Last week, we looked at Romans 1:18-32. Beginning with that section of the letter, Paul lays out his argument that all people are sinful. Moreover, he labors to make clear that all people are without excuse for that sin and, as a result, are under the wrath of God. Last week, Paul spoke against “men” in general – indicting humanity as a whole for their unified rejection of God as Lord of all things. It is quite possible that, after reading through Romans 1:18-32, an individual could think “This does not describe me. I am not this blatantly and arrogantly sinful. I am not nearly as bad as the people Paul describes.” In fact, this is an argument that we hear often from people – you might call it the “I’m not that bad” argument. Beginning in Romans 2:1, Paul turns his attention to these individuals. Having laid out that “men” suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, he begins to point out that the fact that all people do this means there is no room for any of his readers to comfort themselves by judging others. Rather than simply knowing that all “men” are sinful, Paul wants his readers to feel their own accountability to the Lord. He wants them to feel their own personal status as objects of God’s wrath. It is like the difference between watching the news and knowing that people die in car wrecks and getting a phone call saying that your closest friend has died in a car wreck. The emotion is now personal and deep and intimate – this is what Paul wants his readers to feel.
Before we look at the text as a whole, let me make two disclaimer statements. First, our text this morning is just plain full. Paul packs a lot of teaching into these verses and the arguments are dense and well-packed. If you are listening, I suggest you take notes so you can follow along better. If you are reading this, I suggest you be sure to digest each part before moving on. Paul’s argument builds on itself and it is a lengthy argument. Second, Paul is going to spend a lot of time talking about the Jews this morning. I do not want anyone to tune out in those sections because they are not a Jew. Why is that? The first reason is because the truths that God declares to the Jews are vitally important for us as Gentiles to understand. We may not possess the Law or use circumcision as a sign of religious privilege, but the problem of the Jews’ sinful hearts is the same problem we have. And the solution to their problem is the same as our solution – as we will see this morning. The second reason these truths are important is because they tell us something about the character of God. The church Paul is writing to contained both Jews and Gentiles, and the question of how God would relate to those two groups was an incredibly important question in Paul’s day. And though the question that existed in Paul’s day may not exist in that same form today, the God revealed in the answer is still around today and so the character of God revealed in the answers to these questions is important to us today.
So, with that in mind, let us look at our text this morning: Romans 2:1-3:8. Paul’s argument essentially moves in three phases. The first thing he lays out is the fact that God’s ultimate judgment is real, impartial and just (2:1-16). Paul uses the middle portion of our text to single out the Jews and make clear to them that their privileged position as Jews does not exempt them from that judgment (2:17-29). This declaration to the Jews, no doubt, raised some objections among the Jews themselves, so Paul uses the last section of our text to answer what seem to be some of the most common objections to his argument (3:1-8). We will look at each section in turn.
Though the root theme is the same (the revelation of God’s wrath), Romans 2:1-5 presents a shift from the previous section in a couple of major ways. First, notice the change in pronoun from “them,” “they,” and “their” in 1:18-32 to “you,” and “yourself” in 2:1-5. Paul’s attention turns from some people out there in the past to a specific (though not exact) individual in the community at Rome. Second, notice that the emphasis changes from the wrath of God that is [currently and presently] being revealed in 1:18-32 to the ultimate, end-time judgment of God in 2:1-16. Both of these shifts should be noted.
