Escape (1628) (ekpheugo from ek = out of, from + pheugo = move quickly from a point; flee; run) means to flee out of a place, flee from, run away or escape. The idea is to seek safety in flight or to become free from danger by avoiding some peril. Ekpheugo - 8x NT translated in the NAS as: escape, 5; escaped, 2; fled, 1. A review of the NT uses of ekpheugo gives one a graphic picture of the meaning... Regarding His second coming and the difficult times that would precede His return Jesus warned men to "keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place (judgment of God when His wrath is fully revealed), and to stand before the Son of Man (the Righteous Judge)." (Luke 21:36) The Philippians jailer "when (he) had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners (including Paul and Silas) had escaped." (Acts 16:27) In Acts Luke describes a man possessed by an evil spirit who "leaped on (the seven sons of Sceva) and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of (ekpheugo) that house naked and wounded." (Acts 19:16) Paul recounting his escape from the king of Damascus explained "I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands." (2 Corinthians 11:31) In a passage that parallels Romans 2:3 Paul explains that preceding the coming Day of the Lord men will be deluded "saying, "Peace and safety!" (and) then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape (ekpheugo)" (1Thessalonians 5:3-note) Comment: The Day of the Lord is a familiar Old Testament image for the ultimate day of God’s judgment, His final day in court when He settles the injustices of the world. The writer of Hebrews asks "how shall we escape (in context refers to the judgment of God) if we neglect (are careless of, unconcerned about) so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard" (Hebrews 2:3-note) Finally and once again in the context of God's judgment the writer of Hebrews warns his readers (and all men) to "See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape (judgment) when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less [will we escape] who turn away from Him who warns from heaven." (Hebrews 12:25-note) Comment: Because the Israelites refused to listen to God when He spoke to them on earth in regard to His law, that generation perished in the wilderness. How much more accountable, then, will those be who disregard the infinitely greater message of the gospel? And how can they escape? The Septuagint (LXX) has 6 uses of ekpheugo (Jdg. 6:11; Est. 8:12; Job 15:30; Pr. 10:19; 12:13; Isa. 66:7). In Proverbs we see a contrast in two lifestyles and associated destinies declaring that An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will escape from trouble. Proverbs 12:13 As MacDonald notes that... The judgment of God is inescapable on those who condemn others for the very sins they practice themselves. Their capacity to judge others does not absolve them from guilt. In fact, it increases their own condemnation. The judgment of God is inescapable unless we repent and are forgiven." (Believer's Bible Commentary) Hodge writes... “If, then,” as Theophylact says, “he cannot escape his own judgment, how can he escape the judgment of God? If we are forced to condemn ourselves, how much more will the infinitely Holy condemn us?” (Hodge, C. Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, 1835) Why might they think they will escape? Solomon explains that men are inclined to consider that God is condoning their ways if... "the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. " (Eccl 8:11). John MacArthur gives an illustration of judgment: It has been told that nomadic tribes roamed ancient Russia much as American Indians once roamed North America. The tribe that controlled the choicest hunting grounds and natural resources was led by an exceptionally strong and wise chief. He ruled not only because of his superior physical strength but because of his utter fairness and impartiality. When a rash of thefts broke out, he proclaimed that if the thief were caught he would be punished by ten lashes from the tribal whip master. As the thefts continued, he progressively raised the number of lashes to forty, a punishment that everyone knew he was the only one strong enough to endure. To their horror, the thief turned out to be the chief’s aged mother, and speculation immediately began as to whether or not he would actually sentence her to the announced punishment. Would he satisfy his love by excusing her or would he satisfy his law by sentencing her to what would surely be her death? True to his integrity, the chief sentenced his mother to the forty lashes. But true also to his love for his mother, just before the whip came down on her back he surrounded her frail body with his own, taking upon himself the penalty he had prescribed for her. In an infinitely greater way, Christ took the penalty of all men’s sin upon Himself. (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Moody) Why is it important to understand that one day there will be an actual judgment of God? Listen to Francis Schaeffer's answer in his section entitled "The Necessity of Judgment": But let me stress this warning. It (the message of coming judgment) is more than just. It is the only message that is able to speak into the 20th-century mentality because it is the only message which really gives an answer to the two great problems of all men—modern man and man throughout the ages. First, man needs absolutes, universals, something by which to judge. If one has no basis on which to judge, then reality falls apart, fantasy is indistinguishable from reality, there is no value for the human individual and right and wrong have no meaning. There are two ways to get away from God's judgment of men. One is to say that there is no absolute. But one must be aware that if God does not judge on a 100% basis, he is indeed like an old man in the sky. And worse—not only is man left in relativism, but God himself is bound by relativism. God must be the judge whose own character is the law of the universe or we have no absolute. We do not need to be embarrassed as we speak of the individual coming to God to be judged in the full historic sense of judgment. It is quite the other way. If this is not true, then we no longer have an absolute, and we no longer have an answer for 20th-century man. (The Church at the End of the 20th Century, pp. 49-50) William Newell - Of course, this whole second chapter, and the first part of the third, is meant by God, whose name is Love, to drive us out of our false notions of Himself and His judicial procedure, into the arms of our Redeemer, Christ; who has borne wrath, the wrath of God, as our Substitute. But whether you are brought to flee to Christ or not, you must face the facts: God is a God of judgment, and a God of truth. See