Romans 2:1-16·~1 min

God’s Righteous Judgment

Paul says the one who judges another while doing the same things has no excuse. God’s judgment rests on truth, and his kindness, tolerance, and patience are meant to lead to repentance rather than presumption.

Y¹ou, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ²And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

A hard and unrepentant heart stores up wrath for the day of revelation. Paul sets out repayment according to deeds, with eternal life for persevering good and wrath for self-seeking evil, and he insists that God shows no favoritism.

⁵But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” ⁷To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek; ¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Greek. ¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

Those apart from the law perish apart from the law, and those under it are judged by it. Hearers are not counted righteous; doers are, while Gentiles show the law’s work on the heart through conscience. God will judge secrets through Christ Jesus.

¹²All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them ¹⁶on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.

Section summaryPaul turns judgment back on the judge. The person who condemns others while doing the same things stands under God’s true judgment, which is patient but not empty. The section moves from kindness and delayed wrath to impartial repayment, conscience, and the day when secrets are judged through Christ Jesus.

Role in the chapterThis section answers self-assured judgment by naming God as the one who sees deeds, motives, and secrets. It presses the moral symmetry between judge and judged before the chapter turns to those who rest on the law.