聖書注解書

4. 神のいつくしみがあなたを悔い改めに導くことを、——すなわち、そうするように意図され、また適合していることを。

知らないのですか。

あるいは軽んじるのか - この語は本来、軽蔑する、あるいはないがしろにするという意味である。ここで、彼らが公然と神の善さをないがしろにしたり軽蔑したりしたという意味ではない。むしろ、彼らがそれを歪曲し、濫用した、ということである。彼らはそれを正しく用いず、それが自分たちを悔い改めに導くのに適したものとは考えなかった。むしろ、神がさばきをもって出て来て彼らを断ち切られるのではなく、引き続き祝福をもって彼らに従って来られたので、それゆえ神は彼らを罪人とはみなされないのだという実際的な印象を受け、あるいは自分たちは罪がなく安全であると推論した。ユダヤ人はこの論法を用いることに慣れていた (Luke 13:1-5; John 9:2 と比較せよ)。そして罪人たちは今なお、神の善さとあわれみを濫用し続けているのである。

その善さの豊かさ - これは「その豊かな善さ」、すなわちその満ちあふれる大きな善さを表すヘブル式の言い方である。豊かさは、余剰、すなわち満ちあふれるもの、人の現在の欲望を超えるものを表す。それゆえ新約聖書ではこの語は、豊富さ、あるいは非常に大きく貴重なものを表すのに用いられる。Romans 9:23 の注解を参照せよ。Romans 11:12, Romans 11:33; 2 Corinthians 8:2; Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 3:8, Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 2:4 と比較せよ。この語はここで、それに続く各語を修飾するのに用いられている。すなわち、その豊かな善さと寛容と寛大な忍耐である。

善さ - 親切、慈悲のことである。

寛容 - ἀνοχῆς anochēs。文字どおりには、ご自身の憤りを内に留めて抑えること、あるいは罪に対するご不快を表されるのを忍耐することである。

忍耐 - この語は、怒るのに遅いこと、あるいは、彼らが長く罪を犯しても罰さずに耐えておられることを表す。本質的には寛容と異ならない。これは、罪が犯されたまさにその瞬間に、それを罰するために出て来られないことによって示されている。神は正当にそうすることがおできになるが、人々が悔い改めて救われる機会を与えるために、日ごとに年ごとに彼らを惜しんでおられる。人々が神の善さを軽んじたり濫用したりするしかたは、神は罪を罰するおつもりはないと推論することである。そうして、安全に罪を犯すことができると思い込み、そこから立ち返るどころか、あたかも安全であるかのように、いっそう絶えずそれを犯し続ける。「悪のわざに対するさばきが速やかに執行されないので、人の子らの心は悪を行うことに満ちている」Ecclesiastes 8:11。同じことはペテロの時代にも当てはまった。2 Peter 3:3-4。そして同じことは、あらゆる時代の悪い者たちにも当てはまる。神の善さを濫用し、神が親切と寛容を示されるからといって、いっそう深く罪に陥る機会とし、神のあわれみを忘れ、神を怒らせる — 人間の心の悪しさをこれほど決定的に証明するものはない。

知らないのか - 考えていない、という意味である。ここで用いられた語 ἀγνοῶν agnoōn は、単に知らないというだけでなく、無知に至るほどの不注意を表す。Hosea 2:8 と比較せよ。この意味でこの語は、自発的な、したがって罪ある無知を表す。

あなたを導いて…のは - あるいは、神の善さの傾向、そのねらいは、人々を自分の罪の悔い改めに導くことであって、彼らをより深く、より重い不義に導くことではない、ということである。同じ趣旨が 2 Peter 3:9 に表されている。「主は、あなたがたに対して忍耐深くあられる。だれも滅びることがなく、すべての人が悔い改めに至ることを願っておられる」。また Isaiah 30:18、「それゆえ、主は待っておられる。あなたがたに恵みを与えるために」; Hosea 5:15; Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:32 も参照せよ。

悔い改め - 心と目的と生涯の変化である。ここでのこの語は、単なる悲しみではなく、罪を捨ててそれから立ち返ることを明らかに意味する。神の善さと寛容が人々を悔い改めに導く傾向は、次の諸点に明らかである。

(1) このように親切であわれみ深い方に逆らって犯されるものと見られるとき、罪の悪さが示される。

(2) それは心を溶かし、柔らかくするのに適している。さばきはしばしば罪人の心をかたくなにし、頑固にする。しかし、人が悪を行っている間も神が絶えずその人に善を行っておられ、その人がそむいている間も年ごとに神の忍耐が見られるなら、それは心を溶かし、従わせるのに適している。

(3) このことにおける神の大いなるあわれみは、しばしば人々にとって圧倒的なものとして現れる。そして、人々がそれをあるがままに見るなら、すべての人にとってそうなるであろう。神は人々を幼子の時から青年の時まで、青年の時から壮年の時まで、壮年の時から老年に至るまで耐え忍ばれる。彼らがあらゆる律法にそむき、神のあわれみを軽んじ、神の御名を汚し、その種族に恥をもたらしている間でさえ、そうされるのである。それでもなお、このすべてにもかかわらず、神の怒りは引き上げられ、罪人は生き、「神の恵み深い賜物の中で放縦にふるまう」。人の心に影響を与えうるものがあるとすれば、それはこれである。そして人がこれを見、思い巡らすに至るとき、それはたましいの上に押し寄せ、苦い悲しみをもって圧倒する。

