Bibelkommentare

Romans 2:2

But we know. That is, however perverse and partial may be the judgment you pass on yourself, we know, etc. We does not refer to the Jews, as peculiarly instructed, but to all men. Everyone knows. The proposition contained in this verse is: The judgment of God is against those who do such things. That is, however they may excuse themselves, God will judge them. The words κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, therefore, do not form the predicate of the sentence, as though the sense were, The judgment of God is according to truth. The meaning rather is, the judgment of God, which is according to truth, is against those, etc. There are two things therefore asserted, the certainty of this divine judgment, and its being according to truth, i.e., without error, without respect of persons. It is not founded upon mere appearances or professions, but upon the real truth of the case. Comp. Proverbs 29:14, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ κρίνων πτωχούς, and John 8:16, ης κρίσις ης ἐμὴ ἀληθής ἐστιν. This verse, then, contains the second general principle of justice, according to which all men, whether Jews or Gentiles, are to be judged. The whole hope of the Jews was founded on the assumption that the judgment of God regarding them would be guided by some other rule than truth. He was not to judge them according to their real merits, but according to their national and ecclesiastical relations, just as men now hope to be saved because they belong to the true Church.

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Romans 2:3

But thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest, etc. The truth that God’s judgment is just, and will fall on those who themselves commit the sins which they condemn in others, is so plain, that the apostle exclaims at the folly of those who seem to deny it. The emphasis lies on the word thou, in the middle of the verse. Dost thou think that thou, a Jew, and because a Jew, shalt escape the righteous judgment of God? Shalt escape, ἐκφεύξῃ. “Every one,” says Bengel, “who is arraigned, φεύγει, tries to escape; he who is acquitted, ἐκφεύγει, escapes.” In Romans 2:1, the apostle had shown that the man who did what he condemned in others, condemned himself. “If then,” as Theophylact says, “he cannot escape his own judgment, how can he escape the judgment of God? If forced to condemn ourselves, how much more will the infinitely Holy condemn us?” The ground on which this false and absurd expectation rested is mentioned in the following verse:

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Romans 2:4

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering? That is, admitting the general principle, that those who do what they condemn in others are themselves exposed to condemnation, do you expect exemption on the ground of the peculiar goodness of God? That this was the expectation of the Jews is plain from the apostle’s argument here and in the following chapter, and from Romans 9 and 11. Comp. also Matthew 3:9, “Think not to say, We have Abraham to our father,” and John 8:33. Despisest. To despise, καταφρονεῖν, is to form a low estimate of. They despise the goodness of God, who form such a wrong estimate of it, as to suppose that it gives them a license to sin; who imagine that he will not punish, either because he long forbears, or because his goodness towards us is so great that we shall escape, though others perish. The words χρηστότητος, ἀνοχῆς, and μακροθυμίας, express the Divine goodness under different aspects. The first means kindness in general, as expressed in giving favors; the second, patience; the third, forbearance, slowness in the infliction of punishment. The reason why the Jews, as referred to by the apostle, and men in general, thus abuse the goodness of God, is expressed by the clause, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Ἀγνοῶν, not knowing, not understanding; and here, not comprehending the true nature and design of. Men abuse the goodness of God, because they do not rightly apprehend that instead of indicating a purpose not to punish, it is designed to lead them to forsake their sins. The goodness of God leads us to repentance, because it allows us our duty towards a Being who is so kind, and because it gives us ground to hope for acceptance. “The word ἄγει, leads,” says Dr. Wordsworth, Canon of Westminster, in his elegant and scholarly work on the Greek Testament, “intimates not only the will of God, but the will of man. God leads, but man may refuse to be led: ‘Deus ducit volentum duci’ as Bengel says, ‘Ducit suaviter non cogit.’” Very true; but who gives the will to be led? Is there no preventing grace? Does not God work in us to will, as well as to do. Surely there is such a thing as being made willing without being forced. There is a middle ground between moral suasion on and coercion. God supersedes the necessity of forcing, by making us willing in the day of his power. The apostle, however, is not here speaking of gracious influence, but of the moral tendencies of providential dispensations.

