Romans: The Gospel Unites (Week 5)

Good morning, I pray you all had a wonderful week in the Lord!

Our Wednesday series is called Culture Shock. It is a video series that talks about some of the most hot-button topics today and how we can talk with others, especially those who do not follow Christ, about these topics. The series covers issues such as abortion, politics, gay marriage, as well as other important topics. If you would like a study guide, please let me know, and I will order one for you.

This morning we are going to continue our look at the 2nd chapter of Romans…the Apostle Paul’s longest letter. Just as a quick recap before we pray, back in the latter part of January we went through chapter 1 of Romans. The majority of chapter 1 is Paul’s introduction, where he is introducing himself, establishing his authority, and reminding the Romans that he cares for them, deeply. After the introduction, but still in chapter 1, Paul begins to talk about the Gentiles who are practicing idolatry. Paul says that these Gentiles suppress God’s truth and as a result, they are consumed by their own passions and perversions. That was chapter one.

Last week we started chapter 2, where Paul turns his attention to the Jews....warning them against passing judgment on people and then turning around and doing the same thing. Today we continue in chapter 2, starting in verse 12.

PRAY

NOT HAVING A "WRITTEN" LAW DOES NOT EXEMPT FROM JUDGMENT (12-16)

1. Those who sin will still perish (12)

2. The Gentiles DO have a law (13-15)

3. Jesus Christ will judge accordingly (16)

Romans 2:12–16 “For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, 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. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.”

To be honest, parts of verses 12-16 were always a bit confusing to me. Even now, it is still hard to wrap my head around some of what Paul is communicating to the church in Rome, especially verses 14-16. The reason for this, I believe, is because of what Paul appears to be communicating to the church in Rome, which we will discuss in detail as we progress through the passages. Right above the passages, on your handout, I made an outline of sorts for verses 12-16-which is how we will be covering our passages today. I always liked it when the pastor gave a handout of his sermon; that way, I knew when he was finishing up.

Let’s go ahead and get started by looking at verse 12

Those who sin will perish.

Beginning back in Chapter 1, Paul begins to build a narrative.

Narrative: a spoken or written account of connected events

The narrative begins in chapter 1, verse 16

Romans 1:16–17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.”

Paul wants to teach the Romans church that no longer are Jews and Gentiles different from one another. No longer should the Jew look down and judge the gentile and no longer should the gentile live like pagans, who suppress God’s truth and proudly practice idolatry. Through the gospel of Christ, they are now united.

Just as the Jew and Gentile are united together through their faith in Christ, those who reject God’s revelation to humanity are also equal before the Lord.

Romans 2:12 “For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.”

The concept of all people being equal before the Lord is a theme we see all throughout the book of Romans, as well as His other books. Here in verse 12 of chapter 2, Paul introduces this idea for the first time. One of the resources I use said this about verse 12:

CSB Study Bible: Notes (Chapter 2)

2:12 This verse introduces the Mosaic law into the discussion of the coming judgment. The law will be considered throughout the remainder of Romans. The Jews saw the Mosaic law as key in the difference between Jews and Gentiles; Paul teaches that the law does not save a person but only reveals sin as people fall short of the law’s requirements.

What the author says is very true. The author is also referencing some passages from Romans 3. I do not want to get into them too much, bet they are directly related to verse 12, as far as subject matter is concerned.

Romans 3:20–24 “For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets.

Without delving into too much detail, as I have to save that for when we cover chapter 3; These passages in Romans 3 are very closely related to verse 12-16 in Romans 2. They discuss the same subject, which is, everyone is equal in God’s sight. In the case of verse 12, those who sin will perish.

2. The Gentiles DO have a law (13-15)

Romans 2:13–15 “For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, 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. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them”

It is vitally important in these couple of passages that we understand what Paul is talking about,and what he is NOT talking about (which I will address in my conclusion). These 3 passages have been used to develop some bad about salvation over the years. For example, proponents of Universalism use these passages.

Universalism: belief in the salvation of all souls. Rose to prominence through Origen of Alexandria in the 3rd century, however, it wasn’t until the mid 18th Century that Universalism became an organized movement.

In order to be sure what Paul was intending to say in the verses I just read, we must take into account the rest of Paul’s writings, as well as the entirety of scripture. Just was a warning, everyone has a slightly different take on these passages, so you may or may not fully agree…and that is OK…everyone is entitled to be wrong a few times throughout their lives. Let’s examine verses 13 to 15 a little closer.

