Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness

Romans 2:4

          As Paul starts this chapter, he is addressing the Jews in Ch. 2. He had been addressing the Gentiles in Ch. 1 and charged them with many crimes. He starts this chapter with the word, “therefore” or because what has been previously said. Many twist this verse to make it teach nonsense. It has been twisted into meaning that, if you judge another to be guilty of a crime, you thereby become guilty of the same thing. Paul had just charged the Gentiles with many crimes. It is foolish to put a meaning into his words that makes him guilty of the same thing. What does the language mean?

          Paul had charged that the Gentiles were guilty of many crimes and were, therefore, worthy of death. The Jews charged the same things against the Gentiles. Paul in effect said, “You are sinners as the Gentiles. You practice and do the same thing. Hence, in judging them to be criminals and worthy of death, you condemn yourselves. The Jews were under the same condemnation. So Paul records in vs. 2, “but we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things”. Either Jew or Gentile.          

          Verse 3-5, God had been rich in goodness and forbearance and longsuffering toward the Jews. Instead of being led to repentance by this goodness as God had intended, they had despised it and grown more sinful. They were treasuring up for themselves “wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”. In that day, the Jew will not escape any more than the Gentile.

          It was easy matter to get the Jews to agree the Gentiles were sinners. But for his own good, it was necessary for the Jew to see himself as a condemned sinner, else he would not see his need for the gospel. But to convince the Jew that he was a sinner and needed salvation was a task that demanded a good deal of skill.

          Paul’s first point was that the Jew had no right to condemn the Gentile, for he was guilty of the same sins. The Jew boasted that he was the object of God’s special favor. Because of this Paul asked, “or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”. The goodness (riches) was intended to lead them to repentance, but they despised it and were treasuring up, or heaping up, wrath for themselves.

- CL Bruner