(4) 神のあわれみと寛容は絶え間ない。神の善さの現れはあらゆる形で来る。太陽と光と空気の中に、雨と流れと露の雫の中に、食物と衣服と家の中に、友人と自由と保護の中に、健康と平安の中に、そしてキリストの福音といのちの提供の中に。これらすべてのしかたで、神は毎瞬、ご自身の被造物に訴え、忘恩の悪を彼らの前に置き、立ち返って生きるようにと懇願しておられる。

そしてこの箇所から、次のことを言わざるをえない。

(1) 最も効果的な説教は、神の善さを最も多く人々の前に置く説教である。

(2) すべての人は、自分の罪を捨てて神に立ち返る義務の下にある。神のあわれみと愛の繰り返される証拠を見てこなかった者は一人もいない。

(3) 罪は頑固で驚くべき悪である。

それが神のあわれみのすべての訴えに抵抗でき、罪人が神の善さのすべての証拠を通り抜けて地獄へと下って行くことができ、毎日、毎時に神が自分に語りかけておられるのを聞くことを拒否できるなら、これらすべてに抵抗してなお罪人のままでいることは、驚くほどの堕落を示す。しかし、そうしている者は幾千、幾百万もいる。どんな愛やあわれみの示しによっても、自分の罪を捨てて神に立ち返るようには導かれない者たちである。神の善さによって砕かれて悔い改めに導かれ、すべてのものの造り主であり父である、そのように善い方に逆らって罪を犯すことの悪さを見て悲しむ人は幸いである。

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness - Wilt thou render of none effect that marked benevolence of God towards thee which has given so many superior advantages, and that forbearance which has tolerated thy many miscarriages, and that long-suffering which, after repeated provocations, still continues to bear with thee?

Not knowing - Αγνοων, not acknowledging that this goodness of God, which has so long manifested itself in forbearance and long-suffering, leadeth thee to repentance - was designed to accomplish this blessed end; which thy want of consideration and acknowledgment has rendered, hitherto, ineffectual. This was a maxim among the Jews themselves; for, in Synopsis Sohar, it is said: - The holy blessed God delays his anger against the wicked, to the end that they may repent and be converted.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness,.... The apostle anticipates an objection against what he had said, taken from the prosperity of these persons; who might conclude from thence, that they were not so wicked as he had represented them; and that they should escape the judgment of God, otherwise they would have been punished by God in this life, and not have prospered as they did; which objection is removed by observing, that it was not their innocence, but "the riches of" divine "goodness, and longsuffering and forbearance", which were the causes of their prosperity: by "the riches of God's goodness", are not meant the riches of his special, spiritual, and eternal goodness, which his own people are only partakers of: but the general riches of his temporal and providential goodness, which the men of the world have commonly the greatest share of; they have it in great plenty, which is signified by "riches": and by his "longsuffering and forbearance" are designed, not his forbearance of his chosen ones and his longsuffering to them, which issue in their salvation; but his forbearance of sinners, and longsuffering towards them, in not as yet pouring down his wrath and displeasure on them; all which are "despised" by them; the riches of his goodness, when he is not glorified for his providential mercies, and in them, and when these are abused to the lusts of men. The

forbearance of God is despised, when men on account of it harden themselves in sin; and his

longsuffering, when they deny his concern in Providence, or a future judgment, and promise themselves impunity. Moreover, the apostle obviates the above objection by asserting that God's end in his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, was not to testify to their innocence, as they imagined, but to lead them to repentance, of which they were ignorant;

not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. This is to be understood not of a spiritual and evangelical repentance, which is a free grace gift, and which none but the Spirit of God can lead, or bring persons to; but of a natural and legal repentance, which lies in an external sorrow for sin, and in an outward cessation from it, and reformation of life and manners, which the goodness of God to the Jews should have led them to; who had a large share of the good things of life, a land flowing with milk and honey, and many outward privileges which other nations had not, as the giving of the law, the covenant and promises, the word and ordinances; and repentance here chiefly designs, as it may respect the Gentiles, a change of mind and practice in them relating to idolatry and superstition Now the providential goodness of God has a tendency to lead persons to repentance on this account; but of this end of divine goodness the Gentiles were ignorant; nor was this end answered thereby; which shows the wretched depravity of human nature; see Acts 14:15.

Here he taxeth such as thought God approved of their persons and courses, at least that he would not regard or punish their evil actions, because he had hitherto forborne them, and heaped up abundance of worldly blessings upon them, as he did upon the Romans especially, above other people. It is common for men to grow secure, and promise themselves impunity, when God forbears them, and gives them outward prosperity: see Psalm 50:21 55:19 Ecclesiastes 8:11 Hosea 12:8.