how He "spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up." It is not because God loves to judge and condemn, for He definitely says judgment is "His strange work" (Isa28:21). Nevertheless, He must judge, and it must be "according to truth, " according to the facts, the realities which are, of course, known to Him. He needs no "jury" to decide any case. He is Himself Witness, Jury and Judge. " (Romans 2) Ray Stedman -As G. K. Chesterton points out, it is impossible to swear properly without reference to God. Imagine ripping off a round oath in the name of natural selection, for instance. So, you see, there is a knowledge of God. And there is enough knowledge of God in the conscience of man, and in nature around, to induce a spirit of reverent worship if it is followed. But men refuse to recognize this knowledge, and this is the basic human sickness that grips our race. They suppress and smother the truth they know by permitting wrong actions and wrong attitudes in their lives. I shouldn't say, they, I should say, we. We do this, don't we? Even Christians do it! (The Secrets of Men) Brian Bell - We don’t become righteous by pointing out the sins of others. If you see another stumble or fall, let your first thought be…of all men you are most likely to stumble or fall in that same manner. We are congenitally blind to our own faults. We have amnesia when it comes to our past sins. We rationalize it (that’s not pornography…it’s art!). We rename it something more palatable (affair/adultery; white lie/lie; prayer request/gossip) We might be righteous in our own eyes but it doesn’t mean we are in God’s! I find it very easy to cover up my own failures by criticizing others! How about you? (Holier Than Thou Club) Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly (2PAI) of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing (PAPMSN) that the kindness of God leads (3SPAI) you to repentance? (NASB: Lockman) Greek: e tou ploutou tes chrestotetos autou kai tes anoche kai tes makrothumias kataphroneis, (2PAI) agnoon (PAPMSN) hoti to chreston tou theou eis metanoian se agei? (3SPAI) Amplified: Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)? (Amplified Bible - Lockman) Barclay: Or, are you treating with contempt the wealth of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? KJV: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? NLT: Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin? (NLT - Tyndale House) Phillips: Are you, perhaps, misinterpreting God's generosity and patient mercy towards you as weakness on His part? Don't you realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Phillips: Touchstone) Wuest: Or, the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and longsuffering are you treating with contempt, being ignorant that the goodness of God is leading you to repentance? (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: or the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, dost thou despise? -- not knowing that the goodness of God doth lead thee to reformation! OR DO YOU THINK LIGHTLY: e kataphroneis (2SPAI): (Romans 6:1,15; Ps 10:11; Eccl 8:11; Jer 7:10; Eze 12:22,23; Mt 24:48,49; 2Pe 3:3) "Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate" (Amplified) "are you treating with contempt", (Wuest) The "or" (e) introduces the alternative. Or, the thought is, is it that you have such a poor estimate of God’s goodness that you think it gives you license to sin? Leon Morris reminds us that... "An important part of the teaching of this epistle is that God is a merciful God; His purposes are always purposes of mercy. He may at times be engaged in activities like judgment that seem to the casual observer to be directed against the sinner. But even God’s judgments must be seen in a context of mercy; they are meant to lead people to repentance and forgiveness. God never punishes for the sake of punishment. And if this is the case with judgment, much more is it so with God’s forbearance. So, before he brings out what is in store for the impenitent sinner, Paul has a short section in which he speaks of God’s kindness as leading people to repentance." (The Epistle to the Romans. W. B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press) Regarding the "you" ("thou" KJV), Spurgeon observes that The apostle is intensely personal in his address. This verse is not spoken to us all in the mass, but to some one in particular. The apostle fixes his eyes upon a single person, and speaks to him as "Thee" and "Thou."... I will give nothing for that kind of hearing which consists in the word being heard by everybody in general, and by no one in particular. It is when the preacher can "Thee" and "Thou" his hearers that he is likely to do them good. When each man is made to say, "This is for me," then the power of God is present in the word. One personal, intentional touch of the hem of Christ's garment conveys more blessing than all the pressure of the crowd that thronged about the Master...Observe that the apostle singled out an individual who had condemned others for transgressions, in which he himself indulged. This man owned so much spiritual light that he knew right from wrong, and he diligently used his knowledge to judge others, condemning them for their transgressions. As for himself, he preferred the shade, where no fierce light might beat on his own conscience and disturb his unholy peace. His judgment was spared the pain of dealing with his home offenses by being set to work upon the faults of others. He had a candle, but he did not place it on the table to light his own room; he held it out at the front door to inspect therewith his neighbors who passed by...The poet of the night-watches wrote,--"All men think all men mortal but themselves." As truly might I say, "All men think all men guilty but themselves." The punishment which is due to sin the guilty reckon to be surely impending upon others, but they scarce believe that it can ever fall upon themselves. A personal doom for themselves is an idea which they will not harbour: if the dread thought should light upon them they shake it off as men shake snow-flakes from their cloaks. The thought of personal guilt, judgment, and condemnation is inconvenient; it breeds too much trouble within, and so they refuse it lodging. Vain men go maundering on their way, whispering of peace and safety; doting as if God had passed an act of amnesty and oblivion for them, and had made for them an exception to all the rules of justice, and all the manner of his courts. Do men indeed believe that they alone shall go unpunished? No man will subscribe to that notion when it is written down in black and white, and yet the mass of men live as if this were true; I mean the mass of men who have sufficient light to condemn sin in others. (Earnest Expostulation [Objection])