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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. We are all people of different moods: sometimes we patronize evil, sometimes we are judges of other people’s evils, we condemn those like ourselves. So, having previously spoken about those who approved of the evil, he now speaks of condemnation and says: “So, you are inexcusable.” That is, you knew that God’s justice consists in punishing the wicked with dignity; Therefore, you, who condemn those who do what you do, have no excuse. It seems that these words refer to rulers, especially to the Romans, as the then rulers of the universe; for it is the business of rulers to judge. However, this befits every person; for every person can judge, even if he does not have a judicial position. So, when you condemn, he says, an adulterer, and you yourself commit adultery, you condemn yourself. Rom.2:2. And we know that truly there is God’s judgment on those who do such things. So that no one should say about himself: “I have hitherto committed adultery and escaped judgment,” the apostle, frightening him, says that it is not so with God: with us one is punished, and the other, although he does the same, escapes punishment; but with God it is not so: for God’s judgment on bad people is truly. 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? 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? 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, Rom.2:6. Who will reward everyone according to his deeds. I said above that the reward for bad people for deluding and honoring creatures lies in the very misfortunes to which they indulged, because uncleanness itself was sufficient punishment for them. Now it opens up punishment for them. For you, the man says, there is another punishment: you will not escape the judgment of God. How can you escape God's judgment when you have not escaped your own judgment? For in what you condemned another, you pronounced judgment on yourself. If you rely on God’s forbearance because you have not yet been punished, then this lack of punishment will lead to greater punishment for you. For God’s long-suffering is saving for those who use it to correct themselves, but for those who use it to increase sin, it serves as a great reason for punishment, not by its nature, but by the hardness of their hearts. “You are collecting,” he says, “wrath for yourself,”—it is not God who is collecting for you, but you who are collecting for yourself. How is this? With your unyielding and hard-for-good heart. For what could be tougher than you, when you neither soften with goodness nor bow with fear? Further, having spoken about the day of wrath, he adds: “the revelation of righteous judgment from God.” And justly, so that no one considers judgment to be an act of anger. Revelation, he says, is everything. Therefore, the reward is in accordance with what is revealed, and as a result, the judgment is righteous. Here the truth does not always prevail, because deeds are hidden, but there revelation is followed by righteous judgment. Notice this place, comparing it with the following: “I will harden the heart of Pharaoh” (Ex. 4:21), for Paul expresses himself in almost the same words. Rom.2:7. to those who, by constancy in good deeds, seek glory, honor and immortality - eternal life. Having said that the Lord will reward everyone, he began by rewarding the good, thus making his speech pleasant. In the words “consistency in good deeds” he expresses, firstly, that one should not deviate from goodness, nor do it carelessly, but remain in it to the end, and secondly, that one should not rely on faith alone, because a good deed is also necessary. With the word “immortality” he opens the doors of resurrection. Then, since we will all rise, but not all for the same thing, but some for glory and others for punishment, he mentioned glory and honor. So the whole speech has this meaning. To those, he says, who seek future glory, honor and immortality and never let them out of their thoughts, God will reward, that is, in resurrection, eternal life. How are future glory, honor and incorruptibility gained? Consistency in good deeds. For constant in a good deed and standing firm against every temptation actually gains glory, honor, and immortality or the enjoyment of incorruptible blessings in an incorruptible body. Rom.2:8. and to those who persist and do not submit to the truth, but indulge in unrighteousness - rage and anger. Rom.2:9. Grief and distress to every soul of a person who does evil, first the Jew, then the Greek. Ἐξ ἐριθείας means effort and unreasonable perseverance. “And with zeal,” that is, with effort. Here it shows that they became evil not out of ignorance, but out of stubbornness, which is why they are unworthy of pardon. And submission to untruth and disobedience to truth is also a sin of arbitrariness; for he did not say: those who are forced and suffer violence, but those who “submit.” Please note that he expressed himself differently about the Lord’s reward in eternal life than about the regrettable. “Wrath,” he says, “and anger and sorrow.” He did not say: they will be rewarded by God, but left the speech