Bible Commentaries
Romans 2

Verse 1

Romans 2:1

Romans 2:1

Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest:—Having shown that the Gentiles were themselves to blame for being without the law of God only because when they had it they would not observe and obey it, he then turns to the Jews and warns them, for they were guilty of rejecting and refusing to obey the law of God.

for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself: for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.—In con­demning the Gentiles they condemned themselves. This is not a charge that the Jews had run to the same excesses. It was the plant that bore these bitter fruits. In refusing to believe in and obey God they had chosen the course that led to the same degrading vices. When men cut loose from God, they all go the same course. Disobedience to God is the mother of all vices. Rejecting and refusing to obey God leaves the spirit weak and helpless and subjects man to the sole rule of his fleshly lusts and passions. Lust rules, and man deifies that which gratifies lust. [To condemn another for his sin is to admit that the sin in question leads to and justifies condemnation as to all who commit it, even including the one who condemns. The one who condemns sins in others, yet commits them himself, is absolutely defenseless and without excuse.]

Verse 2

Romans 2:2

Romans 2:2

And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things.—God’s judgment against those who commit these vices is according to justice and right, to all, both Jews and Gentiles. He will no more spare the Jews than the Gentiles. Justice and righteousness are the highest characteristics of God.

Verse 3

Romans 2:3

Romans 2:3

And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?—Because the judgment of God had not been executed upon the Jew as on the Gentile, and the law had not been formally withdrawn from him, he imagined that he was specially favored of God. [That he trusted in his rela­tion to Abraham, to his circumcision, and to the fact of hav­ing the law, for salvation, is indisputable. On these grounds he clearly counted on God’s partiality. Consequently, al­though he knew himself to be guilty of the same sins which he condemned in the Gentiles, he yet evidently did not expect God to condemn him. He expected God to overlook in him, because a Jew, what he knew he would not overlook in the Gentile, and what even he himself did not overlook; but Paul here shows that sin is sin by whomsoever committed; that sin does not lose its essential character by being committed in the midst of religious privileges; and that those who profess to be the people of God have no peculiar license to sin. This false trust is rebuked by John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:7-9). The same error exists today. Many expect to be saved because they are the children of wealth, culture, refinement, or because their parents are godly.]

Verse 4

Romans 2:4

Romans 2:4

Or despisest thou—Does the Jew imagine, without any pretense of reason, that he shall escape God’s judgment? Or in case he does not have this conceit, does he base his hope of escape from future retribution on the forbearance of God in delaying the punishment as a sign that the judgment will never come? If so, this is a flagrant abuse of that forbear­ance, which is in effect despising it, looking upon it with a feeling of contempt under pretense of honoring it.

the riches of his goodness—The abundance and greatness of his kindness expressed in bestowing favors and withholding punishment.

and forbearance and longsuffering,—[The difference be­tween “forbearance” and “longsuffering” is, the former de­notes the disposition to bear long, while the latter denotes the outward manifestation of the disposition in patience.] God holds back his vengeance for a while. He suffers long. He who thinks he can continue to live in sin with impunity, because he has gone so long unpunished, may fancy that he is magnifying God’s goodness; but in reality he is abusing his forbearance and despising his long-suffering by his con­temptuous unconcern as to the righteous purpose of it.

not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to re­pentance?—An ignorance resulting either from willful disin­clination to know or willful neglect of the means of knowing, possibly both. God’s patiently bearing the ill use which the Jews made of the privileges they enjoyed as his people was designed to bring them to repentance. Jesus was long-suffer­ing, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Long-suffering is another name for patient forbearance. Jesus did not wink at or cease to con­demn the wrong; he constantly in precept and in his life held up the truth, but gave them time and opportunity to learn and turn. He did not speedily execute the law on them for their errors of failures to learn the whole truth. This is the course we should pursue toward our fellow men, especially toward those trying to serve the Lord, yet failing to see the full truth. [The same thought is expressed by Peter: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slack­ness; but is long-suffering to youward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).]

