Romans 2
TFGRomans 2:1
(18) to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins, and inheritance among the sanctified by faith in me.
On the supposition that Paul here spoke the truth, Agrippa saw that no prophet of old, not even Moses himself, had a more authoritative or unquestionable commission than he. Moreover, the same facts, it true, demonstrated, irresistible, the resurrection and glorification of Jesus. As to the truth of the narrative, its essential features consisted in facts about which Paul could not be mistaken, and his unparalleled suffering, for more than twenty years, together with the chain even now upon his arm, bore incontestable evidence of his sincerity. But being an honest witness, and the facts such that he could not be mistaken, the facts themselves must be real. It is difficult to conceive what stronger evidence the audience could have had in favor of Jesus, or what more triumphant vindication of the change which had taken place in Paul.
(OCA 279)
Romans 2:2
19-21. By these facts the speaker proceeds to justify his change of position, and his subsequent career.
(19) Whereupon, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
(OCA 279)
Romans 2:3
(20) but announced, first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and in all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works suitable to repentance.
Romans 2:4
(21) On account of these things the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted to kill me.
This is a more detailed statement of the cause of Jewish enmity, which had been more briefly expressed by the statement that it was concerning the hope of the resurrection that he was accused.
(OCA 279)
Romans 2:5
#Acts 26:22,23|
22, 23. That the Jews had not succeeded, with all their mobs, and conspiracies, and corruption of rulers, in destroying his life, was a matter of astonishment, and Agrippa might well admit that it was owing to the protecting providence of God.
(22) Having, however, obtained help from God, I have stood until this day, testifying both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which Moses and the prophets did say should be,
(OCA 279)
Romans 2:6
(23) that the Christ should suffer, and that he first, by his resurrection from the dead, should show light to the people and to the Gentiles.
Here he assumes that, instead of dishonoring Moses, he and his brethren alone were teaching the things which both Moses and the prophets had foretold; that it was required, by their writings, that the Messiah should suffer and rise from the dead.
By the statement that Christ first showed light to the people and the Gentiles by his resurrection, he must mean that he was the first to bring the subject into clear light, by an actual resurrection to glory; for there had already been some light upon it, as is proved by Paul’s previous statement in reference to the hope to which the twelve tribes had been, in all their worship, seeking to attain.
(OCA 279)
Romans 2:7
- At this point in his speech, Paul was interrupted by Festus. It was a very strange speech in the ears of that dissolute heathen. It presented to him a man who from his youth had lived in strict devotion to a religion whose chief characteristic was the hope of a resurrection from the dead; who had once persecuted to death his present friends, but had been induced to change his course by a vision from heaven; and who, from that moment, had been enduring stripes, imprisonment, and constant exposure to death, in his efforts to inspire men with his own hope of a resurrection. Such a career he could not reconcile with those maxims of ease or of ambition which he regarded as the highest rule of life. Moreover, he saw this strange man, when called to answer to accusations of crime, appear to forget himself, and attempt to convert his judges rather than to defend himself. There was a magnanimity of soul displayed in both the past and the present of his career, which was above the comprehension of the sensuous politician, and which he could not reconcile with sound reason. He seems to have forgotten where he was, and the decorum of the occasion, so deeply was he absorbed in listening to and thinking of Paul.
(24) And as he offered these things in his defense, Festus cried, with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself. Much learning has made you mad.
(OCA 279-280)
Romans 2:8
- Paul saw at once, from the tone and manner of Festus, as well as from the admission of his great learning, that the charge of insanity was not intended as an insult; but that it was the sudden outburst of a conviction which had just seized the mind of the perplexed and astonished governor. His answer, therefore, was most respectful.
(25) But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
He saw, however, that Festus was beyond the reach of conviction; for a man who could see in the foregoing portion of this speech only the ravings of a madman, could not easily be reached by the argument, or touched by the pathos of the gospel.
(OCA 280)
Romans 2:9
#Acts 26:26,27|
26, 27. In Agrippa Paul had a very different hearer. His Jewish education enabled him to appreciate Paul’s arguments, and to see repeated, in that noble self-sacrifice which was an enigma to Festus, the heroism of the old prophets. As Paul turned away from Festus and fixed his eye upon the king, he saw the advantage which he had over his feelings, and determined to press it to the utmost. He continues:
(26) For the king understands concerning these things, to whom also I speak with freedom: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
(OCA 280)
Romans 2:10
(27) King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.
Romans 2:11
- With matchless skill the apostle had brought his proofs to bear upon his principal hearer, and with the boldness which only those can feel who are determined upon success, he pressed this direct appeal so unexpectedly, that the king, like Festus, was surprised into a full expression of his feelings.
(28) Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to be a Christian.
Under ordinary circumstances, such a confession would have struck the auditory with astonishment. But under the force of Paul’s speech, there could not have been a generous soul present that did not sympathize with Agrippa’s sentiment.
