The Best of Romans Chapter Two

Notes on verses one through eleven: This chapter launches on the topic of judgment, (or condemnation) something common to both man and God. God judges, a righteous man judges, (that is, God judges through the righteous man) and a wicked man judges (that is, he employs condemnation apart from God.) Here, the words 'judgment' and 'condemnation' are used, not to imply an idle opinion, but rather, an active response. We think in terms of a final outcome, as in the righteous are rewarded in Heaven with eternal life, but the wicked are condemned to Hell.

What we must keep clear and distinct in our thoughts is the fact that every ending has its beginning and its middle (or transitional area.) A person cannot, for example, ever reach hell unless that person first chooses to get on the highway to hell. This beginning is an active choice. It is also true that this same person will never reach hell unless he or she continues on that highway. This continuation, this place of transition is an active choice.

Anyone who condemns another, no matter what the rationale, condemns himself. There is, in reality, but one condemnation – it is this, that they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. If a man who has rejected God condemns war, or abortion, or school shootings, or corrupt government – he is not suddenly righteous. There is no justification or excuse, for that man exists in the same rejection of God as all those he condemns. It is foolish to think that because he judges other God-rejecters he will somehow escape the condemnation of his own rejection of God.

Now, the 'anyone' in the example from the previous paragraph does not cover the righteous man who judges – that is to say that it does not cover the man through whom the judgment of God works. That same man is actively working toward glory, honor, and immortality – as per verse 7. They achieve this focused result through patient continuance in well-doing. So, what exactly does this “well-doing” entail?

This well doing is an active extension of the spirit of humility and obedience to the will of God. That includes obedience to the truths and laws and commands of God. We know, from Galatians five verses twenty-two and twenty-three, that the fruits of this spirit are the real and active works of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

We have to ask, then, how does the judgment or condemnation of God manifest in these works? Certainly, the judgment of God, even though it works in and through the righteous man is not a thing that the righteous man has to work at. While the righteous are busy living the life of faith, believing in God and Jesus, the judgment of God works through their very existence as a constant reminder to the wicked. Let us jump back to a previous determination – John three verse eighteen says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.”

Romans two verse two says, “the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.” The rejection of God is the rejection of God in man. It is the rejection of Jesus Christ. So now, let me remind the reader of the type of people and evil deeds that stem from a rejection of the Son of God. Romans one verses twenty-nine through thirty-one, “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”

The unrighteous man will condemn, being just as guilty of rejecting God as those he condemns, and will falsely align himself with those righteous people who are against war, and abortion, and school shootings, and corrupt government, but will wholly overlook the point that God's tolerance, patience, and plentiful goodness toward men is meant to lead men to repentance. Instead, he makes every excuse to remain the same person. In the end, it is a choice for God's wrathful response. When God “renders” (delivers, yields, or hands down a judgment) to every man “according to” (meaning, it corresponds or is equivalent) that man's “deeds”, do you think it will matter one whit that he took a stand against abortion?

According to verse eight, these people's deeds are contentious, choosing lies over truth, choosing evil over righteousness. Such deeds get the response of indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish. There is no respect of persons with God. Every “soul” who rejects God and Jesus Christ will get the equivalent response. On the other hand, everyone who “worketh good” gets the equivalent response of glory, honor, and peace, (or renown, privilege, and tranquility.) What are the works of good? Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Notes on the rest of chapter two: Law is the issue. The law of God. There is no accusation within the law. The accusations and punishments of God are only brought to bear against those who reject the will of God. A rejection of the will of God is equivalent to the rejection of God, the rejection of God in man, the rejection of Christ, and the rejection of Christ in man. One either is or is not in sync with the spirit.

All of us know that we expect the most from those closest to us, also that we are most deeply hurt when those closest to us are the ones who fight against us. That is why the author uses the expression, “to the Jew first, and also to the gentile.” We tend to think that our loved ones and dear ones are on the same page with us. Basically, it is a matter of reciprocation. We give of ourselves and expect as much in return.

God's love for his chosen people is nothing less than a peace treaty. There are conditions. The history of the Jewish people is a history of a people struggling to meet the conditions God has set. The staunchest advocates of the will of God make their boast in being God's chosen. Their boast is of keeping the law of God and thus also, of expecting his continued favor.

The author pointedly asks of those who make their boast in the law, will they preach and teach its tenets only to defy this or that point? Will they take an outward stand against theft, for example, only to steal when others drop their guard? A point is made by the author that being the chosen of God cannot be an outward affectation; being a Jew must be a true spiritual connection.

Moreover, the author stipulates that when gentiles, who do not know or practice the law that God has given to his chosen, do those things that are in the law, they become a law unto themselves. An example might be a gentile who decides not to eat pork on spiritual principles. I say 'spiritual principles' in the sense that a man orders his heart and mind and life in all aspects of self-discipline, virtue, and honor.

