To understand Romans 2, we first have to have a good understanding of Romans 1. Romans 1 18-32 dealt with God’s wrath against sinful humanity. This is the part of humanity who knows of God, yet still decides to sin in opposition to Him. It is expressed in the following verses:
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
In verses 18-20, we see how Paul lays out his argument. God’s wrath is leveled against those who know the truth yet deny it. The godlessness and wickedness refer to offenses against God and fellow man, and these people refuse to acknowledge the truth and continue to live unrighteously.
Verses 21-23 show show us that if someone willingly turn away from God in favor of sin, God doesn’t strike them down; he gives them over to it. Why? So they can experience the self-destructive nature of sin first-hand. This is meant to bring the sinner into repentance. But the longer the sinner refuses this and allows sin to grow inside, they begin to harden against God.
This is the truth verses 26-27 teaches. If they are still unwilling to turn back to God, then their very mind, actions and thoughts are compromised. God continues to allow the sinner to fall further away. This may seem cruel, but this is the sinner’s choice. If he continues to run from God, he will run deeper into a darkness that has no light.
Verses 28-32 finalize the process. Ultimately, their very perspective is affected Pure thought is destroyed and a new morality is lived. They are given over to this depraved mind that thinks the sin they do is good. They lose the very baseline of live and indulge in acts of self-ambition, greed, wickedness and depravity. They not only do evil but invent ways of doing more evil. Mercy is a casualty of this. And in the end, the depraved mind that is at work within these people, sees its fruition: they not only continue to do these very things, but also approve of those who practice them.
This is the path of living without God. It is when we create a new truth (sinful behavior + lack of accountability), which is a form a rationalizing our sin. Second, we must create a New Morality (eliminate the real truth and replace it with our own truth). This leads to Moral Relativity (everyone has their own truth), and when we bring it into lifestyle (accept the sin, filter it through the new morality and defy God’s natural order), we create a new truth for ourselves, deny the real truth of God, and live a life apart from Him.
Here’s an example: Let’s say that I like to gossip. Well I know, from reading the Bible, that Paul calls out gossip as wrong behavior. But I really like to do it! It’s fun, exciting, and I’ve gained a few friends from it. Besides, in the same list, is murder. Gossip isn’t as bad as murder, right? One’s really bad and one’s just kind of bad. So gossip isn’t really a bad sin.
I’ve identified sinful behavior and created a lack of accountability to it.
Next, I’ve been gossiping for awhile and it’s a lot of fun! My friends and I have grown closer and we get together and compare notes on all the things we hear. We conspire and speculate and talk about who we love and hate. I’ve read its a sin, but this is good for me. It’s a stress reliever and I really look forward to getting together with my friends. So if I just remember that it isn’t that big of a deal really (since it’s good to me), then that’s enough. I’m not out murdering people or stealing or anything like that. In fact, if I just don’t read the Bible, then that’s better. I already know what’s good for me.
2. I’ve eliminated God’s truth ad replaced it with my own truth
Finally, with the accountability away from me, I can express myself it the way I want to. There are no more ropes holding me down, I can fly free. I can live this life as gossip, I mean, that’s what people know me by. I’m the person who knows things and isn’t afraid to whisper about it. It’s part of me.
3. I’ve brought it into my lifestyle, grown it, until its interwoven into my identity.
This is the beginning of Paul’s dissertation on why we must be justified by faith. It isn’t because a certain sect of people suffer from this, but because we all suffer from this.
It is easy, at the end of this dialogue, to point a finger and call out this evil. The temptation is to say, “at least I’m not like them.” But as we get into chapter 2, we see that Paul turns the tables on us and talks about this very real threat of judgement.
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
This is Paul’s judgment of the Moralist point of view. A Moralist is a person who identifies with following Christ, who is generally moral, yet passes judgment on others. Passing judgement on others is wrong; it brings our hypocrisy into the light. When we pass judgment, we are holding others to an unmanageable standard. We develop our own truth and hold other accountable to it. We’re saying “I’m not like them!” (Luke 18:10-14).