Verse 5

Romans 2:5

Romans 2:5

but after thy hardness and impenitent heart—Instead of being led to repentance by his goodness and forbearance they had hardened their hearts and used his forbearance to still further sin against him. [The word “hardness” is used to denote insensibility of mind. It literally means that which is insensible to the touch, or that on which no impression is made by contact, as granite or steel. Hence, it is applied to the mind to denote a state when there is no motive or impres­sion, which is insensible to all appeals made to it. (Matthew 19:8; Matthew 25:24; Acts 19:9). Here it expresses a state of mind where the goodness and forbearance of God have no effect.]

treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath—They had pursued the course that treasured up a severer judgment and called down on them the deeper wrath of God. [They added day by day to their sins, and therefore to the anger of God, hidden now as in a treasure house, but in safe-keeping.]

and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;—[While the judgment day will reveal God’s wrath, it will also reveal to all, both good and bad, to all intelligences of the universe, that God is righteous; that not only in the last act of judg­ment, but in all his dealings and dispensations, he judges righteously.]

Verse 6

Romans 2:6

Romans 2:6

who will render to every man according to his works:—God will render to every man, whether Jew or Gentile, accord­ing to the works he did while in the body. He will execute judgment with an impartial hand. [This strips from the Jew all hope of partiality. In the great day of final accounts God will not know him as a Jew. His descent from Abraham will not be known, neither will his circumcision. He will only be a human being, and as such will stand before God. Thus will the Jew stand on a level with all other men.]

Verse 7

Romans 2:7

Romans 2:7

to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:—[Paul now divides man­kind into two great classes—those who obey God and those who obey unrighteousness. To the first class God will render eternal life; to the second, wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish.] Those who seek for glory and honor and in­corruption, through faith in doing the will of God, shall re­ceive eternal life. “Glory” denotes the highest happiness and distinction which the saved will attain; “honor,” the esteem in which they shall be held; and “incorruption” is the freedom from suffering and decay and absolute exemption from sin and impurity. God only has incorruption and immortality. Man is eternal in existence, but will be given immortality as the reward of his seeking it.

Verse 8

Romans 2:8

Romans 2:8

but unto them that are factious,—[Those who act in the spirit of a hireling, or in a spirit of factiousness and self­seeking. Such persons generally cause factions and intrigues. They spread evil principles, and maintain them by keen disputings. This is the vice of many now, who dispute them­selves into unbelief of the plainest principle laid down in the Bible and viciously argue in support of the most impious things which atheists, infidels, skeptics, and agnostics propa­gate with a view to destroying the religion of Christ and to defend their own vicious principles and practices, as is boldly proclaimed by the Association for the Advancement of Athe­ism as follows: “It seeks to remove the cause of intolerance. Its main purpose is to wage war on religion itself. In accom­plishing this purpose we shall begin by attacking theism, the taproot of the upas tree of religious superstition. There is no God, and our supreme effort will be to free mankind from the fear of a nonentity. The worshiping of a verbal idol must end. Our methods will be in keeping with our principles. No concessions will be made. . . . Christianity, as one of the worst forms of theism, must give way to the humanism of the enlightened pagans, wherein man, not God, is the meas­ure of things. The decadent philosophy of the New Testa­ment, with its unnatural ethics and insane sex ideas, debasing the race, fills the world with the unfit. . . . The morality lie will be refuted. Faith in the supernatural neither insures nor promotes good conduct.”]

and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness,—[They willfully refuse to do everything God requires of them, and they do everything God forbids them to do.]

shall be wrath and indignation,—[“Wrath” expresses per­manent feeling and settled disposition. "The wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36). “Indignation” is the momen­tary impulse or actual outbreak of wrath on the day of judg­ment.]

Verse 9

Romans 2:9

Romans 2:9

tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil,—Misery of all descriptions, without the possi­bility of escape, will this righteous Judge inflict upon every man that doeth evil. Of course, this takes for granted that the sinner has passed through life in sin, or has never repented and been forgiven.]

of the Jew first,—To the Jew first only because he had been favored above all others, and had fuller knowledge, and, there­fore, deeper responsibility.

and also of the Greek;—This word, though usually denoting the Greek, includes the other Gentiles also. The two words, “Jew” and “Greek,” include the whole human family.

