ness, are manifest in the minds and consciences of all men: "for God hath shewed it unto them," partly by imprinting these notions of Himself upon the hearts of all men, and partly by the book of creation, in which His glorious attributes are written in large and legible characters. Burkitt. 20. For the invisible things of him &c.] For those blessed attributes of God, which are not to be discerned by the sense of man; namely, His eternal power, His infinite goodness, wisdom, justice, mercy, and the truth of His deity, are, ever since the world was created, so clearly seen and made known by the visible and mighty work of His creation and government of all things, as that all those, which will not hereupon acknowledge them, are left without all excuse. Bp. Hall. The meaning of the Apostle is, that the order, contrivance, and design, displayed in the creation, prove with certainty, that there is more in nature than what we really see; and that amongst the invisible things of the universe there is a Being, the Author and Origin of all this contrivance and design; and by consequence a Being of stupendous power, and of wisdom and knowledge incomparably exalted above any wisdom or knowledge which we see in man; and that He stands in the same relation to us as the maker does to the thing made. Archdeacon Paley. 21. Because that, when they knew God, &c.] The writings of Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, Cicero, and other philosophers, which still remain, together with the quotations made by Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria from those which are lost, prove that the learned heathens, though ignorant of the way of salvation, were acquainted with the unity and spirituality of God, and had, to a certain extent, just notions of His perfections, of the creation and government of the world, and of the duties which men owe to God, and to one another. Dr. Macknight. A sad account we have here of the state of religion in the heathen world, and a manifest proof how much nature stands in need of assistance. What we learn from St. Paul is plainly this: that notwithstanding the care which God had taken to display the evidences of His own being and Godhead in every work of the creation, so that men could not but have a notion of the Deity; yet, so little did they profit by that knowledge, that it served only to render them inexcusable in their superstition and idolatry. Bp. Sherlock. From this verse to the end of the chapter we have a large and black catalogue of the sins, of which the old heathens or Gentiles were guilty. Burkitt. they glorified him not as God,] By giving Him the honour due to His Deity; " neither were thankful" to Him, who giveth to all men life, breath, and all things, Acts xvii. 28; and xiv. 17: (Dr. Whitby:) "but became vain in their imaginations," lost themselves in the corruptions of the Gentile world. 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves : 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. c Ps. 106. 20. the most irrational conceptions and false reasonings about Him: (Pyle :) "and their foolish heart was darkened," so as not to be sensible of their egregious folly (Dr. Wells) but their natural reason became more and more obscured, by rebelling against the light. Burkitt. The Gentiles used to call the supreme Being Best and Greatest.' The expression was just, and conveyed noble and honourable sentiments of God. But these same Gentiles, forgetting or overlooking all that was implied in this expression, worshipped God in the sun, moon, and stars; worshipped Him under images of men, of beasts, and of monsters; added to the supreme God inferiour deities, and paid them equal reverence with Him; ascribed to them all human weaknesses and vices; gave Divine honours to dead men; and worshipped their deities with childish and absurd, sometimes with impure, impious, and cruel rites and ceremonies. Dr. Jortin. 22, 23. Professing themselves to be wise,] And usurping that name, (ver. 14; 1 Cor. i. 20, 21,) "they became " in their actions "fools:" (Dr. Whitby :) "and" for an undeniable proof of their folly, "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God," &c. that is, they debased and dishonoured the all-glorious God, by framing vile images of men and beasts, of birds and creeping things, whereby to represent Him. Dr. Wells, Burkitt. Though the nations of the heathens generally thought themselves wise in the religion they embraced, yet the Apostle here, having all along in this and the following chapters used "Greeks" for "Gentiles," may be thought to have an eye to the Greeks, among whom the men of study and inquiry had assumed to themselves the name of "wise." Locke. 