Глава II

The wrath of God also extends to those who, although they know the truth, do not implement it in their lives (1-16). Among such people in the foreground are the Jews, who have a revealed law, but constantly violate it (17-29). Rom.2:1. So, you are inexcusable, every person who judges another, for by the same judgment with which you judge another, you condemn yourself, because, judging another, you do the same. There are people who know well how to live in order to please God. They love to reprove others when they deviate from God’s law, but they themselves calmly break it. The Apostle strictly condemns such people, pointing out to them that merely recognizing the law of God is not enough - it is also necessary to fulfill this law. At the judgment of God, the impartial judgment, every sinner will be condemned - whether it be a Jew or a pagan - precisely for violating the law of God, since it is known to the Jew - from the revelation of the Old Testament and to the pagan - from the testimony of his conscience. "Every man who judges another." Ancient interpreters saw this “man” as representatives of the authorities, but it is difficult to agree with this opinion in view of the entire subsequent speech of the Apostle, where there is no mention of the authorities at all. Most new interpreters believe that the Apostle here is addressing a Jew, but one cannot agree with this interpretation either, because here the speech is addressed to every person, therefore, both to a pagan and to a Jew, and also because only in verse 17 is a direct appeal made to a Jew. It is more correct to believe that the Apostle here means both the pagans, who have not yet lost the ability to understand what is sinful and what is not sinful, and the Jews together. - “You do the same.” Of course, this does not indicate a completely accurate repetition of sins, but, in any case, it determines the nature of the actions of the person condemning: in general, they are of the same kind as the sins mentioned in vv. 29–31. Chapter I. Rom.2:2. And we know that truly there is God’s judgment on those who do such things. "We", i.e. Ap. Paul and the Roman Christians. - “Truly”, i.e. in accordance with the true, actual state of affairs. A sinner, even if he knows the laws of morality well, is condemned. – “Judgment of God” (κρΐμα θ.) the verdict of God’s court. Rom.2:3. Do you really think, man, that you will escape God’s judgment by condemning those who do such things and [yourself] doing the same? Here the Apostle primarily has in mind the Jews. The Jews precisely thought that they could escape God's judgment (cf. Matthew 3:7), and that they, already by birth, were sons of the messianic kingdom (Matthew 8:12). The Jews mainly condemned the pagans as sinners (cf. Gal 2:15). However, both Roman and Greek satirists, who exposed the vices of their contemporary society, themselves sinned a lot against morality... Rom.2:4. Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance? Here, undoubtedly, the Apostle has in mind the Jews of his time. Most of them really did not pay enough attention to the numerous and varied manifestations of God’s goodness, for which God often had mercy on them even where they could have expected severe punishment for themselves. “Meekness” – more precisely: forbearance (ανοχή). The Jews crucified Christ, and the wrath of God, however, did not immediately fall on their heads. God gave them time to repent of their sin. Rom.2:5. But, due to your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God, “According to your persistence” - cf. Acts 7:51. - “Collect anger.” Contempt for divine gifts does not pass without a trace. Every gift of God trampled upon by man increases the treasures of God’s wrath, which is already ready to break out over the Jewish people stubborn in their unbelief and will break out, firstly, with the fall of Jerusalem (Matthew 3:10; Luke 11:50-51), and secondly, at the Last Judgment. In the first case, the Jewish nation will be judged, in the second - individual individuals from the Jewish people. Rom.2:6. Who will reward everyone according to his deeds: “To each according to his deeds,” that is, in accordance with the moral value of each person’s actions. The judgment of God according to deeds is also spoken of in other places in the Epistles of St. Paul (Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:6), in the Gospel (John 5:28, 29) and in other New Testament writings (eg, Rev. 20:13). How can the position of the Apostle be reconciled with this, that justification is given by faith? Justification, indeed, is given only by faith, when a person has not yet had time to perform good deeds. But then, when a person has already received justification (in baptism) and at the same time acquired new grace-filled powers from God, he must certainly show his strength in good deeds. Works are the necessary fruits of justification accomplished by faith, and at the final judgment God will judge all Christians according to their