Ver.5. The δὲ contrasts what happens with what God designs. θησανρίζεις σεαντῴ ὀργήν: contrast our Lord’s many sayings about ‘ treasure in heaven (Με, vi. 19 Π., xix. 21). ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς = in the day of wrath. The conception was quite definite: there was only one day in view, what is elsewhere called ‘ the day of the Lord” (2 Cor. i. 14), “the
596
Ik.
, ~ - c dHere only. ἀποκαλύψεως *Sixacoxpiotas τοῦ Θεοῦ, 6. ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ: 7. τοῖς μὲν καθ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ δόξαν καὶ
επ Cor. χν.τιμὴν καὶ ᾿ ἀφθαρσίαν ζητοῦσι, ζωὴν αἰώνιον : 8. τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ΄ ἐριθείας,
42; 2 Tim. 1. 10.
fPhil. ii 35 , : Jas. ui 14, ὀργη» 16,
καὶ ἀπειθοῦσι perv! τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, πειθοµένοις δὲ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, θυμὸς καὶ 9. θλίψις καὶ στενοχωρία, ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου τοῦ
κατεργαζοµένου τὸ κακὸν, ᾿Ιουδαίου Τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνος: 1ο. δόξα δὲ καὶ τιμὴ καὶ εἰρήνη παντὶ τῷ ἐργαζομένῳ τὸ ἀγαθὸν,
1 απειθονσι µεν ΑΡΕΚΙΙΝΞ; om. μεν Β0ᾳ1.
day of judgment” (Mt. xi. 22), “the last day”? (John vi. 39), “the day of God” (2 Pet. iii. 12), ‘‘that day” (2 Tim. i. 12), even simply “(πε day” (α Cor. iii. 13, Heb. x. 25). This great day is so defined in the Apostle’s imagina- tion that the article can be dispensed with. But see Ps. cx. 5. (cix. LXX.) It is a day when God is revealed as a righteous judge, in the sense of Psalm Ixi. 13 (LXX).
Ver. 6. The law enunciated in the Psalm, that God will render to every one according to his works, is valid within the sphere of redemption as well as independent of it. Paul the Christian recognises its validity as unreservedly as Saul the Pharisee would have done. The application of it may lead to very different results in the two cases, but the universal moral conscience, be it in bondage to evil, or emancipated by Christ, accepts it without demur. Paul had no feeling that it contradicted his doctrine of justi- fication by faith, and therefore we are safe to assert that it did not contradict it. It seems a mistake to argue with Weiss that Paul is here speaking of the Urnorm of the Divine righteousness, 7.¢., of the way in which the destiny of men would be determined if there were no Gospel. The Gospel does not mean that God denies Himself; He acts in it according to His eternal nature; and though Paul is speaking to men as under the law, the truth which he is insisting upon is one which is equally true whether men are under the law or under grace. It is not a little piece of the leaven of a Jewish or Pharisaic conception of God, not yet purged out, that is found here; but an eternal law of God’s relation to man.
Ver. 7. Kal’ ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ : cf. the collective épyov— life-work ”’ : S. and H.—in ver. 15: ‘‘ by way of sted- fastness in well-doing”. δόξαν = the glory of the future life, as revealed in the Risen Saviour. τιμήν = honour with
God. ἀφθαρσίαν ‘proves that the goal of effort is nothing earthly’ (Lipsius). ζωὴ αἰώνιος comprehends all these three : as its counterpart, θάνατος in ver. 31, in- volves the loss of all. ζωὴν is governed by ἀποδώσει.
Ver. 8. τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἐριθείας : for the use of ἐκ, cf. ΠΠ. 26, τὸν ἐκ πίστεως ᾿Ιησοῦ; Gal. iii. 7, ot ἐκ πίστεως; Ch. iv. 14, of ἐκ νόµον. Lightfoot suggests that it is better to supply πράσσουσιν, and to construe ἐξ ἐριθείας with the participle, as in Phil. i. 17 it is construed with καταγγέλλουσιν: but it is simpler not to supply anything. By ‘‘ those who are of faction” or “ factiousness ’’ (Gal. ν. 20, 2 Cor. xii. 20, Phil. i. 16 f., ii. 3, Jas. iii. 14, 16) the Apostle probably means. men of a self-willed temper, using all arts to assert themselves against God. The result of this temper—the temper of the party man carried into the spiritual world—is seen in disobedience to the truth and obedience to unrighteousness. See note on ἀλήθεια, i. 18. The moral import of the word is shown by its use as the counterpart of ἀδικία. Cf. the same contrast in 1 Cor. xiii.6. To those who pursue this course there accrues indignation and wrath, etc.