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.