2 And we are conscious that God is a true judge against those who do such things.
But the Lord is King for ever: he has made ready his high seat for judging. And he will be the judge of the world in righteousness, giving true decisions for the peoples.
For true and upright are his decisions; for by him has the evil woman been judged, who made the earth unclean with the sins of her body; and he has given her punishment for the blood of his servants.
You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?
For you gave approval to my right and my cause; you were seated in your high place judging in righteousness.
And the voice of the angel of the waters came to my ears, saying, True and upright is your judging, O Holy One, who is and was from all time:
And they give the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and full of wonder are your works, O Lord God, Ruler of all; true and full of righteousness are your ways, eternal King. What man is there who will not have fear before you, O Lord, and give glory to your name? because you only are holy; for all the nations will come and give worship before you; for your righteousness has been made clear.
Which is a clear sign of the decision which God in his righteousness has made; to give you a part in his kingdom, for which you have undergone this pain; For it is an act of righteousness on God's part to give trouble as their reward to those who are troubling you, And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with the angels of his power in flames of fire, To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus: Whose reward will be eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.
What may we say then? is God not upright? let it not be said.
In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged. But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?
Because a day has been fixed in which all the world will be judged in righteousness by the man who has been marked out by him for this work; of which he has given a sign to all men by giving him back from the dead.
Let such a thing be far from you, to put the upright to death with the sinner: will not the judge of all the earth do right?
But you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Give ear, now, O children of Israel; is my way not equal? are not your ways unequal?
Give the word, put forward your cause, let us have a discussion together: who has given news of this in the past? who made it clear in early times? did not I, the Lord? and there is no God but me; a true God and a saviour; there is no other.
The Lord is upright in all his ways, and kind in all his works.
Before the Lord, for he has come as judge of the earth; judging the world in righteousness, and giving true decisions for the peoples.
Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and your strong purpose is as high as the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judging is like the great deep; O Lord, you give life to man and beast.
The Lord puts the upright and the sinner to the test, but he has hate in his soul for the lover of violent acts. On the evil-doer he will send down fire and flames, and a burning wind; with these will their cup be full. For the Lord is upright; he is a lover of righteousness: the upright will see his face.
How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil? He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners; Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Romans 2
Commentary on Romans 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
The scope of the first two chapters of this epistle may be gathered from ch. 3:9, "We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin.' This we have proved upon the Gentiles (ch. 1), now in this chapter he proves it upon the Jews, as appears by v. 17, "thou art called a Jew.'
Rom 2:1-16
In the former chapter the apostle had represented the state of the Gentile world to be as bad and black as the Jews were ready enough to pronounce it. And now, designing to show that the state of the Jews was very bad too, and their sin in many respects more aggravated, to prepare his way he sets himself in this part of the chapter to show that God would proceed upon equal terms of justice with Jews and Gentiles; and now with such a partial hand as the Jews were apt to think he would use in their favour.
Rom 2:17-29
In the latter part of the chapter the apostle directs his discourse more closely to the Jews, and shows what sins they were guilty of, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. He had said (v. 13) that not the hearers but the doers of the law are justified; and he here applies that great truth to the Jews. Observe,