(OCA 280)
Romans 2:12
- Paul’s reply, for propriety of wording and magnanimity of sentiment, is not excelled in all the records of extemporaneous response:
(29) And Paul said, I could pray to God, that not only you, but all who hear me this day, were both almost and altogether (z) such as I am, except these bonds.
It was not till he came to express a good wish for his hearers and his jailers, a wish for that blessedness which he himself enjoyed, that he seemed to think again of himself, and remember that he was in chains.
(z) The majority of recent critics condemn the rendering of ~en oligw~ in Agrippa’s remark, and Paul’s response, by almost, and of ~en pollw~ by altogether; and render the two thus: “In a little time you persuade me to become a Christian.” “I could pray to God, that both in a little and in much time, you were such as I am,” etc. (Hackett). They understand Agrippa as speaking ironically, and twitting Paul for supposing him to be an easy convert. It must be admitted that the usage of these two Greek phrases is favorable to this rendering; but Bloomfield shows that they do not necessarily require it. On the other hand, the rendering proposed involves Paul’s reply in an inconsistency of phraseology: for how could Agrippa become such as he both in a little time and in much time? If, to avoid this difficulty, we render, with Conybeare (Life and Epistles of St. Paul, in loco), “whether soon or late,” we force the conjunction ~kai~ into a sense which is not authorized. It must be admitted that there are philological difficulties in both the common version of the passage, and all that are proposed as substitutes, and it is not easy to decide in which the difficulties are the greatest. But I think the connection of thought and of circumstances are clearly such as I have represented above, and this determines me in favor of the common version.
(OCA 280-281)
Romans 2:13
30-32. The course of remark and the feeling of the audience had now reached that painful crisis in which it was necessary either to yield at once to the power of persuasion, or to break up the interview. Unfortunately for the audience, and especially for Agrippa, the latter alternative was chosen. The heart that beats beneath a royal robe is too deeply encased in worldly cares to often or seriously entertain the claims of such a religion as that of Jesus. A spurious religion, which shifts its demands to suit the rank of its devotees, has been acceptable to the great men of the nations, because it helps to soothe an aching conscience, and is often useful in controlling the ignorant masses; but men of rank and power are seldom willing to become altogether such as the Apostle Paul. They turn away from too close a pressure of the truth, as did Paul’s royal auditory.
(30) When he had said these things, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those seated with them;
(OCA 281)
Romans 2:14
(31) and when they had gone aside, they conversed with one another, saying, This man had done nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
Romans 2:15
(32) And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.
The decision that he had done nothing worthy of death or of bonds was the judgment of the whole company, while Agrippa went further, and said that he ought, by right, to be set at liberty. If Festus had decided thus honestly before Paul had made his appeal, he would have been released; but as the appeal had now been made, to Caesar he must go. Whether Festus now knew any better than before what to write to Caesar, Luke leaves to the imagination of the reader.
(OCA 281)
Romans 2:17
#Acts 27:1,2|
XXVII:1, 2. Not long after the interview with Agrippa, Paul saw an immediate prospect of departing upon his long-purposed voyage to Rome. The answer to his prayers was about to be realized, and the promise made him by night in the prison of Claudius Lysias that he should yet testify of Jesus in Rome as he had done in Jerusalem, was about to be fulfilled. This was being accomplished, not by any direct divine interference, but by a providential combination of circumstances. The machinations of the Jews, the corruption of Felix, the indecision of Festus, the prudence of Paul, and the Roman statute in behalf of citizens, had all most strangely, yet most naturally, combined to fulfill a promise of God made in answer to prayer.
(1) And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort, named Julius.
(OCA 281-282)
Romans 2:18
(2) And embarking on a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to places along the coast of Asia, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
Here, again, we find the significant “we” of Luke, showing that he was again in Paul’s company. The last time we met with this term was upon the arrival of the apostolic company in Jerusalem (#Acts 21:17,18|). He had probably not been far from Paul during the two years of imprisonment in Caesarea, and was now permitted to accompany him to Rome. Aristarchus was also a voluntary companion of the prisoner, as we infer from the manner in which his name is mentioned. There were, however, other prisoners on board (#Acts 27:42|).
As the ship belonged to Adramyttium, which is on the coast of Mysia, it was now homeward bound, and was not expected to take the prisoners further than its own destination. But as they were about to touch at several “places along the coast of Asia,” they could calculate upon falling in with some vessel bound for Rome.
(OCA 282)
Romans 2:19
- The apostolic company are now fairly launched upon their voyage, the details of which constitute a peculiar and most interesting passage in sacred history.
(3) And the next day we landed at Sidon: and Julius, treating Paul humanely, permitted him to go to the friends, and partake of their kindness.
Here we learn that Paul found friends, who were, doubtless, brethren, in the city of Sidon. Thus we find that both the Phoenician cities, Tyre and Sidon, to whose wickedness the Savior once so significantly alluded, had, ere now, received the gospel. With the brethren in the former place Paul had spent a week on his voyage to Jerusalem, and now the beginning of another voyage, not much less mournful, is cheered by the hospitality of those in the latter.