Verse 10

Romans 2:10

Romans 2:10

but glory and honor and peace to every man that work­eth good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:—To all who work good God will bring honor and peace. These blessings shall come first to the Jew, then to the Greek. [As in the matter of punishment the Jew outranks the Greek because of his failure to take advantage of his better opportunities, so in the matter of blessing the same unbiased justice gives him pre­eminence because of the better life.]

Verse 11

Romans 2:11

Romans 2:11

for there is no respect of persons with God.—God does not deal with men by partiality, for one against another; “but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteous­ness, is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:35). [To respect a person is to be partial to him on account of his family rela­tionship, wealth, learning, social or political standing. As God does not respect persons, the Jew stands before him on the same ground as the Greek; so that, without some new means of approach, he is lost. If he can be made to see the hopelessness of his trust in his being a son of Abraham, his circumcision, his legal religion, and the partiality of God, he will be prepared for the message of “justification through faith in Christ.” To this end the apostle steadily advances.]

Verse 12

Romans 2:12

Romans 2:12

For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law:—The Gentiles had been without law, yet sinned. They were without law because they were gross sinners and refused to honor the Lawgiver and obey the law. During all the ages of the Jewish nation any Gentile could come under and obey the law by becoming a Jew. Then so soon as Gentiles were willing to obey God they were blessed. If the Gentiles, who were without law, sin, God will punish without the law because they would not obey the law.

and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;—But if the Jews under the law sin, they will be con­demned by the law, and so perish. All who sin, whether within the law or without the law, perish. If any who are not under the law, the Gentiles, come to know the things that are in the law, and of their own choice do the things of the law, they become a law unto themselves, and, doing the things contained in the law of their own free will, show that the works required by the law are written in their hearts. They obey the law not because they are under the law, but because in their hearts they love the things contained in the law, so they will be saved by the law. All persons out of Christ are in a lost condition, and can be saved only by the redemption that is found in Christ.

Verse 13

Romans 2:13

Romans 2:13

for not the hearers of the law are just before God,—The Jews heard the law, but did not obey it. Hearing the law will not help a man unless he obeys it. For a man to hear the law and refuse to do it renders him less excusable and more worthy of stripes. “And that servant, who knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.” (Luke 12:47).

but the doers of the law shall be justified;—Only those who do the law will be justified by the law.

Verse 14

Romans 2:14

Romans 2:14

(for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;—The reference here made is to the law of Moses. This does not imply that the Gentiles, who do not know the law, can obey the law which the Jews with the knowledge of God could not keep. But in vindication of the justice of this dealing with the Gentiles, he assumes that even though God did not give the law to them, yet when they did by nature, not by command, the things of the law, they be­came the law unto themselves, and were accepted. Many Gentiles, like Cornelius, living among the Jews, attracted by the superiority of the God of the Jews and the holiness of his law, while not formally coming under it, rendered homage to it without becoming Jews. In the days of Solomon there were one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred such per­sons in Judah. (2 Chronicles 2:17).

Verse 15

Romans 2:15

Romans 2:15

in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts,—Those who, while not under the law, yet keep it, show that it is written on their hearts. Their affections have taken hold of it, and they do it because they, from the heart, fear God and his law. This cannot mean that their hearts prompted them to do what was in the law while ignorant of it, but that the heart—the understanding, the will, the affections— would embrace the law, and then they would obey the law of the new covenant because they loved God. So this means that the Gentiles might know the law, and while it was not given to them, they might from love of it keep it, and in so doing become a law unto themselves.

their conscience bearing witness therewith,—Their con­science in such cases would bear witness to their love and obedience to the law, for conscience is a witness of what passes within the heart.

