James Trimm’s Nazarene Commentary on Romans Chapter 2
2:6 Who recompenses to everyone, according to his works. Here Paul cites Psalm 62:13(12) and Prov. 24:12.
Psalm 62:12 reads:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;Blessed is the man whom YHWH shall not impute sin.(Rom. 4:7-8 = Ps. 32:1-2)
And You, O Lord, have kindness, for You repay a man according to his deed. (Ps. 62:12)
Rashi interprets this in much the same way as Paul, saying:
And You, O Lord, have kindness: And what is the kindness? That You repay a man according to his deed; not really his deed but part of it, as the matter that is stated (Ezra 9:13): “for You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities [deserve].” In this manner it is interpreted in Aggadath Tehillim (Mid. Ps. 62:4). It may also be interpreted: And You, O Lord, have kindness because You have the power to repay a man according to his deed. (Rashi on Ps. 62:12)
Paul contrasts this with another passage:
| 5 But because of the hardness of your heart that does not repent, you lay up for yourself a treasure of wrath: for the day of wrath, and for the revelation of the righteous judgment of Eloah,6 Who recompenses to everyone, according to his works. (Psalm 62:13 (12); Prov. 24:12) 7 To those who in the patience of good works, seek glory, and honor, and immortality: He gives to them, eternal life. 8 But [to] those who resist, and do not obey the truth, but obey iniquity: He will recompense wrath, and fury,… 5 … Is Eloah unrighteous who brings to pass His wrath? I speak as a son of man. 6 Absolutely not! If so, how will Eloah judge the world?… 23 Because all have sinned, and are found lacking of the glory of Eloah. 24 And they are justified by favor (CHESED) freely, and by the salvation that is in Yeshua the Messiah… (Romans 2:5-8; 3:5-6, 23-24) | R. Hiya discoursed on the text: Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from Elohim that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity. For the work of man will he requite unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways (Job 34:10-11). ‘Elohim,’ he said, ‘in creating the world, meant it to be based on justice, and all that is done in the world would be weighed in the scales of justice, were it not that, to save the world from perishing, Elohim screened it with mercy [CHESED], which tempers pure justice and prevents it from destroying the world. The world is thus governed in mercy [CHESED] and thereby is able to endure. (Zohar 1:180b) |
2:13 For the hearers of the Torah are not righteous before Eloah, but the doers of the Torah are justified. As the KJV has “(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.)”
As we read in the Torah:
Observe therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples: that, when they hear all these statutes, shall say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
For what great nation is there, that has Elohim so near unto them, as YHWH our Elohim is, whensoever we call upon Him?
And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this Torah, which I set before you this day? (Deut. 4:6-8 HRV)
And it shall be righteousness unto us, if we observe to do all this commandment before YHWH our Elohim, as He has commanded us. (Deut. 6:25 HRV)
And the Prophets tell us:
Has walked in My statutes, and has kept My ordinances, to deal truly; he is just: he shall surely live, says the Adonai YHWH. (Ezek. 18:9 HRV)
And as the Emissary Yochanan writes:
4 Now he who commits sin, performs Torah-less-ness: for all sin is Torah-less-ness.
5 And you know that He who was manifested to take away our sins, indeed, had not sin in Him.
6 And everyone who abides in Him does not sin, and everyone who sins has not seen Him, and does not know Him.
7 My sons, let no man deceive you: he who does a righteous [thing] is righteous, as also the Messiah is righteous.
8 He who performs sin is from HaSatan, because from the beginning HaSatan was a sinner. And because of this, the son of Eloah appeared, to destroy the works of HaSatan.
(1Jn. 3:4, 7-8 HRV)
2:25 For circumcision is beneficial if, you perform the Torah: but if you transgress the Torah, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
Because violating a single commandment is the same as violating all of them.
2:26 Now if the uncircumcision keeps the commandments of the Torah, should not the uncircumcision be reckoned circumcision?
2:27 And the uncircumcision–which from its nature, fulfills the Torah–will judge you, who with the Scripture, and with circumcision, transgress against the Torah.
Of course the uncircumcised man who keeps the commandments will, in keeping with Genesis 17 and Exodus 12:47-50.
2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one in appearance [only]: also what is made visible in the flesh [alone] is not circumcision.
2:29 But that one is a Jew, who [is one] secretly: and circumcision is that of the heart by the Spirit, and not by the letter [only]; whose praise is not from men, but from Eloah.
In Romans 2:27-29 Paul contrasts those with the “circumcision of the heart by the spirit” with those who have a circumcision “in the flesh [alone] … by the letter [only]”. The words “only” and “alone” are implied by the useage of the word “only” in the parallel phrase in 4:16. The passage tells us that Jews must be Jews inwardly and outwardly, it does not teach as some misrepresent it, that outward Gentiles are inward Jews.
circumcision is that of the heart Circumciusion of the heart is not a New Testament concept that replaces circumcision of the flesh. Both are presecribed by the Torah and the Prophets:
I also will walk contrary unto them, and bring them into the land of their enemies. If then perchance, their uncircumcised heart be humbled, and they then be paid the punishment of their iniquity,
(Lev. 26:41 HRV)
Circumcise therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.(Deut. 10:16 HRV)
Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Y’hudah and inhabitants of Yerushalayim: lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
(Jer. 4:4 HRV)
24 (9:25) Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision:
25 (9:26) Egypt and Y’hudah, and Edom and the children of Ammon, and Mo’av and all that have the corners of their hair polled; that dwell in the wilderness. For all the nations are uncircumcised, but all the House of Yisra’el are uncircumcised in the heart.
(Jer. 9:24-25(25-26) HRV)