That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness
Progress in unrighteousness
This is a terrible judgment--filling up the measure of their obduration, that they may at length fall into condemnation.
But it is equitable. They believed not the truth, received not the gospel in the simplicity of it, as revealed by Christ and His apostles, and recorded in the Scriptures, but wilfully and for their own interests’ sake, gave themselves up to these corruptions. And more, they “had pleasure,” etc. In 2Th_2:10 it was, “they received not the love of the truth;” now they delight in its opposite.
I. What is unrighteousness? Righteousness is giving every one his due--man and God (Mat_22:21); man (Tit_2:12); God, in the way of worship and reverence (Psa_29:2; Psa_96:8). This unrighteousness is principally meant in the latter sense. False worship is the greatest unrighteousness; for by this the glory of God is given to another (Rom_1:18; Rom_1:23; Rom_1:25).
II. They had pleasure in it; in those things they please themselves, not lapse into it out of simple ignorance and error of mind. And so the apostle parallels the two great apostasies from the light of nature and the light of the gospel (Rom_1:32; Psa_97:7).
III. Their condemnation. Observe--
1. Errors of judgment as well as sins of practice may bring damnation on the souls of men. All sins do in their own nature tend to damnation (Rom_6:23), and errors of judgment are sins because contrary to the law of God (1Jn_3:4). There is nothing so wicked that a man blinded with error will not attempt against those that differ from him (Joh_16:2). A blind horse is full of mettle, but stumbles; therefore, if a man be not guided by sound judgment, his zealous affections will precipitate him into mischief (Rom_10:2). How true this is of the papacy.
2. Though all errors may bring damnation, yet some are especially damning (2Pe_2:1). This may be either from--
(1) The matter held, if destructive of the way of salvation by Christ; or
(2) The manner--
(a) When men profess what they believe not and voluntarily choose error for worldly ends.
(b) When they are vented by some Christian professor to the seducing of others (Act_20:30; Gal_5:20).
(c) When, though they should not err fundamentally, they so far debauch Christianity, as that God gives them up to believe a lie, and to defend and maintain corruptions of doctrine and worship.
(d) When there is gross negligence, it is equivalent to standing out against the light (Joh_3:20; 2Pe_3:5). (T. Manton, D. D.)
God not the author of damnation
“God is too good to damn anybody,” so we hear some say nowadays. They are quite right. God does not damn anybody; but many damn themselves. Damnation is sin and suffering producing and perpetuating each other. We see suffering producing sin in this world, and sin producing suffering. Look at the low dens, with their diseased, poisoned, putrescent inmates, their depravity, their profligacy, their brutality, their bodily torture, their mental anguish. Is not that damnation?--sin and suffering acting and reacting. God does not damn men; He tries to prevent it. He moves heaven and earth to prevent it. Was not the crucifixion moving heaven and earth? The crucifixion was God’s supreme effort to keep men from hell. How unreasonable to charge God with your death! Suppose I went, sick and suffering, through the stormy night, to hold a light for you at some dizzy chasm; suppose you struck down the light which I had brought with so much pains; suppose you lost your foothold and fell into the abyss below, could I be charged with your death? Well, then, did not God bring you light? Did He not with scarred hand hold that light over your pathway? If you reject it and fall, can you charge Him with your death? No! oh, no! (Joh_3:19). (R. S. Barrett.)
