Bracket

editing

NT

Romans 2:1-16

esv

mine

Therefore you have f no excuse, O man,

every one of you who judges.

ideaexplanation

For g in passing judgment on another

you condemn yourself,

actionmanner

because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

ground

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

Do you suppose, O man—

you who judge those who practice such things

and yet do them yourself—

concessive

that you will escape the judgment of God?

Or do you presume on h the riches of his kindness and i forbearance and j patience,

k not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

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alternative

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are l storing up m wrath for yourself on the day of wrath

when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

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actionresult

bilateral

n He will render to each one according to his works:

to those who o by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,

he will give eternal life;

conditional

but for those who are self-seeking 1

and p do not obey the truth,

but obey unrighteousness,

there will be wrath and fury.

There will be tribulation and distress q for every human being who does evil, the Jew r first and also the Greek,

but glory and honor and s peace for everyone who does good, t the Jew first and also the Greek.

For u God shows no partiality.

For all who have sinned v without the law will also perish without the law,

and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

For w it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,

but the doers of the law who will be justified.

For when Gentiles,

who do not have the law,

x by nature do what the law requires,

they are a law to themselves,

even though they do not have the law.

They show that the work of the law is y written on their hearts,

while their conscience also bears witness,

and their conflicting thoughts accuse

or even excuse them

z on that day when, a according to my gospel, God judges b the secrets of men c by Christ Jesus.

discourse

Notes

Meditations/Observations : Rom 2:6-11 seems to be the Ground or Foundation on which the verses before and after are based. God will judge each person according to his works (6); he shows no partiality (11). Therefore, there are no excuses to be made by those who think they are better than others (2:1-5). And the judgment of God is independent of someone's closeness to His words (2:12-16). Two important truths from this text (and 2:6-11 in particular) to affirm: (1) God is judge, not anyone else. (2) God does not show any favoritism to one person (or group of people) over another. The first truth should sober me. I have to stand before God. And I have no right to stand in judgment over others. The second truth should delight me. I don't have to fear whether I'm in God's clique or his inner circle. God treats me like everyone else. I'm not better than anyone else. I need his grace like everyone else. And it's available to me just like it's available to everyone else. Therefore, Paul seems to be addressing here those who feel safe because of their heritage or their community or their "hearing" or being near to God's Word. First, he tells them they have no excuse because they are guilty of the same things of which they judge others. This, of course, does not mean they are guilty of everything in every respect like others. But they certainly have no reason to stand in judgment over others in light of their own sin. Second, he makes sure to say that God's judgment or mercy is independent of those "privileges" (heritage/community/hearing God's Word): in vv. 9-11 he makes sure to mention "the Jew first and also the Greek" two times, emphasizing the impartiality of God. In a sense, the Jews (or those who are close to God's Words) have more responsibility to respond in faith since they've had more opportunity. Third, Paul makes this point plain when he says that "it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God but the doers of the law who will be justified." There is no advantage to hearing God's law if one does not respond to it in faith and repentance. He supports this with an example of those who do not have the law but by nature listen to the consciences they have been given by God. Applications : There is no advantage to hearing God's law if one does not respond to it in faith and repentance . This has massive implications/applications for me. I should not think better of myself for sitting and listening to God's Word on Sundays. There is no spiritual advantage to this if I am not taking it and personally applying it to my heart and life, repenting and letting it shape me. This is why it's important for me to take time every time I hear God's Word to individually consider how I need to change after seeing myself in the "mirror" of His Word. I gain no advantage in walking away, forgetting what I saw in the mirror (James 1:22-24). What percentage of Sundays am I gaining nothing from listening to God's Word? This is sobering to think about. God, help me to respond to Your Word every time I listen. Help me with joy to let Your Word have its desired effect in my heart each Sunday (and each day as I study it personally!) so that I'm continually repenting, believing, and changing. Guard me from pride based on how much I "know" about Your Word. Guard me from looking down on others who I view as less knowledgeable. Help me to celebrate and honor your work in others as they change due to Your Word and the power of the Spirit. Grow me in communicating with others not just what I know from Your Word but how your word is changing me. Help me to ask better questions of others, not just asking curiosity questions about what they know about Your Word but digging to see how Your Word is changing them. By your Spirit, may your Word have its way in me.

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