2:16
Men make many arguments and claims, but on the day of judgement everything will be made clear. God will judge everyone through Jesus Christ, and this will include the secret thoughts of all. Ie there will be no hiding, no deceiving, no obfuscation. The judgement will be based on all truth and done in all righteousness. It will be perfectly just. People often try to win debates by clever arguments, but on that day all that matters will be the truth.
Notice two important points here. Judgement will be carried out through Jesus Christ. People often think that Jesus and judgement are somehow opposed to each other, nothing could be further from the truth. Secondly, judgement is part of the gospel. Indeed, the cross makes no sense at all if there is no judgement. Popular conceptions of what the gospel is and what Jesus is about are usually misconceptions.
2:17
There are some who say it is only at this point that Paul turns specifically to the Jews, but I side with those who see the first part of the chapter being directed towards Jews, but applicable in its principles to the moral person as well.
We need to remember that Paul is employing a rhetorical style here, dealing with a hypothetical “opponent”. This was a style that commonly employed exaggeration for effect, or hyperbole. Such elements of the argument were meant to be taken as true in principle, but exaggerating the details to highlight the point. They were not meant to be taken literally, this is particularly important when we come to verse 22.
So Paul is addressing the hypothetical person who calls himself a Jew, claims to rely on the Law and boast in God. Remember what Paul’s past was, he knew how these people thought, what went on in their minds.
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