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness] Wherefore God, on the other side, in a just punishment of their gross idolatry, as plaguing one sin with another, gave them over to their own unclean lusts. Bp. Hall. Those grievous immoralities, which St. Paul here describes as the consequences of idolatry, have been its consequences in all times and places. Abp. Secker. St. Paul makes idolatry to be the original of all the corruption and immorality that was spread over the Gentile world: which came in, partly as the natural consequence of idolatry, of its debasing the ideas of God, and wounding true religion and virtue in its source and first seed; and partly as an effect of the just judgments of God upon those who thus dishonoured Him. Bp. Burnet. See note on ver. 28. He withdrew His Spirit from them, as He did from the antediluvians: the consequence of which was, that their lusts excited them to commit every sort of uncleanness. The truth is, a contempt of religion is the source of all wickedness. Dr. Macknight. The corruptions of Anno DOMINI 60. Or, to acknowledge. CHAP. I. 26 For this cause God them 27 And likewise also the men, 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, Or, a mind God gave them over to || a reprobate roid of judg- mind, to do those things which are not convenient; ment. 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie,] The true God for some false god. The word "lie" is plainly taken to denote an idol, Isai. xliv. 20. Dr. Wells. Worshipping as gods them who by nature were no gods, Gal. iv. 8; or only demons, 1 Cor. x. 20. Dr. Whitby. and served the creature] In the twenty-third verse they are charged only with false representations of God; in this also with a false object of their worship, by giving the Divine honours to a creature. Dr. Whitby. 27. And likewise also &c.] The Apostle is not speaking simply of the Greeks committing the uncleanness which he mentions, but of their lawgivers authorizing these vices by their public institutions of religion, by their avowed doctrine, and by their own practice. When therefore the statesmen, the philosophers and the priests, notwithstanding they enjoyed the light of nature, improved by science, avowedly addicted themselves to the most abominable uncleannesses; nay, when the gods, whom they worshipped, were supposed by them to be guilty of the same enormities; when their temples were brothels, their pictures invitations to sin, their sacred groves places of prostitution, and their sacrifices a horrid mixture of superstition and cruelty; there was certainly the greatest need of the Gospel revelation, to make mankind sensible of their brutality, and to bring them to a more holy practice. Dr. Macknight. — receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.] That is, being given up thus to dishonour their own bodies, and to commit things dishonourable to human nature, for the dishonour which they did by their idolatry to their almighty and blessed Creator. Dr. Whitby, Pyle. The idolatry, whereby they dishonoured God, naturally led them to dishonour themselves by lascivious practices, in imitation of their gods. Idolatry is named errour," ," because it was the greatest and most pernicious of all errours. Dr. Macknight. the Gentile world. 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, Anno DOMINI able. 60. without natural af- Or, unsocifection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but blameworthy in them to do all these things. But they were deserted and given up by God, as the just punishment of their iniquities committed against the law of nature, which they had received; because "they held the truth revealed, in unrighteousness," ver. 18; because "when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful," ver. 21; and because "knowing that they which committed such things were worthy of death, they not only did the same, but had pleasure in them that did them," ver. 32: and so indeed they were delivered up to do these things by their own wickedness, ver. 24, 26. Whence the same Apostle saith, "they gave themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness," Eph. iv. 19. Dr. Whitby. sense. to a reprobate mind,] The word, rendered "reprobate," is used both in a passive and in an active In the former it is properly applied to metals, and refers to that part of them, which upon refining is thrown away as drossy and worthless. In this sense it means, disapproved, rejected, cast away; and occurs at 1 Cor. ix. 27; Heb. vi. 8. Compare 2 Cor. xiii. 5—7. In an active sense it means undiscerning, undistinguishing, void of judgment; and is so used in this passage, as also at 2 Tim. iii. 8; Tit. i. 16. Parkhurst. A mind not capable of discovering or approving what is good, either in principle or practice; a mind void of all knowledge and relish of virtue. Dr. Macknight. The Gentiles not exercising their minds to search out the truth, and form their judgments right, God left them to an unsearching, unjudicious mind. Locke. to do those things which are not convenient ;] Things not agreeable to nature or to reason. Dr. Whitby. The most abominable vices, as the following catalogue plainly shews. This way of speaking is very common in the Old Testament: see Prov. xx. 23; xxviii. 