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Romans 2:5

The goodness of God, so far from being a ground of reasonable expectation that we shall ultimately escape punishment, becomes, when abused, an aggravation of our guilt. This principle the apostle here applies to the Jews, who, through their abuse of the peculiar mercy of God, were treasuring up wrath for themselves. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου, after thy hardness, i.e., as might be expected from thy hardness; agreeably to its nature and degree — καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν, heart incapable of repentance. “Ἀμετανόητος, vim activam habet, animus, qui resipicere non potest, poenitere nescius. Enervat hunc locum Grotius quum explicit, animus, qui poenitentiam non agit.” Fritzsche. To treasure up is to lay up little by little, and thus accumulate a store of anything, whether good or evil. The abusers of God’s goodness accumulate a store of wrath for themselves. Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὁργῆς is commonly rendered unto the day of wrath; but this unnecessarily gives ἐν the force of εἰς. It is better, with De Wette, Meyer, and others, to connect ἐν with ὁργὴν, ‘wrath at or on the day of wrath.’ They treasure up for themselves wrath at that day when wrath shall be manifested. That day is further described as the day ἀποκαλύψεως δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Some manuscripts insert καί between ἀποκαλύψεως and δικαιοκρισίας; which reading is preferred by Bengel, Wetstein, Mill, and Knapp. The sense then is, the day of revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God. The day of revelation, viz., of Christ, whose second coming is always associated in Scripture with the final judgment; and therefore the day of revelation may well express the day of judgment. But as the phrase, “day of revelation” nowhere else occurs in this sense, and as the oldest manuscripts are in favor of the common text, it should be allowed to stand.

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Romans 2:6

Who will render to every man according to his works. This is the fourth important principle which the apostle teaches us regulates the judgment of God. He will judge men neither according to their professions nor their relations, but according to their works. The question at his bar will be, not whether a man is a Jew or a Gentile, whether he belongs to the chosen people or to the heathen world, but whether he has obeyed the law. This principle is amplified and applied in what follows, in Romans 2:7-11. The question has been asked, how the declaration that God will render to every man, whether Jew or Gentile, according to his works — to the good, eternal life, to the wicked, indignation and wrath — is to be reconciled with the apostle’s doctrine, that no man is justified by works, that righteousness and life are not by works, but by faith, and through grace. In answering this question, two things are to be born in mind. The first is, that notwithstanding the doctrine of gratuitous justification, and in perfect consistency with it, the apostle still teaches that the retributions of eternity are according to our works. The good only are saved, and the wicked only are condemned. “For we must all appeal before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, whether good or bad,” 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 6:8. “Reproborum,” says Calvin, “malitiam justa ultione si puniet Dominus, rependet illis quod meriti sunt. Rursum quia sanctificat, quos olim statuit glorificare, in illis quoque bona opera coronabit, sed non pro merito.” With this accord the words of Bernard: “Bona opera sunt via regni, non causa regnandi.” The wicked will be punished on account of their works, and according to their works; the righteous will be rewarded, not on account of, but according to their works. Good works are to them the evidence of their belonging to that class to whom, for Christ’s sake, eternal life is graciously awarded; and they are, in some sense and to some extent, the measure of that reward. But it is more pertinent to remark, in the second place, that the apostle is not here teaching the method of justification, but is laying down those general principles of justice, according to which, irrespective of the gospel, all men are to be judged. He is expounding the law, not the gospel. And as the law not only says that death is the stages of sin, but also that those who keep its precepts shall live by them, so the apostle says, that God will punish the wicked and reward the righteous. This is perfectly consistent with what he afterwards teaches, that there are none righteous; that there are none who so obey the law as to be entitled to the life which it promises; and that for such the gospel provides a plan of justification without works, a plan for saving those whom the law condemns. He is here combating the false hopes of the Jews, who, though trusting to the law, were, by the principles of the law, exposed to condemnation. This he does to drive them from this false dependence, and to show them that neither Jew nor Gentile can be justified before the bar of that God, who, while he promises eternal life to the obedient, has revealed his purpose to punish the disobedient. All, therefore, that this passage teaches is that, irrespective of the gospel, to those who either never heard of it, or who, having heard, reject it, the principle of judgment will be law.

