B. Judgment According to God's Laws (2:1-16)
1. On the "judgments" of men and the judgment of God (2:1-4)
Rome. 2:1. The saying "There are no rules without exception" applies to any generalization and to such, in particular, as the unconditional condemnation of the pagan world (1:18-32). It is clear that some pagans in Paul's time held high moral standards and, of course, accused and criticized their contemporaries, who for the most part led an immoral lifestyle. As for the Jews, in matters of morality they were a sharp contrast in comparison with the pagan environment, and therefore, without hesitation, they condemned the pagans.
Both of these groups of "moralists" probably thought that they themselves were not subject to God's condemnation, since their moral character seemed to speak in their favor. But the apostle Paul held a different opinion, considering them subject to condemnation, because, in condemning others, they, in essence, did the same thing.
"For by the same (judgment) by which you judge another, you condemn yourself." There is no person who would not turn away from God and would not sin - the difference is only in the frequency, nature and degree of sins. All the more sinful is the human race as a whole, including both pagans, leading a moral way of life, and Jews; they have no justification ("you are inexcusable, every man" - 2:1) for the reason that at the basis of God's judgment are three unshakable principles: His truth or righteousness ("But we know that in truth there is the judgment of God" 2:2 ); impartiality ("no partiality," verses 5-11); and Jesus Christ Himself (verses 12-16). These principles are absolute in essence and unchanging in time, so that every person is subject to condemnation on the basis of them.
Rome. 2:2-3. So the first principle of judgment by which God judges is truth. Nowhere in the Scriptures does God the Father speak of himself as "Truth" - He is, according to Him, Spirit (John 4:24), Light (1-John 1:5) and Love (1-John 4: 8.16). But the Lord Jesus calls Himself "the Truth" (John 14:6). Of the Father, Scripture says that He is the God of truth (Ps. 30:6; Is. 65:16).
One way or another, there is no doubt: truth, complete and absolute, is one of the main attributes of God. It follows from this that, since God will judge people "according to the truth" (literally, in accordance with the truth), no one will be able to escape this judgment. For no one has an excuse (Rom. 2:1), therefore, no one can escape judgment in the light of God's truth. A person can be "highly moral" and even be indignant at his contemporaries who lead an unrighteous way of life, however, he is also subject to God's condemnation.
Rome. 2:4. Slowly, by pouring out His righteous wrath on people, God manifests the "wealth of goodness" (krestotetos - literally "benevolence in action"); Paul uses the same word for God in Rom. 11:22; Eph. 2:7; Tit. 3:4 - translated in Russian in the latter case as "grace"), "meekness and long-suffering" (compare Acts 14:16; 17:30; Rom. 3:25). God wants to bring a person to repentance, that is, to convert, return him to Himself by His goodness (here the Greek word krestos, which is a synonym for the above-mentioned krestotetos, and is also translated as "goodness").
Both words literally mean: "what meets the need, need." The word krestos in relation to God is also found in Luke. 6:35 and 1 Pet. 2:3, and in relation to man - in Eph. 4:32, where it is translated "good". "Not understanding" (literally - "not knowing") the Divine purpose, people "neglect" (in the sense of "do not attach special importance") both the properties of God and His actions, and thereby suppress the truth ... Rom. 1:18). Having received the revelation of God in nature (1:19-21,28), people did not know the cause and purpose of His goodness.
2. ABOUT THE "IMPENENTITY" OF PEOPLE AND THE "UNPARTICIPATION" OF GOD (2:5-11)
Rome. 2:5-6. However, why do people not understand the purpose of God's goodness? (verse 4). And why do they neglect it? - By its perseverance (scleroteta - literally "hardness", "rigidity", hence "sclerosis" - "hardness", inelasticity of blood vessels), otherwise slow-wittedness, by impenitence of one's hearts. Meanwhile, God's wrath against human sins is collected like water in a huge reservoir - in order to one day be poured out on people "on the day of wrath and the revelation of righteous judgment from God." On that day God will "repay to every one according to his deeds" (these words correspond to what was said in Ps. 61:13 and in Prov. 24:12). God's judgment will be based on truth (Rom. 2:2) and will be impartial and just (verse 11).
Rome. 2:7-11. God will give eternal life to those "who by perseverance in a good deed seek glory, honor and immortality. And to those who persist and do not submit to the truth, but betray (the grammatical structure of the phrase in the original testifies to the "dignity" and in this deplorable state) unrighteousness" He will "repay" with "fury and wrath."
So, everyone "doing evil" will receive sorrow and distress, and everyone who does good (in both cases is meant - constantly doing) will receive "glory and honor (compare verse 7) and peace." This recompense of God does not depend on a person's belonging to one or another nation, but is determined only by what and how a person did in life.
A person's habitual behavior and actions, whether good or evil, reveal (respectively) what kind of heart he has. However, eternal life is not given for good deeds - this would contradict the numerous assertions in Holy Scripture that salvation cannot be earned by good deeds, that it is given by the grace of God to those who believe (Rom. 6:23; 10:9-10; 11: 6; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).
The point here is that the good deeds of a person testify to the renewal of his heart, which came as a result of his redemption by God; such a person receives eternal life. And, on the contrary, a person who constantly does evil and rejects the truth, thereby shows that he is not regenerated and, therefore, remains the object of God's wrath.
The expression "first to the Jews, then to the Greeks" in the original - literally "Greek") does not imply a special approach to the Jews - but in the light of God's "no partiality" (verse 11) it should be taken in the sense that all people are "under God," and all mankind will have to stand before Him. The expression "on the day of judgment from God" (Rom. 2:5), taken by itself, may at first glance be taken as confirmation of the idea that all people will be judged at the same judgment. However, such a conclusion does not follow from the context of Holy Scripture as a whole.
And this phrase should be interpreted in the light of those places which clearly state that there will be several judgments, i.e. that different groups of people will be judged at different times (about the judgment of Israel at the second coming of Christ - Ezek. 20:32-38; about the judgment on the Gentiles at the second coming of Christ - Matt. 25:31-46, and about the judgment before the great white throne - Rev. 20:11-15). The semantic emphasis in the expression under consideration is that all people will stand before God's judgment - without specifying the details of who and when will be judged.
3. JESUS CHRIST (2:12-16)
Rome. 2:12. Divine justice is also seen in the fact that He will judge people according to the time in which they lived. "The law was given through Moses" (John 1:17), initiating the age of the law. But the law was given to the people of Israel, chosen by God, while the Gentiles remained outside its sphere of action. That's why Paul says, "Those who have sinned without the law will be without the law and will perish." Gentiles will be judged for their sins, but the requirements of the Mosaic law will not be the basis for their accusation. On the other hand, the Jews, i.e., "those who have sinned under the law (literally, "being within the scope of the law"), will be condemned by the law." So, the Gentiles will not be able to escape God's judgment, but not on the basis of the law (the law of Moses), which they did not know, will they be condemned.
Rome. 2:13. The law of Moses was constantly read in the synagogues, since it was an obligatory part of the Divine service, and therefore all the Jews were "listeners of the law." However, righteousness did not automatically follow from the fact that a person listened to the reading of the law. Only those will be justified (interpretation on 1:17 and compare with 3:24) who in their lives fulfilled the requirements of the law. James says the same thing (James 1:22-25). Again (interpretation on Rom. 2:7-10) we emphasize that eternal life as a result of justification is not given for good works - it will be received by those who believe in God (trust Him), and whose behavior testifies to the renewal of their hearts.
Rome. 2:14-15. The Jews looked down on the Gentiles in part because they did not have the revelation of God's will given to the Jews in the Law of Moses. However, as Paul notes, there are also highly moral pagans who "by nature do what is lawful." The life of such people testifies that the words of the law of God are carved not only on stone tablets and not only in the writings of Moses you can read them, but also in your own heart; that is why it was reflected in the actions, thoughts and deeds of some pagans.
The law given to Israel through Moses is, in essence, only a concrete statement of those moral and spiritual requirements that God imposes on every person. That is why the pagans, who held to a moral way of life, thereby testified that the work of the law was written in their hearts. This was confirmed by the voice of their conscience, i.e., the ability inherent in a person to evaluate their actions and thoughts; it is by the conscience of a person that his thoughts (as, indeed, his deeds) are sometimes justified, sometimes condemned. This is why Paul says of the moral Gentiles that they are their own law (verse 14).
Conscience is a very important element of a human being, however, it cannot serve as an absolutely accurate indicator of good and evil. The conscience of some can be "good" (Acts 23:1; 1 Tim. 1:5,19) and "clean" (Acts 24:16; 1 Tim. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3 ; Heb. 13:18), but it can also be "evil" (Heb. 10:22), defiled (Tit. 1:15), "weak" (1 Cor. 8:7,10,12) and "burnt" (1 Tim. 4:2). Therefore, all people must trust Jesus Christ so that the blood of Jesus can "cleanse their conscience" (Heb. 9:14).
Rome. 2:16. This verse brings us back to verses 5-13, which contain the main point of this section, God's judgment (verse 5). Thus, what is spoken of in verses 14-15 is, as it were, a "thought in brackets." The impetus for it is verse 13, as well as the prejudice of the Jews against the Gentiles.
The inevitability of God's judgment on all people is emphasized by the words "God will judge." This judgment will be through Jesus Christ (John 5:22,27; Acts 17:31). And the secret deeds of men are subject to it. In other words, at the judgment, light will be shed on what people tried to hide from others, "to hide in darkness", and thus the correctness of this judgment will be revealed (compare 1 Cor. 4:5). The expression "according to my gospel" (Pavlov) does not mean that God will judge people based on what Paul said. The meaning of this phrase of the apostle is that the righteous judgment of God is an essential part of his gospel and the basis for faith in the final redemption through Jesus Christ.
In verses 1 through 16, God is presented as the Creator of the universe, exercising the moral direction of human beings. The absolute principles approved by Him are known to people. Here is how they sound, formulated briefly: God impartially punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous according to their deeds, which speak of the state of their hearts.
Since there is no person, with the exception of Jesus Christ alone, who could be justified by God on the basis of his own merits, then all people are under God's condemnation. At this point, Paul has not yet said anything about how a person can achieve a righteous walk with God. Here he only emphasizes the justice of God's judgment, leading readers to the conclusion that none of the people can justify himself before God on his own.