unfinished, so that they meant: it will be. For God tends to give life, and punishment is a consequence of our carelessness. With the words “every human soul,” the pride of the Romans is curbed. Even someone, he says, was a king, will not escape punishment if he does ( κατεργαζόμενος) evil, that is, remains in evil and does not repent: for he did not say εργαζόμενος, that is, doing, but κατεργαζόμενος, that is, doing evil with vanity. And since the Jew received more instruction, he is worthy of greater execution; for “the strong will be greatly tormented” (Wis. 6:6), and those who are more knowledgeable will be punished more severely. Rom.2:10. Glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. Rom.2:11. For there is no partiality with God. In what follows the apostle intends to prove that neither circumcision does any good, nor uncircumcision does any harm, and then to show the necessity of faith which justifies a man. To do this, he first overthrows Judaism. Note the wisdom: it says about what happened before the coming of Christ that the world was full of vices and that everyone was subject to execution, firstly the Jew, then the Greek. Having accepted it as certain that the pagan will be punished for evil, from this position he draws the conclusion that he will also be rewarded for good. If both reward and punishment are the consequences of deeds, then the law and circumcision are already unnecessary, and not only are they unnecessary, but they also prepare a greater punishment for the Jew; for if a pagan is condemned because he was not guided by nature, and therefore by the natural law, then the Jew, who, under the same guidance, was brought up in the law, is much more condemned. This is where the apostle’s speech tends. Now find out the meaning of the words. By Greeks he does not mean idolaters here, but people who feared God and lived piously, without the law, such as Melchizedek, Job, the Ninevites, and finally Cornelius. Likewise, by Jews he means the Jews who lived before the coming of Christ. For, trying to prove that circumcision has no power, he draws attention to ancient times and shows that there was no difference between a God-fearing pagan and a virtuous Jew. If the Jew was in no way superior to the pagan before the coming of Christ, when Judaism was especially glorious, then much less is he superior to him now that the law has been abolished. This is what the apostle says, meaning to crush the pride of the Jews, who did not accept those descended from paganism. Glory, he says, and honor and peace. Earthly blessings always have enemies, are associated with worries, are subject to envy and intrigues, and even if no one threatens them from the outside, the one who possesses them is always worried in his thoughts; and glory and honor with God enjoy peace and are free from anxiety in thoughts, as not subject to intrigue. Since it seemed incredible that a pagan who had not heard the law and the prophets would be honored, he proves this by the fact that God is no respecter of persons. God, he says, does not consider persons, but tests deeds. If there is no difference in deeds between Jew and pagan, then nothing prevents the latter from receiving the same honor as the former. So, when the law is abolished, do not be proud, O Jew, before the one of the Gentiles who does good, who was equal to you even at the time when your Judaism was in glory. 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. 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, Above he proved that a pagan is awarded the same honor as a Jew. Now he proves that during the punishment the Jew will also be condemned. The pagans, he says, “not having the law, sinned,” that is, without being taught by the law, therefore “outside the law they will perish,” that is, they will be more easily punished, as not having the law as a accuser; for “outside the law” means: not subject to condemnation under the law. On the contrary, the Jew sinned “under the law,” that is, being taught and from the law, therefore he will receive judgment, that is, he will be condemned, “according to the law,” as subject to the law, which exposes him and subjects him to greater condemnation. How can you, a Jew, say that you have no need of grace because you are justified by the law? Behold, it has been proven that you have no benefit from the law, so that you have a greater need of grace than a pagan, since you are not justified before God by merely hearing the law. Before people, listeners of the law may appear honest; but before God it is not so: before Him those who do the law are justified. 