and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excus­ing them);—[They reasoned among themselves on questions of right and wrong, as well as on acts of right or wrong. In these reasonings they criminated or defended one another according to the facts in the case. They thus showed their knowledge of duty, or of the things which the law required.] This passage is often quoted to prove that man can be saved without obeying the commands of God. No passage in the Bible is further from this. Even those not having the law must be saved through doing the things contained in the law. Compliance with the law is the essential prerequisite. Hence, conscience is not a law even unto those who have not God’s law. The province assigned to conscience is that it bears witness as to whether the person did the service from the heart, with the thoughts accusing or excusing. A man, to render acceptable service, must have a good conscience; but a promise of divine blessing is nowhere made to one who keeps his conscience pure. A good and understanding heart is needful to acceptable service; yet no blessing is promised to an understanding heart, even of the word of God. On the other hand, Paul says: “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2). These are conditions of acceptable service; but in themselves they do not secure acceptance, save as they lead on to the obedience of the gospel. Verses 25-27 confirm this conclusion.

Verse 16

Romans 2:16

Romans 2:16

in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men,— This verse connects with verse 12. The three verses between are parenthetical and explanatory. So the connection is: as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men.

according to my gospel,—All secrets and hidden things of man will be laid open by God in the last day by Jesus Christ in the light of the truths preached by Paul. [Paul was en­trusted with the gospel to make it known, and that one of the great prime articles was that God would judge the world. 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.]

by Jesus Christ.—[That Jesus is the appointed Judge of men is plainly and repeatedly affirmed in the Scriptures. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:22; John 5:27; Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10).]

Verse 17

Romans 2:17

Romans 2:17

But if thou bearest the name of a Jew,—He describes in this and the following verses the self-confident and boastful condition of the Jews. They were now the representatives of the stock of Abraham. All the families of Jacob had been swallowed up in that of Judah. [In their estimation the name “Jew” carried with it a high and peculiar distinction. Paul, being himself a Jew, knew well the sense in which the Jew used it, and could, therefore, speak advisedly. It was the national name in which the greatest pride was felt, and the verbal badge which marked them better than others. How much they presumed upon this name we learn from Galatians 2:15; Philippians 3:5; Revelation 2:9.]

and restest upon the law,—They were content to rest upon the mere fact that they had the law. [A description of their condition is strikingly given in the following: “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet they lean upon Jehovah, and say, Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? no evil shall come upon us.” (Micah 3:11). The law to which reference was made is that given by Moses. In their estimation, its bare bestowment on them proved them to be the favored of God above all others. Confident of this favor, they had no fear. But the law was not a thing to be simply had; it was a thing to be obeyed. In this lay their safety.]

and gloriest in God,—They boasted that they were the fa­vored of God after the flesh, as if he were their guardian. [To boast in God or in Christ is right (Galatians 6:14), if it proceeds from a sense of weakness and unworthiness, and a corre­sponding sense of the goodness of God as our sure refuge and strength; but where the boast is only a boast arising from bigotry and conceit, it is a sham on which God frowns.]

Verse 18

Romans 2:18

Romans 2:18

and knowest his will,—They possessed the divine reve­lation and claimed to know God’s will. [It is right and highly commendable to know God’s will, and culpable not to know it when there is opportunity. The wrong, then, lies not in know­ing his will, but in regarding the mere knowledge as a mark of superiority and ground of acceptance with God. It is not knowing that makes one better than another, but doing. The point made against it is that, although he knew God’s will, he did not obey it. He did more; he even sunk to the level of the Gentile in vice.]

and approvest the things that are excellent,—They claimed that they understood and judged that which is best. [Their education the more highly qualified them to distinguish be­tween the things that differ and approve correctly as to which is right or wrong.]

being instructed out of the law,—Having been instructed out of the law of Moses from childhood, they claimed superior­ity of judgment in these matters. [This they did by the aid of better light, but practiced the worse. This they did from a perverted nature and a corrupted heart. This is the charge made against them.]

