Quotes & Notes on:
Romans 2:16
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John Wesley's Notes:
But if thou art called a Jew-This highest point of Jewish glorying,
after a farther description of it interposed, Ro 2:17-20, and refuted,
Ro 2:21-24, is itself refuted, Ro 2:25, &c. The description consists of
twice five articles; of which the former five, Ro 2:17,18, show what he
boasts of in himself; the other five, Ro 2:19,20, what he glories in
with respect to others. The first particular of the former five answers
to the first of the latter; the second, to the second, and so on.
And restest in the law-Dependest on it, though it can only condemn thee.
And gloriest in God-As thy God; and that, too, to the exclusion of
others.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* God. Ro 2:5; 3:6; 14:10-12; Ge 18:25; Ps 9:7; 50:6; 96:13; 98:9; Ec
3:17; 11:9 Ec 12:14; Mt 16:27; 25:31-46; Lu 8:17; Joh 12:48; 1Co 4:5;
2Co 5:10 Heb 9:27; 1Pe 4:5; 2Pe 2:9; Re 20:11-15
* by Jesus. Joh 5:22-29; Ac 10:42; 17:31; 2Ti 4:1,8
* according. Ro 16:25; 1Ti 1:11; 2Ti 2:8
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Adam Clarke's Commentary:
In the day when God shall judge] And all this shall be farther
exemplified and proved in the day when God shall judge the secrets of
men by Jesus Christ; which judgment shall be according to my
Gospel-according to what I am now laying down before you, relative to
the impartiality of God, and his righteous procedure in judging men, not
according to their opinions or prejudices, not according to revelations
which they never possessed, but according to the various advantages or
disadvantages of their political, religious, or domestic situation in
life.
Much stress has been laid on the word,
 , by nature, in Ro 2:14, as if the
apostle designed to intimate that nature, independently of the influence
of Divine grace, possessed such principles as were sufficient to guide a
man to glory. But certainly the term cannot be so understood here. I
rather think that the sense given to it in Suicer's Thesaurus, vol ii.
col. 1475, reipsa, revera, CERTAINLY, TRULY, is its sense here: for when
the Gentiles, which have not the law,
 , TRULY, or in effect, DO the
things contained in the law, &c. This seems to be its sense in Ga 4:8:
When ye knew not God, ye did service to them which
 , CERTAINLY are no gods; i.e. are
false gods. Suicer quotes Cyril of Alexandria, (sub Anathematismo iii.
in Actis Ephesinis, p. 212,) speaking of the union of the two natures in
Christ; he calls this union  ,
natural; that is, says he,  , true,
or real. He adds, that the word should be thus understood in Eph 2:3: We
were by nature, , children of wrath;
and says,  is here used for
 , TRULY; We were TRULY,
INCONTESTABLY, the children of wrath, even as others. That is, like the
rest of mankind, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God,
and, consequently are exposed to punishment. Some think that this text
refers to the natural corruption of man; but, although it is true that
man comes into the world corrupt, and that all men, since the fall, are
very far gone from original righteousness, yet it is not clear that the
text in Eph 2:3, speaks of any other thing than the effects of this
degeneracy.
I prefer this sense, in the passage in question, to that which says the
light of nature, or natural instinct, is here meant; for I know of no
light in nature that is not kindled there by the grace of God. But I
have no objection to this sense: "When the Gentiles, which have not the
law, do, by the influence of God upon their hearts, the things contained
in the law, they are a law unto themselves; that light and influence
serving instead of a Divine revelation." That the Gentiles did really do
the things contained in the law, in reference to what is termed natural
justice, and made the wisest distinctions relative to the great
principles of the doctrine of civil RIGHTS and WRONGS, every man
conversant with their writings will admit. And in reference to this the
word fusei may be legitimately understood thus-they incontestably did
the things contained in the law, &c.