Romans 2:13 “For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”

Here in verse 13, Paul is continuing to build on his narrative…first Paul makes it clear that all are equal before the Lord, whether they know the law or they do not know the law. Paul states that the doers of the law will be justified or set right before the Lord. Admittedly, verse 13 can be a bit confusing, as depending on what part of Romans you are reading, Paul talks about the law differently. Before we talk about that, we must first understand what the law is.

What is the law that Paul is talking about?

Some of us might think the answer to this is easy, but it is a bit more complicated than it appears. The first thing to understand is, when scripture refers to “the law,” it is referring to the law of Moses…both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Even Jesus, when talking about the Law is referring to the Law of Moses.

Matthew 5:17–19 ““Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Notice what Jesus says here, because it is the same idea that Paul talks about. Jesus says: whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But wait a second, I thought the New Testament taught that no one can properly keep the law. Why is Jesus saying that the law will not pass away? It almost sounds like Jesus is saying that we need to keep the Law of Moses…except we know that is not the case. We know that is not the case because of what Jesus said in verse 17…that Jesus came to fulfill the law. What exactly did Jesus mean by He cam to fulfil the law? Well, there are 3 different types of O.T. Law.

Old Testament Law: Civil, Ceremonial, Moral

1. Civil: Deals with disputes between individuals.  Expired with the demise of the Jewish civil government

Be just with the poor, (Lev. 19:15); Cattle, of neighbor (Deut. 22:1-4); Debt (Lev. 23:34-43; Deut. 31:10);

2. Ceremonial: Expired with the fulfillment of priestly work of Christ (Matt. 3:15)

Cleaning house of leper (Lev. 14:33-57; Num. 5:2); Festivals (Lev. 23:1-25; Nu. 29:39); Laws on animals for food (Lev. 11:1-47); Law of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-28;17:1-16)

3. Moral: No Expiration because it is based on God’s character.  “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,” (Lev. 19:2)

Idolatry (Lev. 26:1-13); Love God (Deut. 6:4); Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18); Oppress your neighbor (Lev. 19:13); Stealing or lying (Lev. 19:11); Sacrifice children to Molech forbidden (Lev. 20:1-5); Sexual sins: adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, etc. (Lev. 18:20; 20:9-21; Num. 5:12-15)

When we refer to the Mosiac law today, we rarely make distinctions....but that’s not the way both Jesus and Paul approached the Law. When Jesus says that He came to fulfil the law, He is talking about the ceremonial aspects of the Law....but we are still expected to follow the moral aspects of the law. So, when Paul says:

Romans 2:13 “For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”

Paul is referring to the moral law, not the ceremonial. We will see this is the case as we go forward as Paul further builds his narrative.

We covered quite a bit for verse 13, so let’s recap what Paul is saying to the Jews in Rome:

God does not show favoritism

Whether or not a person learned the Law of Moses has nothing to do with their standing before God

God honors obedience, rather than knowledge

At this point, a Jewish person might ask Paul: Without the Law of Moses, how would a Gentile even know how to obey or what to obey? As if Paul is expecting this question, in verse 14 Paul says:

Romans 2:14 “So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law.”

It is verse 14 that lets us know that Paul is referring only to the moral law....right verses wrong, good verses evil. Up to this point in Romans, verse 14 is actually the 3rd time that Paul suggests that Gentiles had/have their own law. The first time was back in chapter 1 and then again in chapter 2 vs. 6-7.

Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.”

Romans 2:6–7 “He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality;”

Paul argues to the Roman church that the Gentiles, even though they did not have the law of Moses, Gentiles still know right from wrong…that is the law that Paul is referring to…the internal conscience that each person is born with. Of course, back then, the word conscience did not exist…except it was clear that a person did not have to be a Jew in order to understand right from wrong or good verses evil. Paul’s point here is that, while Jews grew up and were taught both the moral, civil, and ceremonial law of Moses, Gentiles did not have that luxury. At best, Gentiles would have grown up listening to or learning the Greek Philosophers. Despite this, many Gentiles followed the moral law better than the Jews....this is what Paul is trying to teach the Romans. Remember, the Jews thought themselves superior to the Gentiles…Paul’s narrative seeks to dispel the myth that God views Jews and Gentiles differently.

