Verse 5
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart contains two Greek words to describe the attitude of self-righteous, reversionistic unbelievers. The first Greek word is for stubbornness, which is the word “sklerotes.” “Sklerotes” means hardness and refers to scar tissue on the soul. When you are stubborn toward God over a long period of time, you develop a callous in the soul. The second Greek word is for unrepentant, which is “ametanoetos” (“metanoia” = repentance or change of mind; “a” = negative) meaning without change of mind. The Greek word for heart is the noun kardia, which is a compartment of the soul. The words, “stubbornness” and “unrepentant” mean that scar tissue of the soul, plus no change of mind, results in maximum maladjustment to the justice of God. The accumulation of self-righteousness is a deposit for future judgment and punitive action from the justice of God.
Storing up is the Greek word “thesaurizo,” which means to collect and store wealth, to save up, to reserve or to accumulate. Here it means to store up and accumulate. This accumulation began at the time reversionistic unbelievers became maladjusted to the justice of God at Gospel-hearing and the hardness of heart and resultant scar tissue accumulated. The self-righteous unbeliever stores up human good, saving it for his defense at the last judgment. But no matter how much human good he has by way of accumulation, it will not be enough.
Wrath for yourself is the Greek word “orge” meaning anger. This is an anthropopathism for divine judgment against reversionism. The absence of the definite article calls attention to the high quality of this judgment. The one who is judging is perfect; the condemnation is perfect.
In the day of wrath is the Greek word “hemera” meaning a period of time, plus “orge” meaning anger. The day of wrath is the last judgment, the Great White Throne, which is the final judgment from the justice of God to those who are maladjusted at Gospel-hearing (unbelievers).
And revelation is the Greek word “apokalupis” meaning disclosure. However, this disclosure will be the “trauma” that comes to the unbeliever when he stands before the Lord Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne and endures the shock of seeing his own self-righteousness totally set aside. He discovers the divine attitude toward his accumulation of self-righteousness.
Of the righteous judgment of God is the Greek word “dikaiokrisia” (“krisis” = judgment and “dikaios” = righteous or just). This is a reference to what will be revealed to the unbeliever at the Great White Throne judgment. The unbeliever’s relative righteousness will fall well short of divine righteousness and the judgment will be rendered.
It is impossible for the judicial verdict from the justice of God to be unfair. The judicial verdict for the unbeliever is eternity in the Lake of Fire without recourse — alive, conscious, in pain forever. This judicial verdict is not unfair. Unfairness is incompatible with perfect divine essence. Since the self-righteous person prefers to stand on the accumulation of his human good deeds, these deeds will be used to indict him at the last judgment. No sins can be mentioned at the last judgment, since Christ has already been judged for those sins on the Cross. Human good will be the basis for divine judgment of the unbeliever. (Revelation 20:12-15) Human good was not judged at the Cross. The self-righteous unbeliever stores up human good, accumulating it for his defense at the last judgment. But no matter how much human good he has by way of accumulation, it will not be enough.
Verse 6
Who is the Greek pronoun “os” referring to the presiding Judge of the Supreme Court of Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the unbeliever at the final
judgment. (John 5:22 cf. Revelation 20:12) This verse is a quotation from Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12.
Will render is the Greek verb “apodidomi,” which means to pay back, to return or to recompense. The verb refers to divine judgment of the unbeliever at the Great White Throne. Jesus Christ is the subject producing the action of the verb —judging the unbeliever.
To every man is the Greek word “ekasto,” and means to each one. This is dative of disadvantage; it is a great disadvantage for the self-righteous unbeliever who accumulates, from motivation of arrogance, a tremendous number of good deeds and is very confident of his/her self-righteousness.
According to his deeds is the preposition “kata” meaning according to. Then, we have the plural of the Greek word “ergon” meaning works or deeds. All of an unbeliever’s good deeds are remembered by God. All of them are recorded in the book of good deeds, all of them are mentioned at the last judgment, examined thoroughly, and they will all add up to minus righteousness. Therefore, righteousness tells justice what to do — condemn to the Lake of Fire forever.