If the uncircumcised gentile keeps the spirit of the law, and thus the letter, he is counted more of a Jew than the Jew who outwardly keeps the letter of the law but not the spirit. The difference between a righteous person and an unrighteous person is a difference in the spirit. It is a difference that sees one extreme acknowledging the truth of God while the other does not. It is a difference that sees one extreme maintaining the spiritual connection while the other does not. It is a difference that sees one extreme actively maintaining self-discipline, virtue, and honor while the other only makes an outward show.

When being the chosen of God is a natural inward condition of the heart and mind, that is truly praiseworthy, for the praise of it is not from men but from God.

The Best of Romans

The Best of Romans

Introduction

A study of the book of Romans, in the fashion of the best of John, pulling the special content to the surface for closer investigation.

Chapter One

Notes on verses three and four: Paul's take on the nature of Jesus Christ is two-fold. Paul believed Jesus to be made from the seed and stock of David, 'according to the flesh', but he believed Christ to be proclaimed the Son of God by the indisputable evidence of his resurrection, 'according to the spirit of holiness'. That is to say, the Holy Spirit declared Jesus to be the Christ. The Holy Spirit influenced the resurrection as surely as he had influenced the birth. (That which is born of the spirit, is spirit.)

Notes on verses five and six: Apostles, according to Paul, received their apostleship, and grace, from God for a purpose. That purpose is stated as “obedience to the faith among all nations.” On the surface, that statement seems Judaical in nature – Jews clinging to their relationship with God while the nations around them flounder in sinful idol worship.

But there is more.

The stated purpose had a purpose – which was “for his name.” It was for the name of Jesus. Those people addressed by Paul, referenced as “ye”, among the nations – they, like Paul, were considered as “called of Jesus Christ.” They were, therefore, as Romans (and here I refer to verse one) separated unto the gospel of God.

Paul evinced a mindset that at once addressed Jews (for the good news was from God) and gentiles (for the good news was Jesus.) It was an approach that bridged the old and new, showing that both sides of the divide were actually one.

Notes on verses seven through twelve: One must see, in these verses, a personal connection in Paul's heart to the Roman Christians. See that connection in Paul's own words – from verse 7, “To all that be in Rome,” and from verse 12, “both of you and me.” Paul felt very much the converted Roman, and so, he had a vested interest in the spiritual conversion of Romans.

Paul is proud of them. They have a good reputation. The world at large knows of their struggle in the new faith. Paul wants to see them, to be with them. Paul serves God with his spirit (note: in contrast to 'with his flesh') and wishes to impart a spiritual gift to the Romans. Paul speaks of the inner man, the converted man. Paul uses the words 'spirit' and 'spiritual' to reference the mind, the thoughts. It is this quality of the Romans, the renewed minds, that Paul wishes to establish. By 'established' Paul means that they together, as Romans, may enjoy the comforts of a better way of thinking.

Notes on verses sixteen and seventeen: Paul was not ashamed of the gospel he preached. He had preached it to Greeks, Barbarians, wise men, and simpletons. Like iron on iron, Paul had honed his craft, insomuch that now, feeling indebted to his earlier converts, he felt better prepared to preach the gospel to his own.

Paul gives us a sense, in verses sixteen and seventeen, of how the gospel (as it was preached) actually worked. In two small words, Paul opens to us the dynamics and efficacious workings of the gospel. They are “faith to faith.”

Paul explains that from faith to faith, the gospel reveals the rightness of God. From the owned faith to the accepted faith – from the experience of one supplying the need of the other – the preached good news is (as the power of God unto salvation) the one most essential ingredient of the recipe. It is an exclusive salvation in that it is only effective for those who believe. It is not within the reach of non-believers. The gospel, of course, is the good news of the only begotten son of God. It is about Christ – and by extension, it is about Christ-likeness.

Note on verse eighteen: This verse clearly states that the unrighteous and the ungodly know the truth as much as any believer; the difference between the believer and non-believer is shown that the non-believer holds the truth in unrighteousness. In other words, they use the truth the wrong way. Truth for the non-believer is clipped and trimmed, maligned, and twisted. It is a sad and pathetic amputee crying to be put out of its misery.

Verse eighteen, while pointing to the fact that the wrath of God is revealed against these types, is not necessarily revealed to them. It stands to reason that if they knew what they were doing, they might not do it. The truth which they abuse is a part of God. They are cutting into God – He must react. Wrath may be seen as a sort of knee-jerk reaction to pain and loss.

Note on verses nineteen through twenty-five: Verse Nineteen. That which the ungodly may know of God is manifest, not outside of or apart from the ungodly, but “in them.” If God has revealed himself to the ungodly, then the ungodly have seen God within themselves. Each of us, as mature thinking adults, is aware of every facet of our nature. We know who we are, what we are. To take a stand against God or against truth or against what is right – that is a personal choice.

Verse Twenty. The “invisible”, or spiritual, truths, as far back as the creation, are “clearly seen”. One need only look within. Reflect. God, truth, and the tools to realize them are all “in them.” We may understand all spiritual truth, by the application of comparative thought. All things that we see as solid and real are reflections of all things spiritual. Because of this, it is seen that man is without excuse, for in all matters, there is no mistake or accident, only man's deliberate choice.

