Romans 2:12-16

Rachel Workman: 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. This verse can be a little confusing. Prior to the cross of Christ only Jews were under the law. They were judged by its rigid demands. Gentiles were apart from the law yet judged by what Paul calls, Laws written in their hearts (Romans 2:15). In this way God holds the entire world accountable for their sins, and their is no partiality (Romans 3:6,3:19)13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

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Pat Bell:  ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^{[a] 7} To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸ But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰ but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism. Powerful words.

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Allen Michaels:  ¹² All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

People are condemned not for what they don’t know, but what they do with what they know. Those who know God’s written Word and law will be judged by them. Those who have never seen a Bible still know right from wrong, and they will be judged because they did not keep even those standards that their own consciences dictated. Our modern-day sense of fair play and the rights of the individual often balks at God’s judgment. This has never been more evident than with today’s liberal agenda. Sure, let the pedophiles share a bathroom with our daughters, simply because that person “identifies” as a Gender-Queer. And let’s take religion out of our schools so we don’t offend the muslims with OUR Christian beliefs. Christians in this country have no rights anymore. We belong to a stubborn race. We know what’s right, but we insist on doing what’s wrong, often with the support of our very government. We know what’s right, but sometimes we just don’t do it. We have to admit to ourselves and to God that we fit the human pattern and frequently fail to live up to our own standards, let alone God’s standards. This is the first step to forgiveness and healing.

¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Romans 2:17-24

¹⁷ Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; ¹⁸ if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”^[b]