Teks -- Romans 2:15 (NET)

2:15 They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them,

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Rom 2:15 - In that they

In that they ( hoitines ).

"The very ones who,"qualitative relative.

Robertson: Rom 2:15 - Written in their hearts

Written in their hearts ( grapton en tais kardiais autōn ).

Verbal adjective of graphō , to write. When their conduct corresponds on any point with the Mosaic law they practise the unwritten law in their hearts.

Robertson: Rom 2:15 - Their conscience bearing witness therewith

Their conscience bearing witness therewith ( sunmarturousēs autōn tēs suneidēseōs ).

On conscience (suneidēsis ) see note on 1Co 8:7; 1Co 10:25.; 2Co 1:12. Genitive absolute here with present active participle sunmarturousēs as in Rom 9:1. The word suneidēsis means Corinthians-knowledge by the side of the original consciousness of the act. This second knowledge is personified as confronting the first (Sanday and Headlam). The Stoics used the word a great deal and Paul has it twenty times. It is not in the O.T., but first in this sense in Wisdom 17:10. All men have this faculty of passing judgment on their actions. It can be over-scrupulous (1Co 10:25) or "seared"by abuse (1Ti 4:12). It acts according to the light it has.

Robertson: Rom 2:15 - Their thoughts one with another accusing or also excusing them

Their thoughts one with another accusing or also excusing them ( metaxu allēlōn tōn logismōn katēgorountōn ē kai apologoumenōn ).

Genitive absolute again showing the alternative action of the conscience, now accusing, now excusing. Paul does not say that a heathen’ s conscience always commends everything that he thinks, says, or does. In order for one to be set right with God by his own life he must always act in accord with his conscience and never have its disapproval. That, of course, is impossible else Christ died for naught (Gal 2:21). Jesus alone lived a sinless life. For one to be saved without Christ he must also live a sinless life.

Vincent: Rom 2:15 - Which shew

Which shew ( οἵτινες ἐνδείκνυνται )

Rev., better, in that they shew , the double relative specifying the class to which they belong, and therefore the reason for what precedes. Shew , properly, in themselves (ἐν ).

Vincent: Rom 2:15 - The work of the law

The work of the law

The conduct corresponding to the law.

Vincent: Rom 2:15 - Their conscience also bearing witness

Their conscience also bearing witness ( συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως )

For conscience , see on 1Pe 3:16. The force of ούν with the verb is therewith ; i.e., with the prescript of the law, respecting the agreement or disagreement of the act with it. So Rev.

Vincent: Rom 2:15 - The meanwhile

The meanwhile ( μεταξὺ )

Rev. renders with one another . Their thoughts one with another . The phrase μεταξὺ ἀλλήλων is variously explained. Some alternately , now acquitting and now condemning. Others, among themselves , as in internal debate. So Alford, " thought against thought in inner strife." Others again, accusations or vindications carried on between Gentiles and Gentiles . As the other parts of the description refer to the individual soul in itself and not to relations with others, the explanation expressed in Rev. - the mutual relations and interchanges of the individual thoughts - seems preferable.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - Who show

To themselves, to other men, and, in a sense, to God himself.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - The work of the law

The substance, though not the letter, of it.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - Written on their hearts

By the same hand which wrote the commandments on the tables of stone.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - Their conscience

There is none of all its faculties which the soul has less in its power than this.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - Bearing witness

In a trial there are the plaintiff, the defendant, and the witnesses. Conscience and sin itself are witnesses against the heathens. Their thoughts sometimes excuse, sometimes condemn, them.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - Among themselves

Alternately, like plaintiff and defendant.

Wesley: Rom 2:15 - Accusing or even defending them

The very manner of speaking shows that they have far more room to accuse than to defend.

JFB: Rom 2:13-15 - For not the hearers, &c.

As touching the Jews, in whose ears the written law is continually resounding, the condemnation of as many of them as are found sinners at the last involves no difficulty; but even as respects the heathen, who are strangers to the law in its positive and written form--since they show how deeply it is engraven on their moral nature, which witnesses within them for righteousness and against iniquity, accusing or condemning them according as they violate or obey its stern dictates--their condemnation also for all the sin in which they live and die will carry its dreadful echo in their own breasts.

JFB: Rom 2:15 - their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing

That is, perhaps by turns doing both.

Clarke: Rom 2:15 - Which show the work of the law

Which show the work of the law - In acting according to justice, mercy, temperance, and truth, they show that the great object of the law, which was to bring men from injustice, cruelty, intemperance, and falsity, is accomplished so far in them: their conscience also bearing witness - that faculty of the soul, where that Divine light dwells and works, shows them that they are right; and thus they have a comfortable testimony in their own souls of their own integrity: their thoughts, the mean while, accusing, or else excusing one another; or rather, their reasonings between one another accusing or answering for themselves. As if the apostle had said: - And this point, that they have a law and act according to it, is farther proved from their conduct in civil affairs; and from that correct sense which they have of natural justice in their debates, either in their courts of law, or in their treatises on morality. All these are ample proofs that God has not left them without light; and that, seeing they have such correct notions of right and wrong, they are accountable to God for their conduct in reference to these notions and principles. These seems to be the true meaning of this difficult clause. See below.

Calvin: Rom 2:15 - Who show the work of the law

15.Who show the work of the law ⁷³ written, etc.; that is, they prove that there is imprinted on their hearts a discrimination and judgment by which they distinguish between what is just and unjust, between what is honest and dishonest. He means not that it was so engraven on their will, that they sought and diligently pursued it, but that they were so mastered by the power of truth, that they could not disapprove of it. For why did they institute religious rites, except that they were convinced that God ought to be worshipped? Why were they ashamed of adultery and theft, except that they deemed them evils?