C. Condemnation of unbelieving Jews (2:17 - 3:8)
1. CONDEMNING THEIR HYPOCRIES (2:17-24)
Rome. 2:17-20. Saying "you, every man who judges another" (Rom. 2:1), the apostle undoubtedly had in mind both Jews and Gentiles who observed the norms of morality. But there he did not specify those to whom he addressed, as he does here: "Behold, you are called a Jew" (those who were called and were Jews were proud of this).
Paul goes on to list eight features, moral and religious, that distinguished Jews from Gentiles and were a source of particular pride for the former and the cause of their sense of superiority with which they treated the Gentiles (verses 17-21a). To emphasize each of these features, the apostle begins each phrase with an "and" particle. Moreover, all verbs are in the present tense to emphasize the usual nature of the action: 1) "You comfort yourself with the law" - the Jews especially relied on this advantage given to them by God. 2) "boast in God" (compare verse 23) - Jews prided themselves on having a special covenant relationship with God. 3) "and you know his will" (they knew what the Lord wanted from them). 4) "and you understand the best" (diapheron - that which differs from another, leading to a perfect result), the same word occurs in Phil. 1:10.
The Jews took care to observe high spiritual principles. And it was possible for them because 5) "they learned from the law." From childhood to death, the Jews learned about the law. 6) "And I am sure of myself" - many Jews were sure that in a number of things they were superior to the Gentiles. Paul lists four such points: that they are "guides for the blind, a light for those in darkness, guides for the ignorant, teachers for babes." 7) The confidence of the Jews was based on the fact that they "had in the law a pattern of knowledge and truth."
Rome. 2:21-24. All that Paul listed was, of course, only a repetition of what the Jews themselves claimed about themselves. They were proud of their special spiritual position, which so distinguished them from the pagans. And so, summarizing the above: 8) "You teach another," the apostle raises the question: Why do you not "teach yourself?" What follows is a whole series of questions, arising from the specific prohibitions of the law, concerning theft, adultery, and idolatry.
It is noteworthy that the appeal is everywhere here (verses 17-25) in the second person singular, that is, it is addressed, as it were, to each Jew individually, guilty of committing what he instructed others against. ("How are you, teaching another?"). Of course, this was hypocrisy, and the apostle denounces a hypothetical Jew in him: "you boast of the law (compare verse 17), but by the transgression of the law you dishonor God?" Any honest Jew, obviously, had to admit both his guilt and his hypocrisy.
Note that Paul's accusations were not made on the basis of his own judgments, but referring to the Holy Scriptures of the Jews, for example, Is. 52:5 (end of verse). The hypocrisy of the Jews dishonored God and gave the pagans a reason to blaspheme the name of God. They seemed to think something like this: "Why should we praise God if His chosen people are not obedient to Him?"
2. CONDEMNATION FOR THAT THE RITUAL IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE FOLLOWING OF THE LAW (2:25-29)
Not only did the Jews rely on the Law of Moses, as follows from the previous verses (17-24), but also on the ritual of circumcision - as a sign of their special relationship with God within the framework of the covenant. But this hope of theirs for the ritual Paul debunks as senseless and only incurring the wrath of God on them.
Rome. 2:25-27. "Circumcision is useful if you keep the law; but if you are a transgressor of the law, then your circumcision has become uncircumcision." In the Greek text, the last words of this verse sound somewhat different: "If you are a transgressor of the law, then your circumcision has become but a removal of the foreskin." In other words: Jews who transgress the law become like Gentiles, because their circumcision means nothing.
The converse is also true: "So if the uncircumcised one keeps the ordinances of the law" (in the original Greek: "So if he who has the foreskin keeps the requirements of the law" - interpretation on verse 25; and some of the Gentiles, it seems, kept them), "then Will not his uncircumcision be imputed to him as circumcision?" In other words, will he not be equated with the circumcised one?
Paul further concludes that a Gentile who keeps the law has the right to condemn a Jew who, having a written law and being circumcised, nevertheless breaks the law. The Gentile who walks according to the requirements of the law, although he does not know the law itself (Rom. 2:14), is in the eyes of God no worse than a circumcised Jew. This thought of the apostle, one must think, undermined and turned over the usual ideas of the Jews that they were placed by the Creator incomparably higher than the Gentiles (verses 17-21).
Rome. 2:28-29. With these verses, Paul sums up everything that was said in verses 17-27. A true Jew should not be distinguished by external signs (such as wearing phylacteries, paying tithes, or being circumcised). And true circumcision is not limited to the ritual of circumcision of the foreskin. But a true Jew is one "who is such inwardly," and true circumcision is that which is performed "in the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter." The Greek text says "in the spirit," as if it were a circumcision performed in the Holy Spirit.
However, it is more correct to understand this passage in the sense that circumcision "in the heart" or "of the heart" leads a person who previously followed the requirements of God's law purely outwardly to the fulfillment of this law in spirit. It is known that many Jews formally acted according to the requirements of the law, however, their hearts were "far away" from God (Is. 29:13). A "circumcised heart" is a heart separated from the world and consecrated to the Lord. The true Jew receives praise not from people (like the Pharisees), but from God, who evaluates people according to their inner nature (compare Matt. 6:4,6) and "judges ... the intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
2
:
1,2
Therefore, you are inexcusable, every person who judges [another], for with the same judgment that you judge another, you condemn yourself, because when you judge [another], you do the same.
2 But we know that there is truly a judgment of God against those who do such things.
In the second chapter, Paul primarily speaks of the Jews, and especially the Pharisees, who are sure that they are the servants of God and know God, while all the rest are far from them in righteousness and do not know God.
But his words are relevant even today: they serve as a good warning to the present eloquent servants of God, who, having acquired some useful skills in the Church of God, begin to exalt themselves above others, without caring about conformity to the way of actions and thoughts, which are eloquently spoken about everywhere.
2
:
3
Do you really think, man, that you will escape the judgment of God by condemning those who do such [deeds] and (yourself) doing the same?
Actually, what is the paradox of condemning the wicked by the Pharisees? The fact that while condemning others, the Pharisees themselves did a lot of things that are not pleasing to God. At least the outspoken wicked weren't hypocritical and didn't pretend to be pious. And the Pharisees did vile deeds, while not wanting to be known as wicked in society, but wanting to maintain their reputation as righteous.
Christians know that God HIMSELF will condemn all those who do indecent things - a due recompense for all deeds. Therefore, they do not advise anyone to devote their lives to condemning the wicked, for such is the will of God that they be until a certain time. You need to take care of yourself and your business.
2:4
Or do you neglect the wealth of God's goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
If God is long-suffering in anticipation of the repentance of mankind and does not punish those who still live wickedly, this does not mean that the Pharisees, who are righteous only outwardly, have no reason to repent and nothing - Ps.49:21.
These also include this time of God's longsuffering.
2:5,6
But, according to your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of righteous judgment from God,
However, everyone who persists in wrong behavior - both those who know the requirements of God, but violate them, and those who do not know, but violate them - will not see anything good for themselves from God: He will reward everyone according to deeds in day of his wrath:
6 Who will render to each according to his deeds:
Here, in day of wrath and retribution for deeds- it is unlikely that Armageddon is meant, for not all the wicked will live to see it. Here, rather, it means day of recompense in the sense that God certainly knows how and with whom He will act and to whom with what to reward in the future regarding the possibility of life in His world order.
2:7,8
to those who, by perseverance in a good deed, seek glory, honor, and immortality, eternal life;
8 but to those who are stubborn and do not obey the truth, but give themselves up to iniquity, wrath and wrath.
Interesting ABOUT RECOVERY Paul said: about the stubborn opponents of the truth - of course, there are such on the planet and they do not seem to have a future. Moreover, God will reward not according to thoughts, but according to deeds: if I mentally agree with God, but in fact I do the opposite, there is little use in the right thoughts.
But it is said about the righteous that they do a good deed not just like that and not entirely disinterestedly, as it might seem from the words of Paul: they LOOKING FOR glory, honor and immortality.
For example, the devil also LOOKED FOR FAME and HONOR. What's the matter here?
Seeking glory from the people is one thing, the devil craved it. Seeking glory from God is quite another. It means to be
inglorious and despised by people
for what is high with them is low with God. So doing a good deed from the point of view of God, and not of people, is the highest goal for a Christian. TO SEEK God's approval, to please Him and to strive for Him is natural for the righteous.
2:
9-11
Sorrow and oppression to every soul of a person who does evil, first, the Jew, [then] and the Greek!
Total: regardless of WHO will do evil or good - the retribution from God will be fair for everyone without partiality: if the pagan does not get drunk - praise him. If a Jew gets drunk - he is condemned (for example)
10 On the contrary, glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, first to the Jew, [then] and to the Greek!
11 For there is no partiality with God.
Why, if a Jew and a Gentile will do good - then preference in praise of the Jew? Because the Jew does it CONSCIOUSLY, thinking about God and how to act according to His will. If just doing good as a good person is good, but if doing good as God's servant, glorifying God, is better.
2:12,13
Those who, without [having] the law, have sinned, are outside the law and will perish; but those who have sinned under the law will be condemned under the law
13 (for it is not the hearers of the law that are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified,
So, God is not partial in His judgment: EVERYONE who does evil deeds will be condemned. But God has a just approach to condemnation: those who DID NOT KNOW Nothing
about the requirements of his law for the Jews
, but who liked to do evil deeds - they will be condemned NOT for violating the points of the Mosaic Law. Not because, for example, they did not make sacrifices to the temple or did not follow the annual cleansing procedures. A -
for your bad deeds
they will be condemned: for greed, for example, for lying, theft, dishonesty, etc.
But the Jews will be condemned precisely for violating the law of Moses
. For it is not the hearers of God's law that are justified by the law, but the doers.
2:14
For when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what is lawful, then, having no law, they are their own law:
Knowing the law is of no value if it is NOT followed. If the pagans do not know the law, but according to their inner convictions, for example, they do not lie, do not steal, do not envy, etc., then from the point of view of God, they are more righteous than the omniscient Jews who violate His law.
2:15
they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as evidenced by their conscience and their thoughts, now accusing, now justifying one another)
For God, RIGHT INNER BELIEFS are important, the conscience of a person that encourages him to do the right thing, regardless of whether this person has learned all the points of the Mosaic law set out on paper or not.