The passage in Ro 2:15, Their thoughts-accusing or excusing one another,
certainly does not refer to any expostulations or operations of
conscience; for this is referred to in the preceding clause. The words
accusing,  , and excusing,
 , answering or defending one
another,  , among themselves, are
all forensic or law terms, and refer to the mode of conducting suits of
law in courts of justice, where one is plaintiff, who produces his
accusation; another is defendant, who rebuts the charge and defends
himself; and then the business is argued before the judges. This process
shows that they have a law of their own, and that to this law it belongs
to adjust differences-to right those who have suffered wrong, and to
punish the guilty.
As to the phrase written in their hearts, it is here opposed to the
Jewish laws, which were written on tables of stone. The Jews drew the
maxims by which their conduct was regulated from a Divine revelation:
the GENTILES theirs from what God, in the course of his providence and
gracious influence, had shown them to be right, useful, and necessary.
And with them this law was well known and affectionately regarded; for
this is one meaning of the phrase, written in the heart. It was from
this true light, enlightening the Gentiles, that they had so many wise
and wholesome laws; laws which had been among them from time immemorial,
and of which they did not know the origin. Thus Sophocles, in the noble
speech which he puts in the mouth of Antigone:-
"Not now, nor yesterday, but evermore
These laws have lived: nor know we whence they came."
Antig. ver. 463-4.
These are the laws,  , which the
Spirit of God wrote originally on their hearts; and which, in different
forms, they had committed to writing.
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Family Bible Notes:
According to my gospel; the judgment of the last day will be by Jesus
Christ, as is revealed in the gospel which Paul preached. This verse is
connected in sense with the twelfth; what intervenes is a parenthesis.
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1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
God defers many judgments, which he will nonetheless execute
at their convenient time by Jesus Christ, with a most candid
examination, not only of words and deeds, but of thoughts also, be they
ever so hidden or secret. (m) As my doctrine witnesses, which I am
appointed to preach.
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People's New Testament Commentary:
In the day. These principles of judgment shall prevail in the day when
God shall judge the world.
The secrets of men. Men's lives are often hidden from their fellow-men,
but at the judgment every secret shall be made manifest. He now adds
that this judgment, which all are ready to admit, will be through
Jesus Christ. He shall be the Judge; and it will be according to the
gospel which Paul preached. The gospel will save or condemn men. By the
words of Christ shall men be judged.
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Robertson's Word Pictures:
According to my gospel (kata to euaggelion mou). What Paul preaches
(1Co 15:1) and which is the true gospel
Albert Barnes' Commentary:
In the day. This verse is doubtless to be connected with Ro 2:12,
and the intermediate verses are a parenthesis, and it implies that the
heathen world, as well as the Jews, will be arraigned at the bar of
judgment. At that time God will judge all in righteousness, the Jew by
the law which he had, and the heathen by the law which he had.
When God shall judge. God is often represented as the judge of mankind,
De 32:36; Ps 1:4; 1Sa 2:10; Ec 3:17; Ro 3:6; Heb 13:4. But this does not
militate against the fact that he will do it by Jesus Christ. God has
appointed his Son to administer judgment; and it will be not by God
directly, but by Jesus Christ that it will be administered.
The secrets of men. See Lu 18:17; Ec 12:14, "For God shall bring every
work into judgment, with every secret thing," etc. Mt 10:26; 1Co 4:5.
The expression denotes the hidden desires, lusts, passions, and motives
of men; the thoughts of the hearts, as well as the outward actions of
the life. It will be a characteristic of the day of judgment, that all
these will be brought out, and receive their appropriate reward. The
propriety of this is apparent, for
(1.) it is by these that the character is really determined. The motives
and principles of a mart constitute his character, and to judge him
impartially these must be known.
(2.) They are not judged or rewarded in this life. The external conduct
only can be seen by men, and of course that only can be rewarded or
punished here.