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Romans 2:7-8

The principle laid down in Romans 2:6, is here amplified. God will render eternal life to the good, indignation and wrath to the wicked, without distinction of persons; to the Jews no less than to the Gentiles. Though the sense of these verses is plain, there is great difference of opinion as to the grammatical construction. The explanation adopted by our translators is perhaps the most natural, and is the one which is most generally followed. To the verb ἀποδώσει of Romans 2:6, belong the two accusatives ζωὴν αἰώνιον, and θυμὸν καὶ ὁργήν and the two datives, τοῖς μὲν — ζητοῦσι and τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας. The accusatives δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν then of course depend on ζητοῦσι, and καθ ̓ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ is an adverbial qualification. The passage then reads: “To those who through perseverance in good works, seek glory, honor, and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are contentious, indignation and wrath.” Another construction, adopted by Bengel, Fritzsche, and others, supposes that τοῖς μὲν καθ ̓ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ (scil. οὖσι) are to be taken together, to those who are according to perseverance, i.e., to those who persevere; (comp. οἱ κατὰ σάρκα, οἱ σαρκικοί, and οἱ κατὰ Πνεῦμα, οἱ πνευματικοί). The following clause, δόξαν — ζητοῦσι, is then in apposition with the preceding: “To those who persevere in good works, seeking glory, honor and immortality, he will render eternal life.” This view of the passage is recommended by the correspondence thus established between the τοῖς μὲν καθ ̓ ὑπομονήν of Romans 2:7, and the τοῖς δε ἐξ ἐριθείας of Romans 2:8. It is opposed, however, by the following considerations:

1. The interpretation of the phrase οἱ καθ ̓ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ is hardly born out by a reference to the phrases of οἱ κατὰ σάρκα and οἱ κατὰ Πνεῦμα.

2. The second clause of Romans 2:7, if a mere amplification of the first clause, should be introduced by καὶ, as in Romans 2:8 : Τοῖς δὲ ἐριθείας, καὶ ἀπειθοῦσι.

Luther, after Oecumenius, translates thus: “Welcher geben wird Preis und Ehre und unvergängliches Wesen denen, die mit Geduld in guten Werken trachten nach dem ewigen Leben:” “Who will give glory, honor, and immortality to those who, in patient continuance in well-doing, seek eternal life.” According to this view, the accusatives δόξαν, τιμὴν, ἀφθαρσίαν, depend upon ἀποδώσει, and ζωὴν αἰώνιον on ζητοῦσι. But this the position of the words will hardly bear. Luther’s fluent and forcible version is effected by an entire transposition of the clauses. The construction therefore first mentioned is on the whole to be preferred. In the English version of the words καθ ̓ ὑπομονήν, κατά is rendered through. So also Grotius, De Wette, and others. See 1 Corinthians 12:8; Ephesians 3:3, Ephesians 3:7. Others translate it by the Latin preposition secumdùm, according to, or in virtue of. Ὑπομονή is rendered patience by the Vulgate, and Luther; patiens expectatio, by Beza; constancy, or patient continuance in our version. In illustration of the combination ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ comp. ὑπομονὴ τῆς ἐλπίδος, 1 Thessalonians 1:3. The sing. ἔργου is used collectively for ἔργων, as in Galatians 6:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; and elsewhere. What is immediately afterwards expressed by eternal life, is here expressed by the three words, glory, honor, and immortality. The manifested excellence or splendor of the future condition of the saints is expressed by δόξα; the honor due such excellence by τιμή and the endless nature of their blessedness by ἀφθαρσία.