Verse 7
To those who is the Greek word “tois,” which is used as a demonstrative pronoun to emphasize those who adjust to the justice of God at Gospel-hearing, through faith in Jesus Christ. It is to the advantage of every person in the human race to have their sins judged by the justice of God at the Cross, and also to be positive at the point of God-consciousness and again at Gospel-hearing. From the standpoint of principle then, not mechanics, we have adjustment to the justice of God in this passage. Such persons have previously been positive at the point of God-consciousness and therefore this opportunity has been afforded them.
Seek is the Greek present tense of “zeteo,” which denotes what habitually occurs with those who are positive at the point of God-consciousness. If you are positive at the point of God-consciousness you are going to be searching until you find. The unbeliever who is positive at God-consciousness produces the action of the verb and is expecting to find the truth about God.
“Zeteo” means to seek, to look for or to search for; as in Acts 17:27. Therefore, the word is used for positive volition at God-consciousness. Actually, when you discover there is a God through the function of the soul then, if you are positive at God-consciousness, there will be a seeking for God, thinking about God, looking into the sky and wondering about God, etc. This is positive volition at God-consciousness. The Greek verb “zeteo” connotes that you want to know about God, you want to have a relationship with God. The word also means to obtain without knowing where something could be found.
The beginning of this sentence is the Greek phrase “kata hupomone ergon agathos” (by perseverance in doing good). This is mistranslated in the King James as “by patient continuance in well doing.” It begins with the prepositional phrase “kata” plus the accusative of “hupomone,” which means patience, endurance, fortitude, perseverance or patient expectation. Kata plus the accusative can also be translated “on the basis of.” So literally, it can mean on the basis of patient expectation. Next is a descriptive adjective “agathos,” which means good of intrinsic value. Then the noun which goes with the descriptive adjective is “ergon” meaning to labour or to work.
Glory is the Greek word “doca,” which refers to the essence of God – the sum total of divine attributes. Positive volition at Gospel-hearing results in an eternal relationship with the essence (glory) of God when faith is applied. One of the attributes of God’s essence is justice, to which the believer must adjust after salvation through the Rebound Technique and consistent intake and application of Bible doctrine (maturity adjustment). Maturity adjustment to the justice of God means glorifying God and sharing blessings from the glory of God.
Honour is the Greek word “time,” which means value. There is something much more valuable than possessions and that is to have honour and integrity. The word connotes both honour and price, and therefore comes to mean something of value. Salvation is not only glory but it is something of value, something which is precious beyond description.
Immortality is the Greek word “anthanasia,” which means deathlessness or incorruptibility. It is the guarantee of Ultimate Sanctification when the believer receives his/her resurrection body, minus the sin nature and minus human good.
(1 Corinthians 15:53-56) Theologically, Ultimate Sanctification will occur at the Rapture of the Church for Church-Age believers. The resurrection body is said to be like that of Christ’s resurrection body. This means the believer will no longer possess a sin nature, and therefore he/she is no longer able to produce human good. In our resurrection bodies we will be able to produce only divine good. The imputation of eternal life assures the believer of an eternal relationship with God. (Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; I Corinthians 15:51-57; I John 3:2)
Eternal life is the Greek words “zoe aionios,” meaning endless duration (literally, “life age-abiding,” but it is a Greek idiom for eternal life). Eternal life is God’s life (one of His attributes) imputed to the human spirit (its home) at the moment of salvation. This imputation of eternal life occurs simultaneously with the imputation of the human spirit. And, it is the life of God that creates the capacity to receive and appreciate eternal rewards while we are in this body. Since it is God that imputes eternal life to the believer, it is a matter of God’s grace. Therefore, eternal life is not deserved nor can it be earned. This means that anyone who has believed in Christ for salvation (regardless of their current spiritual status) possesses eternal life. It also means that the believer is secure in Christ, forever. (John 5:25-26; 11:25-26; 14:6; I John 5:11-13)
Corrected translation of Romans 2:7: “To those who, on the basis of expectation, are doing a good work of intrinsic value in seeking glory, honour and immortality – eternal life.” In other words, “seek and you will find.”