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 their conscience testifies He proves what he says against the Jews, and speaks with wise skill, so as not to seem like he is saying something against the law. As if praising and exalting the law, he says that those who do not have the law “by nature” deserve surprise, that is, having conviction in their thoughts: for they had no need for the law, and yet they fulfilled the law, imprinting on their hearts not letters, but deeds, and instead of the law, using conscience and natural thoughts as evidence of goodness. He speaks here of three laws: the written law, the natural law, and the law of works. "The Gentiles Having No Law". Which one? Written. “By nature they do what is lawful.” By what law? According to the law found in deeds. "Having no law". Which one? Written. "They are a law unto themselves." How is this? Guided by natural law. “They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts.” Which one? Law in business. Note the wisdom: he did not defeat the Jews, as the course of speech required. In the course of the speech, it should have been said this way: when the pagans, who do not have the law, do what is lawful by nature, then they are much superior to those instructed in the law. But the apostle did not say that, but put it more softly, like this: “they are a law unto themselves.” By this he proves that in ancient times, and before the law was given, the human race was under the same Providence. This also stops the mouths of those who say: Why didn’t Christ come to teach doing good first, from the beginning? He says that He invested the knowledge of good and evil in everyone from the beginning; when he saw that it did not help, he finally came himself. and their thoughts, now accusing, now justifying one another Rom.2:16. on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secret deeds of men through Jesus Christ. Start a new speech with these words; for now the apostle speaks about how all people in general will be judged. On the day of judgment, our own thoughts will appear, now condemning, now justifying, and a person will not need at the judgment seat either another accuser or another defender. And in order to increase fear, he did not say: sins, but: “secret deeds.” People can judge only open matters, but God, he says, will judge secret matters through Jesus Christ, that is, the Father through the Son, because the Father does not judge anyone, but has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). You can also understand the words “through Jesus Christ”: according to my gospel, given to me by Jesus Christ. Here he suggests that the gospel does not preach anything unnatural, but proclaims the same thing that was first inspired to people by nature itself, that is, that the gospel testifies to judgment and punishment. Rom.2:17. Behold, you are called a Jew, and you comfort yourself with the law, and you boast in God, Rom.2:18. and you know His will and understand what is best, learning from the law. Having said that nothing more is needed to save a pagan who fulfills the law, he finally calculates the advantages of the Jews, relying on which they were proud of the pagans. First of all, he talks about the name of the Jew; for it was a great advantage, just as the name of a Christian is now. He did not say: you are a Jew, but: “you are called”; for a true Jew is one who is confessed to be a Jew, because Judas means confession. “And you calm yourself with the law” - instead you don’t work, you don’t walk, you don’t find out what you should do, but you have a law that easily instructs you in everything. “And you boast in God,” that is, that you are loved by God and preferred to other people; turning the love of God into a means of despising similar beings is a sign of extreme unreason. “And you know His will,” that is, God’s. “And you understand the best,” that is, decides what should be done and what should not be done. By “best” (διαφέροντα) we must mean what is decent or useful to everyone. 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. a teacher of the ignorant, a teacher of babes, having in the law an example of knowledge and truth. I said above that hearing the law does not bring any benefit if execution is not added; “For not hearers of the law,” he says, “are righteous before God, but doers of the law” (v. 13), now he says something more, namely: even if you were a teacher, if you do not fulfill the law, then not only do you not receive any benefit for yourself, but you also incur greater punishment. And since the Jews were very proud of their teaching dignity, this especially proves that they are worthy of ridicule. For when he says: “guide of the blind, teacher of infants,” and so on, he depicts the arrogance of the Jews, who called themselves guides, light and mentors, and called those converted from paganism those in darkness, infants and ignoramuses. But you have an example of knowledge and truth, not in deeds or merits, but “in the law,” relying on it as an image of virtue. So another, having a royal image, does not copy anything from it, but those who do not have it, and without seeing it, faithfully imitate it. So, every teacher writes and depicts in the souls of his students the knowledge of good and therefore the truth itself. If he does this in activity, he will be perfect; otherwise it will be the same as those now condemned by the apostle. Some by “image” meant an unreal model of conduct. You have, he says, knowledge and piety that is not true, but counterfeit and covered with a false appearance. 