ACC ~ Romans 2 v16

JUDGMENT ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL. TERTULLIAN: If God will judge the secrets of men … surely the God who will judge is he to whom belong both the law and that nature which is the rule for those who do not know the law. But how will he conduct this judgment? “According to my gospel,” says the apostle, “by Christ Jesus.” The law and nature are vindicated by the gospel and Christ. AGAINST MARCION 5.13.

ACCUSING AND DEFENDING. ORIGEN: Who can doubt that a trial is properly conducted when there are accusers and defenders and witnesses all present? … See therefore how on that day, when God will judge the secrets of men, our thoughts will either accuse or defend our soul—not the thoughts which we will have then but the ones which we have now. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

CLOTHED IN SINS OR JUST DEEDS. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM: The awe-inspiring countenance of the Judge will compel you to speak the truth. Even if you are silent, it will convict you. You will rise clothed either in your sins or in your just deeds. The Judge himself declared this. CATECHESIS 15.25.

GOD LOOKS INTO THE HEART. APOLLINARIS OF LAODICEA: Men sit as judges of the external things only. It is God who judges things hidden. For Scripture says: “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.”When Christ judges, then God is the judge. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

DUAL ACCUSERS. AMBROSIASTER: There are two thoughts inside a man which will accuse each other—the good and the evil. The good accuses the evil because it has denied the truth. The evil accuses the good because it has not done what it knows to be right. One who knows that the church is good and true but persists in heresy or schism will be judged guilty. Other thoughts will excuse, insofar as one has done what is expedient to do. He will say inwardly: “In my mind I have always thought it expedient to do what I have done. This was my faith.” He will have a better case, even though he will still have to be corrected, because his conscience will not accuse him on the day of judgment. This is how the secret things of men will be judged by Jesus Christ our Lord on the day of judgment. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE SECRETS OF MEN. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul says the “secrets of men” and not the sins of men, in order to add to their fear. … For men sit in judgment on overt acts alone.

If a secret deed of any one of us were brought into the open right now, in the midst of the church, what would we do except pray for death and have the earth swallow us up, rather than have so many witnesses of wickedness? HOMILIES ON ROMANS 5.

BELIEF IN CHRIST NECESSARY TO ESCAPE PUNISHMENT. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Paul continually preached that there will be a day of judgment and that it will be necessary to have believed in Christ in order to escape punishment. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

CONSCIENCE AND THOUGHTS. PELAGIUS: Paul says that there is a mental debate when we decide after long deliberation what we should and should not do. On the day of the Lord we shall be judged by this. This proves that we were not ignorant of good and evil. Or perhaps it means that on the day of judgment our conscience and our thoughts will appear before our eyes like history lessons to be learned; they will either accuse us or excuse us. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.