(OCA 282)
Romans 2:20
- (4) And having put to sea from that place, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
As the proper course of the ship was westward, the contrary wind must have come from that quarter. With a favorable wind she would have passed to the south of Cyprus; but in tacking to make headway against a contrary wind, they necessarily passed to the east and north-east of that island, leaving it on the left. An additional reason for taking this tack may have been a desire to take advantage of a current which flows westward along the southern shore of Asia Minor, as far as the Archipelago, and greatly favors the progress of westward-bound vessels. (b)
(b) For the nautical information connected with this voyage not found in the text, I am indebted to Mr. Howson’s most exhaustive chapter on the subject, Life and Epistles of St. Paul, vol. 2, chap. 23.
(OCA 282)
Romans 2:21
#Acts 27:5,6|
5, 6. Passing around the north-east point of Cyprus, the vessel entered the open to the south of Cilicia and Pamphylia.
(5) And when we had sailed across the sea along Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
(OCA 282)
Romans 2:22
(6) There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria, sailing for Italy, and put us on board of it.
Thus, according to expectation, they fell in with a vessel bound for Italy, and left the ship of Adramyttium. Their new vessel was one of the many grain ships which supplied Rome with bread from the granaries of Egypt (#Acts 27:38|). She was a vessel of good size, accommodating, on this voyage, two hundred and seventy-six passengers (#Acts 27:37|). She had, probably, undertaken to sail direct from Alexandria to Rome; but the same contrary winds which had thus far retarded the progress of the other vessel had compelled her to sail far to the northward of the direct route.
(OCA 282-283)
Romans 2:23
#Acts 27:7,8|
7, 8. The wind was still contrary when they left Myra.
(7) And having sailed slowly many days, we reached Cnidus with difficulty, the wind not favoring us, and sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone;
(OCA 283)
Romans 2:24
(8) and coasting along it with difficulty, we came into a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
From Myra to the island of Cnidus is only one hundred and thirty miles; hence it must have been slow sailing to be “many days” reaching that place. From that island their course to Cape Salmone, which was the most eastern point of the island of Crete, was a little to the west of south. The wind, to turn them this much out of their course, could have been but little, if any, north of west. The lee of Crete, under which they sailed, was the southern shore, which but partially protected them from the wind, rendering it difficult to keep near the shore until they reached the harbor called Fair Havens. This was about half way the length of the island.
(OCA 283)
Romans 2:25
9-12. The voyage, thus far, had been so tedious that winter was approaching, and it was deemed unsafe to attempt to complete it before spring. It became a question, however, whether they would spend the winter where they were, or seek a more desirable winter haven.
(9) Much time having now elapsed, and navigation being already unsafe, because the fast had already passed, Paul admonished them,
(OCA 283)
Romans 2:26
(10) saying, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with violence and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.
Paul’s advice to the mariners was the beginning of an activity in behalf of the ship and crew which forms the chief matter of interest in the remainder of the voyage. We will yet see how nearly his prediction was fulfilled. He did not claim for it the authority of inspiration, and, therefore, we should not claim it for him; but he had some experience at sea, and expressed the result of his own judgment. It was quite natural, however, that the centurion, who seems to have had control of the matter, should put more confidence in the judgment of the owner and the master than in his. He had not yet learned to appreciate his prisoner as he did subsequently.
(OCA 283)
Romans 2:27
(11) But the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship rather than the things which were spoken by Paul.
Romans 2:28
(12) And the harbor being inconvenient to winter in, the majority advised to depart thence, so as, if possible, to reach Phoenix, and spend the winter there, a harbor of Crete looking to the south-west and north-west.
The description given of the harbor of Phoenix had occasioned some perplexity to commentators. As the wind was blowing from north of west, a harbor “looking to the north-west and south-west,” from the shore, would be entirely exposed to the weather; whereas this description is given to show that it was a safe harbor in which to spend the winter. Mr. Howson is undoubtedly right in assuming that Luke supposes the beholder to be looking from the water, where a vessel would lie at anchor, toward the inclosing shore, and means that to him the harbor would look to the north-west and the south-west. Such a harbor would be safe against any wind in the quadrant from south-west to north-west, and was precisely such as was needed at that time.
(OCA 283-284)
Romans 2:29
- The harbor called Fair Havens lay on the east side of Cape Matala, which they would have to round in order to reach Phoenix; but it could not be rounded in the face of a north-west wind, hence they had to wait for the wind to change.
(13) Now when the south wind blew moderately, thinking they had gained their purpose, they weighed anchor, and sailed close by the shore of Crete.
They felt that all was secure, and even had their boat swinging astern, as they tacked slowly along the smooth sea under a gentle southern breeze. It was deceitful lull, the prelude to unexpected disasters.
(OCA 284)