1So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things. 2And we are conscious that God is a true judge against those who do such things. 3But you who are judging another for doing what you do yourself, are you hoping that God's decision will not take effect against you? 4Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart? 5But by your hard and unchanged heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of the revelation of God's judging in righteousness; 6Who will give to every man his right reward: 7To those who go on with good works in the hope of glory and honour and salvation from death, he will give eternal life: 8But to those who, from a love of competition, are not guided by what is true, will come the heat of his wrath, 9Trouble and sorrow on all whose works are evil, to the Jew first and then to the Greek; 10But glory and honour and peace to all whose works are good, to the Jew first and then to the Greek: 11For one man is not different from another before God. 12All those who have done wrong without the law will get destruction without the law: and those who have done wrong under the law will have their punishment by the law; 13For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers: 14For when the Gentiles without the law have a natural desire to do the things in the law, they are a law to themselves; 15Because the work of the law is seen in their hearts, their sense of right and wrong giving witness to it, while their minds are at one time judging them and at another giving them approval; 16In the day when God will be a judge of the secrets of men, as it says in the good news of which I am a preacher, through Jesus Christ. 17But as for you who have the name of Jew, and are resting on the law, and take pride in God, 18And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law, 19In the belief that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those in the dark, 20A teacher of the foolish, having in the law the form of knowledge and of what is true; 21You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours? 22You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God? 23You who take pride in the law, are you doing wrong to the honour of God by behaviour which is against the law? 24For the name of God is shamed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is said in the holy Writings. 25It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not. 26If those who have not circumcision keep the rules of the law, will it not be credited to them as circumcision? 27And they, by their keeping of the law without circumcision, will be judges of you, by whom the law is broken though you have the letter of the law and circumcision. 28The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The Jews could not be justified by the law of Moses, any more than the Gentiles by the law of nature. (1-16) The sins of the Jews confuted all their vain confidence in their outward privileges. (17-29) 1-16 The Jews thought themselves a holy people, entitled to their privileges by right, while they were unthankful, rebellious, and unrighteous. But all who act thus, of every nation, age, and description, must be reminded that the judgment of God will be according to their real character. The case is so plain, that we may appeal to the sinner's own thoughts. In every wilful sin, there is contempt of the goodness of God. And though the branches of man's disobedience are very various, all spring from the same root. But in true repentance, there must be hatred of former sinfulness, from a change wrought in the state of the mind, which disposes it to choose the good and to refuse the evil. It shows also a sense of inward wretchedness. Such is the great change wrought in repentance, it is conversion, and is needed by every human being. The ruin of sinners is their walking after a hard and impenitent heart. Their sinful doings are expressed by the strong words, "treasuring up wrath." In the description of the just man, notice the full demand of the law. It demands that the motives shall be pure, and rejects all actions from earthly ambition or ends. In the description of the unrighteous, contention is held forth as the principle of all evil. The human will is in a state of enmity against God. Even Gentiles, who had not the written law, had that within, which directed them what to do by the light of nature. Conscience is a witness, and first or last will bear witness. As they nature. Conscience is a witness, and first or last will bear witness. As they kept or broke these natural laws and dictates, their consciences either acquitted or condemned them. Nothing speaks more terror to sinners, and more comfort to saints, than that Christ shall be the Judge. Secret services shall be rewarded, secret sins shall be then punished, and brought to light. 17-24 The apostle directs his discourse to the Jews, and shows of what sins they were guilty, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions. A believing, humble, thankful glorying in God, is the root and sum of all religion. But proud, vain-glorious boasting in God, and in the outward profession of his name, is the root and sum of all hypocrisy. Spiritual pride is the most dangerous of all kinds of pride. A great evil of the sins professors is, the dishonour done to God and religion, by their not living according to their profession. Many despise their more ignorant neighbours who rest in a dead form of godliness; yet themselves trust in a form of knowledge, equally void of life and power, while some glory in the gospel, whose unholy lives dishonour God, and cause his name to be blasphemed. 25-29 No forms, ordinances, or notions can profit, without regenerating grace, which will always lead to seeking an interest in the righteousness of God by faith. For he is no more a Christian now, than he was really a Jew of old, who is only one outwardly: neither is that baptism, which is outward in the flesh: but he is the real Christian, who is inwardly a true believer, with an obedient faith. And the true baptism is that of the heart, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Ghost; bringing a spiritual frame of mind, and a willing following of truth in its holy ways. Let us pray that we may be made real Christians, not outwardly, but inwardly; in the heart and spirit, not in the letter; baptized, not with water only, but with the Holy Ghost; and let our praise be, not of men, but of God.