well as the Gentile is thus to be judged. The word first, here, may ex press either order or pre-eminence. According- to the former view the meaning is, 'This judgment shall begin with the Jew, and be extended to the Gentiles;' see ch. 1 : 16; according to the other, 'The Jew shall not only be punished as well as others, but, having been more highly favoured, his punishment shall be more severe.' In like manner, if the Jew is faithful, his reward will be the greater, as is intimated in the next verse. "The Jew first" is, therefore, equivalent to 'the Jew espe- cially.' As both ideas are correct, both may have been intended by the apostle.
(10) But glory, honour, and peace to every man that worheth good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. This verse is the converse of the pre- ceding. These verses state that, with regard to all men, the judgment of God is determined by their works. This is the ground of decision with respect to all, because God is perfectly impartial.
(11) For there is no respect of persons with God. The word rendered respect of persons, and its cognates. Acts 10: 34. James 2: 9, are pecu- liar to the Hellenistic or Jewish Greek. They are derived from the phrase frequently occurring in the Old Testament, to lift up, or to accept the face (i. e. the person), in the sense of showing favour. This phrase is often used in a good sense. Gen. 19 : 21, " See I have accepted thee" (i. e. thy face). Job 42: 8. So 'accepted or lifted up of face,' means one honoured or favoured, 2 Kings 5:1. Isa. 3 : 3, &c. Most frequently, and especially when spoken of judges, it is used in a bad sense. Lev. 19 : 15, " Thou shalt not accept the person of the poor," Prov. 24 : 23, &c. So in the New Testament, uniformly in the sense of improper par- tiality, Eph. 6 : 9. Col. 3: 25. James 2: 1. This verse then contains the sentiment which is at the foundation of the declaration of the pre- ceding verses. The Jews and Gentiles shall be treated on precisely the same principles, because God is perfectly impartial. There is no respect of persons with him.
(12) For as many as have sinned without law, shall perish without law ,- and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law. In the preceding verse it was stated that God is impartial and just in all his judgments. This is confirmed, not only by the previous statement that he would judge every man according to his works, but also by the exhi- bition of the important principle announced in this verse. Men are to be judged by the light they have severally enjoyed. The ground of judgment is their works, the standard of judgment is their knowledge. ^s many as have sinned without law, that is, as appears from the con- text, without a special revelation of the divine will; see 1 Cor. 9 : 21. The law, as used by the apostle, as will be seen hereafter, means the rule of duty, the will of God as revealed for our obedience; commonly, however, with special reference to the revelations made in the Scrip-- tures. This is evidently the case here. Shall perish without law, that is, shall be punished by a different standard, to wit, by that against