Because he hath appointed a day
The day of judgment is fixed by God in his eternal purposes, and
is sure and certain, and will come, though it is not known by men
or angels; and this is a reason why God will have the doctrine of
repentance everywhere published, both to Jews and Gentiles, since
all must come to judgment: and the day for it is appointed by
him,
in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness;
the whole world will be judged, and every individual in it, good
and bad, righteous and wicked; and this judgment will be a
righteous one; it will proceed according to the strict rules of
justice and equity, and upon the foot of the righteousness of
Christ, as that has been received or rejected by men, or as men
are clothed with, or are without that righteousness:
by that man whom he hath ordained;
Beza's ancient copy reads, "the man Jesus": not that the apostle
means that Christ is a mere man; for then he would not be fit to
be a Judge of quick and dead, and to pass and execute the
definitive sentence; which requires omniscience and omnipotence:
but preaching to mere Heathens, he chose not at once to assert
the deity of Christ, though he tacitly suggests it: but intended,
by degrees, to open the glories of his nature and office to them,
he being the person God had from all eternity ordained, and in
time had signified, should have all judgment committed to him,
and by whom the last judgment shall be managed and transacted:
whereof he hath given assurance to all men:
or full proof, both of his being the Judge, and of his fitness to
be one, and also of the righteousness, according to which he will
judge:
in that he hath raised him from the dead;
whereby he was declared to be the Son of God; and when all power
in heaven and in earth was given to him; and which was done for
the justification of all those for whose offences he was
delivered: and this seems to be the reason why the apostle calls
Christ the Judge a man, that he might have the opportunity of
mentioning his resurrection from the dead.