Romans 2 Difficulties

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1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. 25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Primary Questions

Is Paul’s argument hypothetical or real?

Is he speaking of regenerate Gentiles?

2:25-29 is he speaking of regeneration?

Hypothetical Argument

Systematic Theological Support

Doctrine of justification by faith

The perfectly righteous and holy God demands that we be perfectly holy and righteous Matthew 5:48, Hab 1:13,

All have sinned and thereby condemned to death: Romans 3:23, Romans 5:16, Romans 6:23; James 2:10-11

No man can be justified by the works of the law: Romans 3:20; Romans 10:3; Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 3:11; Psalms 143:2; Acts 13:39;

Righteousness by faith in and through Christ: Romans 4:1-5; Romans 9:30; Romans 10:4, 10; Gal 3:11-14; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb. 10:38; Hab. 2:4; Philippians 3:9

Christ came to fulfill the law Mt 5:17-20

Since it is clearly taught by Paul that justification comes by faith in Christ’s work of substitutionary atonement, and that faith itself is a gift from God, it is impossible that one can be justified by any work or deed that arises within himself. So then, logically, we can assume that in Romans 2:7-11 Paul is arguing hypothetically against the Jews/moralists, granting the reality that you can be justified by works, but that they utterly fail in doing so instead engaging in hypocritical unrighteousness (Romans 2:21-24). Even those who do not have the law (Romans 2:14) fail to do the law as they are accused by their consciences for failing to uphold the natural law of God, written on their heart (Romans 2:15, 1:18-21). No one therefore is righteous on his own, neither Jew or Gentile (Romans 3:9-20) is only those who receive the circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29), and trust in Christ who are justified by God’s grace that no one may boast (Romans 3:23-28).

Literal Argument

2:6 - God will render to each person according to his deeds - All will be judged according to their deeds.

Paul is talking about the eschatological judgement of God (Romans 2:5, 16, Romans 14:12; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:10-15;)

2:7-11 - Paul elaborates this reality by paralleling those who persevere in doing good (spiritually circumcised) with those who obey unrighteousness (spiritually uncircumcised)

Wrath for obey unrighteousness, Jew or Greek

Glory and honor and peace for those who persist in doing good, Jew or Greek

2:13-16 - Those who not only hear the law but do the law will be justified, both Jew and Gentile

It is important to note the specific language Paul uses in v. 13. He states that the “doers of the law will be justified”. What he does not say is that “By doing works of the law you will be justified”. Their justification is not on the basis of doing the works of the law - he makes this clear in Rom 3:20. His point is that those who will be justified are also those who are doers of the Law. The Jew was merely a hearer of the law, a possessor of the law, and one who sinned under the law. The gentile was one who sinned without the law and will perish without the law. But in the gentile church there those who do the law, without ever having the law, because they have the law written on their hearts.

This phrase, “the law is written on their hearts” is often used to argue for the natural law of God written on the heart of every human (Romans 1:19). But this phrase is a reference back to the promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:33, where God promises Israel that He will “put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts.” Ezekiel promises something similar in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Paul refers to this in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians. He writes that the letter of commendation proving to them his legitimacy as an apostle was the reality that their lives had been changed and transformed by his teaching of the Gospel. Their commendation was not a letter written with ink on paper but it was a living letter written by the power of Christ on their hearts. Therefore those gentiles who are doers of the law, even though they do not have the physical law, demonstrate that they are justified and regenerated for they have the New Covenant blessing of the law of God written on their hearts.

2:17-29 - God is not partial, He does not justify based on outward ethnicity but on those who are circumcised in their heart

Paul continues his argument against the Jew who claims justification based on his jewishness. They rely on having the law and its instruction and being guides to the blind world. And yet, they fail to teach themselves. They are the blind leading the blind for they are merely instructors and teachers who do not do what they teach. Their circumcision is not valuable because they do not obey. They are circumcised outwardly, but continue in stiff-necked rebellion (Rom 2:5), thus demonstrating that they have uncircumcised hearts.

In 2:26, Paul again brings up the gentile who keeps the Law (2:7; 2:14-15) as proof of the Jew’s need to become a Jew inwardly - to be circumcised in their heart by the Spirit.

Deuteronomic Delima

Moses presents a delemma to Israel as they receive the law

Deut 10:16 - Moses indicates that Israelites must circumcise their hearts and put off stubbornness in rebellion

Deut 30:6 - Moses prophecies

Conclusion

Developing an Argument that concludes in chapter 3

We are rendered honor and glory and eternal life based on the reality that we are justified and sanctified