21; Jer. vii. 31; xix. 5. See Rev. iii. 2. Pyle. 32. Who, knowing the judgment of God,] His right 28.- — as they did not like to retain God in their know-eous judgment or appointment. Parkhurst. ledge,] Or, to have a due acknowledgment of Him. That the Gentiles were not wholly without the knowledge of God in the world, St. Paul tells us in this very chapter, but they did not acknowledge Him as they ought, ver. 21. These two verses seem to express the same thing in different words. Locke. God gave them over to a reprobate mind,] See also verses 24 and 26. These phrases cannot be so understood, as to lay upon the persons, of whom St. Paul speaks, a necessity of being thus unclean and unnatural in their affections, or thus perverse in their minds. For then this would not be their fault, nor would it be that they which commit such things are worthy of death,] That murder, adultery, and unnatural lusts deserved death, they knew, not only by the light of nature and conscience, but by their own laws condemning them, who did such things, to death. That all these sins, being condemned by the law of nature, rendered them obnoxious to the displeasure of that God, who is the governour of the world, and the avenger of all unrighteousness, and so obnoxious to death for violating the laws which He had given them for their government, they might know by the light of nature. Dr. Whitby. They that sin cannot Anno DOMINI 60. || Or, consent with them. I have pleasure in them that do thyself; for thou that judgest doest Anno CHAP. II. 1 They that sin, though they condemn it in TH THEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest -have pleasure in them that do them.] This, say the Greek commentators, is much worse than the bare doing of them. For a man may do them through the force of temptation, and by consideration may afterwards become sensible of his folly, and repent of it: but when he is arrived at such a height of wickedness, that he not only approves, but delights in seeing the like things done by others, he demonstrates such a strong affection to them, as is incurable. Dr. Whitby. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? DOMINI 60. and circumcision, which was the token of the covenant, the Apostle declares, that all these external advantages, which distinguished them from the Gentiles, did not render them more acceptable to God, but were useless to them whilst they neglected to keep the law. Ostervald. Ver. 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable, &c.] Here the illative particle "therefore " is used to introduce a conclusion, not from what goes before, but from something not expressed, the proof of which is to be immediately added. As if the Apostle had said, For this reason, Ó Jew, thou art without excuse, in judging the Gentiles worthy of death, because by that judgment thou condemnest thyself. Accordingly, to shew that he was thinking of the judgment, which the Jews passed on the Gentiles for their crimes, he immediately adds, "for wherein thou judgest" the Gentiles worthy of death, "thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things.' Josephus assures us, that there was not a nation under heaven more wicked than the Jews in his time; and accuses them of every sin imputed by the Apostle to the Gentiles in the former chapter. Drs. Macknight and Whitby. دو By the appellation," O man," the Apostle with admirable dexterity denotes the Jew, without expressly naming him, so as to avoid exasperating him. Dr. Wells. We have from nature strong appetites and passions in our corrupted frame, which tempt us so vehemently, and hurry us often so suddenly, into some sins, that perhaps we may not be altogether void of excuse. But there is no original principle within us, that leads us coolly and deliberately to approve them in others. This other can only proceed from a peculiar and wilful depravation of heart, equivalent to what might be produced by many repeated acts of transgression. Abp. Secker. The description which the Apostle hath given of the national manners of the Greeks, however disgraceful to human nature, being perfectly true, merits attention; because it is a complete confutation of those who contend, that natural reason hath always been sufficient to lead mankind to just notions in religion, and to a proper moral conduct. For after the weakness of human reason, in matters of religion and morality, hath been so clearly demonstrated by experience in the case of the Greeks, who, of all mankind, were the most distinguished for their intellectual endowments, the futile pretence of the sufficiency of the light of nature, set up by modern infidels, for the purpose of rendering revelation needless, should be rejected with the contempt due to so gross a falsehood. And all, who are acquainted with the actual state of the world under the guidance of 2.