Verse 19

Romans 2:19

Romans 2:19

and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind,—[There is no trait of the Jewish character more promi­nently exhibited than their self-confident superiority to all others.] They never doubted their knowledge of the truth and of their ability to guide and teach the Gentiles, whom they regarded as blind and in darkness and alienation from God. They thought they had greatly improved the law of God by the customs and traditions of the elders.

a light of them that are in darkness,—[The rabbis frequently called themselves “the light of the world,” and every Jew who was versed in the law considered himself as a light to the Gentiles.]

Verse 20

Romans 2:20

Romans 2:20

a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babes,—They felt confident that they were able to correct the foolish and teach the babes.

having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth;— They had the form, or letter, of knowledge and truth in the law, but did not perceive or drink of the true spirit of the law; did not take it into the heart so that it might become a power to mold their hearts and lives. [It was this that rendered their condemnation so sure.]

Verse 21

Romans 2:21

Romans 2:21

thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?—As a result of their holding the form of truth with­out drinking into the spirit of it, they did not practice what they professed. They did not practice what they taught others.

thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?—While they taught the law, “Thou shalt not steal,” they themselves stole, cheated, defrauded, and misrepresented. [They were gross hypocrites. While preaching against a sin. they themselves at the very time were committing it. We must not, however, suppose that every Jew was a thief. It is only necessary to suppose that the sin was very general. It is introduced to make the inconsistency of their conduct more apparent. We expect a man to set an example of what he means by his public instruction.]

Verse 22

Romans 2:22

Romans 2:22

thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?—There is no doubt that this was a very common practice among the Jews, showing itself in the corrupt practice of permitting divorce without reasonable or righteous cause. Moses, on account of the hardness of their hearts, had allowed them to put away their wives for any cause and to take others if they so desired. This was adultery in the sight of God. They had not taken the true spirit of the law into their hearts, which was to have one wife. The twain became one.

thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples?—They were horror-stricken at the very mention of idols, but they themselves in various ways committed sacrilege, profaned the law of God by setting it aside and substituting human tradi­tions for it. [Anything devoted to God and then used for some other purpose is sacrilege.] We rob God when we withhold from him the honor which is due him, and this is robbing him in a higher sense than to keep or misuse the gold or silver that was sanctified to him. To substitute any­thing else for God as the object of our devotion and affections is sacrilege in a spiritual sense. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10).

Verse 23

Romans 2:23

Romans 2:23

thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God?—He makes the direct charge that while they boasted of being the guardians of, and sup­porters of, the law, they dishonored God in breaking it, while professing obedience to it. One guilty of great and open sins is forbidden to accuse others, and none can make ground­less and uncertain accusations against any. When an accusa­tion is made, if denied or in any part doubted, a fair and just adjudication should be made of the matter. Christians have faults. The aim of the Christian religion is to correct these faults. They are to help each other. They are to do it as tenderly and kindly as one helps another that has some fleshly hurt, and the reproof that is given to help should be received with hearts as grateful as for help given to relieve a fleshly wound. Sometimes the help given to relieve a fleshly wound is painful at the time, but we feel and cherish no ill feeling toward one who hurts the flesh in helping us. We ought to be as kind in feeling for spiritual help that will save us from a spiritual death. “He who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19).

Verse 24

Romans 2:24

Romans 2:24

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,—So that God’s name was reproached and blas­phemed among the Gentiles through the violation of the law by the Jews. Their course of sin was such that it caused the Gentiles to despise and blaspheme the name of God.

even as it is written.—[The allusion is to Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:18-24. The dishonor done to God arose from their greed of gain, their deceit, and their hypocrisy, which were fully known to the Gentiles, among whom they lived. Paul weaves the prophetic rebuke into the tissue of his own language, but by the “as it is written” he reminds his readers that he is adapting it from their own inspired Scriptures. Thus far Paul has shown that the Jew is a sinner like the Gentile. The next step will be to drive him from his refuge in the rite of circumcision. This was the outward mark which distin­guished him from his heathen neighbor and showed him to be a descendant of Abraham.]

