1Proto pro tebe, jenž soudíš, není omluvy, ať jsi kdokoli. Když totiž soudíš bližního, odsuzuješ sám sebe: vždyť ty, jenž soudíš, počínáš si stejně, 2a víme, že nad pachateli podobných skutků se koná Boží soud podle pravdy. 3A ty, jenž soudíš takové, kdo se jich dopouštějí, a jenž je sám konáš, ty se domníváš, že unikneš Božímu soudu? 4Anebo pohrdáš hojností jeho dobroty, trpělivosti, shovívavosti a nepoznáváš, že tě Boží dobrota pobízí k pokání? 5Svou zatvrzelostí a nekajícností svého srdce proti sobě hromadíš hněv pro den hněvu, kdy se zjeví spravedlivý soud Boha, 6jenž splatí každému podle jeho skutků: 7těm, kteří vytrvalostí v dobrém vyhledávají slávu, čest a neporušenost - věčným životem; 8ostatním, vzpurníkům, neposlušným vůči pravdě a poslušným vůči nespravedlnosti - hněvem a rozhořčením. 9Trápení a úzkost každé lidské duši, která se oddává zlu, nejprve Židovi, potom Řekovi; 10slávu, čest a pokoj komukoli, kdo koná dobro, nejprve Židovi, potom Řekovi; 11vždyť Bůh nikomu nestraní. 12Kdokoli totiž zhřešil bez Zákona, také bez Zákona zahyne; a kdokoli zhřešil pod Zákonem, bude souzen podle Zákona; 13před Bohem nejsou spravedliví ti, kdo Zákonu naslouchají, ospravedlněni však budou ti, kdo Zákon zachovávají. 14Když totiž pohané, kteří Zákon nemají, přirozeně plní předpisy Zákona, jsou sami sobě Zákonem, i když Zákon nemají; 15ukazují skutečnost onoho zákona vepsaného v jejich srdci, dokládá to svědectví jejich svědomí a také niterné soudy pokárání nebo chvály, které vynášejí jedni nad druhými... 16v den, kdy Bůh bude soudit skryté myšlenky lidí podle mého evangelia, skrze Krista Ježíše. 17Ale jestliže ty, který okázale nosíš jméno Žida, který spoléháš na Zákon, který se chlubíš v Bohu, 18který znáš jeho vůli, který poučen Zákonem rozpoznáváš, co je nejlepší, 19a tak sám sebe přesvědčuješ, že jsi vůdcem slepých, světlem těch, kdo kráčejí v temnotě, 20vychovatelem nevzdělaných, učitelem prosťáčků, protože máš v Zákoně nejvlastnější výraz vědění a pravdy... 21Nuže! Člověče, který učíš bližního, sám sebe neučíš! Kážeš, že se nesmí krást, a sám kradeš! 22Prohlašuješ cizoložství za zakázané, a sám se cizoložství dopouštíš! Máš v ošklivosti modly, a olupuješ jejich chrámy! 23Ty, který se chlubíš Zákonem, a přitom tento Zákon překračuješ, Boha zneuctíváš, 24neboť kvůli vám se národy rouhají Božímu jménu, říká Písmo. 25Obřízka je tedy pro tebe dobrá, žiješ-li podle Zákona; ale pokud Zákon překračuješ, jsi neobřezaný i svou obřízkou. 26Jestliže tedy neobřezaný dodržuje předpisy Zákona, nebude jeho neobřezanost jakoby obřízka? 27A ten, který tělesně neobřezán plní Zákon, bude soudit tebe, který s literou a s obřízkou Zákon překračuješ. 28Neboť Židem není ten, kdo jím je zevně, a obřízka není; zevně na těle, 29pravý Žid jím je v nitru a s obřízkou v srdci, podle ducha, a ne podle litery: takovému se dostává chvály nikoli 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?"