The Jew is Guilty

(Romans 2:1-29)

Paul continues on explaining that man is under sin by focusing on the guilt of the Jew and by extension the religious (those that know something of God).

Jewish/religious guilt (2:1-29)

Romans chapter two talks about the guilty Jew or the guilty religious person. The Jew refused to obey The Light of Revelation. In this chapter we see the Jew condemning others, just as the Pharisees did. This chapter also talks about the circumcision of the heart, which is most important.

The Principles of God's Judgment (v. 1-16)

God's judgment is true (2:2)

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.

God's judgment is impartial (2:3-11)

Those who have sinned without the Law will perish without it (2:12)

It is not enough to know about the law, but you must DO it. Ignorance of the Law will not save the Gentile. This refers to the Gentiles who had not received the Law of Moses. Even though they did not have Moses's law all men have been given the testimony of creation and have the law of God, revealed by the conscience of man, written on the heart. Paul has already shown that all men are condemned and in need of Salvation.

Those who have sinned in the Law will be judged by the Law. He stands in this place of great self-confidence and self righteousness because he KNOWS the law, but THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUSNESS IN just KNOWING THE LAW. 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.

Obedience is a requirement for justification (2:13)

Justification is now only provided by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ is the fulfillment of the law. Under the New Covenant of Grace men can only be justified through Jesus Christ. The sacrifices of the law looked forward to redemption through Christ's blood and justification which is by faith. So today the only way man can obey God is to accept the atonement of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24).

The Law of God is written on the hearts of men (2:14-16)

Does verse 12 mean that a Gentile cannot be justified because he has not been given the law that he may obey it as the Jews have? No, 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.

Paul is confronting the excuses of man, to answer the question: how can God judge the Gentiles who did not have the Law? God will judge a man based on the truth that has been afforded to him. Gentiles who sin will perish, but the Law of Moses will not be used as a standard of judgment against them. All men still had the law of their conscience and the testimony of creation. The sinner is under condemnation with or without Moses's law.

God created man with a conscience which is a natural sense of right and wrong. God has only one standard of morality. There is not one law for the Jew and another law for the Gentiles.

God will judge the secrets of men (2:16)

THE UNFAITHFUL JEW IS UNDER CONDEMNATION (2:17-25)

The Jews rested in the Law (2:17-18)

The Jews claimed to be exempt from condemnation based on heritage. When Jesus condemned the Jews, they replied: We be Abrahams seed; Jesus responded: if ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.—Jn. 8:33-39 The Jews believed they would receive eternal life on the merit of being a Jew and the covenant of circumcision. The old Rabbinical writings state that no circumcised man will be lost. The Jews had a tradition that Abraham stood at the gates of hell to insure that no circumcised man was ever cast there.

Knowledge of the law cannot save the Jew. The Jew that boasts in the law believes he is a guide for the blind, but 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 the blind leading the blind.

The Jews believed they were superior to the Gentiles (2:19-25)

The True "Jew" is one that is so INWARDLY (heart, spirit) (2:26-29)

Circumcision was a sign of the cutting away of the flesh. The uncircumcised Gentile who obeyed God's law had more profit than the circumcised Jew who disobeyed it.

Circumcision is of the heart. 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? Paul concludes a true Jew is one who has faith inwardly, whose heart has been changed, and not one who merely follows outward ceremonies in the flesh. Every Jew needs to add to his physical circumcision a circumcision of the heart through repentance and a changed life.

We can read Paul's conclusion on this matter in Romans 3:9-19,