A conscientious pagan, tormented by conscience, reflecting on his deeds and his way of life - THEREFORE shows God that the law of God is not written on paper, but written on his heart. Not under compulsion by the punishment of the law, but
by inner conviction - he is doing the right thing
. Such a person is a great find for God.
2:16
on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secret [deeds] of men through Jesus Christ
Therefore, on the day when God, with the help of Christ, calls every inhabitant of the earth to account for the mysteries of the past, as Paul teaches, He will more quickly justify a conscientious pagan who has no idea about the Mosaic law than an inveterate Pharisee who knows by heart the points of this law and purifies himself to the state righteousness - by sacrifices instead of deeds.
2:17-20
Behold, you call yourself a Jew, and comfort yourself with the law, and boast in God,
18 And you know [His] will, and you understand better, learning from the law,
19 And you are sure of yourself that you are a guide of the blind, a light to those in darkness,
20 a teacher of the ignorant, a teacher of infants, having in the law an example of knowledge and truth:
If until now Paul spoke about everyone in general, then further Paul gently “walked” through his relatives - the Jews, condemning the Gentiles, boasting of the knowledge of the law of God and TEM- soothing yourself. Apparently, they tired him: each of them could not add up his prices. He was so dear in his own eyes that it is impossible to say - because he knows the essence of life, he can guide the blind and the baby on the path of truth, and has the advantage of the law of God - to draw this knowledge.
In general, as is " an example of the knowledge of God and the truth of God ". So high thought the Jews of themselves. Therefore, Paul was forced to slightly adjust the height of their flight, showing them the real picture of things in relation to their righteousness, so that they could at least gain altitude in the future, instead of falling to the ground to death in the near future .
2:21,22
how can you, teaching another, not teach yourself?
22 When you preach not to steal, do you steal? saying, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? abhorring idols, do you blaspheme?
Having listed all their virtues, which the Jews undoubtedly had, Paul unexpectedly turns all their decency inside out, indignant at the fact that they are teachers of EVERYONE, but they themselves are very far from what they teach the rest: thinking that they act righteously in everything - nevertheless, from the point of view of God - they steal, blaspheme, commit adultery.
Whether the Jews themselves understood that they were notorious scoundrels and thieves, for example, is unknown, for when God said here that you are robbing Me:
Mal.3:8 Can a person rob God? And you are robbing me. You will say, "How do we rob you?" Tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse because you - all the people - are robbing me.
The Jews sincerely did not consider themselves thieves. But that's not what matters. And importantly, here's what, in the following text:
2:24
For for your sake(because of you) as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles
the important thing is that looking at HOW Jehovah's servants act, many pagans blasphemed their God. It is understandable: if the servants - SUCH and God approves them SUCH Why do we need such a God?
2:25
Circumcision is useful if you keep the law; but if you are a transgressor of the law, then your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
circumcision at the request of the Mosaic law, which distinguishes the Jew from other peoples - matters only in the case
IF a Jew does
God's requirements. And if not, then you can not be circumcised - vain torment: does the extra foreskin make a Jew a sinner? No, of course not. As well as its absence does not make a Jew a righteous man.
2:26
So, if an uncircumcised one keeps the ordinances of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
And if an uncircumcised pagan lives conscientiously and acts justly, then it does not matter to God that he is not circumcised and does not bear on the flesh the sign of belonging to the people of God. The pagan does not put his righteousness in any way dependent on the foreskin, he does not even guess to do this, because he does not know the law of Moses. But uncircumcised SUCH Pagan God represents, as if circumcised.
2:2
7
And uncircumcised by nature, fulfilling the law, will he not condemn you, a transgressor of the law at the Scripture and circumcision?
Moreover, decent uncircumcised - will easily condemn a circumcised Jew who acts dishonestly. And he will accept the law of God in his heart, because for him it is not alien, but native, for he ALREADY voluntarily lives according to this law, not even suspecting any prohibitions: he himself forbids doing indecent things.
Thus, God, through Paul, merely made it clear to the Jews, who flaunt their circumcision as a sign of belonging to God's people, that circumcision IS NOT ENOUGH to be a part of Jehovah's people. And to have inner qualities pleasing to God is ENOUGH for this.
Paul wanted to reach out to the Jews so that they would not think that shaving itself and automatically makes them righteous
and belong to God. For a Jew is not a nation, it is a glorifying (praising) Jehovah:
and gave birth to a son, and said, Now I I will praise the Lord
(Syn.P; Jehovah- PNM). That's why I named him Judas
(Gen.29:35, Syn.P).
Therefore, a real Jew in the sense that God has determined for him is one who glorifies Jehovah, regardless of the nation.
2:28,29
For it is not the Jew who [is] outwardly, nor the circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh;
29 but [that] Jew who is inwardly [such], and [that] circumcision, [which] is in the heart, in the spirit, [but] not in the letter: his praise is not from people, but from God.
And here Paul explains the ESSENCE OF SPIRITUAL CIRCUCIATION, the prototype of which, in fact, was circumcision on the flesh: from the point of view of God, not that HIS son (a Jew), who, for the sake of observing the letter (paragraph) of the Mosaic law, has only the flesh circumcised and who looks like a Jew outwardly having a circumcised organ. And he is the son (Jew) who
ACCORDING TO INTERNAL CONVINCES, he acts righteously and otherwise - he simply cannot
.
Your disobedient spirit should be circumcised, being renewed into a new man, created according to Christ (Eph. 4:23,24). And the sinful flesh should be subdued in order to "circumcise" all wrong deeds. Acquiring God's convictions is what will help you become righteous.
And by itself, a circumcised organ has not made anyone a righteous man. And for some reason it was very difficult for the Jews to understand. Even so far.
Jesus explained this principle: cut(tame) cut off the hand reaching out to steal (tame) eye that seduces to evil, cut off the heart that warms evil thoughts - Matt. 8:9.
For the first time, the Jews learned from Paul that even a Gentile with an uncircumcised organ, if he acts righteously, can become a "Jew" for God - a person who reflects God's view of the essence of being. And the presence of the foreskin - on their flesh - well, this does not interfere at all.
Comments on chapter 2
INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS
There is an obvious difference between Paul's letter to the Romans and his other messages. Any reader, passing directly after reading, for example, the Epistle to the Corinthians , will feel the difference both in spirit and in approach. To a very large extent this is due to the fact that when Paul wrote to the Church of Rome he was addressing a church in which he had no part in founding and with which he had absolutely no personal connection. This explains why in the Epistle to the Romans so little detail on specific issues that his other messages are full of. That's why Romans , at first glance, it seems more abstract. As Dibelius put it, "Of all the writings of the Apostle Paul, this is the least current-momentary."
We can express it differently. Epistle to the Romans of all the epistles of the apostle Paul comes closest to a theological treatise. In almost all of his other letters, he resolves some pressing problem, difficult situation, current error, or imminent danger hanging over the church communities to which he wrote. In the Epistle to the Romans the apostle Paul came closest to a systematic exposition of his own theological views, regardless of the confluence of any burning circumstances.
TESTIMONIAL AND PREVENTIVE
That is why two great scholars applied to the book of Romans two great definitions. Sandy called him testamentary. One gets the impression that Paul, as it were, wrote his last theological testament, his last word about his faith, as if in the Epistle to the Romans he poured out the secret word about his faith and his conviction. Rome was the largest city in the world, the capital of the greatest empire the world had ever seen. The Apostle Paul had never been there, and he did not know if he would ever be there. But when he wrote to churches in such a city, it was appropriate to state the basis and essence of his faith. Prophylactic is that which prevents infection. The apostle Paul saw all too often the harm and trouble that misconceptions, perverted concepts, misleading concepts of Christian faith and belief can cause. Therefore, he wanted to send a message to the churches of the city, which was the center of the then world, a message that would erect for them such a temple of faith that if an infection ever came to them, they would have a powerful and effective antidote in the true word of Christian doctrine. He felt that the best defense against the infection of false teachings was the preventive effect of the truth.
REASON FOR WRITING ROMANS
Throughout his life, the apostle Paul was haunted by the thought of Rome. Evangelizing there has always been his dream. While in Ephesus, he plots to pass through Achaia and Macedonia again. And then he misses the offer, definitely coming from the heart "Having been there, I must see Rome" (Acts 19:21). When he met with great difficulties in Jerusalem, and his situation was threatening and the end seemed near, he had one of those visions that encouraged him. In this vision, God stood by his side and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you testified of Me in Jerusalem, so SHOULD YOU WITNESS IN ROME." (Acts 23:11). Already in the first chapter of this epistle Paul's longing to see Rome is heard. "For I long to see you, that I may give you some spiritual gift to establish you" (Rom. 1:11). "So, as for me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome" (Rom. 1:15). We can confidently say that the name "Rome" was inscribed in the heart of the Apostle Paul.
Epistle to the Romans The Apostle Paul wrote in 58 in Corinth. He was just completing a very dear idea to his heart. The church in Jerusalem, which was the mother of all church communities, became impoverished and Paul collected money alms in its favor in all newly created church communities ( 1 Cor. 16.1 and further; 2 Cor. 9.1 Further). These monetary donations had two purposes: They gave young church communities the opportunity to show Christian charity in practice, and they represented the most effective way to show all Christians the unity of the Christian church, to teach them that they are not just members of isolated and independent religious brotherhoods, but members of one great church, each part of which bears the burden of responsibility for all the rest. When the Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans , he was just about to go to Jerusalem with this gift for the Jerusalem church community: "And now I'm going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints" (Rom. 15:25).
PURPOSE OF WRITING THE MESSAGE
Why did he write this message at such a moment?
(a) The apostle Paul knew that the journey to Jerusalem was fraught with dangerous consequences. He knew that going to Jerusalem meant risking his life and freedom. He very much wanted the members of the Roman Church to pray for him before he set out on his journey. “Meanwhile, I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Spirit, to strive with me in prayers for me to God. To get rid of the unbelievers in Judea, so that my ministry for Jerusalem would be favorable to the saints.” (Rom. 15:30-31). He secured the prayers of the faithful before embarking on this dangerous undertaking.