works. Thus, influx slaves receive talents from their master for free, but the master considers it natural for the slaves to increase these talents (Matthew 25:16, 21). “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire,” taught John the Baptist (Matthew 3:10; cf. 1 Cor 3:9–10; Gal 6:7). “Faith leads you on the path of salvation, supplies you with strength; salvation itself is accomplished by deeds consistent with faith” (Bishop Theophan), Rom.2:7. to those who, by constancy in good deeds, seek glory, honor and immortality, eternal life; The Apostle is speaking here not about Christians alone, but about humanity in general. In all nations, in his opinion, there can be people who constantly strive to achieve the highest ideals of life - the highest glorification, which will never end - “immortality” - more precisely from the Greek. (αφθαρσίαν) incorruptibility or better, incorruptible (glory), since this expression is a definition for the expression of glory and honor. Is such a search for glorification acceptable, however, from a religious point of view? Isn’t a person’s love of fame and ambition aroused in this case? No, he doesn't get excited. Since this quest is directed toward eternal glory in the Kingdom of Heaven, it arouses only good dispositions. “In order to desire and seek that glory and honor, one must deny oneself and everyone high and exalted on earth and descend to the most humble and humiliated lot” (Bishop Theophan). - “Eternal life”, i.e. eternal blessed life in the Kingdom of Christ (Rom. 5:21, 6:22 et seq.; Gal. 6:8). It is there and then that the ideal to which these people strived throughout their entire earthly life will be realized. - But if the apostle here promises the Kingdom of Christ to everyone who seeks the highest ideal, then does he not contradict himself - his position that without faith in Christ salvation is impossible for a person? This bewilderment can only be eliminated by the assumption that the Apostle considers it inevitable for such a person - sooner or later, turning to Christ. Christ the Savior said: “He who does righteousness comes to the light” (John 3:21; cf. Rom.7:17). And, indeed, the striving for an ideal that animates a person drives him to Christ, in whom this ideal has already found its fulfillment. The desire for virtue is, one might say, in itself an agreement with the teachings of the Gospel. And if in this life a person striving for an ideal does not have the opportunity to join the church, then this opportunity opens up for him beyond the grave. This is the meaning of the words of Ap. Peter about preaching the Gospel to the dead (1 Peter 3:19, 20, 4:6). Rom.2:8. and to those who persist and do not submit to the truth, but indulge in unrighteousness - rage and anger. “They persist and do not submit to the truth” - more precisely from the Greek: “those who act because of party and personal interests (τοίς δέ εξ εριθέας - from εριθος a mercenary working for money) and are (as a result of this) disobedient to the truth.” By truth we must understand the truth of the existence of God known to people from the beginning and the elementary concepts of morality (cf. Rom. 1:18). Disobedience to this truth was obviously the result of the development of selfish aspirations in people. – Untruth (αδικία) is the opposite of truth (cf. Rom. 1:18). – “Rage” (θύμος) mental indignation; anger (οργή) embraces an angry look, an angry sentence, and punishment. Rom.2:9. Sorrow and distress to every soul of a person who does evil, first the Jew, then the Greek! Rom.2:10. On the contrary, glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, first to the Jew, then to the Greek! The idea of ​​verses 7 and 8 is repeated here in order to highlight the equal responsibility before the court of God of both Jews and Gentiles. – “Sorrow” (θλίψις) – misfortune, disaster. – “Tightness” (στενοχωρία) is a completely hopeless situation (cf. Rom. 8:35; 2 Cor. 4:8). – “To every soul of man” – to every single person. - “First, the Jew.” “From everyone,” said Christ the Savior, “to whom much has been given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). The Jews, who knew what threatens those who do not do the law of God and what awaits those who do it (Lev. 19; Deut. 28), of course, are subject to greater responsibility for neglecting the law of God. - "And peace." Since this peace is ranked among rewards along with glory and honor, it cannot here mean the inner peace of a person, but something external - namely, salvation in the general sense of the word, as in Chapter I. 7 tbsp. (peace from God). - “First, the Jew.” Since an extremely broad task was destined for the Jew in the law (“Your commandment is immensely vast”! Ps 119:96), then, naturally, the Jew should have had an advantage over the pagan in terms of reward, as befits a faithful doer of the will of God. Here, as above, the Apostle, of course, speaks of Jews and Greeks who have not yet been enlightened by the light of the Gospel (I. Chrysostom). Rom.2:11. For there is no partiality with God. Rom.2:12. Those who, not having the law, sinned, are outside the law and will perish; and those who have sinned under the law will be condemned by the law “Because no...” . The apostle justifies his position, expressed in v. 7–10, by the fact that God cannot have any partiality towards individual nations (cf. Acts 10:34; Sir 32:15). - “Those who do not have the law.” Here the Apostle reveals the thought of verse 11. The sinner will certainly be punished, whether he knew the law of Moses or not - this is the main position of the Apostle. Pagans who sinned in their lives, but did not violate the unknown law of Moses (there were other pagans who knew the law - these are proselytes), will (at the last judgment) be doomed to destruction (cf. v. 5), although the strict regulations of the law of Moses ("outside the law" - ανομως) will not be applied to them: they will be condemned on the basis of their accessible understanding of the will of God, i.e. i.e. on the basis of the law of natural morality. On the contrary, the Jews who had the Law of Moses will be condemned for their sins as required by this Law of Moses (“they will be condemned according to the law”), they will answer at the final judgment on an incomparably greater number of points than the pagans. Rom.2:13. for it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified, Here the Apostle confirms the idea of the need to condemn the sinners of the Jews. Moses once told the Jews that the law given to them is the greatest treasure, the possession of which puts the Jews in a special, exclusive position among all the peoples of the earth (Deut. IV). Of course, he said this on the assumption that the Jews would fulfill this law; but over time, they became established in the idea that the law of Moses is a saving palladium for them, a magical means for avoiding all social disasters, that, knowing the law, they thereby already become full members of the kingdom of the Messiah and will not be subject to any judgment. The Apostle now destroys their self-conceit. Knowledge of the law alone is not enough for salvation—you must fulfill the requirements of the law. “Hearers of the Law” is an allusion to the Sabbath gatherings of Jews in synagogues to hear portions of the Old Testament (cf. Acts 15:21; 2 Cor 3:14). - “Before God” (παρα Θεού) according to the judgment of God (cf. 1 Cor 3:19; 2 Sol 1:6). - “Doers of the Law”. The Apostle himself says below that there cannot be executors of the law in the full sense of the word (Rom. 3:20). Consequently, here too he could only mean people who, to the best of their ability, try to fulfill the law. - “They will be acquitted.” In the same way, the justification we are talking about here is not a recognition of the complete righteousness of a person, it is not evidence that some people can fulfill the entire law (Mosaic or Gospel). This only means that God will reward people who strive to fulfill the law and, to the best of their ability, fulfill it. It should be noted that justification here no longer has the same meaning as it does in Chapter 1. (and in III). There it meant the assimilation by the sinner of the righteousness of God, the cleansing of the sinner and supplying him with grace-filled forces for a new life in Christ; here it has the meaning of a verdict of acquittal, which will be pronounced over a person who lived according to God’s law at the last judgment of God. Rom.2:14. for when the pagans, who do not have the law, do by nature what is lawful, then, not having the law, they are a law unto themselves: Rom.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. Here the Apostle substantiates the idea expressed in the 13th Art. That, indeed, justification at the judgment of God will be granted not to the listeners, but to the doers of the law - this is certain! If it could have been otherwise, if for one hearing of the law God justified the Jews, then He should, as a Just Judge, justify the pagans, because they also listened to what the law of conscience told them, but for the most part they did not fulfill it, just as the Jews did not fulfill the law of Moses. The Apostle, however, to shame the Jews, here takes into account those exceptional cases when the pagans - of course, the best among them - followed the voice of this natural moral law. - “Not having the law” - revealed, Mosaic, or, like Moses, received from God. - “By nature they do what is lawful,” that is, they fulfill in their being those individual moral requirements that are clearly expressed in the Law of Moses. They are prompted to this by nature (φύσις), that is, by an innate moral instinct. - “They are a law unto themselves,” i.e. for them this instinct takes the place of the revealed law, which the Jews have. - “They show,” that is, through this fulfillment of the moral law they clearly show to a reasonable observer. - “That the work of the law is written in their hearts,” i.e., that what is required