Romans 2

Chapter Two

"Knowledge of the Law"

The man that condemns another for breaking the law while at the same time he as well breaks the law is without a defense. This man condemns himself with the words he intends to condemn another. We see here the inconsistency of human judgment and man's biased decision-making, but in verse two it is declared that God's judgment is according to truth against not just this group or that group, but against those that commit "such things." God's judgment is according to truth, unbiased, and absolute. A man may feel self-confident and sure of his own place at the time he judges another, but without a doubt he is without a defense--inexcusable--when the judgment of God comes.

Men too often respond so vainfully to the mercy of God. When God does not bring instantaneous judgment men often imagine they have escaped and have "gotten away" with it, but in so doing they despise God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering patience. They are without a flicker of understanding that the reprieve they enjoy is the goodness of God to lead them to and provide space for REPENTANCE. God is not interested in simply destroying men in anger, but His desire is that men would be saved and that could mean for some by as it were fire.

Paul clearly explains that while the hard and impenitent heart imagines vainly that he has escaped instead of taking advantage of the mercy and goodness of God he to the opposite effect stores up, treasures up, against himself the wrath of God. In a time when pardon is provided, the hard hearted and impenitent store up only more wrath and condemnation. They heap up treasures of destruction over a promise of treasures of righteousness. For God is not blind and neither has He gone soft. God is longsuffering, but He also will judge righteously EVERY man according to HIS DEEDS.

The righteous judgment of God will reward the obedient with eternal life, but will judge the disobedient with tribulation and anguish. Again, we see here were Paul emphasises that there is no difference between Jew or Greek in regards to God. God will not judge the Jew one way and the Greek another, but will judge every MAN (Jew or Gentile) ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS for "there is no respect of persons with God."

Paul presents a truth in verse twelve that he later explains in his letter. Those that have not the law will die without the law, but the law will judge those that have sinned in the law. It is not enough to know about the law, but you must DO it. Does this mean that a Gentile cannot be justified because he has not been given the law that he may obey it as the Jews have? Absolutely not. The Gentile may do by nature the things contained in the law without ever having it because God has placed in every man a conscience whereas long as men guard it and keep it are a law unto themselves in the proper and true sense of the phrase. This law is written in their HEARTS and their conscience bears witness to it.

The Jew that boasts in the law because he knows so much and is confident as a guide for the blind is blind himself. That is, he believes he knows the way, and no one else does. He stands in this place of great self-confidence because he KNOWS the law, but THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUSNESS IN KNOWING THE LAW. Paul speaks directly to emphasize his point, "Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" Paul is clearly presenting that just as the Gentile is guilty because he DOES NOT the law and not that because he has not the law as the Jews do, so also are the Jews not pardoned from their guilt because they have and know the law, but they as well are judged for not DOING the law. Their self-confidence is fool hearty for they are as the blind leading the blind. They who are known in the world abroad as God's chosen people bring their God dishonor and the Gentiles blaspheme God through them. Their testimony is evil for they boast in KNOWING the law, but dishonor God in BREAKING the law. The issue for justification is not over if a man was born Jew or Gentile, whether he has been circumcised or not, or if he has the law or not, but has his HEART been circumcised? Has the hardness, impenitence, and sin been cut out of his heart?

In conclusion, the Jew that boasts in the Law and condemns the Gentile is without a defense for he has broken the law himself. For he is not a Jew which is one OUTWARDLY (born of the seed and line of Abraham), but he is a Jew which is one INWARDLY whose circumcision is that of the heart and whose praise is not of men, but of God. Here we can see how that a Gentile may be grafted in, not as an earthly Jew, but as a spiritual Jew who is a DOER and not a hearer only. We as well see how that a Jew's justification rests not in his bloodline or knowledge of the law, but he as well must be a DOER of the law. Every Jew needs to add to his physical circumcision a circumcision of the heart through repentance and a changed life.