In Chapter 1, Paul demonstrated the sin of the immoral pagan. (1:18-32). In Chapter 2:1-16 he speaks to the moralist or self-righteous religious person.
I liked how one commentator compared them:
“A good example of this mind set is Jesus’ illustration of the Pharisee and the Publican. If we take those figures from Jesus’ parable, Paul spoke to the Publican in Romans 1 and now he addresses the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14).”
David Guzik points out that Paul seems to be assuming that the moralists are congratulating themselves that they are not like the people in Romans 1.
Verse 1: Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
Anyone who judges another admits by the act of judging that there is a standard outside of himself. That standard condemns everyone. So in
the very act of judging you have condemned yourself because if you have enough knowledge to judge someone else you are showing that you can
also evaluate your own condition. John MacArthur also pointed out that if the religious moralist thinks he is exempt from God’s judgment because they have not indulged in the immoral excesses described in ch. 1 they are tragically mistaken. They have more knowledge than the immoral pagan and therefore greater accountability. practice the very same things...planking and specking came to mind as I thought about the last part of this verse.
Judge not, that you be not judged.
"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
"Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.—Matthew 7: 1-5
Self-righteousness blinds us to our own sin. It is much easier for fallen man to see sins in others rather than in ourselves. Perhaps the moralist has not sinned to the extent of the pagan but he should know the following according to William MacDonald
—He is capable of committing all of them
—He has more knowledge so He is more accountable before God
—by breaking one commandment, he is guilty of all (Jas. 2: 10).
—He has committed sins of thought which he may never have committed in actual deed, and these are forbidden by the word. Jesus taught that the lustful look, for instance, is tantamount to adultery (Matt. 5: 28).
Verse 2: But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
God's judgment will be according to truth, because He'll judge not only men's actions but the motives that prompted the actions.
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.—Hebrews 4:13
Verse 3: And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
The judgment of God is inescapable unless we turn from our sin, repent and receive His forgiveness. Judging others for sins that they themselves commit will only serve to increase their condemnation.
Verse 4: Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
BLB
Despise - to contemn, despise, disdain, think little or nothing of
Goodness - moral goodness, integrity, benignity, kindness
Forbearance - self-restraint, i.e. tolerance:
Longsuffering - patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs
Believers Bible Commentary:
—judgment of God is according to truth
—judgment of God is inescapable unless we repent
—judgment of God is sometimes delayed (vs 4)
I memorized Romans 8 very shortly after I got saved and I can remember loving this verse because it made me look back to the road I traveled to repentance. It made me see that it truly was His goodness, His forbearance, and His long-suffering toward me that led me to repentance. 1 Peter 3:9 says this:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
I am so glad the Lord was patient with me...looking back I can see His providential hand on my life...protecting and preserving me while leading me to Himself with cords of kindness. ❤️
Verse 5: But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
God’s judgment is in accordance with your guilt. As a person continues to despise the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance and long suffering, he only increases his condemnation when God’s wrath is revealed at the Great White Throne judgment. On that day God’s judgment will be seen as altogether righteous. I liked this quote from Lenski on the BLB:
As men treasure up the wrath of God against them, what holds back the flood of wrath? God Himself! He holds it back out of His forbearance and longsuffering! “The figure is that of a load that God bears, which men heap up more and more, making heavier and heavier. The wonder of it all is that God holds any of it up even for a day; yet he holds up all its weight and does not let it crash down on the sinner’s head.” (Lenski)
Verse 6: who "will render to each one according to his deeds":
Gods judgment will be according to our deeds. (Not good news) God will judge each person according (it means down from) to what they have done. No matter what a man can boast about in this life, in the next he will be judged by His own conduct.
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.—Jeremiah 17:10
Verse 7: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
In explaining that judgment will be according to our works (vs 6) Paul says God will give eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality. The patient continuance in doing good is not what saves...that would be another gospel. The “patient continuance in doing good” and the seeking of glory, honor and immortality do not even begin until the first good work which is believing God for their salvation occurs.
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15, ESV)
Verse 8: but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath,
The unsaved are also judged by works...all of their works, however, will be as filthy rags because they have committed the unpardonable sin...they have not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. They are, therefore, slaves to sin and are promised indignation and wrath.
"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.—John 3:18
The unbelievers works will determine their level of punishment.
“And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.—Luke 12:47-48
Verse 9: tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
His evil works lay bare his evil heart....tribulation and anguish will be his reward. To the Jew first shows that judgment will be according to light received. To the Jews were given the oracles of God. (Romans 3)
Verse 10: but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Again... The verdict will be glory, honor, and peace to everyone, Jew or Gentile, who works what is good. (No one can do good, as far as God is concerned, unless he has first placed his trust in Jesus.) According to one commentator the expression to the Jew first, and also to the Greek here cannot indicate favoritism, because the next verse points out that God's judgment is impartial. Perhaps it is the historical order in which the gospel went out.
Verse 11: For there is no partiality with God.
the judgment of God is that it is without respect of persons.
Lit., “to receive a face,” that is, to give consideration to someone simply because of his position, wealth, influence, popularity, or appearance. Because it is God’s nature to be just, it is impossible for him to be anything but impartial—MacArthur:
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.—Col 3:11
This is my take away on verses 7-11: but Christ is all and in all.
Vs 12-16 from the Believer’s Bible Commentary...
Verse 12: For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
As mentioned above, verses 12-16 expand the point that the judgment of God will be according to the measure of light received. Two classes are in view: those who do not have the law (the Gentiles) and those who are under the law (the Jews). This includes everyone except those who are in the church of God (see 1 Cor. 10: 32, where the human race is divided into these three classes). Those who have sinned without law will also perish without law. It does not say "will be judged without law" but will also perish without law. They will be judged according to whatever revelation the Lord gave them, and, failing to live up to that revelation, they will perish. Those who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law, and if they have not obeyed it, they too will perish. The law demands total obedience.
Verse 13: for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
Mere possession of the law is not enough. The law demands perfect and continuous obedience. No one is accounted righteous simply because he knows what the law says. The only conceivable way of obtaining justification under the law would be to keep it in its entirety. But since all men are sinners, it is impossible for them to do this. So this verse is really setting forth an ideal condition rather than something that is capable of human attainment.
Verses 14 and 15 are a parenthesis, looking back to verse 12a, where we learned that Gentiles who sin without the law shall perish without the law. Now Paul explains that although the law was not given to the Gentiles, yet they have an innate knowledge of right and wrong. They know instinctively that it is wrong to lie, steal, commit adultery, and murder. The only commandment they would not know intuitively is the one concerning the Sabbath; that one is more ceremonial than moral. So what it boils down to is that the Gentiles, who do not have the law, ... are a law to themselves. They form their own code of right and wrong behavior from their moral instincts.
Verse 14: for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
by nature do what the law requires. “Without knowing the written law of God, people in pagan society generally value and attempt to practice its most basic tenets. This is normal for cultures instinctively to value justice, honesty, compassion, and goodness toward others, reflecting the divine law written in the heart. law to themselves. Their practice of some good deeds and their aversion to some evil ones demonstrate an innate knowledge of God’s law—a knowledge that will actually witness against them on the day of judgment”—J. Mac
Verse 15: who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
They show the work of the law written in their hearts. It is not the law itself which is written in their hearts, but the work of the law. John Mac says this can be best described by the word conscience. The work which the law was designed to do in the lives of the Israelites is seen in some measure in the lives of Gentiles. The fact that they know that it is right to respect their parents, for example, shows the work of the law written in their hearts. They also know that certain acts are basically wrong. Their conscience, serving as a monitor, confirms this instinctive knowledge. And their thoughts are constantly deciding the rightness or wrongness of their actions, accusing or excusing, forbidding or allowing. Paul tells believers in several places not to violate their conscience because ignoring it desensitizes it and eventually silenced it.
Verse 16: in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
This verse is a continuation of the thought in verse 12. It tells when those without law and those under the law will be judged. And in doing so it teaches one final truth about the judgment of God—namely, that it will take into account the secrets of men, not just their public sin. Sin which is secret at the present time will be open scandal at the Judgment of the Great White Throne. The Judge at that solemn time will be Jesus Christ, since the Father has committed all judgment to Him (John 5: 22). When Paul adds, according to my gospel, he means "so my gospel teaches." My gospel means the gospel Paul preached, which was the same one which the other apostles preached.
Paul, having now shown that the self-righteous moralist...both Jew and Gentile...stand condemned by God’s judgment, looks now solely at the Jew, God’s chosen, covenant people.
Verses 17-20 speak to the Jews heritage and knowledge. The Jew to whom the law was given rest on it...
They make their boast in God (vs 17)
They know His will (vs 18)
They approve the things that are excellent (vs18)
They are instructed out of the law (vs 19)
They are confident in their ability as a superior spiritual teacher (vs 19)
They are wise in the ways of God and able to teach the immature (vs 19)
They have the “form” of knowledge and truth in the law (vs 20)...They had the embodiment in the law of knowledge and truth...the form of godliness but were not godly themselves.
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52, ESV)
Verses 21-22 speaks to what the Jewish teachers knew and taught vs their actual practice...in other words did they actually practice what they preach.
Verse 23-24 say this:
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." (Romans 2:23-24, ESV)
God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because the Jews do not practice what they preach. They were hypocrites.
Vs 25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
As John MacArthur aptly puts it the outward sign (circumcision)means nothing without the inward reality. A Jew who transgressed God’s law had no more a saving relationship with God than the unbelieving, uncircumcised Gentile.
Verse 26-27: Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?
So....if a Gentile keeps the law his uncircumcision can be counted as circumcision...because his circumcision is of the heart and is more acceptable than the Jewish transgressor of the law physical circumcision.
The Gentile’s fulfillment of the law condemns the Jew who with his written code and circumcision doesn’t keep the law.
Verses 28-29: For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Deu 10:16 NKJV - “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.—Colossians 2:11-12
And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.—Deuteronomy 30:6
I love that God wants our hearts. He wants the inward not the outward. He wants us to look to Him and not to man for our praise. Man looks on the outward, but God looks at the heart.
Fair pretences and a plausible profession may deceive men: but God cannot be so deceived; he sees through shows to realities. This is alike true of Christianity. He is not a Christian that is one outwardly, nor is that baptism which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Christian that is one inwardly, and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God.—Matthew Henry
William Newell summarizes Romans 2 with “Seven Great Principles of God’s Judgment” that are worth noting:
· God’s judgment is according to truth (Romans 2:2)
· God’s judgment is according to accumulated guilt (Romans 2:5)
· God’s judgment is according to works (Romans 2:6)
· God’s judgment is without partiality (Romans 2:11)
· God’s judgment is according to performance, not knowledge (Romans 2:13)
· God’s judgment reaches the secrets of the heart (Romans 2:16)
· God’s judgment is according to reality, not religious profession (Romans 2:17-29)
