1Proto jsi bez omluvy, člověče, a to každý, kdo soudíš. V čem soudíš druhého, v tom odsuzuješ sám sebe, neboť soudíš, ale sám činíš totéž. 2Víme, že Boží soud je podle pravdy proti těm, kdo dělají takové věci. 3Máš za to, člověče, který soudíš ty, kdo takové věci dělají, a sám činíš totéž, že unikneš Božímu soudu? 4Nebo pohrdáš bohatstvím jeho dobroty, shovívavosti a trpělivosti, a nevíš, že Boží dobrota tě vede k pokání? 5Svou tvrdostí a nekajícným srdcem si shromažďuješ hněv ke dni hněvu a zjevení spravedlivého Božího soudu. 6On odplatí každému podle jeho skutků. 7Těm, kteří s vytrvalostí v dobrém skutku hledají slávu, čest a neporušitelnost, dá věčný život. 8Avšak těm, kteří jsou sobečtí a neposlouchají pravdu, nýbrž poslouchají nepravost, odplatí hněvem a zuřivostí. 9Soužení a úzkost padne na duši každého člověka, jenž působí zlo, předně na Žida, ale i na Řeka; 10avšak sláva, čest a pokoj připadne každému, kdo činí dobro, předně Židovi, a také Řekovi. 11U Boha není přijímání osob. 12Ti, kdo bez Zákona zhřešili, bez Zákona také zahynou; a ti, kdo zhřešili pod Zákonem, skrze Zákon budou souzeni. 13Neboť u Boha nejsou spravedliví ti, kdo Zákon slyší, ale ospravedlněni budou ti, kdo jej plní. 14Když totiž pohané, kteří nemají Zákon, přirozeným způsobem činí to, co Zákon požaduje, pak jsou sami sobě Zákonem, ač Zákon nemají. 15Ukazují, že mají dílo Zákona napsané ve svých srdcích. Jejich svědomí bude svědčit spolu s myšlenkami, jež se navzájem obviňují nebo také obhajují, 16v den, kdy Bůh skrze Ježíše Krista bude podle mého evangelia soudit, co je skryto v lidech. 17Jestliže se však nazýváš Židem, spoléháš na Zákon a chlubíš se Bohem, 18poznáváš jeho vůli a vyučován ze Zákona rozpoznáváš to, na čem záleží; 19jsi o sobě přesvědčen, že jsi vůdcem slepých, světlem těch, kteří jsou ve tmě, 20vychovatelem nerozumných, učitelem nedospělých, maje v Zákoně ztělesnění poznání a pravdy — 21ty tedy učíš druhého, a sám sebe neučíš? Ty hlásáš, že se nemá krást, a kradeš? 22Ty říkáš, že se nemá cizoložit, a cizoložíš? Ty si ošklivíš modly, a věci z jejich chrámů bereš? 23Ty, který se chlubíš Zákonem, přestupováním Zákona zneuctíváš Boha? 24Neboť kvůli vám je jméno Boží mezi národy v opovržení, jak je napsáno. 25Obřízka prospívá, jestliže děláš to, co přikazuje Zákon. Jsi-li však přestupníkem Zákona, tvá obřízka se stala neobřízkou. 26Jestliže tedy neobřezaný člověk zachovává ustanovení Zákona, nebude mu jeho neobřízka počítána za obřízku? 27A když člověk od přirozenosti neobřezaný plní Zákon, bude soudit tebe, který jsi skrze literu a obřízku přestupníkem Zákona. 28Neboť pravý Žid není ten, kdo je jím navenek, a pravá obřízka není ta, která je zjevná na těle; 29ale pravý Žid je ten, kdo je Židem uvnitř, a pravá obřízka je obřízka srdce Duchem, nikoli literou. Ten má chválu ne od lidí, nýbrž od Boha.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 4 THE JEW UNDER LIKE CONDEMNATION WITH THE GENTILE. (Rom. 2:1-29)
the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance--that is, is designed and adapted to do so.
5 treasurest up unto thyself wrath against--rather "in."
the day of wrath--that is wrath to come on thee in the day of wrath. What an awful idea is here expressed--that the sinner himself is amassing, like hoarded treasure, an ever accumulating stock of divine wrath, to burst upon him in "the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God!" And this is said not of the reckless, but of those who boasted of their purity of faith and life.
7 To them who, &c.--The substance of these verses is that the final judgment will turn upon character alone.
by patient continuance in well-doing, &c.--Compare
Luke 8:15 : "That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience"; denoting the enduring and progressive character of the new life.
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, &c.--referring to such keen and determined resistance to the Gospel as he himself had too painfully witnessed on the part of his own countrymen. (See
Acts 13:44-
Acts 13:46;
Acts 17:5,
Acts 17:13;
Acts 18:6,
Acts 18:12; and compare
1Thess 2:15-16).
indignation and wrath--in the bosom of a sin-avenging God.
9 Tribulation and anguish--the effect of these in the sinner himself.
10 to the Jew first--first in perdition if unfaithful; but if obedient to the truth, first in salvation (
Rom 2:10).