Beginning in 2:1, Paul addresses an individual who – in opposition to the person mentioned in 1:32 – does not approve of those who practice the things mentioned in 1:18-32. Rather, the person Paul addresses takes every opportunity to judge those people. Paul takes the opportunity to point out the utter hypocrisy of this individual because they practice the very things they judge in others. Notice that Paul’s emphasis is the ultimate judgment of God, but his focus is that this judgment will come on this “moral man” because he practices the very things he knows to be wrong. Paul’s foundational assumption – along with his readers – is that “We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things” (2:2). It seems that Paul’s readers are willing to accept this truth in principal and as it regards other people while refusing to believe it applies to them. Paul takes every opportunity to assure them of their guilt as he writes, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things” (2:1). It seems that the person Paul is addressing is all to ready to notice the way that others fit into the categories of 1:18-32 while refusing to see the way that they fit into them. The sin of others is heightened and deemed worthy of God’s wrath while personal sin is downplayed and deemed “not that bad.” Moreover, this false confidence is heightened by the fact that God’s judgment is not currently seen – in the mind of the person Paul envisions, this is evidence that judgment will not come. Paul opposes this by pointing out that the withholding of judgment is meant to elicit repentance (2:4), and he makes clear that by continuing to sin, this individual is “storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (2:5).
The reality of the situation is that God’s judgment justly falls on all of those who do such things (2:2 – referring to the things in 1:18-32). The problem is that, in the mind of the person Paul is accusing, their own “doing of such things” is either nonexistent or, at worst, not nearly as bad as others. The problem here is the reference point. Paul wants his readers to understand that God’s standard is absolute and it is violation of his standard that will be judged – not our standing in relation to others. Paul’s reader fails to see his own sinfulness while being all too quick to point it out in others. This evidences a problem in the heart – a “hard and impenitent heart” (2:5a).
Paul goes on to lay out the foundation for 2:1-5 in 2:6-11. How can Paul say what he has just said about even this “moral man” being judged on that final day? It is because “He [God] will render to each one according to his works….For God shows no partiality” (2:6, 11). Paul understands that God’s judgment is not handed out on a curve – where those who did the best in the group get a pass. Rather, God’s judgment is based on the Law. If that Law is violated, then judgment is the result. God has laid out his perfect will and it is up to human beings to obey that. As Paul writes, “To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life…glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek” (v. 7, 10). On the other hand, “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek” (v. 8-9). So, here is the reality. It does not say that eternal life will be given to those who do better than others. The judgment of God on individuals is handed down without reference to the righteousness of others. He will render to each individual according to his works – those who do well will have eternal life and those who do evil will suffer wrath.
Before leaving this point, let me address this issue. Based on what was just said, it could seem that it is possible to be made right with God by doing good works. Such an understanding is true, but it must be balanced by the realization (which we will see again next week in 3:9-20) that it is impossible for human beings to keep the Law. Paul’s goal in this section is not to motivate his hearers to be better Law-keepers. Paul’s goal is to strike the consciences and hearts of his readers so that they understand the guilt of all people (including themselves) before the judgment seat of God. God will judge every person according to their works which means that, apart from the circumcision of the heart which we will look at in our next section that produces good works, all people are going to be judged because all people do evil rather than good. This is the reason Paul begins the next verse saying “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” (2:12). Paul’s thought is that all people fall into two categories: those who have sinned without the Law and are judged and those who have sinned under the law and are judged.
But before Paul moves on, he addresses the issue of the standard which God will use to judge people’s works – the Law. He points out that the reason all people are in violation of the law is because all people have some form of the law made clear to them. In immediate context, Paul’s reference to the law is to the revealed Torah (or Law) of God, particularly in Genesis-Deuteronomy. But Paul also makes clear that this written Law is merely the revelation of the law of God that most certainly exists but not in tangible reality. In light of Paul’s statements thus far, the argument could be made that those who do not have the written Law are exempt from Paul’s argument because they do not know the standard by which they will be judged. Paul concedes the logic of that position (in order for someone to be judged, they must know the standard they are violating) and addresses it by pointing out that all people do have the standard. Paul says, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, 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 written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (2:14-15). Paul’s argument is that those who had the written Law will be judged by that Law because it was clearly revealed to them. Gentiles, though they were without the written Law, show that the Law is written on their hearts by their obedience even to a part of it. Moreover, their conscience reveals that they know the Law as well. Therefore, all people have some form of the law.