by the revealed law of God, written in the Law of Moses on tablets of stone, is written in their hearts, the pagans. The heart in Holy Scripture is always the seat of feelings, from where all decisions that have an impact on a person’s entire life come (Matthew 15:19). - “What does their conscience testify to?” Under conscience (συνείδησις) in Ap. Paul (cf. Rom. 9:1; 1 Cor. 8:7–10, 12, 10:25–29) everywhere implies a person’s awareness of the moral nature of his actions, when he can tell himself whether they are good or bad. It is clear that this presupposes the existence of a norm by which conscience determines actions. Conscience, as more accurately translated from the Greek, combines its testimony (συμμαρούσης) with that impulse or impulse that comes from the heart - the impulse to commit a good deed. That is conscience, after the heart, is the second witness to the existence of a moral law among the pagans. She says: Amen! to a statement of moral instinct or to a word coming from the heart, just as those present in the synagogue said: Amen! after reading a passage from the law. “And their thoughts, now accusing, now justifying one another.” The rabbis usually argued among themselves regarding the sinfulness of various human actions, whether they actually happened or were only possible. So the pagans discuss the dignity of their actions or, in fact, the thoughts and motives that underlay them. At the same time, the thoughts of the pagans fight among themselves. Some attack, others defend (we are not talking about a person’s judgment about other persons, but about the judgment of a conscientious person over himself), these thoughts (λογισμοί) are individual revelations of conscience, which in them judges individual human actions and their motives, on which the moral character of the actions themselves depends. Not only pagans, but also Christians often discuss, long after the act has been committed, not only this act, but also the thoughts they had when they committed it, and often their judgment differs from their previous views. Conscience often judges itself, convicting itself of insincerity and partisanship in the condemnation that took place before. Thus, it is clear from the words of the Apostle that the pagans have their own law (moral, internal), they also have certain views on the nature of human actions, and discuss these actions, as is all done among the Jews. But is this enough? If they do not fulfill the requirements of the moral law, then, of course, they will be condemned by God. The Jews, no doubt, fully agree with this situation. Why, however, do they not apply what was said to themselves? After all, they do not fulfill their own, God-revealed law, and therefore they too will be condemned by God. This is what I wanted in the 14th and 15th centuries. say Apostle... It should be noted that, portraying the pagans here on the good side, the Apostle, of course, had in mind rare, exceptional cases from pagan history. One can recall here, for example, Neoptolemus (in Philoctetes), who refuses to save Greece at the cost of deception, Antigone, who violates the strict royal law in order to fulfill her duty of love towards her executed brothers, or Socrates, who, out of obedience to the authorities, does not want to flee to escape execution. Probably, in his relations with the pagans, the Apostle encountered examples of pagan nobility. Rom.2:16. on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secret deeds of men through Jesus Christ. This verse has a direct connection with the 15th article, and it is better to move the parentheses ending the 15th verse to the conclusion of the 16th. The Apostle wants to say that the struggle of “thoughts” among the pagans will especially take place on the day of God’s Last Judgment, when God Himself, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of people. The pagans will then have to reason a lot, both defending themselves and accusing them, confessing their misdeeds, that they did not listen to the voice of their conscience in a timely manner... But the Apostle still makes it clear that the judgment will take place as it should happen in accordance with what the Apostle preached (according to my gospel) about the equality before the Court of God of all people, whether they be Jews or pagans. Moreover, the judgment will be carried out by Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ, according to the teachings of the Apostle. Paul, is the second Adam (Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:45) and, therefore, stands in relation not only to the Jews, but also to the pagans and, undoubtedly, will be merciful to the pagans, since God wants all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:1-7). Rom.2:17. Behold, you are called a Jew, and you comfort yourself with the law, and you boast in God, Having expressed the general position that it is not the possession of the law, but the fulfillment of the law that justifies a person before God (13-16), the