Romans 2:9 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Romans 2:9

Comments

‘Tribulation and anguish.’ These are the effects of God’s indignation and wrath in the unbelieving soul, both now and in the eternal future. Tribulation is the translation of a Greek word meaning pressing or pressure. It is often used to describe the affliction which the saints suffer in this world on account of their testimony, but clearly here it is referring to tribulation from God. The word ‘anguish’ come from a compound Greek word with two parts: one meaning narrow and the other meaning space. It describes the anguish of an eternity spent in a place of constraint and confinement. All the horizons of those in hell will be narrowed except the horizon of suffering. The opposite of this is what David speaks of: ‘He brought me forth also into a large place’ (Psalm 18:19).‘On every soul of man that doeth evil.’ Every soul includes Jew and Gentile: the apostle has not yet started to address Jews exclusively. He is laying the foundation by describing the state of all people in this world. To work good, Paul tells us in this epistle is to repent of your sin, to trust in what Christ has done on the cross of Calvary in bearing the punishment of sin for believers, and to give him your life, living in obedience to him as Lord.‘To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.’ In both tribulation and anguish, as well as in glory honour and peace, it is to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. Paul has already used the same phrase in chapter 1:16 in speaking of the benefits of salvation to those who believe. Salvation, Christ said, is of the Jews (John 4:22). They are the natural branches, while the Gentiles are cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature. Their tribulation is greater because their light is greater and they represent the servants who knew their lord’s will and did not do it, and therefore they ‘shall be beaten with many stripes’ (Luke 12:47). Greater light brings greater responsibility. The Gentiles are not without guilt, so they too will be condemned because they know ‘the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death’ (Romans 1:32). But on the other hand the Jew will be blessed by God if he trusts in God, not because he is a Jew, but because he has followed in the footsteps of believing Abraham. He has taken advantage of the light shed upon his nation.

Application

We must be sure of our salvation. We are all weak Christians, we all slip and slide, none of us deserve the goodness of God. Certainly if we are truly saved it is by grace alone and what Christ has wrought. But by the grace of Christ, you had better have some works to show in the Day of Judgment because that will be the basis of things. Christ will say, ‘These are mine. I died for them; I give my righteousness to secure heaven for them. But see their works, see their repentance, see their true belief, see their commitment to me, see their strivings and their strugglings, see their spiritual objectives and tastes and desires, see their giving up the world. Salvation has changed them permanently. Weak as they are, there are the evidences of my Spirit’s work in their hearts. Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves.

Questions

Is righteousness needed for salvation? In a sense, no, because when I come to Christ I cannot bring any righteousness of my own, because I have none. If I parade all my good deeds, and good tendencies, and so on, well, the truth is they are crowned by all the bad in me, and I cannot do anything about that, and I cannot improve. So, no, righteousness is not needed for salvation, at least, not my righteousness. But righteousness, looked at another way, is necessary for salvation, because it is the evidence of true faith, and those good works of repentance and belief, and striving in holiness will be what is seen in the Day of Judgment: ‘Glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.’

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Romans 2:9 Commentary and Bible Study

The meaning of Romans 2:9 explained