Verse Twenty-One. As it played out, although wicked men have always had the same resources as the righteous, and indeed, have known and recognized God in their nature, instead of lifting God up in praise as God, they named him human nature and imagined that wisdom originated in themselves. In fact, they lowered God to their own level and subjugated all higher matters to their will. Their mindsets lost the light of God, being deliberately replaced by the darkness of willful isolation in the name of independence.

Verse Twenty-Two. By professing themselves to be wise, they usurped the wisdom in them that was God. The first step on the road to ruin.

Verse Twenty-Three. Deliberately, they changed the incorruptible glory of God's nature in man to a thing they could manipulate – the nature of man, a corrupt low-end knock-off of the original. They went a step further in redefining who they were by dividing human nature into lesser natures such as the various natures of wild animals they were impressed with.

Verse Twenty-Four. This verse presents the reader with a definition of the actions of man. While one might think that all of this describes the process of living a lie, and that is true enough, the lie is, itself, based in something else. That something is named 'lust'. To lust, one must look away from what one has and want something different. It is a tearing away from one's true self to construct a fabrication that is not one's true self. In the matter of tearing away from the nature and truth of God within, one may only move to a lower plane – it is a form of self-debasement and degradation, as when a man leaves the cleanness of his house to go outside and wallow with pigs in their sty. Offended, God pretty much said, 'fine. If that is what you want, I will not intervene. I will let you be as nasty as you choose to be.' By their choosing, they even dishonored the low estate of their flesh, thinking it so common that any treatment was acceptable.

Verse Twenty-Five. The high and the glorious truth of God in man, they changed into a lie. It was such a serious break from the truth that man ended up serving and worshipping the flesh (any flesh, any part of it, any image of it) of humans and animals rather than the spirit of God in man – which can never be anything other than good and right.

Notes on verses twenty-six and twenty-seven: Because men make such deliberate choices, God's response is to (hopefully) let them learn from their mistakes. God lets them run with their “vile affections.” What are affections and when are they vile? Let's do a little digging. Some synonyms of the word affection include 'fondness', 'liking', 'endearment', 'attachment', and even 'devotion'. These are all common to the human condition and not necessarily bad in and of themselves. So, how can such very human states be vile?

Synonyms of the word vile include a lengthy list. They are 'foul', 'nasty', 'unpleasant', 'disagreeable', 'horrid', 'horrible', 'dreadful', 'atrocious', 'abominable', 'offensive', 'obnoxious', 'odious', 'unsavory', 'repulsive', 'disgusting', 'distasteful', 'loathsome', 'hateful', 'nauseating', 'sickening', 'disgraceful', 'appalling', 'shameful', 'dishonorable', 'heinous', 'abhorrent', 'deplorable', 'monstrous', 'wicked', 'evil', 'depraved', 'debased', 'contemptible', and 'shocking'.

It is easy to see that these synonyms, for the most part, are reactions. It is what one might see wrong in another and criticize as something that works against the viewer. After all, one does not bother to call a wall hard until after one has run into it face-first. Using the expression 'vile affections' is like God saying, “Well, I sure didn't mean for that to happen.”

In the very same verse, we see the expression “natural use.” That the thinking of man turned from the 'natural use' implies that there is a right way – a way that was intended. One might well consider unnatural as 'forced', 'backward', and 'contrary'. The reference here is to sexual behaviors and appetites that range beyond the original purpose of the man/woman relationship.

The unnatural, backward way of doing things has certain – ramifications – if you can look past the unfortunate pun and see the dire consequences. Verse twenty-seven clearly states that those who engage in such actions must face the consequences. The wording is this: “receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.” That recompense is always something bad – syphilis, gonorrhea, social stigma, hemorrhoids.

Notes on verses twenty-eight through thirty-two: These verses sum it all up. The very first statement, in these verses, is an accurate depiction of the reprobate mind. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,” shows plainly that, one, God was there and, two, they deliberately removed him. God responded to that willful choice by allowing the reprobate mind to thoroughly rule their lives.

The word reprobate is defined as lacking principles. A reprobate mind is an unprincipled mind. In regard to people of such minds, synonyms include: 'knave', 'degenerate', 'wretch', 'villain', 'miscreant', and 'good-for-nothing'.

The reprobate mind leads an individual to do things that are “inconvenient” to their own well-being and the well-being of others. This means that a person who retains God in their knowledge makes choices that are convenient. What is the definition of convenient? It is defined as fitting in well with a person's needs, activities, and plans. Synonyms of the word include: 'appropriate', 'expedient', and 'advantageous'.

There follows to the end of the chapter a long list of all the wrong actions and wrong kinds of people that are a direct result of the reprobate mind. “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”

Is there any possibility that these people stumble into this unaware? Are they just 'born' that way? Can it be an accident? The Bible says, “No.” These people have available to them everything that the righteous have. They know that their appetites and choices work against God. They know that their ways are ways that end in death. That is why they do not like to retain God in their knowledge. They reject the God who rejects their evil choices. They exalt their choices and they love those companions of similar ilk.