Romans Chapter 2

No Respect of Persons

Chapter 2, Verses 5-11

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God."

Day of Wrath

The following verses speak to us about the "day of wrath:"

     1.  Job 21:30 "That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."

     2.  Prov 11:4 "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death."

     3.  Zep 1:15 "That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness."

Including our subject passage, there are four verses that specificially use the phrase, "day of wrath."  Three of the four verses are speaking about the eternal wrathful judgment of God against sin.  The following verses also address the day of the wrath of God's judgment against sin:

     1.  John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

     2.  Rom 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"

     3.  Eph 5:6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

     4.  Col 3:6 "For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:"

     5.  Rev 14:10 "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:"

      6.  Rev 14:19 "And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."

Two Groups of People

When Rom. 2:5-11 is compared to Rev. 20:11-15 we find two groups of people.  We find those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life and those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life.  Those whose names are not in the Lamb's book of life are judged according to their works under the law:  Rev. 20: 11 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

When we compare ourselves according to the works of the law, we see ourselves among the group that are described as those that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness.  The result is that they suffer eternal indignation and wrath.  In contrast, when we see ourselves as having the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, then we see ourselves among the group that are described as those "who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality."  To these are rendered eternal life. 

"For there is no respect of persons with God."  The teachings of Judaism began with the Jews, who thought that God respected them because they are Jews.  However, the scriptures plainly teach us that God is no respecter of person.  God's judgments are not based on a person's nationality.  What God respects is his covenant.  God loved Jacob and hated Esau.  This is a respect based on the covenant of redemption, not based on the person of Jacob or Esau.  The deeds and actions of the individual do not bring that individual into eternal favor with God.  In contrast, the deeds and actions of Jesus Christ are what bring us (the elect) into eternal favor with God. 

Chapter 2, Verses 12-16 

Rom. 2:12 "For 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; 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

 I have left out the parenthetical material in verses 13, 14, and 15.  We will cover that in our next essay. 

Lack of Knowledge...

Paul plainly sets forth the principle in the above that the lack of knowledge of the law is no excuse to sin: "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law."  Furthermore, the penalty of the law is in full force even for those who do not have knowledge of the law, i.e., they shall perish.  A person who does not know the law and yet violates the law is still guilty of breaking the law and comes under the full wrathful judgment of God for breaking the law.

Under Judaism, the belief is commonly held that those ignorant of the law have no chance, but those who know the law are therefore saved by their knowledge and acknowledgment of the law.  Some, however, believe that those who are ignorant of the law are saved by their ignorance.  Both of the above beliefs are faulty.  Ignorance of God's laws does not save us from the penalty of breaking God's laws.  Sin is the transgression of the law and it is still sin even if we do not have knowledge of what the law says. 

Likewise, we are not saved because we have knowledge of the law.  Sin is still the transgression of the law and we are still judged based on the transgression of the law not based on our knowledge of the law.  Truly, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Salvation from sin is by grace alone.

Chapter 2, Verses 13-15

Rom. 2:13 "(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For 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: 15 Which show 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;)"

The Jews who espoused Judaism thought they were just because they had knowledge of the law and believed the law to be a standard for getting eternal life.  They also thought that the Gentiles who had not the law were condemned because God had not given them the law.  One of the problems with this way of thinking is that many of the Gentiles were living more upright lives than many of the Jews.  Paul points out to these Jews that according to the law, that it was not the hearers of the law that were just before God, but the doers of the law that were justified. 

The Jews were speculating about what goes on in the courtroom of glory.  In their minds, God viewed them as being just because they had been given the law, they had heard the law, and they believed in the law.  Likewise, in their minds, they believed that God viewed the Gentiles as being unrighteous because they had not been given the law and did not have knowledge of the law. 

Paul, however, pointed out another courtroom that explained why many of the Gentiles often lived more upright lives than did many of the Jews.  This is the courtroom of the heart and mind.  God sets up the courtroom of the heart and mind when he causes someone to be born of the Spirit of God.  In the above passage, most of the elements of a courtroom are put forth:

      1.  The law is written in their hearts.

      2.  The conscience acts as the courtroom witness.

      3.  The thoughts of the born-again child of God serve as both the prosecuting attorney in this courtroom and the defense attorney.

According to 1 John 3:20 "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God."  The heart of the born-again child of God serves as the judge in this courtroom of the heart and mind.  In this courtroom of the heart and mind, we are convicted and condemned for wicked actions measured against the law written in our heart.  Also, we are excused for right actions as measured against the law written in our heart.  This courtroom serves to guide our actions.  Thus, we show the works of the law written in our hearts and minds and do by nature the things contained in the law.  Therefore, those Gentiles that had not the knowledge of the law of Moses, did by nature the things contained in the law, and therefore, were a law unto themselves.