(b) Big plans were brewing in Paul's head. It was said of him that he was "always haunted by thoughts of distant lands." He never saw a ship at anchor, but he was always eager to go aboard to bring the good news to people across the sea. He had never seen a mountain range in the blue distance, but he was always eager to cross it in order to convey the story of the crucifixion to people who had never heard of it. At the same time, Paul was haunted by the thought of Spain. "As soon as I make my way to Spain, I will come to you. For I hope that as I pass, I will see you." (Rom. 15:24). "Having done this and delivered to them (the churches in Jerusalem) this fruit of diligence, I will go through your places to Spain." (Rom. 15:28). Where does this passionate desire to go to Spain come from? Rome discovered this land. Some of the great Roman roads and buildings are still there to this day. Just at that time, Spain shone with great names. Many of the great men who inscribed their names in Roman history and literature came from Spain. Among them was Martial - the great master of epigrams, Lucan - the epic poet; there were Columela and Pomponius Mela - major figures in Roman literature, there was Quintillian - a master of Roman oratory, and, especially, there was Seneca - the greatest of the Roman Stoic philosophers, teacher of the emperor Nero and prime minister of the Roman Empire. Therefore, it is quite natural that Paul's thoughts turned to this country, which gave birth to such a galaxy of brilliant names. What can happen if such people become partakers of Christ? As far as we know, Paul never made it to Spain. During this visit to Jerusalem, he was arrested and never released again. But when he wrote the Epistle to the Romans , he dreamed about it.
Paul was an excellent strategist. He, like a good commander, outlined a plan of action. He believed that he could leave Asia Minor and leave Greece for a while. He saw before him the whole West, untouched territory, which he had to conquer for Christ. However, in order to proceed with the implementation of such a plan in the West, he needed a stronghold. And so strong point could only be one place, and that place was Rome.
This is why Paul wrote Romans . That great dream came alive in his heart, and a great plan was brewing in his mind. He needed Rome as a base for this new undertaking. He was sure that the church in Rome should know his name. But, as a sober man, he was also sure that the news about him that reached Rome was contradictory. His enemies could spread slander and false accusations about him. That is why he wrote a letter to the Church of Rome, giving in it an exposition of the very essence of his faith, so that when the time of accomplishment comes, he will find a sympathetic church in Rome through which it would be possible to establish relations with Spain and with the West. Because he had such a plan and such intentions, the apostle Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans in 58 in Corinth.
MESSAGE PLAN
Epistle to the Romans is both very complex and in structure a carefully thought out letter. To make it easier to understand it, you need to have an idea of its structure. It is divided into four parts.
(1) Chapters 1-8, which deal with the issue of righteousness.
(2) Chapters 9-11, which deal with the issue of the Jews, i.e., the chosen people.
(3) Chapters 12-15 dealing with the practical matters of life.
(4) Chapter 16 is a letter that introduces the deaconess of Thebes and lists personal greetings.
(1) When Paul uses the word righteousness, he means right relationship with God. A righteous person is a person who is in the right relationship with God, and his life confirms this.
Paul begins with a picture of the Gentile world. One has only to look at the corruption and depravity reigning there to understand that the problem of righteousness is not resolved there. After this, Paul turns to the Jews. The Jews tried to solve the problems of righteousness by meticulous observance of the law. Paul himself experienced this path, which led him to ruin and defeat, for no person on earth can perfectly fulfill the laws and, therefore, everyone is doomed to live with a constant feeling that he is indebted to God and deserves His condemnation. Therefore, Paul finds the path of righteousness for himself - the path of absolute faith and devotion. The only correct attitude towards God is to take His word for it and rely on His mercy and love. This is the path of faith. We need to know that what matters is not what we can do for God, but what He has done for us. The foundation of the Christian faith for Paul was the conviction that not only can we never earn or become worthy of God's grace, but we don't have to strive for it. The whole problem lies solely in mercy, and all we can do is accept with amazed love, gratitude and trust what God has done for us. This, however, does not exempt us from circumstances, and does not give us the right to act as we see fit: it means that we must constantly and always try to be worthy of the love that has done so much for us. But we no longer try to comply with the requirements of an inexorable, strict and condemning law; we are no longer criminals before the judge; we are lovers who have given all our lives and love to the one who first loved us.
(2) The problem of the Jews was gnawing. In the fullest sense of the word, they were God's chosen people, but when His Son came into the world, they rejected Him. What explanation could be given for this heartbreaking fact?
Paul's only explanation was that this, too, was a divine act. The hearts of the Jews were for some reason hardened; moreover, it was not a complete defeat: some part of the Jews remained faithful to Him. Moreover, it was not without meaning: for it was precisely because the Jews rejected Christ that the Gentiles gained access to Him, who would later convert the Jews and all mankind would be saved.
Paul goes further: the Jew has always claimed to be a member of the chosen people by virtue of being born a Jew. This was all inferred from the fact of purely racial descent from Abraham. But Paul insists that a true Jew is not one whose blood and flesh can be traced back to Abraham. This is the man who came to the same decision of absolute submission to God in loving faith that Abraham came to. Therefore, Paul states that there are many full-blooded Jews who are not Jews at all in the true sense of the word. At the same time, many people from other nations are true Jews. The New Israel, therefore, does not represent a racial unity; it was made up of those who had the same faith that Abraham had.
(3) Romans 12 contains such important ethical propositions that it should always be placed next to the Sermon on the Mount. In this chapter, Paul sets forth the ethical virtues of the Christian faith. The fourteenth and fifteenth chapters deal with an eternally important issue. There has always been a small circle of people in the church who felt that they should abstain from certain foods and drinks, and who attached special importance to certain days and ceremonies. Paul speaks of them as weaker brethren, because their faith depended on these outward things. There was also another more free-thinking part, which did not bind itself to the strict observance of these rules and rituals. Paul regards them as brethren stronger in their faith. He makes it quite clear that he is on the side of the more unprejudiced brethren; but he lays down here an important principle: that no man should ever do anything that might humiliate a weaker fellow, or else place stumbling blocks in his path. He defends his basic principle that no one should ever do anything that would make it difficult for anyone to be a Christian; and it may well be understood that we must leave that which is convenient and useful to us personally for the sake of our weaker fellow. Christian liberty is not to be exercised in such a way as to harm the life or conscience of another.
TWO QUESTIONS
The sixteenth chapter is always posed a problem for scientists. Many felt that it was not really part of the book of Romans. , what is it really, a letter addressed to another church, which was attached to the Epistle to the Romans, when they collected the letters of the apostle Paul. What are their reasons? First and foremost, in this chapter, Paul sends greetings to twenty-six different persons, twenty-four of whom he calls by name and, apparently, all of them are intimately familiar to him. For example, he can say that Rufus's mother was also his mother. Is it possible that Paul knew twenty-six people intimately in church he never attended? As a matter of fact, he welcomes more people in this chapter than in any other epistle. But he never entered Rome. Some explanation is needed here. If this chapter was not written in Rome, then to whom was it addressed? It is here that the names of Priscilla and Akila appear, which cause controversy. We know that they left Rome in 52 when Emperor Claudius issued an edict expelling the Jews. (Acts 18:2). We know that they came with Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18) that they were in Ephesus when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 16.19), i.e., less than two years before he wrote the Epistle to the Romans . And we know that they were still in Ephesus when the pastoral letters were written (2 Tim. 4, 9). Undoubtedly, if we receive a letter in which greetings are sent to Priscilla and Aquila without another address, then we should assume that it was addressed to Ephesus.
Is there any evidence to allow us to conclude that chapter 16 was sent to Ephesus in the first place? There are obvious reasons why Paul stayed longer in Ephesus than elsewhere, and so it would have been only natural for him to send greetings to many people there. Paul further speaks of Epeneth, "who is the firstfruits of Achaia for Christ." Ephesus is located in Asia Minor, and therefore, such a reference would also be natural for the epistle to Ephesus, but not for the epistle to Rome. In the Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16:17) says "about those who produce divisions and temptations, contrary to the doctrine that you have learned" . It sounds like Paul is talking about possible disobedience to his own teaching, and he never taught in Rome.
It can be argued that the sixteenth chapter was originally addressed to Ephesus, but this statement is not as irrefutable as it might seem at first glance. First, there is no evidence that this chapter was ever associated with anything other than Epistle to the Romans. Second, strange as it may seem, Paul never sends personal greetings to churches he knew well. Neither in the Epistles to Thessalonians neither to Corinthians, Galatians And Philippians to the churches that he knew well - there are no personal greetings, and at the same time such greetings are available in Epistle to the Colossians, although Paul never went to Colossae.
The reason for this is simple: if Paul had sent personal greetings to the churches he knew well, jealousy and envy might well have arisen among the members of the church. On the contrary, when he wrote letters to churches he had never visited, he wanted to establish as many personal connections as possible. The mere fact that Paul had never been to Rome could well have spurred him on to seek as many personal connections as possible. Again, it is important to remember that Priscilla and Aquila were indeed expelled from Rome by edict, but is it not highly probable that after all dangers have passed, in six or seven years they will return to Rome, in order to re-employ their trade, after having lived in other cities? And is it not quite acceptable that many of the other names belong to people who also went into exile, lived temporarily in other cities where they met Paul, and who, as soon as the danger was over, returned to Rome and to their homes? Paul would have been delighted to have so many personal acquaintances in Rome, and would certainly have taken the opportunity to establish a strong bond with them.
Below, as we shall see, when we move on to a detailed study of chapter sixteen, many names - the households of Aristobulus and Narcissus, Amplius, Nireus and others - are quite appropriate for Rome. Although there are arguments in favor of Ephesus, we can accept that there is no need to separate chapter sixteen from Romans. .
But there is a more interesting and more important problem. Early lists show extremely strange things related to chapters 14, 15, 16. The most natural place for doxology is end of message. In the Epistle to the Romans (16,25-27 ) has a hymn of praise to the glory of the Lord, and in most good lists it is at the end. But in some lists he is at the end of the fourteenth chapter ( 24-26 ), in two good lists this hymn is given and in this and that place, in one ancient list he is given at the end of the fifteenth chapter, in two lists of his not in either place, but there is room for him. In one ancient Latin list, a summary of the contents of the sections is listed. Here's what the last two look like:
50: About the responsibility of the one who condemns his brother for food.
It's definitely Romans 14,15-23.
51: About the Mystery of the Lord, which was kept silent before His suffering, but which was revealed after His suffering.
This is also undoubtedly Romans. 14,24-26- hymn to the glory of the Lord. It is clear that this list of summary chapters was made from a list that was missing chapters fifteen and sixteen. However, there is something that sheds light on this. In one list, the mention of the name of Rome (Rom. 1:7 and 1:15) completely missed. It does not indicate at all the place where the message is addressed.