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Romans 2:7-8

The principle laid down in Romans 2:6, is here amplified. God will render eternal life to the good, indignation and wrath to the wicked, without distinction of persons; to the Jews no less than to the Gentiles. Though the sense of these verses is plain, there is great difference of opinion as to the grammatical construction. The explanation adopted by our translators is perhaps the most natural, and is the one which is most generally followed. To the verb ἀποδώσει of Romans 2:6, belong the two accusatives ζωὴν αἰώνιον, and θυμὸν καὶ ὁργήν and the two datives, τοῖς μὲν — ζητοῦσι and τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας. The accusatives δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν then of course depend on ζητοῦσι, and καθ ̓ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ is an adverbial qualification. The passage then reads: “To those who through perseverance in good works, seek glory, honor, and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are contentious, indignation and wrath.” Another construction, adopted by Bengel, Fritzsche, and others, supposes that τοῖς μὲν καθ ̓ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ (scil. οὖσι) are to be taken together, to those who are according to perseverance, i.e., to those who persevere; (comp. οἱ κατὰ σάρκα, οἱ σαρκικοί, and οἱ κατὰ Πνεῦμα, οἱ πνευματικοί). The following clause, δόξαν — ζητοῦσι, is then in apposition with the preceding: “To those who persevere in good works, seeking glory, honor and immortality, he will render eternal life.” This view of the passage is recommended by the correspondence thus established between the τοῖς μὲν καθ ̓ ὑπομονήν of Romans 2:7, and the τοῖς δε ἐξ ἐριθείας of Romans 2:8. It is opposed, however, by the following considerations:

1. The interpretation of the phrase οἱ καθ ̓ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ is hardly born out by a reference to the phrases of οἱ κατὰ σάρκα and οἱ κατὰ Πνεῦμα.

2. The second clause of Romans 2:7, if a mere amplification of the first clause, should be introduced by καὶ, as in Romans 2:8 : Τοῖς δὲ ἐριθείας, καὶ ἀπειθοῦσι.

Luther, after Oecumenius, translates thus: “Welcher geben wird Preis und Ehre und unvergängliches Wesen denen, die mit Geduld in guten Werken trachten nach dem ewigen Leben:” “Who will give glory, honor, and immortality to those who, in patient continuance in well-doing, seek eternal life.” According to this view, the accusatives δόξαν, τιμὴν, ἀφθαρσίαν, depend upon ἀποδώσει, and ζωὴν αἰώνιον on ζητοῦσι. But this the position of the words will hardly bear. Luther’s fluent and forcible version is effected by an entire transposition of the clauses. The construction therefore first mentioned is on the whole to be preferred. In the English version of the words καθ ̓ ὑπομονήν, κατά is rendered through. So also Grotius, De Wette, and others. See 1 Corinthians 12:8; Ephesians 3:3, Ephesians 3:7. Others translate it by the Latin preposition secumdùm, according to, or in virtue of. Ὑπομονή is rendered patience by the Vulgate, and Luther; patiens expectatio, by Beza; constancy, or patient continuance in our version. In illustration of the combination ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ comp. ὑπομονὴ τῆς ἐλπίδος, 1 Thessalonians 1:3. The sing. ἔργου is used collectively for ἔργων, as in Galatians 6:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; and elsewhere. What is immediately afterwards expressed by eternal life, is here expressed by the three words, glory, honor, and immortality. The manifested excellence or splendor of the future condition of the saints is expressed by δόξα; the honor due such excellence by τιμή and the endless nature of their blessedness by ἀφθαρσία.

