Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
Thank God, for His faithfulness. Indeed, great is His faithfulness.
He is faithful to me, even in my faithlessness.
He is faithful to me, even through all that attempts to divide or steal my focus.
Romans Chapter 2 Verse 1 starts with a ‘Therefore’, so we must take a quick step back to what precedes it.
Romans 1:18-22 explains how, though God’s glory is seen in all creation, the unrighteous insist on suppressing the Truth, not acknowledging God, and promoting and propagating lies, to themselves and to others.
Romans 1:23-32 explains how God ‘gave them up’ ‘to dishonorable passions’,‘in the lusts of their hearts’, and ‘to a debased mind’, and what’s painful is what was written in the final verse:Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
With this in mind, we keep going.
I’ll be honest with you, up until now, Romans 2 has been a pretty tough nut for me to crack. But I am fully relying on God’s grace (present in the, oh, 2 cups of coffee I’ve had since this morning, among other things) to go through this.
Also, I will probably be employing the help of eSword for commentary but I’d like to do one run and then… well, compare notes with those of our actual Bible scholars.
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
We shouldn’t be so quick to judge, because in passing judgment on others, we condemn ourselves… and when we condemn others, we pass judgment on ourselves.
We shouldn’t be so quick to point out things such as the ‘dishonorable passions’ and the ‘debased mind’ on others, because in the process we apparently point them out upon ourselves. It’s like how we tell people that the bad things we notice about others are a reflection of our own insecurities.
But, moving on: We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Man cannot escape the judgment of God. And the more we harden our hearts, and the more we insist on being unrepentant and remorseless, the more we ‘store wrath for ourselves’ ‘when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.’
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.
What is God’s righteous judgment? Or, what will it be like ‘when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed’? The starting point for wrath and fury, tribulation and distress, as well as glory and honor and peace is: He will render to each one according to his works.
I know, I should probably be looking at that again. But I’ll pass on making any of my own commentary for now, condensing all of it before refinement and clarity.
For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
There is glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good. Here, Paul reiterates that it’s not those who merely hear the (good) law, but those who do good – or, those who do the law that are righteous before God, and will be justified.
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
To further his point, Paul shares (apparently, to the Jews in Rome, primarily) that the Gentiles did not hear the law, but they are able to do what the law requires.
There was no law for them to hear, but because the work of the law is written on their hearts, and because their conscience also bears witness, they will be accused or excused before another perspective to when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed: it is when He will render to each one according to his works, and when He judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Here Paul calls out the Jews who have heard the law, and have even done the law, by relying on it, boasting on God, knowing His will and approving what is excellent… but He calls out those who presume to be guides, instructors, teachers in particular – While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
From this I see that Paul is reiterating what he started the chapter with: For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.
For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
The chapter concludes with the superiority of doing the law over knowing the law.
I apologize, but I’ve needed to ask for ClaudeAI’s help again to help me out – not merely in concluding all that I’ve written here, but also in pointing it all back to Jesus. I’ve added a couple of things here and there, but here goes:
Main points:
The danger of judging others: Paul warns against quick judgment, as it often reveals our own faults.
God’s impartial judgment: God judges everyone according to their actions, regardless of their background.
The importance of doing, not just hearing: It’s not enough to know the law; one must practice it.
The law written on hearts: Even Gentiles without the written law can follow God’s principles through conscience.
Hypocrisy among religious leaders: Paul criticizes those who teach the law but fail to follow it themselves.
True circumcision is of the heart: Outward religious observances are meaningless without inward transformation.
To wrap it all up: Romans 2 challenges us to examine our hearts and actions rather than judging others or relying on outward religious observances. Paul emphasizes that God’s judgment is impartial and based on our deeds, not our knowledge or heritage. This chapter reminds us that true righteousness comes from living out our faith, allowing God’s law to be written on our hearts, and experiencing inward transformation through the Spirit. As believers, we are called to align our actions with our professed beliefs, avoiding hypocrisy and seeking to honor God in all aspects of our lives.
We can end there, but we should remember: While Romans 2 presents a sobering view of God’s judgment and human hypocrisy, it ultimately points us to our desperate need for Christ. Paul’s arguments reveal that no one – whether Jew or Gentile, religious leader or common person – can perfectly fulfill the law or escape God’s righteous judgment on their own merits.
This chapter sets the stage for the Good News that Paul will elaborate on in the coming chapters: that Jesus Christ alone perfectly fulfilled the law and bore God’s judgment on our behalf. Through faith in Christ, we receive the righteousness that we could never achieve on our own.
In light of this, our true response should be twofold:
- Humility: Recognizing our own shortcomings and need for grace, we should be slow to judge others and quick to extend the same mercy we’ve received in Christ.
- Transformation: As recipients of God’s grace, we’re called to allow the Holy Spirit to write God’s law on our hearts, leading to genuine, inward change that manifests in our actions.
Ultimately, Romans 2 reminds us that our hope lies not in our own righteousness or religious observances, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ. It’s through Him that we can experience true heart transformation and stand justified before God.
God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.
I put that last bit there myself. Thank God for His kindness, His mercy and grace.
Until the next post, God bless us all.
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