All this shows that the book of Romans distributed in two forms. One form is the one we have with sixteen chapters and the other with fourteen; and perhaps another one with fifteen. The explanation seems to be this: when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans , it had sixteen chapters; however, chapters 15 and 16 are personal and refer specifically to Rome. On the other hand, no other epistle of Paul gives the whole of his teaching in such a condensed form. This must have happened: Romans began to spread to all other churches, at the same time, the last chapters, which had a purely local significance, were omitted, except for the doxology. Already then, undoubtedly, it was felt that the Epistle to the Romans was too fundamental in nature for it to be limited only to Rome and remain there, and therefore, chapters that were purely local in nature were removed from it and it was sent to the whole church. From the earliest times, the Church felt that the Epistle to the Romans is such an outstanding presentation of Paul's thoughts that it should be the property not only of one community, but of the church as a whole. When we study Paul's letter to the Romans, we must remember that people have always looked to him as the foundation of Paul's gospel faith.
RESPONSIBILITY PRIVILEGES (Rom. 2:1-11)
In this passage Paul is speaking directly to the Jews. Here the following connection of thoughts takes place. In the previous passage, Paul painted a terrible picture of the Gentile world under the curse of the Lord. The Jew fully agreed with every word of this curse. But he never for a moment admitted that this curse extended to him. He thought he was in a special position. God may be the judge of the Gentiles, but He was also the special protector of the Jews. Paul here convincingly points out to the Jew that he is just as much a sinner as the Gentile, and that when he, the Jew, brands the Gentiles, he condemns himself. And he will be judged not according to his racial origin, but according to the lifestyle he led.
The Jews have always considered themselves to be in a special privileged position with God. They argued that of all the peoples of the earth, God loves only Israel: "God will judge the Gentiles with one standard, and the Jews with another." "All Israelites will have a place in the world to come." "Abraham sits at the gates of hell and won't let any sinful Israelite pass through." During the argument between Justin Martyr and the Jew Tryphon about the position of the Jews, the Jew said: "Those who are the seed of Abraham according to the flesh in any case, even if they are sinners and unbelievers and disobedient to God, will enter the Kingdom of Eternal." The author of the "Book of Wisdom of Solomon", comparing God's attitude towards Jews and Gentiles, says:
"These you tried, like a father, teaching, and those, like an angry king, teaching, you tortured." ( Prem. 11,11).
"So, by admonishing us, You punish our enemies a thousandfold." ( Prem. 12,22).
It is not any of his virtues that will save him from anger, but only that he is a Jew.
In rebutting this notion, Paul recalls four things:
1) He told them directly that they were abusing the grace of God. In verse 4 he uses three important words. He asks the Jews: "Or do you neglect wealth goodness, meekness and long-suffering!" Consider these three words of great importance:
A) goodness (crustotes). Of this word, Trench says: "It's a wonderful word because it expresses a beautiful idea." There are two words in Greek: agathos, And krestos. The difference between them is as follows: The kindness of a person characterized by the word agathos, may ultimately result in reproaches, punishment and penance, but a person characterized as krestos - always really kind. Jesus was agathos, when He drove the money changers and the pigeon sellers out of the temple of God. He was krestos, when He treated with tender kindness the sinful woman who washed his feet, and the woman who was convicted of adultery. Paul says, "You Jews are just trying to take advantage of God's great concern."
b) meekness (anohe). Anohe - this is a truce. This word means the cessation of hostility, but it is a cessation limited in time. Paul is essentially telling the Jews, "You think you're in no danger because God's justice hasn't punished you yet. But God hasn't given you complete freedom to sin; he's giving you the opportunity to repent and change your behavior." Man cannot sin forever with impunity.
V) Patience (macrotumia). Macrotumia - specific word for patience in dealing with people. John Chrysostom defines this word as describing a person who has the power and strength to take revenge, but consciously refrains from doing so. Paul is essentially telling the Jews this: “Do not think, unless God punishes you, that He cannot do it. The fact that the punishment does not immediately follow the sin committed is not a proof of His impotence; it is only a proof of His long-suffering. You live by the longsuffering of God."
One major commentator said that almost every person has a faint and vague hope of impunity, a feeling "this can't happen to me". The Jews went further than this: they openly claimed to be exempt from punishment, from the punishment of God, they abused His mercy, and to this day many people still try to do the same.
2) Paul rebukes the Jews for regarding the mercy of God as an encouragement to sin rather than as a call to repentance. The famous cynical statement below is from Heinrich Heine, who apparently did not care at all about the future. When asked why he was so self-confident, Heine replied in French: "This is His craft." Let's think about it in purely human terms. Man's attitude to human forgiveness can be twofold. Suppose a young girl who has done something shameful and heartbreaking, her parents, in their love, sincerely forgave and never reminded her. She can then either continue to commit the same shameful deeds, relying on parental forgiveness, or this parental forgiveness can induce sincere gratitude in her and she will strive all her life to be worthy of it. Perhaps there is nothing more shameful than to abuse the forgiveness of love in order to sin again. That's what the Jews did. This is exactly what many people do today. The mercy and love of God should not inspire a person with confidence that he can sin and go unpunished; the mercy and love of God are aimed at so touching our hearts that we constantly strive to never sin again.
3) Paul insists that in the system of the universe of God there is no longer a division into the chosen and unchosen people. There may be peoples to whom a special task and a special responsibility are assigned, but there is no people chosen to enjoy special privileges for special reasons. Maybe this is so, as the great English poet Milton said: "When God has some great work, he entrusts it to his Englishmen"; but here we are talking about a big and important task, and not a big privilege. The entire Jewish faith was based on the belief that the Jews have a special place and that they enjoy special favor in the eyes of God. It may seem to us that the days when such convictions prevailed have long since passed. But is it so? Isn't there such a thing as a "color barrier" - racial discrimination based on skin color? Is there not a consciousness of one's own superiority, which the English writer Kipling expressed as "lower brothers without law"? We do not claim that all peoples are equally talented. However, this means that peoples who have gone further along the path of progress should not look with contempt at other peoples; on the contrary, they even have the responsibility to help them in their development.
4) This passage of the Epistle deserves the most careful study in order to gain an understanding of the philosophy of the Apostle Paul. It is often claimed that Paul took the position that faith is the only thing that matters. Religion, which emphasizes the importance of man's human deeds, is often scornfully cast aside, as it supposedly has nothing to do with the New Testament. However, this is very far from the truth. "God," says Paul, "will render to every one according to his deeds." For Paul, faith that is not manifested in the works of man is a perversion of faith; it really has nothing to do with faith. He would even say that in general a person's faith can only be seen in his deeds. One of the most dangerous religious concepts lies in the fact that faith and human deeds are two completely different and independent concepts. There can be no such faith that would not be manifested in the deeds of a person, just as there can be no deeds that would not be the fruit of faith. The deeds of a person and his faith are inextricably linked. And then, can God judge a person otherwise than according to his deeds? We can't just say "I believe" and think that's it. Our faith must be shown in our works, for according to our works we will be accepted or condemned.
THE UNWRITTEN LAW (Rom. 2:12-16)
In the translation, we slightly changed the order of the verses. In meaning, verse 16 follows verse 13, and verses 14 and 15 are the introductory part. It must be remembered that Paul did not write this letter, sitting at the table and thinking through every word and every turn. He paced the room and dictated it to his secretary Tertius (Rome. 16:22), who tried his best to write down everything that was said. This explains such a long introductory part. But it is easier to understand the exact meaning of it if we go straight from verse 13 to verse 16, and then examine verses 14 and 15.
In this passage, Paul is addressing the Gentiles. He considered the question of the Jews and their claims to special privileges. But the Jews still had one advantage - the law. After all, the Gentiles can respond in the same way and say: "It would be fair if God condemned the Jews, who have the law and should have known better, but we will certainly escape punishment, because we did not have the opportunity to know the law and did not know and couldn't have done better than we did." In response, Paul sets out two important principles.
1) A person is rewarded according to what he had the opportunity to know. If he knew the law, then he will be judged as a man who knows the law. If he did not know the law, he will be judged as a man who did not know the law. God is just. And here is the answer to the question of those who ask what will happen to those who lived in the world before the coming of Jesus Christ and who did not have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ. A man will be judged by his faithfulness to the highest truth he has had the opportunity to know.
We call this the instinctive knowledge of good and evil. The Stoics said that certain laws operate in the universe, the violation of which brings various dangers to a person: the laws of health, moral laws that regulate life and lifestyle, they called these laws fusis, that is nature and compelled a person to live in harmony with it. Paul argues that it is in the very nature of man to know instinctively what he should do. The Greeks would agree with this. Aristotle said: "A cultured and free man will behave as if he were its own law." Plutarch asks the question: "Who should lead the ruler?" And he himself answers: "The law, the ruler of all mortals and immortals, as Pindar calls it, which is not written on papyrus scrolls and wooden tablets, but is a prudence immanent in the soul of man and constantly oppressing him and never leaves his soul without guidance. ".
Paul saw the world as divided into two groups of people. He saw the Jews having their own law, given directly to them by God and written down so that everyone could read it. He saw other peoples who did not have this written law, but, nevertheless, with the knowledge of good and evil inspired by God in their hearts. Neither one nor the other could claim exemption from God's punishment. A Jew cannot claim exemption from punishment on the grounds that he has a special place in God's plans. The Gentile cannot hope to be released from punishment on the ground that he has never received the written law. The Jew will be judged as a man who knew the law; a pagan, as a person to whom consciousness has been given by God. God will judge people by what they knew and by what they had the opportunity to know.
THE TRUE JEW (Rom. 2:17-29)
For a Jew, such a passage must have been an absolutely startling event. He was sure that God treated him with special favor, simply and solely because he was descended from Abraham, and because he wears the mark of circumcision on his flesh. But Paul pursues a thought to which he then returns again and again. He insists that Judaism is not a racial issue at all; it has nothing to do with circumcision. It's a behavior problem. If this is so, then many of the so-called Jews, who are full-blooded descendants of Abraham, and bear the sign of circumcision on their bodies, are not Jews at all; and likewise many Gentiles who have never heard of Abraham, and never thought of circumcision, are true Jews in the true sense of the word. To a Jew, this would have sounded like the wildest heresy, and would have made him extremely angry and stunned.