What if the Gentiles, who do not have the law, are somehow able by nature to keep it? Such a scenario sounds impossible, but Paul nevertheless asks the question. If keeping the law is more important than having the law, then maybe the Gentiles are not in such a bad place after all. Paul says that those who keep the law—even though they don’t have it—are a law unto themselves. Paul is not claiming some new path to justification; he’s making an important point about the limitations of only possessing the law.

Romans 2:15 “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them”

Verse 15 is a continuation of verse 14, with Paul repeating the same basic idea, but wording it differently. When Gentiles live their lives according to the moral law given by Moses, that is evidence that God has not written them off or abandoned them. After all, if God had completely abandoned the Gentiles, as was the thought by many Jews, no Gentile could act in a moral fashion, as morality has its origin in God. Likewise, Paul says, when a Gentile acts in opposition to their conscience, they are breaking the law, as given to them by the Lord. Most people know when they do something they shouldn’t…people know that lying is inherently wrong, they know that premeditated murder is wrong, they know that stealing is wrong....when we break these internal laws our own conscience tells us we are wrong…that is what Paul is communicating here.

In 2:15, Paul elaborates on these law-keeping folks without the law. How could they possibly keep a law they do not have? From God’s perspective, the law that was given to Moses is not the only code that can convict a person of sin. Rather, there is a law that is written on people’s hearts. This law correlates to their consciences, the thoughts of which accuse and even defend them (see 1:19–20). But Paul goes further, claiming that God will prove this on the day when He judges people according to the gospel message.

Let’s finish up with our last passage for today, verse 16.

3. Jesus Christ Will Judge Accordingly (V. 16)

Romans 2:16 “on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.”

The way the translators broke up verse 15 and 16 is kind of bizarre, as it seems to be in the middle of a sentence. That said, Paul concludes his narrative in verse 16 by telling the Roman church that one day, when all things are laid bare, Jesus will judge the secret intentions of the heart…whether they are righteous or unrighteous. The narrative that Paul lays out is as follows:

1. God does not show favoritism

2. Whether or not a person learned the Law of Moses has nothing to do with their standing before God

3. God honors obedience, above than knowledge

4. Everyone will be held to account, based upon their obedience

That is the narrative that Paul is building in verses 12-16. These were, more than likely, new ideas for many in the Roman church. Never before had anyone suggested that Jews and Gentiles have the same standing before God. Paul is letting the church know that Christ is the great unifier. As I said earlier, Paul is comparing and contrasting the Law of Moses and the Law written upon the hearts of man. So, that is what Paul is talking about, how let’s discuss what Paul is Not talking about.

What Paul is NOT talking about or Suggesting:

There are certain passages in Romans, like the ones we are looking at today that give preachers and commentators heartburn. A good example is from.

Romans 2:13 “For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”

If we are to take Paul’s words like we are taught, then we must conclude that a person can be justified by simply living a moral life and by following their conscience. Let me state clearly, that is NOT what Paul is suggesting. As was mentioned before, Paul is not creating an entire new path to justification or being reconciled to the Father. We know this for a few reasons:

The immediate context of the passages.

Paul’s other writings.

3. Paul’s understanding of the Law.

I compare verse 13 to another difficult passage where Paul says something that seems contrary to the rest of his writing.

1 Timothy 2:15 “But she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with good sense.”

If were are to take Paul at his direct word, it appears as though He is suggesting that the only way a woman can spend eternity with the Father is if she has children. We know that to not be true for similar reasons that we know Romans 2:13 not to be true…in both cases Paul is saying things that do not comport with the rest of His writings.

At the end of the day, I believe that Paul used those phrases and those examples in order to communicate a new idea to the church in Rome. Paul was meeting the Romans where they were; trying to explain God’s impartiality. As we continue to move through the book of Romans, Paul will make it abundantly clear to his audience that the law, whether it be the law of Moses or the law written on our hearts, that nothing apart from Christ can reconcile our relationship with the Father.

Romans 5:9–11 “How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.”

The Image of God!

All of that said, how should we take Romans 2:12-16 as a lesson for us today? As I pointed out earlier, these passages serve as a great example of how easy it is to develop bad doctrine, just like the Pharisees did. Think for a moment about why Jesus was so frustrated with the Pharisees. You see, the Pharisees were experts in the Law, they spent their entire lives studying it and learning from the passed down tradition. From that study and tradition came their doctrines and theology and beliefs…and all of it was supposed to point the Israelites to the Messiah. Yet, the Pharisees became so over burned by their doctrine and tradition that when the Messiah came, they missed Him completely. The Pharisees became guilty of idolizing their own interpretation and their own understanding of the O.T. scriptures…so much so, as I said, that when the Messiah came, because Jesus didn’t fit their narrow view, they missed out. Their own doctrine became their idol. Likewise, the aspects of the law that Jesus came to fulfill had become such an idol that they preferred their idol over the Messiah. How did they miss it so bad?