- according to truth] That is, most impartial and the light of nature, ought thankfully to embrace the just, without any respect to persons. Dr. Wells. It is instruction contained in the Gospel, as the most effec-equitable that He should, and certain that He will, deal tual means of training ignorant sinful creatures to vir- with men according to His word, and reward every man tue; and should humbly submit to the method of salva- according to his work. Burkitt. tion by Christ, therein revealed, as of Divine appointment, and as the only method by which sinners can be saved. Dr. Macknight. Or the conclusion may be understood as drawn from the 32d verse of the first chapter; and the whole of the reasoning, down to ver. 17 of this chapter, as equally addressed to Jew and Gentile, "whoever he is that judgeth," all who are sensible of moral distinctions either from natural light or from revelation. Edit. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness] His extraordinary goodness to thee, a Jew, above them, Gentiles, in giving thee the law, the covenants and the promises, chap. ix. 4. Drs. Wells and Whitby. God's goodness, of which the Jews formed a wrong opinion, consisted in His having made them his church and people and in His having bestowed on them a revelation of His will. From these marks of the Divine favour they vainly inferred, that God would punish no descendant of Abraham for his sins. But in this they formed a very wrong judgment of the goodness of God, which was intended, not to make sinning safe to the Jews, but to lead them to repentance. Dr. Macknight. Chap. II. I. St. Paul having shewn, in the foregoing chapter, that the Gentiles were sinners, proves in this, that the Jews, who condemned the Gentiles, were sinners also; and by abusing the light they enjoyed, and the goodness of God, they would appear much more guilty before His tribunal than the Gentile, who knew no other law but that of nature and conscience. Whence it follows, that the Jews could not pretend to be justified before God by their works, and that they had no more right to salvation than the Gentiles. II. and longsuffering;] The Apostle means God's And because the Jews gloried in having the law of God | patiently bearing the ill use, which the Jews made, of escape the judgment of God, Anno DOMINI 60. a Jam. 5. 3. b Ps. 62. 12. Matt. 16. 27. CHAP. II. 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart a treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man Rev. 22. 12. according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, the privileges they enjoyed as His Church and people. Dr. Macknight. The end and design of all the goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering of God towards sinners, is to engage them to love and serve their Benefactor; and thereby to "lead them to repentance:" the undue return which sinners too often make to God, is to despise the riches of His goodness and long-suffering, by being unthankful for it, by not improving it, by misimproving or sinning against it. Burkitt. 5.-hardness] A callousness, as it were, caused by a long custom of sinning. Bp. Fell. treasurest up unto thyself wrath] The Greek word occurs in a similar sense at Prov. i. 18, they treasure up evils to themselves.' Compare Amos iii. 10. Parkhurst. The sad and fatal consequences of the ungrateful return, made to God by sinners, is here denounced. As if the Apostle had said, The more patience God expends upon thee, if perverted and abused by thee, the greater wrath is treasured up for thee; which, the longer it has been treasured up, will break forth the more violently and fiercely for thy destruction. Burkitt. the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God:] The Apostle calls the day of judgment, "the day of wrath," to make the wicked sensible that as men, greatly enraged, do not suffer their enemies to escape, so God, highly displeased with the wicked, will assuredly punish them at length in the severest manner. Dr. Macknight. The day of judgment will be "the day of revelation of the righteous judgment of God," because the righteousness of God's proceedings, which is not always openly revealed in this life, will be then universally manifested and magnified, to the joyful satisfaction of all good men, and to the dreadful consternation and confusion of the wicked and impenitent world. Burkitt. 6.- according to his deeds:] According to the kind and quality, and to the measures and degrees, of every man's works. Burkitt. And in proportion to the knowledge which he has had of the Divine will. Pyle. 8.- unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, &c.] That is, unto them who are disobedient and rebellious against God; and who refuse to observe the precepts of virtue and holiness, but give themselves up to the dictates of impiety and vice. Schleusner. As "truth" is here opposed to "unrighteousness," it must signify, not only the truth discovered by revelation, but those truths likewise respecting religion and morality, which are discoverable by the light of nature, and which among the heathens were the only foundations of a righteous conduct. "Unrighteousness" in this passage denotes all those impious false principles, Anno whether they be Jews or Gentiles. 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon DOMINI every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the + Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the + Gentile: of per 11 For there is no respect sons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 9. 60. + Gr. Greek. + Gr. Greek. which atheists, infidels, and scepticks propagate, with a view to destroy the obligations of religion and morality, and to defend their own vicious practices. Dr. Macknight. -obey unrighteousness,] Here St. Chrysostom notes, that the Apostle does not say 'who are forced to,' but "who obey unrighteousness;" "that thou mayest learn, that they offend of choice, and not of necessity, and therefore are unworthy of pardon.' Dr. Whitby. -upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first,] That is, principally and especially, because the light and mercy, which the Jew abused and sinned against, was far greater than that bestowed upon the Gentile. The light under which men sin, puts extraordinary aggravations upon their sins; answerable whereunto will be the degrees of their punishment. The Gentiles will be condemned for disobeying the light of nature, the law of God written on their hearts; but much greater wrath is reserved for the Jews, unto whom were committed the oracles of God: but the greatest of all is reserved for Christians, who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Burkitt. 11. For there is no respect of persons with God.] God will impartially dispense recompenses in just proportion according to the deeds of men. "He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done," Col. iii. 25. And see 1 Pet. i. 17. Dr. I. Barrow. If we examine the passages of Scripture where God is said to be no respecter of persons, we shall find that this perfection is ascribed to Him, not directly as He is the Creator, but rather as He is Ruler and Judge, and dispenser of rewards and punishments. His giving to His creatures more or less, His placing them here or there when He calls them into being, is a matter of favour, and no account should be asked or expected; and what is called "respect of persons," hath nothing to do with it. But in His behaviour to His creatures, consequent to their behaviour towards Him, in this He acts by the rules of justice and equity, and in this his justice and equity shall be so manifest, as to clear Him from all imputations of partiality. Dr. Jortin. 66 Persons," according to Beza, are men as distinguished from one another by their external qualities, their country, kindred, sex, dignity, office, wealth, and profession of religion. This declaration concerning God, as Judge, the Apostle made, to shew the Jews their folly in expecting favour at the judgment, because they had Abraham for their father, and were themselves members of God's Church. Dr. Macknight. is, 12. For as many as have sinned without law &c.] That without the knowledge of a written law, shall receive notwithstanding a just judgment for their sin, as being therein convicted by a law of nature, and as many as 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the Or, the con- law written in their hearts, their nessing with conscience also bearing witness, and science wit them. nor yet the Jews, whom 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and Anno DOMINI 60. the things that I approvest the things that are more | Or, triest excellent, being instructed out of the differ." law; 19 And art confident that thou Or, between their thoughts the mean while ac- thyself art a guide of the blind, a themselves. cusing or else excusing one another;) | light of them which are in darkness, have sinned against the written law of God, shall according to that law receive judgment for their sins. Bp. Hall. 13. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, &c.] That is, not the bare "hearers of the law" shall on that account be "just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified," that is, accepted of God, as acting suitably to their holy profession. The Jews gloried in, and rested upon, their outward privileges for salvation, because they were Abraham's seed, because they were circumcised, because they were employed in reading and hearing the law; they concluded this sufficient to render them acceptable with God: therefore, says the Apostle, "not the hearers but doers of the law shall be justified;" that is, shall be the persons, whom God will accept and account righteous for the sake of Christ. Burkitt. By "the doers of the law" in this place are meant, not those who entirely