Let’s recap what we’ve studied so far since it’s been a while. This is Paul’s Magus Opus. Paul is on a mission to expose the depravity of man’s unrighteousness and bring glory of God’s righteousness (1-2). Paul in 2:17 switches from the Gentiles (whom is Paul’s mission field [1:14]), to his own kinsman in the Jews. Here Paul is having a conversation with himself and in a sense with the Jewish people of Rome.