Paul And James
PAUL AND JAMES
ROMANS 2:5-10
How deeply has the influence of Christ affected our thinking?
The last verse of the previous reading spoke of a tremendous responsibility. Humanity can presume upon the grace of God, and imagine that his love is mere indulgence. The first verse of this reading expresses in awesome terms how heavy a load such trifling with eternal things is upon the human soul. To treat the grace and kindness of God lightly is to encounter the inevitable severity of God’s hostility to sin.
Paul proceeds to insist upon certain principles. First, God will “render to every man according to his works” (2:6). This verse must be steadfastly borne in mind by those who study the great doctrine of this letter—justification by faith. There is no contradiction between Paul and James. To Paul, it was no faith which did not result in deeds, conduct and character.
The next two verses open the theme of God’s impartiality. There is no covenant of indulgence for those who had known God best; indeed responsibility is deepened. For Paul, a rabbi and a Pharisee, such a notion was revolutionary, and emphasizes the transformation which Christ had brought to his mind. In the strength of God’s Spirit a whole way of thought, a lifelong pattern of conviction, had been broken. When Peter was summoned to Cornelius’ home in Caesarea, the same conviction gripped him and filled him with wonder (Acts 10:34f.). And for us who read their words the wonder is that Christ could command such obedience and induce such change. It prompts us to ask how deep the transforming influence of the indwelling Christ has penetrated into our prejudices, our modes of thinking.
The “self-seeking” of 2:8 are the rebellious. This is the essence of sin, for humanity has chosen sin in open and self-willed rebellion against God.
We often fail to recognize the arrogant nature of sin.