(3.) Men of pure motives and pure hearts are often here basely aspersed
and calumniated. They are persecuted, traduced, and often overwhelmed
with ignominy. It is proper that the secret motives of their conduct
should be brought out, and approved. On the other hand, men of base
motives--men of unprincipled character, and who are corrupt at the
heart--are often lauded, flattered, and exalted into public estimation.
It is proper that their secret principles should be detected, and that
they should take their proper place in the government of God. In regard
to this expression, we may further remark
(1.) that the fact, that all secret thoughts and purposes will be
brought into judgment, invests the judgment with an awful character. Who
should not tremble at the idea that the secret plans and desires of his
soul, which he has so long and so studiously concealed, should be
brought out into noon-day in the judgment? All his artifices of
concealment shall be then at an end. He will be able to practise
disguise no longer. He will be seen as he is; and he will receive the
doom he deserves. There will be one place, at least, where the sinner
shall be treated as he ought.
(2.) To execute this judgment implies the power of searching the heart,
of knowing the thoughts, and of developing and unfolding all the
purposes and plans of the soul. Yet this is entrusted to Jesus Christ,
and the fact that he will exercise this shows that he is Divine.
Of men. Of all men, whether Jew or Gentile, infidel or Christian. The
day of judgment, therefore, may be regarded as a day of universal
development of all the plans and purposes that have ever been
entertained in this world.
By Jesus Christ. The fact that Jesus Christ is appointed to judge the
world is abundantly taught in the Bible, Ac 17:31; 2Ti 4:1; 1Pe 4:5; Joh
5:22,27; 1Th 4:16-18; Mt 25:31-46.
According to my Gospel. According to the gospel which I preach. Comp. Ac
17:31; 2Ti 4:8. This does not mean that the gospel which he preached
would be the rule by which God would judge all mankind, for he had just
said that the heathen world would be judged by a different rule, Ro
2:12. But it means that he was entrusted with the gospel to make it
known; and that one of the great and prime articles of that gospel was,
that God would judge the world by Jesus Christ. To make this known he
was appointed; and it could be called his gospel only as being a part of
the important message with which he was entrusted.
{x} "secrets" Lu 8:17
{y} "my Gospel" Ro 16:25
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Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
In the day, &c.--Here the unfinished statement of Ro 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 Ec 12:14; 1Co 4:5).
according to my gospel--to my teaching as a preacher of the Gospel.
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Spurgeon Commentary:
(No comment on this verse).
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William Burkitt's Notes:
As if the apostle had said, If any shall ask, when shall rewards and
punishments be distributed to Jew or Gentile? The answer is, In that day
when God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts by Jesus Christ,
according to my gospel: That is, as my gospel testifies, he will most
certainly do.
Here observe, 1. A fundamental doctrine asserted That there will be a
day of judgment, in which the secrets of all mens hearts shall be judged
by Jesus Christ, as Mediator. All the thoughts, words, and works of men
that lived from the beginning of the world, or shall live to the end of
the world, will then be produced in judgment; and if so, may we not
infer, that the day of judgment must certainly and necessarily take up a
vast space of time? For if all records and registers now made shall then
be opened and read, and all the witnesses for and against man, shall be
then examined and heard, what a vast space of time then must that great
day take up! Some divines are of opinion, that the day of judgment may
last as long as the world hath lasted: This we may depend upon, that
things will not be huddled up, nor shuffled over in haste; but as
sinners have taken their time for sinning, so God will take his time for
judging.
Observe, 2. The proof and confirmation of this doctrine of a future
judgment. According to my gospel; that is, as certainly as I have
foretold you of it in the doctrine which I have preached, so certainly
shall all men, and the secrets of all men's hearts, be judged by Jesus
Christ.
But was it not a presumption in St. Paul, to call the gospel his gospel?
Answer, He means that he was the publisher, not the author of it; it was
God's in respect to authority, St. Paul's in respect of ministry: It was
God's in respect of revelation; his only in respect of dispensation.
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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
(No comment on this verse).
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The Fourfold Gospel:
(No comment on this verse).
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