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the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Roma 2:1

1 Busa ikaw walay ikapangulipas, O tawo, bisan kinsa ikaw, nga magahukom sa laing tawo; kay sa imong paghukom kaniya, sa imo rang kaugalingon nagahukom kag silot, kay ikaw nga nagahukom nagabuhat man usab sa maong mga butang.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Depravity of Man;   Excuses;   Gentiles;   Hypocrisy;   Inconsistency;   Self-Condemnation;   Uncharitableness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Charitableness;   Charitableness-Uncharitableness;   Charity;   Condemnation;   Error;   Excuses;   Inconsistency;   Judgment;   Religion;   Religion, True-False;   Self-Condemnation;   Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Sin;   Sin-Saviour;   Transgression;   Whosoever;   The Topic Concordance - Hypocrisy;   Judges;   Wrath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Condemnation;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hypocrisy;   Judgment;   Punishment;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Paul the Apostle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Judgment, Last;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Eschatology;   Judge (Office);   Judgment Day;   Partiality;   Revelation of God;   Romans, Book of;   Ruhamah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - James, Epistle of;   Judging;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Condemnation;   Mediation Mediator;   Pharisees (2);   Romans Epistle to the;   Will;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Father, God the;  

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Therefore: Romans 1:18-20

O man: Romans 2:3, Romans 9:20, 1 Corinthians 7:16, James 2:20

whosoever: Romans 2:26, Romans 2:27, 2 Samuel 12:5-7, Psalms 50:16-20, Matthew 7:1-5, Matthew 23:29-31, Luke 6:37, Luke 19:22, John 8:7-9, James 4:11

for thou that: Romans 2:3, Romans 2:21-23

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:24 - let her Deuteronomy 26:10 - I have 1 Samuel 14:33 - transgressed 2 Samuel 3:25 - that he came 2 Chronicles 23:13 - Treason Ezekiel 16:52 - which hast Ezekiel 16:63 - and never Luke 6:41 - why Luke 6:42 - cast Luke 10:14 - General Luke 12:14 - Man Luke 15:4 - man John 8:15 - judge John 15:22 - cloak Romans 1:20 - so that they are Romans 1:32 - knowing Romans 3:9 - proved Romans 3:19 - that Romans 3:22 - for there Romans 3:23 - all have 1 Corinthians 4:5 - judge James 4:12 - who

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man,.... Some think, from the connection of these words with the preceding chapter, that the Gentiles are here meant; and particularly those among them who seemed to be virtuous, and took upon them to be the reprovers of others, and yet did the same things themselves, as Socrates, Cato, Seneca, and others; and therefore must be inexcusable, because they knew better, and would be thought to have been so; wherefore such could never be justified before God by their works, but might be justly condemned by him, nor shall they escape his righteous judgment. Others think the Jews are meant, who despised and condemned the Gentiles, and thought themselves to be righteous persons, and justified in the sight of God; and who, though they were secretly guilty of many abominable iniquities, yet were very severe upon the sins of others, and therefore inexcusable: others think that magistrates are designed, whether among Jews or Gentiles, who reprove and punish sin in others, and therefore must be supposed to know the law, and the nature of sin, and so are inexcusable and self-condemned when they do the same things; wherefore though they may pass with impunity among men, they shall not escape the judgment of God. Rather the words respect every man, of whatsoever nation, office, or place; and may be particularly applied to hypocrites, and seem designed to correct censoriousness, and hasty judging, and to throw confusion on such who value themselves on being the censurers and reprovers of others:

whosoever thou art that judgest; whether a Jew or a Gentile, a public magistrate or a private person:

for wherein thou judgest another; that is, in what case or instance; the Complutensian edition and the Arabic version read, "in" "or with what judgment thou judgest another"; :-;

thou condemnest thyself; by judging them:

for thou that judgest dost the same things; art guilty of the same thing condemned in others, and therefore must be self-condemned.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore - Διὸ Dio. The force of this word here has been the subject of much discussion. The design of this and the following chapter is to show that the Jews were no less guilty that the Gentiles, and that they needed the benefit of the same salvation. This the apostle does by showing that they had greater light than the Gentiles; and yet that they did the same things. Still they were in the habit of accusing and condemning the Gentiles as wicked and abandoned; while they excused themselves on the ground that they possessed the Law and the oracles of God, and were his favorite people. The apostle here affirms that they were inexcusable in their sins, that they must be condemned in the sight of God, on the same ground on which they condemned the Gentiles; to wit, that they had light and yet committed wickedness. If the Gentiles were without excuse Romans 1:20 in their sins, much more would the Jew, who condemned them, be without excuse on the same ground. The word therefore, I suppose, refers not to any particular word in the previous chapter, or to any particular verse, but to the general considerations which were suggested by a view of the whole case. And its sense might be thus expressed. “Since you Jews condemn the Gentiles for their sins, on the ground that they have the means of knowing their duty, therefore, you who are far more favored than they, are entirely without an excuse for the same things.”