And the crux of the argument is that this Law, that everyone has, must be obeyed or judgment is the result. In 1:18-32, we saw the foundational truth that God created the world and that he is to be acknowledged, praised and honored. Here, we see the foundational truth that all people know the Law of God, but that mere possession of that Law is worthless – it must be obeyed. Paul writes, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified” (2:13). So, in these first 16 verses, Paul’s point is that God’s ultimate judgment is a serious reality and that judgment is based on the way each individual has kept the Law of God that has been revealed to them. This judgment is impartial (the same for everyone) and just.
Having laid out the reality, justice and impartiality of God’s judgment on those who do evil, Paul now turns his attention explicitly to the Jews. It seems very likely that it is the Jews that have driven Paul’s thoughts and arguments up to this point, but verse 17 is the first time that he explicitly addresses the Jews. And what he declares to them is that their position as Jews – as the chosen people of God – does not mean that the truths he just stated do not apply to them. Specifically, Paul makes clear that the possession of the Law and the reality of physical circumcision are meaningless realities if they are not paralleled by obedience to that Law and a spiritual circumcision of the heart.
The first thing Paul addresses is the Law. He begins with a series of conditional statements that are meant to highlight the privileged position the Jews have by nature of possessing the Law. He writes, “If you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth,” (2:17-20). This litany of statements is meant to point out the privilege of the Jews – they know God’s will because it has been revealed to them, they have been instructed from the Law and equipped to teach others that Law – and also to heighten the sting and irony of Paul’s next statement. He writes, “You then who teach others, do you not teach youself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you’” (2:21-24). Paul wants to make clear to the Jews that their boasting in the fact that they know God and that they have the Law means absolutely nothing because it is not coupled with obedience to the Law. In fact, the very fundamental purpose of the Law being given was with the assumption that it was to be obeyed. The guilt of the Jews who have done such a thing is painfully obvious. The foundation behind this indictment by Paul is a right understanding of the reason for the Law. God did not give the law to Israel merely to mark them as distinct from all other people; he gave them the Law so that they might know how to honor Him. The assumption was that it would obeyed! The goal is that God would be honored as his people obeyed and not that the people would be seen as privileged merely because they possessed the law. Rather than being privileged, Paul points out that the Jewish disobedience of the law serves to dishonor God – the very opposite of God’s intention. Using a quote from Isaiah 52:5, Paul points out that rather than being “a light to those who are in darkness” (2:19), the Jews have actually caused the name of God to be dishonored among the Gentiles. Paul’s point is that there place as the privileged possessors of the law does not exempt them from God’s judgment because they have still disobeyed that Law. And as we already saw – God’s judgment justly falls on all who disobey the law. The second reality Paul addresses is that of circumcision. Circumcision was a physical reality that had been given to Abraham by God in Genesis 17, and down through the ages it had marked the physical people of Israel. It was a clear distinction between them and other people. However, through those same ages, it seems that the meaning behind circumcision was lost. For even in Genesis 17, God says that circumcision is a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. That is, circumcision is a sign that God has chosen Israel as his people and that Israel has promised to obey him. Circumcision, in and of itself, meant nothing – it was meant to be a visible sign of an invisible reality. As early as Deuteronomy 10:6, Moses says to Israel, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” Moreover, in Deuteronomy 30:6, Moses goes so far as to promise, “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Because of his understanding of circumcision as an outward sign that was to point to an inward reality, Paul writes, “For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision” (2:25). Then Paul goes on to point out that a person who is uncircumcised but keeps the law will be praised by God while those who are physically circumcised but break the law will be judged (v. 25-27). Paul sums up his point by saying, “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God” (2:28-29).
