in the false notion, that the actual knowledge of revelation is essentially necessary to salvation. For although the number of those who have lived without revelation, has hitherto been much greater than of those who have enjoyed that benefit, no unrighteousness can be imputed to God, since he has not excluded thosefrom salvation who have been denied revelation, but has graciously determined, that all in every dispensation, who, by perseverance in well-doing through the secret power of grace, seek for glory, honour, and immortality, shall obtain eternal life, by having their spirit of faith counted to them for righteousness through Jesus Christ. Moreover, all the heathen who are condemned, shall be condemned, not because theylived without revelation, but because they lived in opposition to the law of God written on their heart. Wherefore, the strongest of all the objections with which revelation has been attacked having no foundation, the Gospel ought to be received by every one to whom it is offered, as a discovery from God of the only method in which sinners can be saved; namely, not by a righteousness of law, which in our present state is unattainable, but by a righteousness of faith counted to us by the mere favour of God, on account of the obedience of Christ.