Despisest thou? the word signifies, to think amiss; he despiseth the goodness of God, who thinks otherwise of it than he should, that it is extended to him for other ends than it is: or, to despise the goodness of God, is, to turn it into wantonness.

The riches of his goodness; i.e. The abundance of his goodness: see Romans 9:23 Ephesians 1:7,18 2:4,7 3:8.

Forbearance and long-suffering; God’s long-suffering is a further degree of his forebearance: the Scripture speaks much of this attribute of God, and of his abounding therein, Exodus 34:6 Numbers 14:11,18 Psa 86:15 Matthew 23:37 Romans 9:22 1 Timothy 1:16 1 Peter 3:20.

The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance; that is one great end of God’s goodness and forbearance; see Hosea 11:4 2 Peter 3:9. God’s goodness is abused when it is not used and improved to this end.

(4, 5) Another alternative is put forward, which has less to do with the distinction of Jew and Gentile, and in which the Apostle keeps more closely to the general form that his argument has assumed: “Or do you think to take refuge in the goodness, the benevolence and long-suffering of God?” True it is that He is good, and “willeth not the death of a sinner,” but His goodness is not absolute and unconditional. Its object is not to interfere with the just punishment of sin, but to lead men to repent of their sins, and so to obtain remission.

(4) Riches.—In this metaphorical sense, with reference to the divine attributes, this word is peculiar to and characteristic of St. Paul. It is thus used twelve times in his Epistles, and not besides in the rest of the New Testament, including the Epistle to the Hebrews. This is one of those instances where the evidence of style is important. Of the twelve places where this use occurs, eight are in the Epistles of the Imprisonment, three in the Epistle to the Romans, and one in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. The later and earlier Epistles are thus linked together. A similar use is not found in the Pastoral Epistles, but it should be remembered that arguments of this kind are more important on the positive side than on the negative. It is an inference of some strength that if a peculiar word or usage is found in two separate books, those books are by the same author, but the absence of such a word or usage goes a very short way towards the opposite negative conclusion if other resemblances on characteristic points are not wanting.

Forbearance and longsuffering.—We may compare with this the Sinaitic revelation given in Exodus 34:6-7, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering.” The moral character and relation to His people thus attributed to the Deity was a feature which specially distinguished the religion of the Old Testament from that of the surrounding heathen nations.

We may observe that the fallacy against which the Apostle is protesting in these verses is not yet extinct. The goodness of God—i.e., His disposition to promote the happiness of His creatures—is insisted upon as if it were unconditional, as if it were a disposition to promote their happiness simply and without any reference to what they were in themselves. We do not find that this is the case; but rather the constitution of nature, as well as revelation, tells us that happiness is annexed to certain acts and a certain frame of mind, and that it is withheld from all that is not consonant with this. The bliss of the Christian is reserved for the Christian, and is not showered promiscuously upon all men. Otherwise free-will would have no office, and righteous dealing no reward.

4. the riches] A frequent word with St Paul, in reference to Divine goodness and glory. See Romans 9:23, Romans 10:12, Romans 11:33; Ephesians 1:7-8; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 3:16; Php 4:19; Colossians 1:17; Colossians 2:2.

goodness] Specially the goodness of kindness. So the same original is rendered 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4.

to repentance] See, as an illustrative parallel, 2 Peter 3:9; where perhaps render “willing to receive all to repentance.” The Gr. of “repentance,” here as elsewhere in N. T., means far more than alarm or grief; rather, a change of thought and will. See especially 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; 2 Timothy 2:25.

The point of this verse is specially for the (still unnamed) Jew. He thought his spiritual privilege and light, so long and lovingly continued, a mere honour, instead of a peculiar call to conscience.

Despisest thou (καταφρονεῖς)

The indicative mood unites a declaration with the question: "Do you despise? Aye, you do."

Riches (πλούτου)

A favorite word with Paul to describe the quality of the divine attributes and gifts. See 2 Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:8, Ephesians 3:16; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:27.

Goodness (χρηστότητος)

See on easy, Matthew 11:30.

Forbearance and long-suffering (ἀνοχῆς καὶ μακροθυμίας)

Ἁνοχή forbearance, strictly a holding back. In classical Greek mostly of a truce of arms. It implies something temporary which may pass away under new conditions. Hence used in connection with the passing by of sins before Christ (Romans 3:25). "It is that forbearance or suspense of wrath, that truce with the sinner, which by no means implies that the wrath will not be executed at the last; nay, involves that it certainly will, unless he be found under new conditions of repentance and obedience" (Trench). For μακροθυμία long-suffering, see on James 5:7. This reliance on God's tolerance to suspend the rule of His administration in your case is contempt (despisest). Compare Galatians 6:7.

Not knowing (ἀγνοῶν)

In that thou dost not know. This very ignorance is contempt.

Leadeth (ἄγει)

The continuous present: is leading all the while thou art despising.

Repentance (μετάνοιαν)

See on Matthew 3:2; see on Matthew 21:29.