Romans 2
2
God’s Righteous Judgment
1Therefore, any one of you # Lit Therefore, O man, every one # Lk 12:14; Rm 9:20 who judges is without excuse. # Rm 1:20 For when you judge another, # 2Sm 12:5-7; Mt 7:1; Rm 14:22 you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3Do you really think — anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same — that you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, # Rm 11:22 restraint, # Rm 3:25 and patience, # Ex 34:6; Rm 9:22; 1Tm 1:16; 1Pt 3:20; 2Pt 3:15 not recognizing # Or patience, because you do not recognize that God’s kindness # 2Pt 3:9 is intended to lead you to repentance? 5But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath # Dt 32:34; Pr 1:18 for yourself in the day of wrath, # Ps 110:5; 2Co 5:10; 2Th 1:5; Jd 6 when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. 6He will repay each one according to his works: # Ps 62:12; Pr 24:12, Mt 16:27 # Ps 62:12; Pr 24:12 7eternal life # 1Co 15:42,50,53 to those who by persistence in doing good # Lk 8:15; Heb 10:36 seek glory, honor, # Heb 2:7; 1Pt 1:7 and immortality; # Mt 25:46 8but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking # 2Co 12:20; Gl 5:20; Php 2:3; Jms 3:14,16 and disobey the truth # 2Th 2:12 but are obeying unrighteousness; 9affliction and distress # Rm 8:35 for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; # Ac 3:26; Rm 1:16; 1Pt 4:17 10but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 11There is no favoritism with God. # Dt 10:17; Ac 10:34
12All those who sinned without the law # 1Co 9:21 will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13For the hearers of the law # Mt 7:21,24; Jn 13:17; Jms 1:22 are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. # Or will be justified or acquitted 14So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively # Ac 10:35; Rm 1:19 do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the work of the law # The code of conduct required by the law is written on their hearts. # Rm 2:27 Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them # Internal debate, either in a person or among the pagan moralists 16on the day when God judges # Ac 10:42; 17:31; Rm 3:6; 14:10 what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus. # Rm 16:25; 1Co 15:1; Gl 1:11; 1Tm 1:11; 2Tm 2:8
Jewish Violation of the Law
17Now if # Other mss read Look — you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law, # Mc 3:11; Jn 5:45; Rm 9:4 boast in God, 18know His will, and approve the things that are superior, # Php 1:10 being instructed from the law, 19and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression # Or the embodiment of knowledge and truth # Is 2:1-4; 42:6-7; 49:6 in the law — 21you then, who teach another, # Mt 23:3-7 don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal” — do you steal? 22You who say, “You must not commit adultery” — do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? # Ac 19:37 23You who boast in the law, # Mc 3:11; Jn 5:45; Rm 9:4 do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. # Is 52:5; Ezk 36:20-23; 2Pt 2:2 # Is 52:5
Circumcision of the Heart
25For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. # Jr 4:4; 9:25 26Therefore if an uncircumcised # Rm 3:30; 1Co 7:19; Eph 2:11 man keeps the law’s requirements, # Rm 8:4 will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? 27A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you # Mt 12:41 who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, # Jn 8:39; Rm 9:6; Gl 6:15 and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, # Php 3:3; Col 2:11 and circumcision is of the heart — by the Spirit, not the letter. # Or heart — spiritually, not literally # Rm 7:6; 2Co 3:6 That man’s praise # In Hb, the words Jew, Judah, and praise are related. is not from men but from God. # Jn 5:44; 12:43; 1Co 4:5; 2Co 10:18
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Romans 2
2
God Judges Fairly
1If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing. 2We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly. 3Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you? 4Do you disrespect God’s great kindness and favor? Do you disrespect God when he is patient with you? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins?
5But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown. 6God “will pay back each person in keeping with what they have done.” (Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12) 7God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends. 8But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don’t accept the truth. They go astray. God will pour out his great anger on them. 9There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. 10But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. 11God treats everyone the same.
12Some people do not know God’s law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God’s law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. 13Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law. 14Gentiles do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don’t have the law. 15They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them proves this fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty. 16This will happen on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge people’s secret thoughts. That’s part of my good news.
The Jews and the Law
17Suppose you call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law. You brag that you know God. 18You know what God wants. You agree with what is best because the law teaches you. 19You think you know so much more than the people you teach. You think you’re helping blind people. You think you are a light for those in the dark. 20You think you can make foolish people wise. You act like you’re teaching little children. You think that the law gives you all knowledge and truth. 21You claim to teach others, but you don’t even teach yourself! You preach against stealing. But you steal! 22You say that people should not commit adultery. But you commit adultery! You hate statues of gods. But you rob temples! 23You brag about the law. But when you break it, you rob God of his honor! 24It is written, “The Gentiles say evil things against God’s name because of you.” (Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22)
25Circumcision has value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, it is just as if you hadn’t been circumcised. 26And sometimes those who aren’t circumcised do what the law requires. Won’t God accept them as if they had been circumcised? 27Many are not circumcised physically, but they obey the law. They will prove that you are guilty. You are breaking the law, even though you have the written law and are circumcised.
28A person is not a Jew if they are a Jew only on the outside. And circumcision is more than just something done to the outside of a man’s body. 29No, a person is a Jew only if they are a Jew on the inside. And true circumcision means that the heart has been circumcised by the Holy Spirit. The person whose heart has been circumcised does more than obey the written law. The praise that matters for that kind of person does not come from other people. It comes from God.
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