Romans 2
Chapter indexThe Impartial Judgment of God upon the Religious Man and the Inward Nature of True Judaism
The apostle exposes the hypocrisy of the self-righteous moralist who judges others while practicing the same evils, demonstrating that the possession of the Law does not grant immunity but rather heightens accountability before God's impartial judgment. By shifting the focus from outward ordinances to the secrets of the heart, the chapter establishes that true religious identity is a matter of the spirit rather than the letter, thereby concluding that both the Jew and the Gentile are under condemnation and in need of the Gospel.
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The Inexcusableness of the Self-Righteous Judge (2:1-16)
- The hypocrisy of judging others while practicing the same things, resulting in self-condemnation
- The abuse of God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, which are intended to lead to repentance
- The storing up of wrath against the day of righteous judgment through a hard and impenitent heart
- The impartiality of God's judgment, which renders to every man according to his works—tribulation to the evil-doer and glory to the worker of good
- The judgment of those without the Law by the law of conscience written in their hearts
- The judgment of those under the Law by the standard of the Law
- The ultimate criterion being the judgment of the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to the gospel
The Condemnation of the Transgressing Jew (2:17-24)
- The emptiness of resting in the Law and boasting in God without the reality of obedience
- The arrogance of claiming to be a guide to the blind and a light to those in darkness while lacking inward truth
- The inconsistency of teaching others against stealing, adultery, and sacrilege while practicing these very evils
- The blaspheming of the name of God among the Gentiles caused by the hypocrisy of the religious man
The Definition of a True Jew and True Circumcision (2:25-29)
- The negation of outward circumcision through the transgression of the Law
- The reckoning of the uncircumcision of the obedient Gentile as circumcision
- The distinction between the outward Jew in the flesh and the inward Jew in the spirit
- True circumcision defined as a matter of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, receiving praise from God rather than from men
The Inexcusableness of the Self-Righteous Judge (2:1-16)
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Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
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But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
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And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
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Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
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But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
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Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
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To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
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But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
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Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
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But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
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For there is no respect of persons with God.
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For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
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(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
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For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
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Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
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In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
The Condemnation of the Transgressing Jew (2:17-24)
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Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
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And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
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And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
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An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
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Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
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Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
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Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
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For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
The Definition of a True Jew and True Circumcision (2:25-29)
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For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
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Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
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And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
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For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
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But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.