Without reason then is the power of the will deduced from this passage, as though Paul had said, that the keeping of the law is within our power; for he speaks not of the power to fulfill the law, but of the knowledge of it. Nor is the word heart to be taken for the seat of the affections, but only for the understanding, as it is found in Deu 29:4,

“The Lord hath not given thee a heart to understand;”

and in Luk 24:25,

“O foolish men, and slow in heart to believe.”

Nor can we conclude from this passage, that there is in men a full knowledge of the law, but that there are only some seeds of what is right implanted in their nature, evidenced by such acts as these — All the Gentiles alike instituted religious rites, they made laws to punish adultery, and theft, and murder, they commended good faith in bargains and contracts. They have thus indeed proved, that God ought to be worshipped, that adultery, and theft, and murder are evils, that honesty is commendable. It is not to our purpose to inquire what sort of God they imagined him to be, or how many gods they devised; it is enough to know, that they thought that there is a God, and that honor and worship are due to him. It matters not whether they permitted the coveting of another man’s wife, or of his possessions, or of any thing which was his, — whether they connived at wrath and hatred; inasmuch as it was not right for them to covet what they knew to be evil when done.

===Their conscience at the same time attesting, === etc. He could not have more forcibly urged them than by the testimony of their own conscience, which is equal to a thousand witnesses. By the consciousness of having done good, men sustain and comfort themselves; those who are conscious of having done evil, are inwardly harassed and tormented. Hence came these sayings of the heathens — “A good conscience is the widest sphere; but a bad one is the cruelest executioner, and more fiercely torments the ungodly than any furies can do.” There is then a certain knowledge of the law by nature, which says, “This is good and worthy of being desired; that ought to be abhorred.”

But observe how intelligently he defines conscience: he says, that reasons come to our minds, by which we defend what is rightly done, and that there are those which accuse and reprove us for our vices; ⁷⁴ and he refers this process of accusation and defense to the day of the Lord; not that it will then first commence, for it is now continually carried on, but that it will then also be in operation; and he says this, that no one should disregard this process, as though it were vain and evanescent. And he has put, in the day, instead of, at the day, — a similar instance to what we have already observed.

TSK: Rom 2:15 - written // their conscience // the mean while // accusing

written : Rom 1:18, Rom 1:19

their conscience : etc. or, the conscience witnessing with them, Rom 9:1; Joh 8:9; Act 23:1, Act 24:16; 2Co 1:12, 2Co 5:11; 1Ti 4:2; Tit 1:15

the mean while : or, between themselves

accusing : Gen 3:8-11, Gen 20:5, Gen 42:21, Gen 42:22; 1Ki 2:44; Job 27:6; Ecc 7:22; 1Jo 3:19-21

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Rom 2:15 - Written in their hearts // Answer // Their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

By the work of the law either understand the sum of the law, which is, To love God above all, and our neighbour as ourselves; or the office of the law, which consists in directing what to do, and what to leave undone; or the external actions which the law prescribes.

Written in their hearts this seems to be a covenant promise and privilege, Jer 31:33 ; how then is it predicated of the Gentiles?

Answer. Jereramiah speaks there of a special and supernatural inscription or writing in the heart by grace; and the apostle here, of that which is common and natural.

Their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another interchangeably, now one way, anon another. Not as though the thoughts did, at the same time, strive together about the same fact; nor is it meant of divers men, as if good men were excused, and bad men accused, by their own thoughts; but in the same persons there were accusing or excusing thoughts and consciences, as their actions were evil or good.

Haydock: Rom 2:14-15 - When the Gentiles...do by nature

When the Gentiles...do by nature, or naturally, that is, without having received any written law, these men are a law to themselves, and have it written in their hearts, as to the existence of a God, and their reason tells them, that many sins are unlawful: they may also do some actions that are morally good, as by giving alms to relieve the poor, honouring their parents, &c. not that these actions, morally good, will suffice for their justification of themselves, or make them deserve a supernatural reward in the kingdom of heaven; but God, out of his infinite mercy, will give them some supernatural graces, by which they come to know, and believe, that he will reward their souls for eternity. Such, says St. John Chrysostom, were the dispositions of Melchisedech, Job, Cornelius the Centurion, &c. (Witham)

Gill: Rom 2:15 - Which show the work of the law written in their hearts // their conscience also bearing witness // and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another

Which show the work of the law written in their hearts,.... Though the Gentiles had not the law in form, written on tables, or in a book, yet they had "the work", the matter, the sum and substance of it in their minds; as appears by the practices of many of them, in their external conversation. The moral law, in its purity and perfection, was written on the heart of Adam in his first creation; was sadly obliterated by his sin and fall; upon several accounts, and to answer various purposes, a system of laws was written on tables of stone for the use of the Israelites; and in regeneration the law is reinscribed on the hearts of God's people; and even among the Gentiles, and in their hearts, there are some remains of the old law and light of nature, which as by their outward conduct appears, so by the inward motions of their minds,

their conscience also bearing witness; for, as the Jews say ^r נשמתו של אדם מעידה בו, "the soul of a man witnesses in him"; for, or against him:

and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another; and this the Heathens themselves acknowledge, when they ^s speak of

"tameion dikasthrion kai krithrion thv suneidhsewv, "the conclave, tribunal and judgment of conscience"; and which they call δικαστην δικαιοτατον, "the most righteous judge": whose judgment reason receives, and gives its suffrage to, whether worthy of approbation or reproof; when it reads in the memory as if written on a table the things that are done, and then beholding the law as an exemplar, pronounces itself either worthy of honour or dishonour.''