Verse 25

Romans 2:25

Romans 2:25

For circumcision indeed profiteth, if thou be a doer of the law:—Circumcision was the mark of the Jews, and was given to bind or consecrate them to the service of God. But it profited only when those circumcised kept the law which circumcision pledged them to do. [The statement just made in verses 23, 24, which summed up the charge against the sin­ful Jew, is now corroborated. This turn in thought is not abrupt, for the Jew would at once answer the indictment by adducing his privileges as one circumcised. On this he staked probably more than on any other fact of his history. That the value of circumcision was contingent on his keeping the law was certainly something new to him. It was disastrous to his hope. If the law is not kept, being a son of Abraham, having the law, and being circumcised are useless. Everything de­pends on keeping the law. The same general principle holds good under the gospel. One thing is void without another. Faith is worthless without repentance, and so is baptism with­out faith; and coming into Christ is useless unless it is fol­lowed by a life of devotion to God.]

but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is become uncircumcision.—Circumcision was a seal and pledge of God’s blessings to those who kept the law. It was a seal of unfaithfulness to those who did not keep the law and assured the deeper condemnation.

Verse 26

Romans 2:26

Romans 2:26

If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be reckoned for circum­cision?—If those who are not circumcised, the Gentiles, keep the law, then the righteousness they acquire in keeping the law is counted to them for circumcision—that is, makes them children of Abraham. The keeping of the righteousness set forth in the law was the thing aimed at; and if the Gentiles, who were uncircumcised, kept the law, then the ends of cir­cumcision were accomplished better than with those who were circumcised, but kept not the law. [But there is a difference which must not be overlooked. For a Jew not to be circum­cised was not the same as for a Gentile not to be circumcised. In that case the Jew broke God’s covenant (Genesis 17:9-14; Leviticus 12:3), but not so in case of the Gentile. But after the Jew became circumcised, then unless he kept the law his cir­cumcision amounted to nothing.]

Verse 27

Romans 2:27

Romans 2:27

and shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature,—[The persons in question uncircumcised in virtue of their Gen­tile birth.]

if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and cir­cumcision art a transgressor of the law?—If the uncircum­cision, who were not under the law and to whom it was not given, with fewer advantages, keep it, they condemn the cir­cumcision, who, with better advantages and with the seal of circumcision, fail to keep the law—just as the queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with that generation be­cause it refused to hear the One greater than Solomon. (Matthew 12:42). The interpretation given to verses 13-16 harmonizes with these verses.

Verse 28

Romans 2:28

Romans 2:28

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly;—The name “Jew" as here used means the true servant of God who kept the law and walked in the steps of Abraham. He is not one

who observed the outward form of the law, but failed from the heart to keep its precepts.

neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh:—The outward circumcision, without this circumcision of the heart, goes for nothing. Paul is here making an application of the truths presented unto those under the law of Christ.

Verse 29

Romans 2:29

Romans 2:29

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter;—He is a true Jew approved of God who is one inwardly, and the circum­cision is that of the heart. He alone who is such commends himself to God, who sees the secrets of the heart. The hidden man of the heart, and not the outward Jew, with his outward circumcision and mere letter, will meet with the approval of God. Hence, Paul says: “In whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:11-12). And: “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3). [In the word “inwardly" Paul lays his first corner­stone of the foundation of the edifice in Jesus Christ, and breaks the ground for the gospel. In this soil it is to take root and grow. Faith is within—“with the heart man be­lieveth unto righteousness” (Romans 10:10)—and justification is by faith (Romans 5:1). We have here the first note of preparation for “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24). When men’s thoughts are turned from the without to the within, the primary work of salvation is fully begun.]

whose praise is not of men, but of God.—[The Jew, as we have seen, made his boasts and praised his privileges; but though the true Jew, such as Paul describes, shall be ill spoken of by men, he shall have the praise of God. The whole section shows that religious privileges, resulting from birth, the revelation of God’s will, ritual observances, and knowledge, increase the guilt of those whose morality does not correspond. The Jews, especially the Pharisees, were very eager for the praise of men; but the true Jew, the real child of Abraham by faith, will have what is infinitely better —the praise of God.]