The "Jew First" Principle in Romans 2 Explained
The phrase "to the Jew first" in Romans 2:10 refers to the priority given to Jewish people in both judgment and salvation within God's plan. Paul states, "glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 2:10, ESV). This concept is echoed in Romans 1:16, where Paul declares the gospel is "to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
In Romans 2, Paul argues that both Jews and Gentiles are accountable to God [4, 5]. He has previously described the sinfulness of the Gentile world in Romans 1, and now turns to demonstrate that the Jews are equally, if not more, culpable due to their greater privileges [5, 9]. The phrase "to the Jew first" indicates that while the Jews were first to receive God's law and promises, they would also be first in experiencing the consequences of disobedience [1, 7]. John Gill notes that this chapter vindicates divine justice against all people, addressing pleas from both Gentiles (who lacked the law) and Jews (who possessed it) [4].
This priority is not solely for judgment; it also applies to salvation. The promise of the Holy Spirit, for instance, was "to the Jew first" before extending to the Gentiles [3]. Thomas Aquinas explains that Christ's preaching was directed "at first to the Jews alone" to demonstrate the fulfillment of promises made to them [8]. Paul himself states that Christ "was minister of the circumcision," meaning he was primarily an apostle and preacher to the Jews [8].
However, this "firstness" does not imply an exclusive or permanent preeminence for Jews in the new covenant era. Charles Hodge argues that in Christ, national distinctions are superseded by individual character and devotion, emphasizing that "we are all one in Christ Jesus" [2]. The New Testament does not command the church to recognize a future for Jews that excludes Gentile Christians [2]. Indeed, early Christian thought, as seen in Hippolytus, suggested that Gentiles, rather than Jews, would attain the kingdom of heaven, and that Jews could find pardon only by embracing Christ through baptism and joining the Church [6].
Sources
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 2:10: to the Jew first--first in perdition if unfaithful; but if obedient to the truth, first in salvation (Rom 2:10).”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 88: that if there be any difference between them, it is not in virtue of national or social distinctions, but solely of individual character and devotion. That we are all one in Christ Jesus, is a doctrine 811 which precludes the possibility of the preeminence assigned to the Jews in the theory of which their restoration to their own land, and their national individuality are constituent elements. 5. The Apostles uniformly acted on this principle. They recognize no future for the Jews in which the Gentile Christians are not to participate. As”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 2:39: For the promise--of the Holy Ghost, through the risen Saviour, as the grand blessing of the new covenant. all afar off--the Gentiles, as in Eph 2:17), but "to the Jew first."”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 2 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 2 This chapter contains, in general, a vindication of the justice and equity of the divine procedure against men, such as are described in the preceding chapter; and a refutation of the several pleas that might be made by the Gentiles, who had not the law, and by the Jews who had it; and concludes with exposing the wickedness of the latter, and with showing who they are that are properly Jews, and circumcised persons, in the account of God. It begins, in Rom 2:1, with an inference deduced from what had been said in the latter part ”
- Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 2:1: In the former chapter the apostle had represented the state of the Gentile world to be as bad and black as the Jews were ready enough to pronounce it. And now, designing to show that the state of the Jews was very bad too, and their sin in many respects more aggravated, to prepare his way he sets himself in this part of the chapter to show that God would proceed upon equal terms of justice with Jews and Gentiles; and now with such a partial hand as the Jews were apt to think he would use in their favour. I. He arraigns them for their censoriousness and self-conceit”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — FIRST BOOK. HEADS. (part 2): 23. That rather the Gentiles than the Jews should attain to the kingdom of heaven. 24. That by this alone the Jews could obtain pardon of their sins, if they wash away the blood of Christ slain in His baptism, and, passing over into the Church, should obey His precepts.[1]”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 34.--CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF THE JEWS, WHICH WAS FOUNDED BY THE ONE AND TRUE GOD, AND PRESERVED BY HIM AS LONG AS THEY REMAINED IN THE TRUE RELIGION. (part 1): Therefore, that it might be known that these earthly good things, after which those pant who cannot imagine better things, remain in the power of the one God Himself, not of the many false gods whom the Romans have formerly believed worthy of worship, He multiplied His people in Egypt from being very few, and delivered them out of it by wonderful signs. Nor did their wom”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of Christ's Doctrine, Art. 1: Article: Whether Christ should have preached not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles? I answer that, It was fitting that Christ's preaching, whether through Himself or through His apostles, should be directed at first to the Jews alone. First, in order to show that by His coming the promises were fulfilled which had been made to the Jews of old, and not to the Gentiles. Thus the Apostle says (Rm. 15:8): "I say that Christ . . . was minister of the circumcision," i.e. the apostle and preacher of the Jews, ”
- Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 2 (introduction): The scope of the first two chapters of this epistle may be gathered from Rom 3:9, "We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin." This we have proved upon the Gentiles (ch. 1), now in this chapter he proves it upon the Jews, as appears by Rom 2:17, "thou art called a Jew." I. He proves in general that Jews and Gentiles stand upon the same level before the justice of God, to Rom 2:11. II. He shows more particularly what sins the Jews were guilty of, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions (Rom 2:17 to the end).”