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. He expresses his thought in the form of a question, shaming those who boasted that they were teachers. He calls the theft of one dedicated to idols sacrilege; for although they abhorred idols, possessed by the love of money, they touched the one dedicated to idols out of shameful self-interest. After this, he sets out the most serious guilt, saying: “You boast in the law,” as exalted in honor from God through the law, “but by breaking the law you dishonor God.” There are three faults here. First: the Jews dishonor; second: they dishonor God, who exalted them with honor; third: they dishonor the law by breaking it, while it served to their honor. But so that they would not think that he himself was accusing the Jews, he brought the prophet Isaiah as their accuser, exposing their two guilts. For they not only insult God themselves, but also lead others to do so, and not only do they not teach to live according to the law, but they also teach the opposite, they teach to blaspheme God, which is contrary to the law; for those who see their corruption say: Shall God love these? Is God who loves such people the true God? 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 circumcision was held in great esteem by the Jews, he did not immediately say about it at the beginning that circumcision is unnecessary and useless, but in words he allows it, but in reality he rejects it, and says: I agree that circumcision is useful, but only when you fulfill the law. He did not say that it was useless, lest they think that circumcision destroys it; but he proves that the Jew does not have circumcision, saying: “Your circumcision has become uncircumcision.” So, it proves that the Jew is not circumcised according to his heart. Two means circumcision and two uncircumcision: one external, and the other internal. Namely: external circumcision is carnal circumcision, when someone is circumcised according to the flesh, spiritual circumcision consists in the rejection of carnal passions. And carnal uncircumcision occurs when someone remains uncircumcised in the flesh, and spiritual uncircumcision occurs when someone, having a pagan soul, does not cut off his passions at all. Paul's thought is this: if you are circumcised in the flesh, but do not do what is lawful, then you are still uncircumcised, uncircumcised in spirit; in the same way, whoever is uncircumcised in the flesh, but does what is lawful, is circumcised in the Spirit, because the carnal passions have been taken away from him. This explains further. Listen. Rom.2:26. So, if an uncircumcised man keeps the statutes of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted against him as circumcision? He does not say that uncircumcision is superior to circumcision, for it is too painful, but he says that “it will be counted to him for circumcision.” Therefore, true circumcision is a good activity: likewise, uncircumcision is a bad activity. Notice that he did not say: if uncircumcision preserves the law; for, probably, he expected such an objection from someone: is it possible for an uncircumcised man to keep the law, when the very being uncircumcised constitutes a violation of the law? How did you put it? “Regulations of the law”, that is, decisions by the implementation of which they think to justify themselves. For circumcision was not a work, but a suffering endured by those who were circumcised, and therefore cannot be called justification of the law. It is given as a sign so that Jews should not be confused with pagans. 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? 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 is a Jew who is such 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. Here he clearly shows that he means two uncircumcisions, one natural and the other voluntary, which happens, as it is said, when someone does not cut off the passions of the flesh, and two circumcisions, one in the flesh, and the other in the spirit, circumcision of the heart. “The uncircumcised,” he says, “by nature,” having circumcision of the passions through the fulfillment of the “law,” that is, as said above, the justifications of the law, will “condemn,” that is, accuse, not circumcision (for it was hard to speak of it like that), but “you,” who in appearance are truly circumcised in the flesh, but uncircumcised in the heart, as a criminal of the justifications of the law. Thus, it is not the circumcision that is reproached (which it seems to respect), but the one who offends or criminals it. Then, having proven this, he clearly defines who the true Jew is, and makes it clear that the Jews did everything out of vanity. “For he is not a Jew,” he says, “who is like this outwardly, but he who is like this inwardly,” who does not do anything simply sensually, but understands spiritually the Sabbath, and sacrifices, and purifications. When he says: “circumcision, which is in the heart, according to the spirit,” he paves the way to the Christian way of life and shows the need for faith; For believing with heart and spirit has praise from God, who searches the heart and judges nothing according to the flesh. It follows from everything that life is needed everywhere. By the name uncircumcised or pagan he means, as stated above, not an idolater, but a pious and virtuous person who, however, does not observe Jewish rites. You might be interested in: