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SUBJECT: Romans Chapter
2
QUESTION: What is this
chapter about? Does it state that somehow the Gentiles are
to perish because they had not the Law?
ANSWER:
No, these verses are not
talking about the Gentiles perishing because they did not
have the Law. Remember that Paul was sent to the Gentiles
to bring them the gospel. Romans is talking about how ALL
people are guilty before God and in need of His
righteousness.
Romans 2:1-16
1 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.
2 But we are sure that the
judgment of God is according to truth against them which
commit such things.
3 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?
4 Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance?
5 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;
6 Who will render to every
man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are
contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish,
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first,
and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and
peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and
also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect
of persons with God.
12 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;
13 (For not the hearers of
the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall
be justified
14 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:
15 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;)
16 In the day when God
shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to
my gospel.
Chapter 2 is about God's
Law.
Verse 6 states that God will
render to every man according to his deeds (whether
Jew or Gentile--verse 9).
Verse 7 says "to them" who
do well will know glory and eternal life (whether
Jew or Gentile---verse 9).
Verse 8 says "to them" that
do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness will know
tribulation and anguish (whether
Jew or Gentile----verse 9)
Verse 9 says "every soul"
whether Jew or Gentile.
Verse 10 says "to every man"
that worketh good (will have
glory, honour and peace) whether Jew or Gentile.
Verse 11 says that God is no
respector of persons (whether
Jew or Gentile---verses 9 and 10).
Notice the commentary on
verses 14 to 16:
Romans 2:14-16
Romans 2:14
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:
[For
when] The apostle, in Romans 2:13, had stated
a general principle, that the doers of the Law only can be
justified, if justification is attempted by the Law. In this
verse and the next, he proceeds to show that the same
principle is applicable to the pagan; that though they have
not the written Law of God, yet that they have sufficient
knowledge of his will to take away every excuse for sin, and
consequently that the course of reasoning by which he had
come to the conclusion that they were guilty, is well
founded. This verse is not to be understood as affirming, as
an historical fact, that any of the pagan ever did perfectly
obey the Law which they had, any more than the previous
verse affirms it of the Jews, The main point in the argument
is, that if people are justified by the Law, their obedience
must be entire and perfect; that this is not to be external
only, or to consist in hearing or in acknowledging the
justice of the Law; and that the Gentiles had an opportunity
of illustrating this principle as well as the Jews, since
they also had a law among themselves. The word "when" hotan
(NT:3752) does not imply that the thing shall certainly take
place, but is one form of introducing a supposition; or of
stating the connection of one thing with another, Matthew
5:11; 6:2,5-6,16; 10:19. It is, however, true that the main
things contained in this verse, and the next, actually
occurred, that the Gentiles did many things which the Law of
God required.
[The
Gentiles] All who were not Jews.
[Which
have not the law] Who have net a revelation,
or the written word of God. In the Greek the article is
omitted, "who have not law," that is, any revealed law.
[By
nature] By some, this phrase has been
supposed to belong to the previous member of the sentence,
"who have not the law by nature." But our translation is the
more natural and usual construction. The expression means
clearly by the light of conscience and reason, and whatever
other helps they may have without revelation. It denotes
simply, in that state which is without the revealed will of
God. In that condition they had many helps of tradition,
conscience, reason, and the observation of the dealings of
divine Providence, so that to a considerable extent they
knew what was right and what was wrong.
[Do
the things] Should they not merely understand
and approve, but actually perform the things required in the
Law.
[Contained
in the law] Literally, the things of the Law,
that is, the things which the Law requires. Many of those
things might be done by the pagan, as, e.g., respect to
parents. truth, justice, honesty, chastity. So far as they
did any of those things, so far they showed that they had a
law among themselves. And wherein they failed in these
things they showed that they were justly condemned. "Are a
law unto themselves." This is explained in the following
verse. It means that their own reason and conscience
constituted, in these things, a law, or prescribed that for
them which the revealed law did to the Jews.
Note:
I preach about this fact often. This verse is talking about
Godly principles which are fruits of the Spirit and are made
of Spirit. They exist in the world and people (both Jew
and Gentile) bump into these Godly principles all the
time and their minds are affected by the fact they are made
of Spirit. This verse is saying that when people are
touched by Godly principles, they become a 'Law' unto the
heart and mind of the person.
Romans 2:15
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;
[Which
show] Who thus evince or show.
[The
work of the law] The design, purpose, or
object which is contemplated by the revealed Law; that is,
to make known to man his duty, and to enforce the obligation
to perform it. This does not mean, by any means, that they
had all the knowledge which the Law would impart, for then
there would have been no need of a revelation, but that, as
far as it went, as far as they had a knowledge of right and
wrong, they coincided with the revealed will of God. In
other words, the will of God, whether made known by reason
or revelation, will be the same so far as reason goes. The
difference is that revelation goes further than reason;
sheds light on new duties and doctrines; as the information
given by the naked eye and the telescope is the same,
except, that the telescope carries the sight forward, and
reveals new worlds to the sight of man.
[Written
in their hearts] The revealed Law of God was
written on tables of stone, and then recorded in the books
of the Old Testament. This law the Gentiles did not possess,
but, to a certain extent, the same requirements were written
on their hearts. Though not revealed to them as to the Jews,
yet they had obtained the knowledge of them by the tight of
nature. The word "hearts" here denotes the mind itself, as
it does also frequently in the Sacred Scriptures; not the
heart, as the seat of the affections. It does not mean that
they loved or even approved of the Law, but that they had
knowledge of it; and that that knowledge was deeply engraved
on their minds.
[Their
conscience] This word properly means the
judgment of the mind respecting right and wrong; or the
judgment which the mind passes on the morality or immorality
of its own actions, when it instantly approves or condemns
them. It has usually been termed the moral sense, and is a
very important principle in a moral government. Its design
is to answer the purposes of an ever attendant witness of a
man's conduct; to compel him to pronounce on his own doings,
and thus to excite him to virtuous deeds, to give comfort
and peace when he does right, to deter from evil actions by
making him, whether he will or no, his own executioner: see
John 8:9; Acts 23:1; 24:16; Romans 9:1; 1 Timothy 1:5. By
nature every man thus approves or condemns his own acts; and
there is not a profounder principle of the divine
administration, than thus compelling every man to pronounce
on the moral character of his own conduct. Conscience may be
enlightened or unenlightened; and its use may be greatly
perverted by false opinions. Its province is not to
communicate any new truth, it is simply to express judgment,
and to impart pleasure or inflict pain for a man's own good
or evil conduct. The apostle's argument does not require him
to say that conscience revealed any truth, or any knowledge
of duty, to the Gentiles, but that its actual exercise
proved that they had knowledge of the Law of God. Thus, it
was a witness simply of that fact.
Note:
Very important commentary here as it describes, in part, the
Salvation process. The purpose and design of the Law is to
point man toward Godly principles (Galatians 5:22-23). See
where the commentary states that man is excited to "virtuous
deeds"? These deeds are the invoking of the Holy Spirit.
Godly principles (deeds,
works) are invoked (happen)
by power of the Holy Spirit so that man cannot take credit
for those deeds or works. Man is justified by the Spirit of
God in them and what takes place by that power.
Do you see also how this all
is applying to the Gentiles who had not been preached to (but
were about to)?
[Bearing
witness] To bear witness is to furnish
testimony, or proof. And the exercise of the conscience here
showed or proved that they had a knowledge of the Law. The
expression does not mean that the exercise of their
conscience bore witness of anything to them, but that its
exercise may be alleged as a proof that they were not
without some knowledge of the Law.
[And
their thoughts] The word "thoughts" logismoon
(NT:3053) means properly reasonings, or opinions,
sentiments, etc. Its meaning here may be expressed by the
word "reflections." Their reflections on their own conduct
would be attended with pain or pleasure. It differs from
conscience, inasmuch as the decisions of conscience are
instantaneous, and without any process of reasoning. This
supposes subsequent reflection, and it means that such
reflections would only deepen and confirm the decisions of
conscience.
[The
mean while] Margin, "Between themselves." The
rendering in the margin is more in accordance with the
Greek. The expression sometimes means, in the mean time, or
at the same time; and sometimes afterward, or subsequently.
The Symac and Latin Vulgate render this mutually. They seem
to have understood this as affirming that the pagan among
themselves, by their writings, accused or acquitted one
another.
[Accusing]
If the actions were evil.
[Excusing]
That is, if their actions were good.
[One
another] The margin renders this expression
in connection with the adverb, translated "in the mean
while,” "between themselves." This view is also taken by
many commentators, and this is its probable meaning. If so,
it denotes the fact that in their reflections, or their
reasonings, or discussions, they accused each other of
crime, or acquitted one another; they showed that they had a
law; that they acted on the supposition that they had. To
show this was the design of the apostle; and there was no
further proof of it needed than what he here adduced.
(1) They had a conscience,
pronouncing on their own acts; and,
(2) Their reasonings, based
on the supposition of some such common and acknowledged
standard of accusing or acquitting, supposed the same thing.
If, therefore, they condemned or acquitted themselves; if in
these reasonings and reflections, they proceeded on the
principle that they had some rule of right and wrong, then
the proposition of the apostle was made out that it was
right for God to judge them, and to destroy them; Romans
2:8-12.
Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my
gospel.
[In
the day] This verse is doubtless to be
connected with Romans 2:12, and the intermediate verses are
a parenthesis, and it implies that the pagan world, as well
as the Jews, will be arraigned at the bar of judgment. At
that time God will judge all in righteousness, the Jew by
the Law which he had, and the pagan by the Law which he had.
[When
God shall judge] God is often represented as
the Judge of mankind; Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 50:4; 1
Samuel 2:10; Ecclesiastes 3:17; Romans 3:6; Hebrews 13:4.
But this does not militate against the fact that he will do
it by Jesus Christ. God has appointed his Son to administer
judgment; and it will be not by God directly, but by Jesus
Christ that it will be administered.
[The
secrets of men] See Luke 8:17; Ecclesiastes
12:14, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with
every secret thing," etc., Matthew 10:26; 1 Corinthians 4:5.
The expression denotes the hidden desires, lusts, passions,
and motives of people; the thoughts of the heart, as well as
the outward actions of the life. It will be a characteristic
of the day of judgment, that all these will he brought out,
and receive their appropriate reward. The propriety of this
is apparent, for,
(1) It is by these that the
character is really determined. The motives and princip1es
of a man constitute his character, and to judge him
impartially, these must be known.
(2) They are not judged or
rewarded in this life. The external conduct only can be seen
by people, and of course that only can be rewarded or
punished here.
(3) People of pure motives
and pure hearts are often here basely aspersed and
calumniated. They are persecuted, traduced, and often
overwhelmed with ignominy. It is proper that the secret
motives of their conduct should be brought out and approved.
On the other hand, people of
base motives, people of unprincipled character, and who are
corrupt at the heart, are often lauded, flattered, and
exalted into public estimation. It is proper that their
secret principles should be detected, and that they should
take their proper place in the government of God. In regard
to this expression, we may further remark,
(1) That the fact that all
secret thoughts and purposes will be brought into judgment,
invests the judgment with an awful character. Who should not
tremble at the idea that the secret plans and desires of his
soul, which he has so long and so studiously concealed,
should be brought out into noon-day in the judgment? All his
artifices of concealment shall be then at an end. He will be
able to practice disguise no longer. He will be seen as he
is; and he will receive the doom he deserves. There will be
one place, at least, where the sinner shall be treated as he
ought.
(2) To execute this judgment
implies the power of searching the heart; of knowing the
thoughts; and of developing and unfolding all the purposes
and plans of the soul. Yet this is intrusted to Jesus
Christ, and the fact that he will exercise this, shows that
he is divine.
[Of
men] Of all people, whether Jew or Gentile,
infidel or Christian. The day of judgment, therefore, may be
regarded as a day of universal development of all the plans
and purposes that have ever been entertained in this world.
[By Jesus Christ]
The fact that Jesus Christ is appointed to judge the world
is abundantly taught in the Bible, Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy
4:1; 1 Peter 4:5; John 5:22,27; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18;
Matthew 25:31-46.
[According
to my gospel] According to the gospel which I
preach. Compare Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:8. This does not
mean that the gospel which he preached would be the rule by
which God would judge all mankind, for he had just said that
the pagan world would be judged by a different rule, Romans
2:12. But it means that he was entrusted with the gospel to
make it known; and that one of the great and prime articles
of that gospel was, that God would judge the world by Jesus
Christ. To make this known he was appointed; and it could be
called his gospel only as being a part of the important
message with which he was entrusted.
~from Barnes' Notes
Following is an outline of
the first 5 chapters of the book of Romans which will help
you understand its structure and the meaning of the verses.
ROMANS: A Teaching
Outline [partial]
The Revelation of the
Righteousness of God (1:1--8:39)
I. Introduction 1:1-17
II. Condemnation: The
Need for God's 1:18--3:20
Righteousness
A. Guilt of the Gentile
1:18-32
B. Guilt of the Jew
2:1--3:8
C. Conclusion: All Are
Guilty before God 3:9-20
III. Justification: God's
Righteousness 3:21--5:21
A. Description of
Righteousness 3:21-31
B. Illustration of
Righteousness 4
C. Benefits of
Righteousness 5:1-11
D. Contrast of
Righteousness and Condemnation 5:12-21
~from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
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