Romans 2:8

To those who are of contention, that is, the contentious. Comp. οἱ ἐκ πίστεως believers; οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς, the circumcised; οἱ ἐκ ἀκροβυστίας, the uncircumcised; οἱ ἐκ νόμου, those who belong to the law, legalists. Instead of the ordinary derivation of ἐριθεία from ἔρις, Rückert traces it to ἔριθος, a hireling, which derivation is sustained by Tholuck, “Beiträge zur Spracherklärung des Neuen Testaments,” p. 25, and Fritzsche, Excursus to his Commentary on the second chapter of this Epistle, and is now generally adopted. The signification of the word, as determined by its etymology and its classical usage is, work for hire, selfishness, ambition, party spirit, malice. In the New Testament it is used several times in the same sense as in Philippians 1:16, οἱ μὲν ἐξ ἐριθείας, some of rivalry, or malice; the antithetical expression is οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἀγάπης. In Philippians 2:3; it is connected with κενοδοξία, vain glory. In James 3:14, James 3:16 it is connected with ζῆλος, envy. In 2 Corinthians 12:20, it is distinguished from ἔρις. These passages show that the scriptural usage of the word agrees with the classical. Still in the present case it seems to have a somewhat wider meaning. It is not envy, or rivalry, but malicious opposition to God and his requirements that is here expressed. This is plain from the explanatory causes that follow. The disposition expressed by ἐριθεία is manifested in disobeying the truth, and obeying unrighteousness. Bretschneider therefore explains οἱ ἐξ ἐριθείας to mean qui malitia ducti Deo, i.e. rei divinae, adversantur: “those who through malice oppose themselves to God.” The same interpretation is given by Reiche and De Wette, as well as by the older commentators. Who obey not the truth. Ἀπειθέω is to refuse belief, to disbelieve, as well as to disobey. This clause therefore means, who refuse assent and obedience to the truth. Ἀλήθεια is divine truth; what is true and right as to faith and practice. See Romans 1:18. “Saepe,” says Bengel, “haec duo (ἀλήθεια and ἀδικία) inter se opponuntur: veritas continet justitiam, et injustitia connotat mendacium.” Who yield themselves to, or follows unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath, (shall be rendered). The words θυμὸς καὶ ὁργή should regularly be in the accusative, as depending on ἀποδώσει of Romans 2:6; but as they are in the nominative, ἔσται or ἀποδώσεται must be supplied. There may be, as some suppose, force in the change of construction and omission of the verb. God gives eternal life; indignation and wrath come as earned by man, so to speak, Deo nolente. God wills all men to be saved. Comp. Romans 6:23. Both words are used for the sake of intensity. As to their specific difference, both ancient and modern philologists differ. The majority make θυμός express the momentary impulse of anger, ὁργή the permanent feeling. Others make ὁργή to include the desire of vengeance, and therein to differ from θυμός. The former distinction is more in accordance with the primary meaning of the words; as θυμός means the mind as the seat of the emotions, and hence is used for any strong passion, and ὁργή means disposition, habit of mind.

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Romans 2:9

Tribulation and anguish; θλῖψις, (from θλίβω, to press) means pressure, affliction; στενοχωρία straitness of place, anguish. They are often associated; see Romans 8:35; 2 Corinthians 6:4. The latter is the stronger of the two terms, as may be inferred from its always following the other, and especially from 2 Corinthians 4:8, θλιβόμενοι, ἀλλ ̓ οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι, troubled but not distressed; Every soul of man, that is, every man. Comp. Acts 2:43; Romans 13:1, and the Hebrew àÈãÈí ëÈÌìÎðÆôÆùÑ; Rckert, Meyer, and others, give ψυχή its full force, upon every soul that belongs to a man, to express the idea that the soul and not the body is to suffer the penalty. But in Romans 13:1, ψυχή evidently stands for the whole person: ‘let every soul,’ means let every person; and such is a common scriptural meaning of the word, “if a soul sin,” “if a soul lie,” “if the priest buy a soul with his money,” etc. Of the Jew first, and also of the Greek. It becomes now apparent that the apostle, in laying down these general principles of justice, had the Jews specially in view. God, he says, will render to every man according to his works, to the good, eternal life; to the evil, tribulation and anguish. And lest the every man should fail to arrest attention, he adds expressly, that the Jew as well as the Greek is to be thus judged. The word πρῶτον may express either order or preeminence. If the former, the sense is what is expressed by Calvin, “Haec universalis est divini judicii lex, qua a Judaeis incipiet, et comprehendet totum orbem.” The judgment shall begin with the Jews, and extend to the Gentiles. If the latter, the sense is, The Jew shall not only be punished as certainly as others, but more severely, because he has been more highly favored. “The Jew first,” is equivalent then to the Jew especially. The same remark applies to the following verse. If the Jew is faithful, he shall be specially rewarded. What is true of all men, is specially true of those to whom God has revealed himself in a peculiar manner.

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