Before leaving this section, I want us to understand this reality because 2:28-29 really seem to be the heart of both our text this morning (2:1-3:8) and this section as a whole (1:18-3:20). Paul’s desire, in this chunk of Romans, is to make sure that all of his readers understand that they have rejected God and disobeyed the Law. That rejection and disobedience rightly merits judgment. This is true even of God’s chosen people – the Jews. So what is to be done? What is needed is a circumcision of the heart. As Deut. 30 made clear, such a circumcision of the heart will bring about obedience. And, as we saw earlier, such obedience is what will be rewarded by God with eternal life. So, how does circumcision of the heart occur – Paul will argue that it occurs through the gospel. It is by faith in the person of Jesus Christ that the heart is circumcised and made able to obey. This is why Paul is able to write, in 2 Cor. 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” This is also the reason Paul emphasizes the good works ordained beforehand by God in Eph. 2:10. It is not that these works will save us, but it is true that “God will render to each one according to his works” (2:6). The works will be judged, but the only reason anyone will have eternal life is because they have placed their faith in Christ and been circumcised in heart. This is what Paul wanted his original readers to understand, and it is what we must understand as well.
The last section of our text this morning seems a bit loose – it does not seem to have a good unifying theme. It appears to be nothing more than Paul answering objections to the things he has just said – which turns out to be the unifying theme. In light of what Paul has declared so far, particularly his statements about the Jews, it seems like Paul either assumes – or knows of – some particular objections that will be voiced against his arguments. And he takes this opportunity to answer some of them. There are four objections answered in these eight verses to close our text this morning.
The first objection is this, “What good is it to be a Jew then?” Paul writes, “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision” (3:1). The question is whether or not there is even any value to being a Jew if Paul’s statements are true. Paul answers by saying, “Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God” (3:2). Paul makes clear that the Jews still have an advantage because God has revealed himself to them. Rather than having to grapple with their own fallen hearts and seared consciences to figure out the Law that they are supposed to obey, they are able to look at the Law given by God and know what is the will of God. Further, they have all the prophets and the writings in the Old Testament – they have numerous advantages that should make it easy for them to see the right way to live.
The second objection is this, “Does the fact that God will judge the Jews as Paul has said mean that his promises in the Old Testament are meaningless?” The imaginary objector says, “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God” (3:3). Paul’s answer is extremely emphatic – “By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, ‘That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged” (3:4). Paul makes clear that God will by no means reject a promise – even if the recipients of the promise reject him. God is not like humans that he should vindictively respond in kind to rejection. He is faithful. (This answer by Paul foreshadows a greater expansion of this argument in Romans 11 in which Paul will argue that God is not done with the salvation of Israel yet.) But Paul goes on to quote Psalm 51:4 in order to make clear that, even in his judgment of Israel, God is being faithful to his promises. God’s promises to Israel included both blessings for obedience and judgment for disobedience. Paul has already made clear that the Jews have disobeyed, so now he declares that God is both just and faithful to his promises in judging them.
The third objection is this, “But if God’s glory is made more evident by our unrighteousness, is it not wrong for God to judge that unrighteousness if he desires to be glorified?” This argument is a bit complicated, but it essentially assumes that God’s greatest desire is to be exalted. If our filthiness causes him to appear even more highly exalted, is it not wrong for him to punish something that accomplishes what he wants to happen? To use a more contemporary illustration, if my “F” on the test makes your “A+” look even better, is it not wrong for you to punish me for getting an “F”? Paul answers by saying, “By no means! For then how could God judge the world” (3:6). Paul reminds this objector of his earlier statement that God is going to judge all people. If God were to leave sin unpunished, rather than being more glorified by the presence of sin, he would be unjust because he allows sin to persist. Even though it appears that leaving sin unpunished would more glorify God, the reality is exactly the opposite. God is most glorified not by being compared to sin but by judging and condemning sin. That is true righteousness.
The final objection is this, “If sin will bring God’s judgment and God is glorified by judging sin, then why not sin more so that more judgment can come?” Paul does not even take time to answer such an objection; he simply writes of these objectors, “Their condemnation is just.” Paul will address this issue a bit more later, but such an objection fails to reckon with the fact that sin is rebellion against God. This objection assumes that sin can be done for the ultimate purpose of glorifying God and such a reality does not exist. The root of sin is never the glory of God; the root of sin is rebellion.