Thou art inexcusable - This does not mean that they were inexcusable for judging others; but that they had no excuse for their sins before God; or that they were under condemnation for their crimes, and needed the benefits of another plan of justification. As the Gentiles whom they judged were condemned, and were without excuse Romans 1:20, so were the Jews who condemned them without excuse on the same principle; and in a still greater degree.

O man - This address is general to any man who should do this. But it is plain, from the connection, that he means especially the Jews. The use of this word is an instance of the apostle’s skill in argument. If he had openly named the Jews here, it would have been likely to have excited opposition from them. He therefore approaches the subject gradually, affirms it of man in general, and then makes a particular application to the Jews. This he does not do, however, until he has advanced so far in the general principles of his argument that it would be impossible for them to evade his conclusions; and then he does it in the most tender, and kind, as well as convincing manner, Romans 2:17, etc.

Whosoever thou art that judgest - The word “judgest” (κρίνεις krineis) here is used in the sense of condemning. It is not a word of equal strength with what is rendered “condemnest” (κατακρίνεις katakrineis). It implies, however, that they were accustomed to express themselves freely and severely of the character and doom of the Gentiles. And from the New Testament, as well as from their own writings, there can be no doubt that such was the fact; that they regarded the entire Gentile world with abhorrence, considered them as shut out from the favor of God, and applied to them terms expressive of the utmost contempt. Compare Matthew 15:27.

For wherein - For in the “same thing.” This implies that substantially the same crimes which were committed among the pagan were also committed among the Jews.

Thou judgest another - The meaning of this clearly is, “for the same thing for which you condemn the pagan, you condemn yourselves.”

Thou that judgest - You Jews who condemn other nations.

Doest the same things - It is clearly implied here, that they were guilty of offences similar to those practiced by the Gentiles. It would not be a just principle of interpretation to press this declaration as implying that precisely the same offences, and to the same extent, were chargeable on them. Thus, they were not guilty, in the time of the apostle, of idolatry; but of the other crimes enumerated in the first chapter, the Jews might be guilty. The character of the nation, as given in the New Testament, is that they were “an evil and adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39; compare John 8:7); that they were a “generation of vipers” Matthew 3:7; Matthew 12:34; that; they were wicked Matthew 12:45; that they were sinful Mark 8:38; that they were proud, haughty, hypocritical, etc.; Matthew 23:0. If such was the character of the Jewish nation in general, there is no improbability in supposing that they practiced most of the crimes specified in Romans 1:0: On this verse we may remark,

  1. That people are prone to be severe judges of others.

(2)This is often, perhaps commonly, done when the accusers themselves are guilty of the same offences.

It often happens, too, that people are remarkably zealous in opposing those offences which they themselves secretly practice. A remarkable instance of this occurs in John 8:1, etc. Thus, David readily condemned the supposed act of injustice mentioned by Nathan; 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Thus, also kings and emperors have enacted severe laws against the very crimes which they have constantly committed themselves. Nero executed the laws of the Roman Empire against the very crimes which he was constantly committing; and it was a common practice for Roman masters to commit offences which they punished with death in their slaves. (See instances in Grotius on this place.)

(3) Remarkable zeal against sin may be no proof of innocence; compare Matthew 7:3. The zeal of persecutors, and often of pretended reformers, may be far from proof that they are free from the very offences which they are condemning in others. It may all be the work of the hypocrite to conceal some base design; or of the man who seeks to show his hostility to one kind of sin, in order to be a salvo to his conscience for committing some other.

(4) The heart is deceitful. When we judge others we should make it a rule to examine ourselves on that very point. Such an examination might greatly mitigate the severity of our judgment; or might turn the whole of our indignation against ourselves.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER II.

