This commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11For there is no respect of persons with God.
12For 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;
13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
In the very next chapter Paul is clear: Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
The context of chapter 2 needs to be taken into account. Paul is not talking about justification for salvation.
Romans 2 and Romans 3 must be read as one continuous argument.
In Romans 2:13 Paul is stating the standard of God’s judgment: only those who actually do the Law would be righteous before God. He is not explaining how anyone is justified, he is explaining what justification would require if it were by Law.
That point is crucial, because Paul immediately goes on to show that neither Jews (who have the Law) nor Gentiles (who have conscience) actually meet that standard. By the time we reach Romans 3:19–20, the conclusion is explicit: the Law shuts every mouth and the whole world is guilty before God. No one is justified by works of the Law.
That is why Romans 3:21 is the turning point of the letter: righteousness is now revealed apart from the Law. Paul then concludes in Romans 3:28 that a person is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law. He is not reversing himself — he is resolving the tension he intentionally created.
If faith simply means “obedience to the Law,” then Paul’s repeated contrast between faith and works of the Law (Romans 3–4; Galatians 2–3) becomes meaningless. Abraham is the clearest example: he was justified by faith before any works, and before the Law even existed (Romans 4:1–5).
Obedience matters, deeply, but for Paul it is the fruit of justification, not its basis. Romans 8 and Galatians 5 make this clear: those who belong to Christ walk according to the Spirit, not in order to be justified, but because they already are.
So Romans 2:13 establishes the standard that condemns everyone; Romans 3 reveals the only way anyone can be saved.
14For 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:
The phrase “sin nature” is repeated a lot in most churches but it is not a Bible phrase. What the Bible does teach is that non-believers can “do by nature the things contained in the law”.
15Which 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;)
16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
2
Romans 2 — Forever Word commentary
King James VersionThis commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11For there is no respect of persons with God.
12For 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;
13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
In the very next chapter Paul is clear: Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
The context of chapter 2 needs to be taken into account. Paul is not talking about justification for salvation.
Romans 2 and Romans 3 must be read as one continuous argument.
In Romans 2:13 Paul is stating the standard of God’s judgment: only those who actually do the Law would be righteous before God. He is not explaining how anyone is justified, he is explaining what justification would require if it were by Law.
That point is crucial, because Paul immediately goes on to show that neither Jews (who have the Law) nor Gentiles (who have conscience) actually meet that standard. By the time we reach Romans 3:19–20, the conclusion is explicit: the Law shuts every mouth and the whole world is guilty before God. No one is justified by works of the Law.
That is why Romans 3:21 is the turning point of the letter: righteousness is now revealed apart from the Law. Paul then concludes in Romans 3:28 that a person is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law. He is not reversing himself — he is resolving the tension he intentionally created.
If faith simply means “obedience to the Law,” then Paul’s repeated contrast between faith and works of the Law (Romans 3–4; Galatians 2–3) becomes meaningless. Abraham is the clearest example: he was justified by faith before any works, and before the Law even existed (Romans 4:1–5).
Obedience matters, deeply, but for Paul it is the fruit of justification, not its basis. Romans 8 and Galatians 5 make this clear: those who belong to Christ walk according to the Spirit, not in order to be justified, but because they already are.
So Romans 2:13 establishes the standard that condemns everyone; Romans 3 reveals the only way anyone can be saved.
14For 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:
The phrase “sin nature” is repeated a lot in most churches but it is not a Bible phrase. What the Bible does teach is that non-believers can “do by nature the things contained in the law”.
15Which 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;)
16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.