In the last verse of this passage there is a pun that cannot be adequately translated: "his praise is not from men, but from God." Praise in Greek - epainos. If we go back to the Old Testament (Gen. 20.35; 49:8), we will see that the original and traditional meaning of the word Jew is Yuda - praise - epainos. Therefore, this phrase has two meanings: a) on the one hand, it means that "his praise is not from people, but from God", b) belonging (of such a person) to the Jews is determined not by people, but by God. The meaning of this passage is that the promises given by God do not refer to people of a certain race and having certain marks on the body. They refer to people who lead a certain way of life, regardless of their race. Being Jewish is not a problem of lineage, but of personality: and very often a person who is not Jewish by birth can be a better Jew than a person who is Jewish by race.
In this passage, Paul says that there are also Jews whose behavior has caused the name of God to be slandered among the Gentiles. It is a simple historical fact that the Jews are still the most unpopular people in the world today. Let's see how the Gentiles looked at the Jews in the era of the New Testament.
They regarded Judaism as a "barbarous superstition" and the Jews as "the most repulsive race" and "the most contemptible society of slaves." The origins and origins of Judaism have been distorted with malicious ignorance. It was said that the Jews were originally a group of lepers who were sent by the Egyptian pharaoh to the sand pits; and that Moses gathered this band and led them through the wilderness to Palestine. It was said that they worshiped the donkey's head because in the desert a herd of wild donkeys led them to water when they were dying of thirst. It was said that they did not eat pig meat, because pigs were especially susceptible to a skin disease called scabies, and it was from this disease that the Jews in Egypt suffered.
Some Jewish practices were ridiculed by the Gentiles. Their complete abstinence from pork caused many jokes. Plutarch believed that the reason for this could be that the Jews could well revere the pig as a god. Juvenal explained this by the fact that Jewish kindness recognized the privilege of a pig to live to a ripe old age, and that pork is of greater value to them than human flesh. The custom of observing the Sabbath was regarded as pure laziness. Some things that delighted the Jews infuriated the Gentiles. However, this remained inexplicable - no matter how unpopular they were, the Jews nevertheless received extraordinary privileges from the Roman state.
a) They were allowed to remit the temple tax to Jerusalem every year. About 60 B.C., the situation in Asia was so serious that the export of money was forbidden; according to historians, at least twenty tons of contraband gold was arrested and seized, which the Jews were about to send to Jerusalem.
b) They were allowed, to some extent, to have their own courts and live by their own laws. There is a decree issued by the ruler Lucius Anthony in Asia about 50 B.C., which said: "Our Jewish citizens came to me and informed me that they had their own meetings, which were held according to the laws of their ancestors, and their own special place, where they settle their own affairs and settle suits among themselves. When they requested that these customs continue further, I decreed that they be allowed to retain these privileges." The pagans were disgusted by this spectacle of the human race living like a separate group with special privileges.
c) The Roman government respected Jewish observance of the Sabbath. It was established that a Jew could not be summoned to court on the Sabbath to testify; if special handouts were distributed to the population, and this distribution fell on Saturday, then the Jew had the right to demand his share on the next day. And, a particularly delicate issue for the Gentiles, the Jews enjoyed the right astratheia, that is, they were exempted from military service in the Roman army. And this liberation was also directly related to the fact that the strict observance of the Sabbath by the Jews did not allow them to perform military service on Saturdays. It is easy to imagine with what indignation the rest of the world looked at this special release from this heavy obligation. The Jews, however, were accused of two things.
a) They were accused of godlessness atheotes. The ancient world encountered great difficulties when it was necessary to imagine the possibility of the existence of a religion without any images of revered gods. The historian Pliny the Younger called the Jews "a race distinguished by its contempt for all deities." Tacitus said this about them: “The Jews imagine the deity with one mind ... Therefore, no images are erected in their cities or even in their temples. Such reverence and such honor is not given to either kings or Caesar. Juvenal says the following: “They they honor nothing but clouds and the god of heaven. "But the fact is that the antipathy of the pagans towards the Jews developed not so much because of their religion without images, but because of their cold contempt for other religions. And whoever despises his fellow citizens cannot It was this aversion to others that was one of the points on Paul's mind when he said that the Jews had brought a bad name to the name of God,
b) They were accused of hatred of their fellow tribesmen (mesanthropy) and of being unsociable (amaxia). Tacitus said about them: "In relation to each other, their honesty is adamant, compassion wakes up in them quickly, but in relation to other people they show hatred and enmity." In Alexandria, it was said that the Jews swore never to show pity to the Gentiles, and they even offered to sacrifice one Greek every year to their God. Tacitus said that a Gentile convert to Judaism was first taught to do the following: "to despise the gods, to renounce one's nationality, to renounce one's parents, children, and brothers." Juvenal said that if the Gentiles asked a Jew for directions, he refused to show them, and that if a sinner is looking for a source to drink, a Jew will not lead him to him unless he is circumcised. Again, the same thing: contempt determined the basic relationship of the Jews to other people, and this, of course, provoked hatred in response. It is basically true that the Jews brought the name of God into disrepute because they closed themselves into a small but stable community from which all others were excluded, and because they despised the Gentiles because of their faith and showed no mercy to them. True religion is a matter of an open heart and open doors. Judaism was a matter of a closed heart and closed doors.
Commentaries (introduction) to the entire book "To the Romans"
Comments on chapter 2
Cathedral of the Christian faith. Frederic Godet
Introduction
I. SPECIAL STATEMENT IN THE CANON
The Epistle to the Romans has always occupied the first place among all the letters of Paul, and this is fully justified. Since the book of the Acts of the Apostles ends with the arrival of the apostle Paul in Rome, it is logical that his letters in the NT begin with a letter from the Apostle to the church in Rome, written before he met the Roman Christians. From a theological point of view, this epistle seems to be the most important book in the entire NT, as it is the most systematic presentation of the fundamental tenets of Christianity of any other book in the Bible.
The Epistle to the Romans is also most remarkable from a historical point of view. Blessed Augustine converted to Christianity by reading Romans 13:13-14 (380). The Protestant Reformation began with the fact that Martin Luther finally understood what the righteousness of God means and that "the righteous shall live by faith" (1517).
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, gained assurance of salvation after hearing the introduction to Luther's Commentary on the Epistle (1738) read at the Moravian Brethren's home church in Aldergate Street, London. John Calvin wrote: "He who understands this Epistle will discover the way for himself to understand all Scripture."
Even heretics and the most radical critics accept the general Christian point of view - the author of the Epistle to the Romans was the apostle of the Gentiles. Moreover, the first famous writer who specifically called the author of Paul, was the heretic Marcion. This Epistle is also quoted by such early Christian apologists as Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Polycarp, Hippolytus and Irenaeus. The Muratorian Canon also attributes this Epistle to Paul.
very persuasive and the text itself Messages. Both theology, and language, and the spirit of the Epistle indicate quite specifically that Paul was its author.
Of course, skeptics are not convinced by the very first verse of the Epistle, which says that this letter was written by Paul (1:1), but many other places point to its authorship, for example, 15:15-20. Most convincing, perhaps, are the many "accidental coincidences" with the book of the Acts of the Apostles, which could hardly have been invented on purpose.
III. WRITING TIME
Romans was written after 1 and 2 Corinthians appeared, as the fundraiser for the poor Jerusalem church that was in progress at the time it was written was already completed and ready to go (16:1). The mention of Cenchrea, the Corinthian port city, as well as some other details, lead most experts to believe that the Epistle was written in Corinth. Since, at the end of his third missionary journey, Paul had only been in Corinth for three months because of the revolt raised against him, it follows that the book of Romans was written in this short period of time, that is, approximately in 56 AD.
IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND THEME
How did Christianity first reach Rome? We cannot say for sure, but it is possible that the Roman Jews who were converted in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost brought the Good News to Rome (Acts 2:10). This happened in the 30s.
Twenty-six years later, when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans in Corinth, he had not yet had time to visit Rome. But he already knew some Christians from the Roman church by that time, as can be seen from chapter 16 of the Epistle. In those days, Christians often changed their place of residence, whether as a result of persecution, missionary work, or simply for work. And these Roman Christians came from both Jews and Gentiles.
Around the year 60, Paul finally ended up in Rome, but not at all in the capacity he had planned. He arrived there as a prisoner, taken under arrest for preaching Jesus Christ.
Romans has become a classic. It opens the eyes of unsaved people to their plight of sin and to the plan God has prepared for their salvation. New converts learn from it about their unity with Christ and about victory by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mature Christians never cease to enjoy the wide range of Christian truths contained in this Epistle: doctrinal, prophetic, and practical.
A good way to understand Romans is to think of it as a dialogue between Paul and some unknown opponent. One gets the impression that as Paul explains the essence of the Good News, this opponent puts forward a variety of arguments against it, and the apostle consistently answers all his questions.
At the end of this "conversation" we see that Paul answered all the basic questions regarding the Good News of the grace of God.
Sometimes the objections of the opponent are formulated quite specifically, sometimes they are only implied. But no matter how they are expressed, they all revolve around the same theme - the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not through keeping the law.
As we study Romans, we will look for answers to eleven basic questions: 1) what is the main theme of the Epistle (1:1,9,15-16); 2) what is the "Gospel" (1:1-17); 3) why people need the Gospel (1:18 - 3:20); 4) how, according to the Good News, ungodly sinners can be justified by a holy God (3:21-31); 5) whether the Good News agrees with the Old Testament Scriptures (4:1-25); 6) what are the benefits of justification in the practical life of the believer (5:1-21); 7) whether the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith can allow or encourage a sinful life (6:1-23); 8) how Christians should relate to the law (7:1-25); 9) what motivates a Christian to live a righteous life (8:1-39); 10) whether God broke His promises to His chosen people, the Jews, by granting, according to the Good News, salvation to both Jews and Gentiles (9:1 - 11:36); 11) how justification by grace is manifested in the daily life of the believer (12:1 - 16:27).
By becoming familiar with these eleven questions and their answers, we will be better able to understand this important message. The answer to the first question, "What is the main theme of Romans?" - unequivocally: "Gospel". Pavel, without wasting words, immediately begins by discussing this particular topic. In the first sixteen verses of chapter 1 alone, he mentions the Good News four times (vv. 1, 9, 15, 16).
