Judged by Light

God will judge every person impartially according to the light they have received.

God’s Impartial Judgment

Principle of Judgment

Romans 2:11 KJV 1900

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

This is the key idea that Paul has just unpakced. He has gone to explain how God’s wrath will fall on every kind of person: Jew and Gentile.

He now reiterates it again here.

Romans Original Meaning

Paul has argued in 2:6–11 that Jews are in the same situation as Gentiles when it comes to God’s judgment. But what Paul seems blithely to ignore is that Jews are hardly in the same situation as Gentiles. They have many privileges and blessings from God that the Gentiles do not have. Preeminent among these, especially in the eyes of first-century Jews, was the law.

No one, no matter how they were born, will escape God’s final day of judgment.

προσωπολημψία—favoring one group above another

Standard of Judgment

Romans 2:12 KJV 1900

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;

Romans Original Meaning

It was to Israel alone that this law was given, and they were made responsible for it. Therefore, when Jews sin, they sin “under” it or “in its sphere.” Gentiles, by contrast, sin “apart from” that law.

Romans 2:16 KJV 1900

16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

There will be a judgment. It will be final and abosolute when God lays everything bear.

Paul knows, however, that his Jewish audience has some objecctiosn. So he inserts a parenthetical statement that runs from verses 13-15.

God’s Witness Within

Romans 2:13 KJV 1900

13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Same idea we saw in Romans 2.6

Romans 2:6 KJV 1900

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

Romans 2:7 KJV 1900

7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

Remember the principle of the OT Law:

Leviticus 18:5 KJV 1900

5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.

Paul first tells his jewish listeners, who pride themselves on the Law, that having the law does nothing. Only keeping the law is what matters.

He then shows that the Gentiles, while not having the Law of Moses, do actually have some sort of law

Romans 2:14 KJV 1900

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:

Gentiles have, “by their nature,” i.e. by their created constitution as humans, have ‘a law unto themselves” that directs them in some of the same ways that the Law of Moses directs the gentiles.

Do—not for salvation, not perfect obedience

French revolution forced to “do” a sabbath

Why is it that Gentiles who were not at Mt. Sinai end up acting the same way?

Not killing, etc. Gentile societies contain that, albiet imperfectly. Why?

Romans 2:15 KJV 1900

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;)

The Law is in the heart of man.

Man’s conscience backs him up, someitmes telling him good job and sometimes condemning him.

God will judge every person impartially according to the light they have received.