In the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry He entered the temple and began reading from the book of Isaiah. The Pharisees would have been there, listening to every word that came out of Jesus’ mouth. After reading the section of Isaiah that talked about the Messiah, Luke records this:

Luke 4:20–21 “He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.””

When reading this scroll and saying that “today the scripture is fulfilled.” Jesus was declaring that He is God’s Son, The Son of David, The Image of God in flesh. Upon hearing this, the people asked Jesus to perform a miracle. Jesus refused. Luke then records what happened

Luke 4:28–29 “When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They got up, drove him out of town, and brought him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff.”

The reason that the Pharisees missed it is because they misunderstood the image of God. Conversely, the reason that Paul says

Romans 2:13 “For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”

is because Paul is talking about those who live, according to their conscience are a better representation of the Image of God than those who, through their idolatry, have lost sight of the true image of God. It is the same idea that we see in the book of James

James 1:22–23 “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror.”

In fact, the entire book of James is about us bearing the Image of God in our lives. What exactly is the image of God? The best example of the Image of God, other than Jesus, is the creation account.

Genesis 1:1–3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

We see the very opposite of the Image of God at the very beginning of creation…formless, empty, and darkness. When we think about God in our minds, those are not the words we would use to describe Him at all. As creation continues, God then decides to create man and then woman.

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.”

God created man in His own image…naturally, we understand that God is not speaking literally here. God does not have a human form. Therefore, we understand that the image of God is meant as spiritual. Both Adam and Eve were created perfect, sinless…mirroring the very image of God. Of course, we know that Adam and Eve sinned and the image of God in humanity was tainted and corrupted.

If we fast-forward thousands of Years, God sets a group of people apart, so that eventually, humanity can once again bear the Image of God. To help the Israelites achieve this end, God gave a code of conduct and rules to live by. These were intended so separate the Israelites from those around them…so they can better bear His image and eventually bring about the Messiah, in whom all of Humanity would be invited to bear the Image of God.

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Unfortunately, the Israelites lost sight of the goal…in other words, the means became more important than the end. The means are the laws of Moses, but the end is that Humanity bear God’s image and be reconciled to Him once again. This is where the Messiah enters the picture, the ultimate image of God, both figuratively and literally. Jesus represented the perfect image of God and was sent to make a way for all of humanity. This is why scripture says

John 3:16–17 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

When John says that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, that is what John means…Jesus died, not so people would be excluded from bearing the image of God, but so that people could bear the image of God. The reason that the Pharisees missed it is because they were looking for more rules; they were looking for more exclusion; they were looking for God to smite their enemy…not to turn the other cheek. Their image of God did not align with the true image of God…that is why they missed it.

So, when Paul says:

Romans 2:13 “For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”

I believe this is what he is referring to. The Gentiles, who did not have the law were better image bearers than those who had the law.

What about us? Are we in danger of doing the exact same thing that the Pharisees did?

Does our image of God align with the perfect image of God, in Christ Jesus? b

Have we become so fixated on our very specific doctrine and our very specific theology that we end up confusing doctrine for the image of God? It’s clear that Paul, when he wrote Romans 2:12-16 was more concerned with people properly bearing the Image of God, rather than any specific doctrine. Paul was sending a message to the Jews in Rome that bearing the image of God has always been and will always be more important that keeping a list of rules and do’s and don'ts.

I would argue that we are very much in danger of loosing sight of what God’s image actually looks like. It is why someone can be a Christian, but rarely, if ever, be a proper representation of the image of God. Being doers of the word does not mean that we do our best to please God via rule keeping or even protecting our sacred doctrine…this is exactly what the Pharisees were guilty of. Being a doer of the word means that we bear the image of God faithfully, in the same manner as Christ. This, of course, does not mean that we forget who died for us and why He died for us…and how the world is lost without Him, but instead of using the atonement of Christ as a means to exclude, which is how Christianity becomes “us vs them,” we must use the atonement of Christ as a means to bear the image of God and let Him do His work in and through people.

The faulty ideas that have sprung out of our passages today, like universalism do not, in any way, bear the image of God. In fact they very much bear the image of man or the image of our adversary