TEXT. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and dost the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; PARAPHRASE. judgest another, thou condemnest thyself: for thou, that 2 judgest, are alike guilty, in doing the same things. But this we are sure of, that the judgment, that God passes upon any offenders, is according to truth, right and just. 3 Canst thou, who dost those things which thou condemnest in another, think that thou shalt escape the condemn4 ing sentence of God? Or slightest thou the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing, nor considering, that the goodness of God ought to lead 5 thee to repentance? But layest up to thyself wrath and NOTES. speaks of, was, that aversion, which the jews generally had to the gentiles; so that the unconverted jews could not bear with the thoughts of a Messias, that admitted the heathen, equally with them, into his kingdom; nor could the converted jews be brought to admit them into their communion, as the people of God, now equally with themselves: so that they generally, both one and the other, judged them unworthy the favour of God, and out of a capacity to become his people, any other way, but by circumcision and an observance of the ritual parts of the law, the inexcusableness and absurdity whereof St. Paul shows in this chapter. 2b" According to truth," doth, I suppose, signify not barely a true judgment, which will stand in opposition to an erroneous, and that will not take effect, but something more, i. e. according to the truth of his predictions and threats. As if he had said, "But if God in judgment cast off the jews, from "being any longer his people, we know this to be according to his truth, who "hath forewarned them of it. Ye jews judge the gentiles not to be received "into the people of God, and refuse them admittance into the kingdom of "the Messias, though you break the law, as well as they; you judge as preBut the judgment of God against you will stand "judiced, passionate men. "firm." The reason why he does it so covertly, may be that, which I have before mentioned, his great care not to shock the jews, especially here in the beginning, till he had got fast hold upon them. And hence possibly it is, that he calls obeying the gospel, obeying the truth, ver. 8, and uses other the like soft expressions in this chapter. TEXT. 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well-dong, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; eternal lite: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath; 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doth evil, of the jew first, and also of the gentile. 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the jew first, and also to the gentile. PARAPHRASE. punishment, which thou wilt meet with, at the day of judgment, and that just retribution, which shall be awarded thee by God, in proportion to thy impenitency, 6 and the hardness of thy heart; Who will retribute to 7 every one according to his works, viz. Eternal life to all those who by patience and gentleness in well-doing seek 8 glory and honour, and a state of immortality: But to them who are contentious and forward, and will not obey the truth, but subject themselves to unrighteous9 ness; indignation and wrath; Tribulation and anguish shall be poured out upon every soul of man that work10 eth evil, of the jew first, and also of the gentile. But glory, honour, and peace, shall be bestowed on every man, that worketh good, on the jew first, and also on NOTES. 7e Patience, in this verse, is opposed to contentious in the next, and seems principally to regard the jews, who had no patience for any consideration of the gentiles, but with a strange peevishness and contention, opposed the freedom of the gospel, in admitting the believing gentiles to the franchises of the kingdom of the Messias, upon equal terms with themselves. 8d Though by "truth," the gospel be here meant, yet I doubt not but St. Paul used the term, truth, with an eye to the jews, who though some rew of them received the gospel, yet even a great part of those few joined with the rest of their nation, in opposing this great truth of the gospel, that, under the Messias, the gentiles, who believed, were the people of God, as well as the jews, and as such were to be received by them. 9, 10"The jew first, and also the gentile." We see, by these two verses, and chap. i. 16, that St Paul carefully lays it down, that there was now, un er the gospel, no other national distinction between the jews and the gentiles, but only a priority in the offer of the gospel, and in the design of rewards and punishment, according as the jews obeyed, or not. Which may tar her satisfy us, that the distinction, which St. Paul insists on so much here, and all through the first part of this epistle, is national; the comparison being pet veen the jews, as nationally the people of God; and the gentiles, as not the people of TEXT. 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For, as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. PARAPHRASE. 11 the gentile. For with God there is no respect of per12 sons. For all, that have sinned without having the po sitive law of God, which was given the israelites, shall perish without the law; and all, who have sinned, being 13 under the law, shall be judged by the law, (For the bare hearers of the law are not thereby just, or righteous, in the sight of God, but the doers of the law; they, who exactly perform all that is commanded in it, shall be jus14 tified. For, when the gentiles, who have no positive law given them by God, do, by the direction of the NOTES. God, before the Messias: and that, under the Messias, the professors of christianity, consisting most of converted gentiles, were the people of God, owned and acknowledged as such by him, the unbelieving jews being rejected, and the unbelieving gentiles never received; but that yet personally both jews and gentiles, every single person, shall be punished for his own particular sin, as appears by the two next verses. 