Romans Chapter 2 Breakdown

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

This verse goes back to the end of chapter one, Paul is calling these judges out. Basically, he is saying they judge others and try to hold them accountable, but in turn do the very same things, or at least they are breaking Torah in their own right.

2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

YHWH’s judgment is according to His Torah. According to the Old Testament, His law is known as truth, therefore, if His judgment is according to the truth, we can conclude it is according to His Torah, and Law.

Psalm 119:142

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.

3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

A rhetorical question for those who judge sinners but intentionally sin all the same.

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

YHWH’s goodness, patience, and tolerance brings His believers to repentance. This is another rhetorical question.

5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Having an unrepentant heart stores up wrath on the Day of the Lord. Paul then quotes from Psalms and Psalms.

Psalm 62:12

Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

Proverbs 24:12

If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

Those who obey the truth, that is, God’s law, with continued seeking of glory, honor and immortality do what is right in God’s eye. By not obeying God’s law a person is obeying unrighteousness. Either decision which is made, by either the Jew or the Gentile, choosing to obey God’s Law or not, brings blessings or curses.

11 For there is no partiality with God.

God does not hold one group of people above another in terms of those who believe and obey contrasted to those who do not obey. This is of particular interest to me because it is taught God holds “Christians” above all other believing groups. To go further it isn’t just Christians but Christians who choose not to obey His law.

12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law  (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Those who do not have the law and have sinned, will perish with the law. This is simple English, if you do not know the law and still do not keep it, you will die and that’s it, gone. If you sin and know the law, you will be judged by the law. It is the law which defines sin, so to know what sin is, and continue sinning means you will be judged by it. The next part only cements this argument. It is not the hearers of God’s law who are justified to YHWH, meaning just knowing the Word is not enough to be considered justified. It is those who choose to follow and keep His law who He considered justified is His eyes. Even those who have never heard His law are able to keep it. Men who naturally know right from wrong show they have His law written on their heart.

17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.

Jewish teachers considered themselves all of these things. They held themselves to high esteem when it came to knowing God’s law.

21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

Here Paul is calling out the Jews who teach one thing but practice another. Basically, they are going around teaching salvation is achieved by keeping the law and all the gentiles who want to be saved must keep the law perfectly. But, they themselves are not perfectly keeping the law. Paul then quotes from the prophets.

Isaiah 52:5

Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day.

Ezekiel 36:22

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.

Paul is continually quoting the Old Testament, the claim he teaches against keeping the Law is absurd.

25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Here is one of the verses used to claim Paul teaches against the law. But if you really break down what Paul is saying, it does not seem to mean what churches think it means. Paul says being circumcised is a good thing for those who keep the law, or those who do not sin. But, if you are a sinner and continually break His law, your circumcision means nothing. Basically, this is just an argument saying circumcision is not the only way to be saved. Even those who have not been physically circumcised can keep the law as God intended and still be saved. The only purpose of circumcision was to be a sign of the covenant between YHWH an man.

Genesis 17:11

and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

Again we see it is not all about circumcision, Paul says it is those who keep the Law who will judge those who break the law, regardless of if they are physically circumcised. True circumcision is of the heart, not of the penis. We can find this in several places of the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 10:16

Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.

It is not about the outward appearances that YHWH is concerned with, but the inward. That is why we can know keeping the law is Spiritual, as in, we are making a Spiritual decision, being led by the Spirit of YHWH when we do keep the law of God. The distinction in what Paul is saying and what the sect of the Jews are saying is the Jews say do this to be saved. Paul says because you are already saved, you should do this to please God.