Here the second question immediately arises: “What is the “Gospel”? By itself, this word means precisely “good news.” But in the first seventeen verses of the Epistle, the apostle sets out six important facts regarding the gospel: 1) it comes from God ( v. 1); 2) it is promised in the Old Testament Scriptures (v. 2); 3) it is the good news of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3); 4) it is the power of God unto salvation (v. 16) 5) salvation is for all people, both Jews and Gentiles (v. 16) 6) salvation is given only by faith (v. 17) And now, after this introduction, we will move on to a more detailed consideration of the Epistle .
Plan
I. DOCTRINAL PART: THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD (Ch. 1-8)
A. Introduction to the Good News (1:1-15)
B. Definition of the Good News (1:16-17)
C. General Need for the Good News (1:18 - 3:20)
D. Basis and Terms of the Good News (3:21-31)
E. Consistency of the Good News with the Old Testament (Ch. 4)
F. The Practical Benefits of the Good News (5:1-11)
G. Christ's victory over Adam's sin (5:12-21)
H. The Gospel Path to Holiness (Ch. 6)
I. The Place of the Law in the Believer's Life (Ch. 7)
K. The Holy Spirit is the power for a righteous life (Ch. 8)
II. HISTORICAL PART: GOOD NEWS AND ISRAEL (Ch. 9-11)
A. Israel's Past (Ch. 9)
B. The Present of Israel (Ch. 10)
C. The Future of Israel (Ch. 11)
III. PRACTICE: LIVING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOOD NEWS (Ch. 12-16)
A. In personal consecration (12:1-2)
B. In the ministry of spiritual gifts (12:3-8)
B. In relations with society (12:9-21)
D. Relations with the government (13:1-7)
E. In relation to the future (13:8-14)
F. In relationships with other believers (14:1 - 15:3)
G. Paul's plans (15:14-33)
H. Respectful to others (Ch. 16)
2,1 The next group are those who, looking down on the pagan barbarians, consider themselves more civilized, educated and noble. They condemn the ignorant pagans for their shameful morals, but they themselves are no less guilty, if only their sins are more subtle. After the fall, a person is much more willing to notice other people's shortcomings than his own. What in others seems to him disgusting and unworthy, he fully respects in himself. But what he judges others for their sins, means that he himself knows the difference between good and evil. If he understands that the one who steals his wife from him will do wrong, then he understands that he himself is also not allowed to steal someone else's wife. Thus, if a person condemns another for the sins that he himself commits, then he remains without an apology.
In essence, the sins of educated and ignorant people are no different from each other. And although the moralist may object that he did not commit all of the above sins, he must remember the following:
1. He is quite capable of doing them.
2. Violating any one commandment, he becomes guilty of everything (James 2:10).
3. He commits mental sins, which, although they may never be realized in life, are also unacceptable. Jesus, for example, taught that looking lustfully is tantamount to adultery (Matthew 5:28).
2,2 What the self-satisfied moralist needs is awareness of the future judgment of God. In verses 2-16 the apostle makes us think about this coming judgment and explains what kind of judgment it will be. Firstly, judgment of God will be done truly. It will not be based on random, unreliable and subjective evidence, but on the truth, only the truth and nothing else but the truth.
2,3 Secondly, God's judgment is inevitable will come upon the one who blames others for what he himself is doing. Ability condemn does not release him from liability. On the contrary, it only aggravates his guilt.
The judgment of God can only be avoided if we repent and we will forgiven.
2,4 Thirdly, we find out that sometimes God's judgment is delayed. This delay is proof goodness, meekness and long-suffering of God. His goodness means that He treats sinners favorably, though He hates their sin. His meekness in this case it is expressed in the fact that He delays His judgment on human impurity and pride. His patience is an amazing ability to contain His anger, despite the fact that a person constantly behaves defiantly.
the grace of God, expressed in His patronage, protection and guardianship, is aimed at bringing a person to repentance. God does not want "any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).
Repentance means a radical turn of life one hundred and eighty degrees - back to sin and face to God. "It is a change in consciousness, producing a change in attitude, which leads to a change in actions." (A.P. Gibbs, Preach and Teach the Word, p.12/4.)
In repentance, a person takes the same position regarding himself and his sins as God does. This is not just a mental awareness of sinfulness - repentance also occurs in the heart, as John Newton wrote: "My heart felt and recognized my guilt."
2,5 Fourth, we learn that God's judgment is aggravated according to the growth of guilt. Paul explains that stubborn and unrepentant sinners themselves collect themselves condemnation, as if accumulating their treasures and building their future on them. But what future awaits them, when in the end anger God's will be revealed to them court at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15)! In that day will become clear, What judgment from God absolutely righteous and there is no prejudice or injustice in it.
2,6 In the next five verses, Paul reminds us that God's judgment will be according to the deeds of man. A person can boast of his decency. He may rely on his racial or national origin. He can hide behind the fact that there were believers in his pedigree. But he will be judged by their own business, not for any of these arguments. It is his deeds that will determine his fate.
Viewed out of context, verses 6-11 would suggest that they are talking about salvation by works.
It gives the impression as if it was written in them that those who do good deeds deserve eternal life.
But we need to understand that there cannot be a doctrine of salvation by works here, since it contradicts the main evidence of Scripture that salvation is by faith, independent of works. Lewis Chafer points out that about 150 passages in the NT clearly base salvation on faith. (Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, III:376.)
Rightly understood, no passage of Scripture can contradict such overwhelming evidence.
How then can we understand this place?
First of all, it is necessary to realize that truly good deeds can only be done by the born again. When people asked Jesus, "What must we do to do the works of God?" - He answered: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28-29). So, the first good deed that a person can do is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, although at the same time we must understand that we ourselves faith is not a deed worthy of reward for which we are saved. This means that when the unsaved are brought to judgment, they will have nothing to offer in their defense. Everything they considered their righteousness will look like filthy clothes (Isaiah 64:6). Their worst sin will be that they did not believe in the Lord Jesus (John 3:18).
Moreover, their deeds will determine the severity of the punishment (Luke 12:47-48).
And what would happen if believers also judged by their deeds? Surely they could not have imagined any good deeds by which they could merit salvation. All their works before salvation were sinful. But the Blood of Christ washed away all the past. And now God Himself cannot bring any charge against them. After believers have been saved, they begin to do good works - maybe not so good in the eyes of the world, but good in the eyes of God. Their good deeds are the result of salvation, not the working off of anything. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, their cases will be reviewed and they will be rewarded for their faithful service.
But at the same time, we must not forget that in this passage we are not talking about the saved, but only about unbelievers.
2,7 Continuing to clarify that judgment will be according to works, Paul notes that God will provide eternal life to those who by perseverance in good deeds seek glory, honor and immortality. As we have already explained, this is Not means that people are saved perseverance in a good deed. It would be a different gospel. In real life, no one lives like this, and without God's power, no one is able to live like that. If someone really fits the above definition, then that person has already been saved by grace through faith. What he is looking for glory, honor and immortality, testifies to his rebirth. His whole life confirms his conversion.
He's looking for fame And honor heavenly, proceeding from God (John 5:44); immortality which is connected with the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:53-54); heavenly heritage, incorruptible, pure and unfading (1 Pet. 1:4).
God will reward eternal life those who confirm their conversion with their personal lives. In NZ words "immortal life" may have multiple definitions.
First, they denote what we already have, what we receive when we are converted (John 5:24). Secondly, this is what we will receive later when we receive new glorious bodies (Rom. 2:7; 6:22). And thirdly, although eternal life is a gift received by faith, it is sometimes spoken of as a reward for faithfulness (Mark 10:30). All believers will receive eternal life but some will have more opportunities to enjoy it than others. Eternal life is not just an endless existence, it is a new quality of life, more fulfilling life, promised by the Savior (John 10:10). That's what it is life Christ Himself (Col. 1:27).
2,8 Those who persist and do not submit to the truth, but moreover, indulge in lies will receive fury and anger.
They do not submit to the truth; they never answered the gospel call. They chose the obedience of unrighteousness as their master. Their life consists of continuous struggle, opposition and disobedience - the true companions of unbelief.
2,9 The apostle again repeats God's decree regarding the two types of works and workers, only in a different order.
This ruling is grief and distress every person, doing evil.
Here we emphasize once again that evil deeds betray an evil, unbelieving heart. The deeds of a man show his relationship to the Lord.
Words "Firstly a Jew, then a Greek" explain that God's judgment will take place according to the given privileges and revelations. The Jews were the first to be granted the privilege of being called God's people; they are the first to be held accountable. This side of God's judgment is covered in verses 12-16.
2,10 This ruling is glory, and honor, and peace to everyone: both Jew and Greek doing good. And let's remember once again that from God's point of view, no one can do anything good unless he puts faith in the Lord Jesus Christ first in his life.
Words "First to the Jews, then to the Hellenes" cannot mean more or less favor of God towards different nations, since the next verse says that He is no respecter of persons. Thus, this expression describes the historical sequence in which the Good News spread (as does 1:16). First of all, it was preached to the Jews, and the Jews became the first believers.
2,11 Another statement regarding the judgment of God is that He doesn't look at faces.. Usually in lawsuits, preference is given to someone who is good-looking, rich and powerful, but with God no hypocrisy.
His opinion is not influenced by nationality, origin, or position.
2,12 As we have already mentioned, verses 12-16 explain in more detail that the severity of the judgment will depend on how much was given to the person. And here again two groups of people are considered: those who did not have the law (Gentiles), and those who are under the law (Jews).
Everyone falls into these two groups except members of God's Church (see 1 Cor. 10:32, where humanity is divided into these three classes).
Those who do not have the law and have sinned are outside the law and will perish. It does not say that they will judged without law; they are without law will perish. Those who have sinned under the law will be condemned under the law, and if they did not keep the law, they would also perish. The law requires absolute obedience.
2,13 Nominally being under the law is not enough. The law demands perfect and constant execution. No one can be recognized as righteous just because he knows the content of the law. The only way to be justified through the law is to follow it to the fullest. But since all people are sinners, they are not capable of this. Thus, this verse describes an ideal situation, not a person's real possibilities.
The NT specifically emphasizes that a person cannot be justified by doing the works of the law (see Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16,21; 3:11). God never intended to give the law as a means of salvation. Even if a person, starting from some turning point in his life, can begin to observe the law, he will still not be justified, since God will exact from him for the past. So when in verse 13 we read that doers of the law will be justified, we should understand this in the sense of absolute fulfillment. If someone can from the day of his birth be obedient to the law in everything, he will be justified. But the bitter, terrible truth is that no one can do it.