Apostle applies this provision to the Jew. The Jew is extremely proud that he knows the law and can even teach it to others. But what is the use of this knowledge for him? After all, he does not care about fulfilling the law and thereby only humiliates the name of God, since the pagans look at the Jews as the people of God. If the Jews begin to refer to the fact that they still fulfill the law of circumcision, then this reference will not be useful to them. So what if they are circumcised? Corporal circumcision does not provide justification in itself - what is important is internal circumcision, circumcision of the heart, in which a person is a doer of God’s law. The apostle begins to list the theocratic advantages that the Jews presented to the pagans as their exclusive property. First of all, they also bear an honorable name (Jews from two words: iehudan and jah the glory of Jehovah) and love to be called that (cf. Rev. II:9). Then they reassure themselves with the knowledge that they have a law; in their opinion, this guarantees them from any collapse, even if they do not care about fulfilling the law (you calm down - more precisely, you rest peacefully). Christ Himself pointed out this error of the Jews (John 5:45). Finally, the Jews boast that God is exclusively their God and protector (cf. Gen. 17:7; Isa. 45:25; Jer. 31:33), but, as the Apostle will show later (Rom. 3:29), they are greatly mistaken in this... Rom.2:18. and you know His will and understand what is best, learning from the law, The previous verse indicates the advantages of the Jews, so to speak, independent of them. Here their special abilities are indicated, in which they exceed the pagans. The Jews know the will of God, that is, what God wants from man: this is all written in the Law of Moses! The Jews understand the best (δοκιμάζις τά διαφέροντα), that is, they can accurately determine how best to act in given circumstances, since they have a law that determines, one might say, every step of a person’s life (learning from the law). Rom.2:19. and I am confident in myself that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, Rom.2:20. teacher of the ignorant, teacher of babes, having in the law an example of knowledge and truth: Here, finally, the pride of the Jews in the role that they, in their consciousness, were called upon to play in the history of all mankind is indicated. This is the role of a guide, mentor, teacher (an allusion to the desire of the Jews to increase the number of proselytes (Matthew 23:15)), who looks at all pagans as blind, ignorant and infants. The Apostle, clearly, does not agree with such a high opinion of the Jews about themselves (“I’m sure”! - this is irony). In fact, teaching others to obey the law and at the same time not fulfilling the law yourself are two incompatible things. - “Having in the law an example of knowledge and truth.” In the Law of Moses, the Jew, indeed, found an exact outline (sample - μόρφωσις), a strictly defined formula of knowledge or knowledge that every person should have about things and actions, and truth, that is, the very essence of virtue. Knowledge thus points to the subjective, internal property of a person, and truth points to the objective, existing outside of a person, which already becomes the subject of knowledge. That is The Jews, having the law of Moses, possessed not only the truth itself, but also its exact formula, thanks to which they could transfer this truth to others. This was already their real advantage. Rom.2:21. How can you, while teaching others, not teach yourself? Rom.2:22. While preaching not to steal, are you stealing? When you say, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” are you committing adultery? By abhorring idols, are you blasphemous? Rom.2:23. Do you boast about the law, but by breaking the law you dishonor God? Rom.2:24. For for your sake, as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles. Here the Apostle shames the Jews, who, considering themselves capable of teaching the pagans, were themselves mired in various vices. Theft, adultery and sacrilege - these are their main crimes, which the Apostle focuses his attention on. And at the same time, they boast everywhere that they are the people of God! Do they not disgrace the very name of God through this? - “You steal..., you commit adultery.” The Apostle chooses these two examples of Jewish crime, probably for the purpose of showing that the Jews also had vices corresponding to specifically pagan ones - greed and intemperance (Rom. 1:29). – “You are sacrilege” (ιεροσυλείς). John Chrysostom, Theophylact and many others. others see here an indication of cases of Jews stealing precious objects from pagan temples, and such an interpretation is quite consistent with the previous remark of the Apostle: “abhorring idols.” Obviously, the word blaspheme also refers to the theft of sacred objects from idol churches, which actually happened (Acts 19:37) 14. - “For your sake... the name of God