‘But to those who are factious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation; tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek,'
In contrast to this ideal man are those who are ‘factious'. The basic meaning of the word is to behave like a hireling, and NEB translates as ‘those who are governed by selfish ambition'. But its meaning had tended to be assimilated with 'eris (strife, contention), although 2 Corinthians 12:20 distinguishes the two words. The idea is that such people are in contention with what God requires of them, not wanting to obey the truth, but desiring to obey unrighteousness. Whatever their outward protestation, they want in their hearts to be allowed to practise the things described in Romans 1:28-30. Thus they ‘work evil'. On them will come wrath and indignation, tribulation (affliction) and anguish. The wrath and indignation indicate the positive activity and attitude of God in judgment as He responds in judgment towards man's sin, the tribulation and anguish indicate the consequence for the accused of the verdict that will follow. What is described is totally in contrast to the ‘eternal life' notionally to be received in Romans 2:7. And let the Jew not think that he will escape this verdict. For just as the Jews were first in receiving the message of salvation, so will they be first to receive condemnation, because having the Law, theirs is the greater sin. The putting of ‘the Jew first' serves to confirm that Jews are very much in mind in these verses. And the point is that Jews will not be excluded from the judgment, rather they will be the first to be judged. But the verses also undoubtedly include all who put themselves above the common herd. The Greek (the hellenised man) is also included (‘also to the Greek').