God’s righteous, impartial judgement
(Parallel teachings: Matthew 7:1-5, 15-23)
- 1 Therefore, O man — every man of you who’s judging — you are without excuse. For by what you judge the other man, you condemn yourself; for you — the man judging — practice the same things.
- 2 Yet we *know that the judgement of God against the men practicing such things is in accordance with the truth.
- 3 And do you suppose this, O man — you man judging the men practicing such things even while doing them yourself — do you suppose that you will escape the judgement of God?
- 4 Or do you scorn the richness of His benevolence, and forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the benevolence of God leads you to repentance?
- 5 And in accordance with your hardness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrathfnquotation/allusion to Zephaniah 1:14-18 and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God,
- 6 who will repay each man in accordance with his deeds.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12, Ezekiel 18:30, and numerous other echoes exist
- 7 To the men indeed seeking glory, and honor, and incorruptibility by endurance in good work: the life of agesfn“life of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the quality of the life, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal life” doesn’t. The word translated “ages” (αἰώνιον) is the adjective form of the Greek word “αἰών” (aion), which is used – for example – in Matthew 24:3 “what are the signs of your coming and the end of the age?”
- 8 But to the men of selfish ambition and to the men disobeying the truth (also being persuaded by unrighteousness): wrath and fierce anger.
- 9 Tribulation and anguish will come upon the soul of every man practicing wickedness, both the Jew first and also the Greek.
- 10 But glory, and honor, and peace to every man practicing good; both to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
- 11 for there‘s no partiality with God.fnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17 and 2 Chronicles 19:7
- 12 For as many as sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And as many as sinned with the law will be judged by the law.
- 13 For the hearers of the law aren’t righteous with God, but the doers of the law will be proved righteousfnquotation/allusion to Ezekiel 33:30-33 –
- 14 (For when the gentiles not having the law do the things of the law by nature, these men not having the law are a law to themselves,
- 15 who clearly demonstrate the work of the law written in their hearts,fnquotation/allusion to Jeremiah 31:33 their conscience testifying with them, and between one another, their thoughts accusing or even defending them.)
- 16 – on that day when God judges the hidden things of menfnquotation/allusion to Ecclesiastes 12:14 through Jesus the Anointed in accordance with my gospel.
Obedience matters, not circumcision
(Parallel teachings: Matthew 23, Colossians 2:10-12)
- 17 But if you bear the name of ‘Jew’, and rely on the law, and boast in God,
- 18 and you know His will, and you test the things that excel to prove them genuine, being taught from the law,
- 19 and you are *confident that you yourself are both a guide of blind men and a light to men in darkness,
- 20 an instructor of foolish men, a teacher of immature men, having the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
- 21 Therefore, you man teaching another, don’t you teach yourself? You man preaching not to steal, do you steal?
- 22 You man saying not to have sex with another man’s wife,fn“have sex with another man’s wife” is one word in the Greek, typically translated “commit adultery”. However, the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was called fornication. do you have sex with another man’s wife? You man detesting idols, do you rob temples?
- 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God through a deliberate violationfn“deliberate violation” is one word in Greek. It denotes an intentional stepping over a known boundary, not an accidental violation of that boundary. In this context, it’s deliberately violating God’s commands in the Law; see also Numbers 15:30-31 of the law?
- 24 For: “God’s name is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you“fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20 just as it’s *written.
- 25 For circumcision indeed benefits you if you practice the law. But if you are a deliberate violatorfn“deliberate violator” see note on verse 23. of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
- 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcised man keeps the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be credited as circumcision?
- 27 And the uncircumcised man by birth who’s fulfilling the law will judge you to be a deliberate violatorfn“deliberate violator” see note on verse 23. of the law through the letter of the law and circumcision.
- 28 For the man with the outward appearance of a Jew isn’t a Jew, nor is circumcision something outward in the flesh,
- 29 but the man who’s a Jew internally is a Jew, who also has circumcision of the heartfnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 10:16, Deuteronomy 30:6, and Jeremiah 4:4. Also possibly to Jeremiah 9:25-26 and Ezekiel 44:7-9 in spirit, not in the letter, whose approval isn’t from men, but from God.