is blasphemed among the pagans.” The pagans, seeing the vicious life of the Jews, of course, said: “Does God really love such people? Is it possible that God who loves such people is the true God?” (Theophylact Bolg.). Rom.2:25. Circumcision is beneficial if you keep the law; and if you are a transgressor of the law, then your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Since the Jews could have objected to the Apostle that they were guaranteed from the judgment of God by the circumcision they accepted, which, according to the general belief of the Jews, was like a patent for entry into the kingdom of the Messiah, the Apostle considers it necessary to especially dwell on this point. Circumcision, he says, is indeed beneficial, it makes a person a participant in all the promises given by God to the chosen people, but at the same time, the acceptance of circumcision is the assumption by a person of the obligation to fulfill the law of God, to please God (cf. Gen. 17 et seq.; Lev. 18:5; Deut. 27:26; Gal. 5:3). - "Law" . By law the Apostle means all the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law relating to both the ritual and moral life of the Jewish people. Circumcision was only one of these many regulations. - “You have become uncircumcised”, that is, by not fulfilling the law, you also become irresponsible before the judgment of God, just like a sinful pagan - uncircumcised. Rom.2:26. So, if an uncircumcised man keeps the statutes of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted against him as circumcision? Here the Apostle takes the opposite case to show the absurdity of the Jews counting on one circumcision. If a pagan begins to fulfill the law without accepting circumcision, will not this be counted as acceptance of circumcision at the judgment of God? The Apostle obviously has in mind here those cases about which he spoke in the 14th Art. There could be pagans somewhere in a distant country who had no idea at all about the Mosaic Law, but, according to the desire of their hearts, fulfilled in their being the same things that were required by this law - works of mercy and the commandment of purity. Such people could not remain without a reward from God (cf. v. 10), although they were not circumcised. Rom.2:27. And he who is uncircumcised by nature and keeps the law, will he not condemn you, a transgressor of the law under the Scripture and circumcision? Such an “uncircumcised by nature,” that is, by virtue of his pagan origin, without any guilt on his part, will condemn at the last judgment a Jew who does not fulfill the law; he will condemn, of course, not with words, but with his very appearance, with his example. - “At Scripture and circumcision.” By Scripture (γραμμα) the Apostle means the letter of the law. The Jew had the law constantly before his eyes, clearly written in letters. This is no longer the same as the inner, rather vague voice of moral instinct, which should have guided a pagan in his moral life! (vv. 14 and 15). The Jew also had circumcision, which constantly reminded him of his obligation to fulfill the law. And with all this, the Jews constantly turned out to be criminals in relation to the law! Rom.2:28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that is outwardly in the flesh; Rom.2:29. but he who is a Jew inwardly, and that circumcision which is in the heart, is in the Spirit, and not in the letter: his praise is not from men, but from God. You can be a Jew in appearance, that is, have circumcision, or, what is the same, you can wear on your body (flesh) the sign of union with God - circumcision - and at the same time not be a true Jew and not be in real special communion with God. A similar thought is expressed in the Gospel (see Matthew 8:11, 12). On the contrary, a real Jew, that is, a person who has special rights in the history of the economy of the salvation of people, can only be called one who in his soul (internally) is one who, in his moral essence, stands out among other people. Real circumcision is also circumcision of the heart, that is, the removal from the heart, from the inner being of a person, of everything unclean and sinful. - “In spirit.” More correctly: the Spirit (Holy). If we mean here the human spirit, then its addition would be completely unnecessary when expressing: in the heart. - “Not according to the letter.” Mere fulfillment of the letter or external decree of circumcision is not enough, because it does not say anything about the need for an internal change in the person receiving circumcision, and it cannot itself produce such a change. Only the Holy Spirit changes a person’s inner life! - “To him,” that is, both the real circumcision and the real Jew. - "Praise". This word has to do with the meaning of the name Jew (praise of God). Praise, of course, will be spoken to such a person and such a circumcision at the last judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5). 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