“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:”
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. The conditional promise: those whose persistent engagement (hypomenē) in good works and pursuit (zēteō) of glory, honor, and immortality will receive eternal life (zoē aiōnios). This suggests a moral universe where virtue bears fruit; yet it immediately raises the question: who in fact pursues good consistently? The verse's optimistic tone will be rendered ironic by what follows.
Church Fathers on Romans 2:7
“Who will render to every man according to his deeds, to them who by patient continuance in well doing,” etc. Since he had become awestriking and harsh by discoursing of the judgment and of the punishment that shall be, he does not immediately, as one might expect, enter upon the vengeance, but turns his discourse to what was sweeter, to the recompense of good actions, saying as follows,
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