EXPOSITION. But the required proof that the whole of CHAPTER II. mankind is guilty is not yet complete. It Ver& 1-29.-{b) Those ,oho judge otker,, might be ea.id that there are many still who Mt e:r.cepting the Jeu,s. Here a new stage disapprove of all this wickedness, a.nd sit of the argument, in proof of the position in jndgment on it, a.nd who are, therefore, propounded in eh. i 18, begins, and is con- not themselves implicated in the guilt. tinued to the end of the chapter. The To such persons the apostle now turns, hie posiiion to be proved is that all mankind purpose being to show that their judging is guilty before God (see note on ver. 18). others does not exempt themselves, unless So far this has been shown with regard to they can show that they are themselves sin- the IDSIII! of the heathen world ; its general less. All. he argues, are tainted with sin, moral corruption, prevalent and condoned, and therefore implicated in the guilt of ha'ring been pointed out finally as a glaring the human race, while the very fact of their proof; the main point of the argument judging others condemns them all the having been to trace this state of things more. to man's own fault, in that he ha.d refused It is usually said by commentators tba.t, to retain and act on a knowledge of God the sin of the heathen world having been originally impart.ad to him through nature established in the first chapter, the second and through conscience. From ench refnaal ha.e reference exclusively to the Jews. But had ensued idolatry; thence, as a judicial this is surely not so. The expressions, •& oonsequence, profligacy ; thence a general ~v8pr,nr• and ..-ciJ 6 ,cp{v111v (vers. I, 8), seem prevalence of ahominable practices ; and evidently to include a,ll who judge others J at last (in many at least) the "reprobate and it is not till ver. 9 that any distinction miDd," lost to moral restraint, and approv- between Jew and Gentile oomee in. Nor ing of vice u well u practising it. Thus would the argument have been oomplete it is BUfficiently proved that the heathen without refnt&tion of Gentile aa well a.11 world, regarded as a whole, is under ain, Jewieh judgers of others. For the philo- 11.ttd liable to the wrath of God. sophical schools especially claimed euperl- 1 Dr. Dykel!' 'Sermons,' pp. 102, 103; 800 also John Howe's 'Worke' for a. sermon on
ver. 20; rmd Boutl,'1 'BermoIIII,' ut ,upra, vol. i. p. 250. orr. u. 1-29.J THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO 'rHE ROMANS. 51