12 f'Aπoλτα, "shall perish;" xponovaι, "shall be judged." Those under the law, St. Paul says, "shall be judged by the law:" and this is easy to conceive, because they were under a positive law, wherein life and death were annexed, as the reward and punishment of obedience and disobedience; but of the gentiles, who were not under the positive law, he says barely, that “they "shall perish." St. Paul does not use these so eminently differing expressions for nothing; they will, I think, give some light to chap. v. 13, and my interpretation of it, if they lead us no farther. 14 & Mǹ sóμor ixofis, "having not the law," or not having a law. The apostle by the word law, generally, in this epistle, signifying a positive law, given by God, and promulgated by a revelation from heaven, with the sanction of declared rewards and punishments annexed to it, it is not improbable, that in this verse, (where, by the Greek particle, he so plainly points out the law of Moses) by vou, without the article, may intend law, in general, in his sense of a law, and so this verse may be translated thus: " for when the gen"tiles, who have not a law, do by nature the things contained in the law: "these, not having a law, are a law to themselves." And so, ver. 12, As many as have sinned, being under a law, shall be judged by a law." For though, from Adam to Christ, there was no revealed, positive law, but that TEXT. 15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts, the mean while, accusing, or else excusing one another) 16 In the day, when God shall judge the secrets of men, by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. 17 Behold, thou art called a jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God: PARAPHRASE. light of nature, observe, or keep to the moral rectitude, contained in the positive law, given by God to the israelites, they being without any positive law given them, 15 have nevertheless a law within themselves. And show the rule of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness to that law, they amongst themselves, in the reasoning of their own minds, ac16 cusing, or excusing one another) At the day of judgment, when, as I make known in my preaching the gospel, God shall judge all the actions of men, by Jesus 17 Christ. Behold, thou art named' a jew; and thou, with satisfaction, restest in the privilege of having the law, as a mark of God's peculiar favour*, whom thou gloriest in, as being thy God, and thou one of his people; a people, who alone know and worship the true God; NOTES. given to the israelites; yet it is certain that, by Jesus Christ, a positive law from heaven is given to all mankind, and that those, to whom this has been promulgated, by the preaching of the gospel, are all under it, and shall be judged by it. 16 According to my gospel," i.e. as I make known in my preaching the gospel. That this is the meaning of this phrase, may be seen, 2 Tim. ii. 8. And of St. Paul's declaring of it, in his preaching, we have an instance left upon record, Acts xvii. 31. 17 i 'Emorμán, thou art named, emphatically said by St. Paul; for he, that was such a jew, as he describes in the following verses, he insists on it, was a jew only by name, not in reality, for so he concludes, ver. 28 and 29, he is not, in the esteem of God, a jew, who is so outwardly only. 17-20 In these four verses St. Paul makes use of the titles the jews assumed to themselves, from the advantages they had, of light and knowledge, above the gentiles, to show them how inexcusable they were, in judging the gentiles, who were even in their own account so much beneath them in knowledge, for doing those things, which they themselves were also guilty of. 17 Vid. Mic. iii. 11. TEXT. 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou, that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou, that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou, that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law, dishonoureth thou God? PARAPHRASE. 18 And thou knowest his will, and hast the touch-stone of 19 things excellent', having been educated in the law, And takest upon thee as one, who art a guide to the blind", a light to the ignorant gentiles, who are in darknessTM, 20 An instructor of the foolish", a teacher of babes", hav ing an exact draught, and a complete system" of know21 ledge and truth in the law. Thou, therefore, who art a master in this knowledge, and teachest others, teachest thou not thyself? Thou, that preachest that a man 22 should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou, that declarest adultery to be unlawful, dost thou commit it? Thou, that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou, who gloriest in the law, dost thou, by breaking NOTES. 18 Tà diapiporla, signifies things excellent, convenient, controverted, or differing. In either of these senses it may be understood here, though the last, viz. their difference in respect of lawful and unlawful, I think may be pitched on, as most suited to the apostle's design here, and that which the jews much stood upon, as giving them one great pre eminence above the defiled gentiles. 19,20 m Blind, in darkness, foolish babes," were appellations which the jews gave to the gentiles, signifying how much inferior to themselves they thought them in knowledge. 20n Map wors," form," seems here to be the same with run, "form," chap. vi. 17, i.e. "such a draught, as contained and represented the parts and "lineaments of the whole." For it is to be remembered, that the apostle uses these expressions and terms here, in the same sense the jews spoke of themselves, vauntingly, over the gentiles, he thereby aggravating their fault, in judging the gentiles as they did, |