Romans Chapter 2 Part 1 (sorry)

V3 “you, a mere man, pass judgment…think you will escape God’s judgment” NIV

This clearly mocks us in our attempts to play God and act like our opinion can actually sentence someone to punishment

V4 “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?” NASB

I think Paul is telling us that we should not take away value from God’s kindness, tolerance, & patience. We need to remember that we did evil also but that God was able to bring us to repentance. The same could happen to the one whom you are judging. If you are wanting to be judge & the one who sentences, then you are writing off someone as “going to hell” even though God has not yet stopped giving them chances to change. IS THIS WHAT Y’ALL THINK?

V6-8 These verses express the same idea as judging a tree by its fruit and he who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life will gain eternal life. God is just and since he does not show favoritism (v11), he will reward those who showed him love (if you love me, follow my commandments) and condemn those who demonstrated hate towards God by not following his commandments. That is His sole standard measuring stick for each of us. Of course, we have 1 Jn 1:7-10 to help us when we, Christians, are faithful but slip up. Also, v7 states “seek glory, honor & immortality” while v8 states “self-seeking & who reject the truth & follow evil”. This talks about our “motives” for our actions.

V 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;

This is the NASB version. The use of “without” I think coincides with the talk about the Gentiles in v 14 “who do not have the Law.” Now v 12 talks about someone who Sins. It seems as though there is some benefit to being a sinner that had the Law. I am thinking maybe the benefit is the use of sacrifices to atone for sins. I am not sure but I would think that would be an advantage over someone that has no guidance as to what to do once they sin. Although, if someone (without the Law) recognizes that they sin, guilt could lead them to ask for forgiveness. I have no clue how this would be handled by God since the Law actually helps understand that repentance is necessary & that sacrifices are a means to regain fellowship with God. It seems like v 14-15 help fill in the gaps on the process.

v 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

This is talking about the Jewish law and how you had to “do” what it said to be counted justified. This same type of idea is used by James chapter 1 verse 20 or 21. Don’t be just a hearer of the word, be a doer. There James was referring to the Christian law. This is such a challenge for people because it feels so great to think that we can just hear and believe, to the extent that we make a pledge to God, and that God will forgive. The OT & NT state that “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” I agree with that. We just need to understand that the word “believe” in that sentence has the meaning of “hearing, believing, & acting on it.” That is another discussion that we will have to tackle sometime, the difference between believe and believe. The “believers” that will go to heaven are the ones that “hear, believe, & act on it”. The “act on it” includes repentance, public confession, immersion, & proving to God that those things have initiated a change in you.

v 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.

Here is how I think those who did not have the Mosaic Law in the past & even those who do not have the Christian Law now will be judged. They will be judged by how closely they followed God’s desire using their own natural intuition. Most humans without “religionizing” them know that you should not mess with another man or woman who is married, stealing is wrong, killing is wrong, insulting others is wrong, sexual assault is wrong, not sharing is not cool, hard work is good, being honest is good, respecting authority is good, life is precious, children are innocent treasures, etc. We see this in even the most rudimentary of tribes on the National Geographic channel.

When you wonder about all the billions of people that were not of the people of Israel, or were nowhere near Israel to hear about God and maybe become a proselyte, or who today still haven’t heard of Jesus in the slightest, you ask what will happen to them. How will they be judged? I believe (from Romans 2) they will be judged with how closely their conscience aligned with God’s. The standard will be the level of moral excellence that they know of and how closely they were to that standard. Their “Law” is on their hearts. Their conscience knows when they sinned or did well. That conscience will be judged by God through Christ Jesus. This is definitely an interesting subject that we of course do not fall under but those who do not have availability of the Bible do fall under.

I will get to the rest of the chapter soon.

Read Mark 7:24-30. Think of "children" as the Jews and "dogs" as the Gentiles. I believe Jesus was stating that Jews still had first crack at the promise of a Savior. Gentiles were second in line because he knew the Jews would reject Jesus. (to the Jew first, then the Gentile) What do you think?