2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
The moralist (of Romans 2) and the obvious sinner (of Romans 1) are judged by the facts (Deuteronomy 10:17)
3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
We act as a judge when it isn’t our place to act in that capacity. There is only one way a Christian should ever judge another, and that’s when we see a brother or sister falling away from their walk. This judgment is a judgment call (what I see in your behavior) and the remedy is always to bring them back gently into understanding.
4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
If we are using the time God allots us to judge instead of come into a deeper relationship, then we are misusing the gift (2 Peter 3:9).
The riches of God’s kindness (Goodness), Forbearance (Self-Control) and Long Suffering (Patience) is meat to bring us to repentance. But as a Moralist, these can become the very things we feel entitled to. We misuse God’s gifts to judge others by. We become self-righteous (I deserve God’s riches) and judge those by them (but you don’t deserve them).
An example is this: God has been very patient with me. It was a long road to recovery. It took 25 years for me to kick my habit, but He was gracious and loving and lead me into a better life. But you just need to give up your addiction right away! You need to suck it up, be a man, don’t let it control you. I did it, you can do it to, but by being weak you’re just storing up problems for yourself.
We can get into this mindset very easily. Even naturally. This is Paul’s prognosis of the Moralist. The Moralist falls into this easily, even when he is walking with God, and doesn’t even realize that he needs the same help from Christ as does the obvious sinner.
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
A “moralist” believes he is working for God by condemning sin around him; he forgets his own sin before God.
6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done. 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
This condemns the obvious sinner, but it also condemns the moralist; both fall short of what God demands. One refers to faith (persistence in doing good); the other refers to the opposite (reject the truth) (Revelation 20:11-15)
9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
There will be a reckoning for those who do evil. If the Jews are first in line for Gospel (Romans 1:16), then they are also first in line for reward (Romans 2:10), and first in line for judgment. God does not show favoritism; so the moralist is in the same boat as the sinner. The question is this: can we always do good? Do we always do evil? Or are we more of a mixed bag?
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
We will be judged impartially. If we follow God’s word, the judgment is in relation to how we operated inside God’s word. The opposite is also true.
13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Hearing the word is not enough. Living the word is what God desires (James 1:22-25). We are judged by our response to God.
14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.
This is conscience. It is enough to condemn them or justify their actions if they do not have a bearing of the truth.
15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
If someone does not have the Holy Spirit, they have conscience; there is morality hard-wired into each person to decide between right and wrong. We are judged by our response to conscience/Holy Spirit. What Paul is sayings that no one has an excuse, even if they’ve never heard of Jesus. They are responsible to the moral barometer that is wired into each living person. Everyone, therefore, has a choice between good and evil.
The Jews and the Law 17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
The Jews in Paul’s day believed that God gave the nation of Israel His Holy Law; Their belief was their salvation and special status as a chosen people. By heritage they were saved. This accounts for at least some of the motivation of the Pharisees. They were born out of the 400 years of silence from God and grew into a powerful spiritual entity. From the 613 Levitical laws they based their worship on, they incorporated hundreds more to reinforce those laws. What it did was create a deeper divide between them and the people. The people couldn’t shoulder all of the requirements of the law and the Pharisees could not either. But they demanded it of the people. To them, the ritual became more important than the inner cleansing they needed. They had an understanding of the law, even a passion for the law, but didn’t understand what the law really meant.
Paul’s concept is this: mere possession of the Law (understanding) does not grant salvation. Paul’s question is this: if you have the law and understand it, do you keep it? Both attitude and action are important to God. If we aren’t practicing both, under God, then we can cause others to fall (v. 24).
In other words, we can have all the rituals and church obligations checked off (actions) , but if we don’t have the heart (attitude), we don’t have anything.
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the[ written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
In Paul’s day, the ritual became very important in the salvation of the person. Paul is refuting this. Matthew 23:25-26. Ceremony means nothing if the heart is not changed. Our obedience is what God desires, not the emptiness of duty. Our definition in Christ is about where our heart is, not what we do religiously.