The apostle shows that the Jew, who condemns the Gentiles, and

considers them utterly unworthy of the blessings of the Gospel,

is inexcusable, because he is guilty of the same crimes; and

therefore shalt not escape the righteous judgment of God, 1-3.

It is an awful thing to despise the goodness and long-suffering

of God, which lead to repentance, 4, 5.

God, the impartial judge, will render to every man according to

his works, 6-11.

The Jews and the Gentiles will be judged according to their

respective advantages and disadvantages, 12, 13.

In some cases, the Gentiles, who had no law, have shown a better

disposition than the Jews, 14-16.

The Jews, by their unfaithfulness, have been a stumbling-block

to the Gentiles, 17-24.

Jewish rites and ceremonies of no advantage, unless productive

of change of heart and conduct, 25.

The Gentiles, who attend to the small light which they have

received from God, are in a better state than the unfaithful

Jews, with all their superior privileges, 26, 27.

What constitutes a real Jew in the sight of God, 28, 29.

NOTES ON CHAP. II.

Dr. Taylor makes the following sensible observations at the commencement of this chapter.

"The representation of the moral state of the heathen world, in the foregoing chapter, is a demonstration of the necessity of the Gospel for the reformation and salvation of man. And how rich is the favour wherewith God has visited the world! To have destroyed a race of apostate rebels, who had abused their understandings and every gift of a bountiful Creator, would have been justice; to have spared them would have been lenity and goodness; but to send his only begotten Son from heaven to redeem us from all iniquity and ungodliness by his own blood; to grant us a free pardon for all our sins; to put us in a state of mercy and salvation; to take us into his kingdom and family; to give us an inheritance among his saints; to bless us with immortality and all spiritual blessings in heavenly places;-this is most wonderful and exuberant favour. Rightly is the doctrine which teaches it called the Gospel, or glad tidings. One would think it could not possibly have met with opposition from any part of mankind. But the JEW opposed it! He abhorred the Gentile, and contradicted the grace that honoured and saved him. The apostle pleads and defends our cause. His business is to confound the Jew, and to prove that we have as good a right as he to all the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. And, by his description of the vicious state of the Gentiles, in the former chapter, he has wisely made his advantage of the prejudices of the Jew; for nothing could please him more than the preceding discourse, in which the Gentiles are reduced to so vile and abject a state. Thus the apostle gives him an opportunity to condemn the Gentiles; but he does this that he may the more effectually humble him in this chapter; in which he proves that the Jews, having in an aggravated manner despised the goodness and broken the law of God, were as obnoxious to his wrath as the Gentiles; and if so, how could they, with any conscience or modesty, arrogate all the Divine mercy to themselves, or pretend that others were unworthy of it, when they had done as much or more to forfeit it! Must they not exclude themselves from being the people of God under the Gospel, by the same reason that they would have the Gentiles excluded! But this was an argument highly ungrateful to the Jew; and it would be very difficult to fix any conviction upon his mind. Therefore the apostle addresses him in a covert way:-Thou art therefore inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; not giving out expressly that he meant the Jew, that the Jew might more calmly attend to his reasoning, while he was not apprehensive that he was the man. This point secured, the apostle, very judiciously and with great force of reasoning, turns his thoughts from his present superior advantages to the awful day of judgment, Romans 2:5; Romans 2:6, when God, in the most impartial equity, will render to all mankind, without exception, according to their works. Thus the apostle grounds his following argument, very methodically and solidly, in God's equal regards to all men, in all nations, who uprightly practise truth and godliness; and his disapproving, and at last condemning, all men, in any nation, however privileged, who live wickedly. This was a blow at the root, and demolished, in the most effectual manner, the Jew's prejudices in favour of his own nation, and the unkind thoughts he had entertained of the Gentiles. For, if a Jew could be convinced that a sober, upright heathen might be blessed with eternal salvation, he must be persuaded that it was no absurd matter that believing Gentiles should now be pardoned, and taken into the visible Church. Thus the apostle advances with great skill, insinuating himself, by degrees, into the Jew's conscience. It is reasoning is well adapted to encourage the Gentile, humbled by the dismal representation in the preceding chapter; for he would here see that he was not utterly abandoned of God, but might, upon good grounds, hope for his mercy and kindness."

Verse Romans 2:1. That judgest — οκρινων, the judger; thou assumest the character of a judge, and in that character condemnest others who are less guilty than thyself.


 
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