perform the law of God, which no man can do; but those who are devoted to the law, who meditate upon it, and diligently endeavour that their whole life may be conformed to it. It appears to have been by the special providence of God, that the Apostle here so earnestly recommended good works, as necessary to justification and eternal life: lest from a misconception of his subsequent doctrine, in which he teaches justification by faith without works, the reader should find a stumbling-block, or fall into errour. Bp. Bull. 14. For when the Gentiles, &c.] As if he had said, For if the Gentiles perform the same moral and substantial duties, by their industrious use of the light of reason and nature, that a Jew does by direction of the written law, they are so far a law unto themselves: that is, their own reason and consciences, by which they honestly judge between what is good and evil, lawful and unlawful to be done, is the same moral rule to them as the written law is to you. Pyle. Without the death of Christ no flesh could have been saved. But who can say, to how many, and in what different ways, the merits of that death may be applied? For His sake the sins may be pardoned of all those, who in honesty and uprightness did their best, according to the knowledge vouchsafed them, during the dispensation under which they lived. He, who holds up his hand at the bar of eternal judgment, will not be there tried by a law which he never knew. The Apostle here is express, that the Jews, who have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law; and the Gentiles, who were without that law, shall be judged by the rule which they had derived in part by tradition from their ancestors, and improved and enlarged by their own reasonings and disquisitions. But then, as the Apostle argues also at large, every man, whether Jew or Gentile, who is tried by a law of works, will in strictness of speaking be cast; because it will be proved against him, that he has broken it. All the world are become guilty before God; and must place their hope in the mercies of that redemption, which is by Christ Jesus. Bp. Horne. This verse shews, that the Apostle, in what he says of the Gentiles mentioned in the preceding part of this chapter, is speaking of such Gentiles as have not a revealed law. All the ancient Greek commentators interpreted this passage of such Gentiles, as Dr. Whitby hath shewn. Dr. Macknight. 15. their thoughts the mean while &c.] Rather, their reasonings between, or among, one another. "Between themselves," as in the margin. Parkhurst. Doing those things, whereby they shew the duties of the law to be written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing them witness to it, and their own thoughts or reasonings within themselves at the same time, according to their moral or immoral behaviour, accusing or else excusing, approving or condemning themselves and one another, as their actions are good or bad; according to which they shall be recompensed in the day when God shall judge the secrets of all hearts by Jesus Christ according to the doctrine of the Gospel, which by the command of God I preach to the world. T. Edwards. 16. In the day when God shall judge &c.] This verse is either to be connected with the twelfth; and so it states, that the rewards and punishments, of which the Apostle has spoken, are to be distributed to Jew and Gentile in the day of judgment. Burkitt, Dr. Whitby. Or it is to be connected with the thirteenth verse, in which connexion it states, that in the day of judgment "not the hearers, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Bp. Bull, Dr. Wells. the secrets of men] That is, of men's hearts, as well as their open actions. Burkitt, Dr. Wells. Their inward moral dispositions and qualifications, in contradistinction to their external and formal profession of religion agreeably to the 28th and 29th verses. Pyle. according to my Gospel.] Or as my Gospel testifies He will: for the heathen are not to be judged according to the tenour of the Gospel, but according to the light of nature, ver. 12. Dr. Whitby. Concerning the phrase "my Gospel," see the note on chap. i. 1. 17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, &c.] The Apostle goes on to prove farther, and illustrate what he said before, as is evident from the words, " Behold, thou” to whom I speak "art called a Jew:" he therefore may be supposed to speak this farther to convince him, that he, doing the same things, shall not escape the judgment of God, and that the hearing of the law, which he doth not practise, will be so far from justifying him before God, that it will add to his condemnation. Dr. Whitby. 19.-of the blind,] The Jewish doctors, in contempt of the Gentiles, always spake of them as persons who were "blind," and "in darkness," and "foolish," and "babes," and boasted of themselves as "guides," to whose direction the Gentiles, in matters of religion, |