2,14 Verses 14 and 15 are a commentary on verse 12, where it is written that the Gentiles who have sinned without the law will perish without the law. Here Paul explains that although the law was not given to the Gentiles, they have an inward knowledge of good and evil. They intuitively know not to lie, steal, commit adultery and kill. The only commandment that is not intuitively revealed to everyone is the Sabbath commandment, but it is ritual rather than moral.
So it all boils down to if pagans do not have the law, they their own law. They make up their own moral code on the basis of the knowledge embedded in them.
2,15 They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts. Note that there is not written in their hearts the law itself, A a matter of law. The work that the law was to do in the lives of the Israelites is to some extent seen in the lives of the Gentiles. For example, the fact that they are aware of the need to respect their parents shows that the work of the law is written in their hearts. They also know that some actions are generally unacceptable. Their conscience, acting as an indicator, confirms this intuitive knowledge. Their thoughts constantly analyze and evaluate their actions, accusing, then justifying, either forbidding or allowing.
2,16 This verse continues the theme of verse 12. It explains When those who are under the law and without the law will stand before the judgment. In doing so, he reveals one last fact about the judgment of God: not only the manifest sins will be judged, but also the secret deeds of men. The sin that is now hidden deep in the heart will be given scandalous publicity at the Judgment at the great white throne. The judge will then be himself Jesus Christ, for the Father has given all judgment to Him (John 5:22). Paul, adding "according to my gospel", means "so says my gospel". Paul's Good News is the same Good News that the other apostles preached.
2,17 From this verse, the apostle Paul begins to consider the third group of people and thus proceeds to the question, whether the representatives of God's ancient people, the Jews, should be considered dead. Of course, the answer is: "Yes, they are also dead."
Undoubtedly, many Jews believed that they had some kind of immunity from God's judgment. They thought that God would never send Judea in hell. And the pagans, on the contrary, were the fuel for the hellfire. Paul now has to break this prejudice by showing that, under certain circumstances, Gentiles can be closer to God than Jews.
Here are first listed those things on which the Jew bases his nearness to God. He bears the name Judea and because of this belongs to God's chosen people. He found comfort in law, which is given not to bring rest, but to awaken the conscience of man to the realization of his sinfulness. He boasts God the one true God who entered into a unique covenant with the people of Israel.
2,18 He knows God will, because Scripture gives a general idea of it. He is a supporter of everything the best because the law gives him a correct idea of moral values.
2,19 He prides himself on being guidebook for the moral and spiritual blind, light for those who are in darkness ignorance.
2,20 He feels entitled to correct ignorant or uneducated and teach babies, because law gives him the basics knowledge and truth.
2,21 But what the Jew boasts about was never reflected in his own life. This pride - pride in one's people, their religion - does not lead to any real changes. He teaches others, but he does not apply it to his own heart. He calls not to steal, but he himself does not follow his calls.
2,22 When he says: "Do not commit adultery" it implies: "Do what I say, not what I do." While he hates and abhors idols, he doesn't hesitate sacrilegious, possibly plundering pagan temples.
2,23 He boasts of what he has law, but with their dishonors God with crimes, who gave it .
2,24 This combination of high words and low deeds encouraged pagans blaspheme the name of God. They, like all people, judged God on the basis of what they saw in His followers.
It was the same in the days of Isaiah (Isaiah 52:5), and it is the same today. Each of us must ask ourselves:
If all they know about Jesus Christ
It's how they see Him in you
(insert your name here) what do they see then?
2,25 In addition to the law, the Jews were proud of their circumcision. This is a minor surgical operation on the foreskin of a Jewish man. It was instituted by God as a sign of the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14). It symbolized the separation of the people from the world for God. After some time, the Jews became so proud that they had this operation performed that they began to call all the Gentiles "uncircumcised."
Here Paul connects circumcision With law Moiseev and emphasizes that it remains valid only in combination with an obedient life.
God does not need mere rituals; He cannot be satisfied with outward ceremonies unless they are accompanied by inward holiness. Thus, a circumcised Jew who breaks the law may just as well be uncircumcised.
When in this passage the apostle speaks of those who do or keep the law, we must not understand his words in an absolute sense.
2,26 Likewise, if a pagan follows the moral code prescribed law, then even though he himself is not under the law, his uncircumcision becomes more acceptable than the circumcision of a Jew who breaks the law. At the same time, the heart of the Gentile is circumcised, and this is exactly what counts.
2,27 The more exemplary behavior of the Gentile accuses the Jew, who at Scripture and circumcision does not fulfill law and does not live the circumcised life, the life of separation and sanctification.
2,28 True in the eyes of God Jew not just one in whom the blood of Abraham flows and who has the mark of circumcision on his body.
A person can have both of these signs, but at the same time be the last scoundrel. The Lord is not deceived by the outward trappings of a nation or religion, He seeks inward sincerity and purity.
2,29 True Jew- this is one who is not only a descendant of Abraham, but also lives a pious life. This passage does not say that all believers are Jews and the Church is the Israel of God. Paul only writes about those whose parents were Jewish and insists that the fact of being born into a Jewish family and being circumcised is not enough. There must be something else inside.
True circumcision- circumcision of the heart; not just a literal circumcision of the flesh, but a spiritual surgical operation on an old, incorrigible heart.
Those who combine outward attributes with inward grace receive praise from God, not from people.
This verse uses an untranslatable pun. The word "Jew" comes from the word "Judas" which means "praise". True Jew is the one who receives praise from God.
2:1-16 In these verses, Paul is referring to an imaginary representative of a real and easily recognizable group of people. Although the Jews themselves are mentioned only in v. 17, Paul probably had them in mind from the beginning. They agree with Paul's words about the wrath of God, but think that this does not apply to them (hence the severe warning, v. 5). Assuming that what has been said is addressed primarily to the Jews, it must be recognized that in fact it is not limited to them alone. Paul lays down the principles of the judgment of God before which all will appear. Judgment is based on truth (v. 2) and characterized by righteousness (v. 5). He repays according to works (v. 6), shows no respect for persons (v. 11), and is carried out through Christ (v. 16). Such a judgment will bring a painful death to all sinners (vv. 8, 9).
2:1 you are inexcusable. Paul reproves those who agree with his portrayal of God's wrath against sin (1:18-32), but believe that this wrath will not touch them.
do the same. Condemnation of other people is actually self-condemnation (v. 3).
2:2 is true. Wed 1.18. Man's response to God's call is the only basis for God's judgment.
2:4 you neglect. Such people refuse to acknowledge that the goodness of God is intended to bring them to repentance and aversion from sin. They despise divine love and thereby express contempt for God Himself.
2:5 you gather anger. Self-confidence in matters of religion is "stubbornness," since constant opposition to God, who seeks to show mercy, is tantamount to rejecting the will of God, and refusing to admit guilt only increases it. "Gathering up" anger entails a proportionate punishment.
2:6-10 God's judgment is based on what constitutes the nature of man's relationship to God. Only those who receive grace truly "seek glory, honor, and immortality" (v. 7). The rest "stubbornly" do not obey God (v. 8). Paul teaches that salvation is by grace, and judgment is by works (2 Corinthians 5:10). If it were not for mercy, both Jews and Gentiles could expect only one thing - condemnation (v. 10; 1.16).
2:11 there is no partiality with God. Right before God cannot be based either on ethnicity or on any innate or personal distinctive features (9:6-13; Gal. 6:15).
2:12-16 The Jews were always ready to appeal to the law of Moses, which, unlike the Gentiles, they possessed. This would seem to imply that God is "partial" (v. 11). The theme of the role of the law is prominent in Romans (3:27-31; 4:13-15; 5:13-15; 6:14-15; 7:1-25; 13:8-10). Here it is discussed for the first time; Paul shows that God can be pleased not by knowledge of the law, but by obedience to the will of God revealed by him. So, "there is no partiality with God" (v. 11).
2:12 We are talking about the law of Moses, which took shape in the form of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:1-22). The Law of Moses has already revealed that God condemns sin, but the cause of sin lies in the heart and not in the law (7:13); in the heart is the knowledge of "the work of the law" (vv. 14, 15), since man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Since God judges people according to the criteria known to them, the excuse of ignorance of the law is inappropriate and unlawful.
Those who... have sinned. This category includes all people. See 3.19.20.23.
2:14 by nature they do what is lawful. No one can be justified on the basis of personal righteousness; however, moral criteria common to all (despite their varying degrees of clarity) and the consciousness of the obligation to comply with these criteria indicate that there is a common moral code for all and a sense of responsibility before God. To this "conscience bears witness" (v. 15), and the feeling of self-condemnation which it engenders.
2:16 according to my gospel. Those. according to the gospel that Paul brings. In his sermon, the formidable message of judgment precedes the gospel of mercy.
through Jesus Christ. Judgment is given to Christ (John 5.22; Matt. 7.21-23; 25.31-33; 2 Cor. 5.10) and, being impeccable, He will reveal "the secret deeds of men", nothing will be hidden from the Judge ( Heb 4:12-13).
2:17-29 Paul addresses the Jews' claim to special privileges directly, dealing in detail with their law (vv. 17-24) and circumcision (vv. 25-29). He asserts (v. 1) that the Jews themselves are guilty of what they condemn others for. Speaking of circumcision, he proves that an external sign without a real content is meaningless.
2:17-20 Here Paul enumerates the advantages that the Jews boasted of, who believed that these advantages exalted them above other people.
2:21-23 The obligations inherent in the benefits have not been fulfilled. Paul emphasizes the prohibition of adultery, sacrilege and theft (Ex. 20:4.5.14.15).
2:25 Circumcision is useful. Paul brings his reasoning in chapter 2 to the point that condemnation is the result of revelation (of whatever kind) not being received with obedience. In particular, the Jews transgressed the law of Moses, depriving the rite of circumcision of its true content. Paul acknowledges that there are advantages to being an Israelite (9:4-5), in particular being circumcised (3:1-2; 4:11). But fleshly circumcision symbolizes sanctification and renewal of life (v. 25; Deut. 30:6). Reality is important, not an external sign, and it can be possessed regardless of belonging to Judaism (vv. 26,27).
2:29 that Jew. One becomes a member of the people of the covenant of God through the action of the Spirit, which leads to a life aspiring to God, and not through "circumcision, which is external" (v. 28) and "according to the letter."