12 For as many as have sinned--not "as many as have sinned at all," but, "as many as are found in sin" at the judgment of the great day (as the whole context shows).
without law--that is, without the advantage of a positive Revelation.
shall also perish without law--exempt from the charge of rejecting or disregarding it.
and as many as have sinned in the law--within the pale of a positive, written Revelation.
shall be judged by the law--tried and condemned by the higher standard of that written Revelation.
13 For not the hearers, &c.--As touching the Jews, in whose ears the written law is continually resounding, the condemnation of as many of them as are found sinners at the last involves no difficulty; but even as respects the heathen, who are strangers to the law in its positive and written form--since they show how deeply it is engraven on their moral nature, which witnesses within them for righteousness and against iniquity, accusing or condemning them according as they violate or obey its stern dictates--their condemnation also for all the sin in which they live and die will carry its dreadful echo in their own breasts.
15 their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing--that is, perhaps by turns doing both.
16 In the day, &c.--Here the unfinished statement of
Rom 2:12 is resumed and closed.
shall judge the secrets of men--here specially referring to the unfathomed depths of hypocrisy in the self-righteous whom the apostle had to deal with. (See
Eccl 12:14;
1Cor 4:5).
according to my gospel--to my teaching as a preacher of the Gospel.
17 Behold--"But if" is, beyond doubt, the true reading here. (It differs but in a single letter from the received reading, and the sense is the same).
18 approvest the things that are excellent--"triest the things that differ" (Margin). Both senses are good, and indeed the former is but the result of the latter action. (See on
Phil 1:10).
20 hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law--not being left, as the heathen are, to vague conjecture on divine things, but favored with definite and precise information from heaven.
22 thou that abhorrest idols--as the Jews did ever after their captivity, though bent on them before.
dost thou commit sacrilege?--not, as some excellent interpreters, "dost thou rob idol temples?" but more generally, as we take it, "dost thou profane holy things?" (as in
Matt 21:12-
Matt 21:13, and in other ways).
24 as it is written--(See
Isa 52:5, Marginal reference).
25 For circumcision--that is, One's being within the covenant of which circumcision was the outward sign and seal.
verily profiteth, if thou keep the law--if the inward reality correspond to the outward sign.
but if, &c.--that is, "Otherwise, thou art no better than the uncircumcised heathen."
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the . . . law, &c.--Two mistaken interpretations, we think, are given of these words: First, that the case here supposed is an impossible one, and put merely for illustration [HALDANE, CHALMERS, HODGE]; second that it is the case of the heathen who may and do please God when they act, as has been and is done, up to the light of nature [GROTIUS, OLSHAUSEN, &c.]. The first interpretation is, in our judgment, unnatural; the second, opposed to the apostle's own teaching. But the case here put is, we think, such as that of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48), who, though outside the external pale of God's covenant, yet having come to the knowledge of the truths contained in it, do manifest the grace of the covenant without the seal of it, and exemplify the character and walk of Abraham's children, though not called by the name of Abraham. Thus, this is but another way of announcing that God was about to show the insufficiency of the mere badge of the Abrahamic covenant, by calling from among the Gentiles a seed of Abraham that had never received the seal of circumcision (see on
Gal 5:6); and this interpretation is confirmed by all that follows.
28 he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, &c.--In other words, the name of "Jew" and the rite of "circumcision" were designed but as outward symbols of a separation from the irreligious and ungodly world unto holy devotedness in heart and life to the God of salvation. Where this is realized, the signs are full of significance; but where it is not, they are worse than useless.
Note, (1) It is a sad mark of depravity when all that is designed and fitted to melt only hardens the heart (
Rom 2:4, and compare
2Pet 3:9;
Eccl 8:11). (2) Amidst all the inequalities of religious opportunity measured out to men, and the mysterious bearing of this upon their character and destiny for eternity, the same great principles of judgment, in a form suited to their respective discipline, will be applied to all, and perfect equity will be seen to reign throughout every stage of the divine administration (
Rom 2:11-
Rom 2:16). (3) "The law written on the heart" (
Rom 2:14-
Rom 2:15) --or the Ethics of Natural Theology--may be said to be the one deep foundation on which all revealed religion reposes; and see on
Rom 1:19-
Rom 1:20, where we have what we may call its other foundation--the Physics and Metaphysics of Natural Theology. The testimony of these two passages is to the theologian invaluable, while in the breast of every teachable Christian it wakens such deep echoes as are inexpressibly solemn and precious. (4) High religious professions are a fearful aggravation of the inconsistencies of such as make them (
Rom 2:17-
Rom 2:24). See
2Sam 12:14. (5) As no external privileges, or badge of discipleship, will shield the unholy from the wrath of God, so neither will the want of them shut out from the kingdom of heaven such as have experienced without them that change of heart which the seals of God's covenant were designed to mark. In the sight of the great Searcher of hearts, the Judge of quick and dead, the renovation of the character in heart and life is all in all. In view of this, have not all baptized, sacramented disciples of the Lord Jesus, who "profess that they know God, but in works deny Him," need to tremble--who, under the guise of friends, are "the enemies of the cross of Christ?"