SCRIPTURE: Romans Chapter 2

2:1 Therefore: A reference to previous statement in v. 31, and especially to 1:18-20.

Without excuse: Although the Jews are not mentioned until verse 17, Paul evidently has them in mind. The Gentiles of (1:20), without Divine revelation, are declared to be without excuse.

So, all stand without excuse-the Gentiles on the ground of creation and the Law of conscience, and the Jews on the ground of the Law of Moses or Divine Revelation.

Every man: Properly, O man.

Another: Better, the man of a different race, i.e., Gentile.

Practice the same things: The various evils noted in1:(28-32). The verb prassô, to practice, in (vv.1,2, & 3. )

WORD STUDIES: 2:1 Dio, translated therefore is an inferential conjunction pointing to an evident reference. Without excuse here translates anapologetos, compounded of alpha privative, a,= English un, negating apologeomai, to speak in one’s defense, hence with the alpha privative-defenseless, without defense. The man of a different race is a full translation of heteron-gender etc. So, heteros is different as to kind.

2:2 we know: An expression for a generally recognized truth-we all know (cf. Rom 3:19; 7:14; 8:28).

Rightly falls: A weak translation for a profound truth-estin kata aletheian…is according to truth, i.e., the judgment of God is objective. Truth is the standard of judgment.

WORD STUDIES: 2:2 Aletheia, truth, is compounded of alpha privative, a,= English un and lanthanô, to escape notice; hence, the compound-alêtheia, shows the hidden condition as revealed in its true state: to bring to light, to reveal, truth.

2:3 do you suppose? Paul moves from their behavior-prassô, to practice, to do,-to their thinking, i. e., "do you suppose…YOU will escape…?"

Note, you is emphatic; the Jew reasoned that judgment was for the Gentiles, not the seed of Abraham.

John the Baptist, Jesus, and here, Paul sounded the alarm to awaken them from the slumber of a false security (cf. Matthew 3:9; John 8:33, 37).

2:4 or do you think lightly? Better, despise.

Not knowing: Wrong thinking grounded in an arrogant twist to a great truth; they were Abraham’s seed-a truth which should have been the basis of repentance, not presumption; mercy, not wrath.

Repentance: the result of God’s goodness in action…the reorientation of the mind as to one’s sinful ways…as to God’s purpose for one’s life.

WORD STUDIES: 2:4 Repentance, translates metanoia, compounded of meta, after, and noeô, thought; hence, afterthought, i.e., thought after the fact. Paul shows in ( 2 Corinthians 7:10) that godly sorrow is an underlying attitude toward sin that produces repentance.

"Godly sorrow does not proceed from human exposure of wrong conduct, but is an internal realization of the soul’s guilt in the sight of God."

The sinner will never forsake his sins until there is first godly sorrow and repentance.

2:5 because of your stubbornness: In the original we note three of these according to [because] statements…sometimes, as here, lost in translation: kata aletheian…according to truth (v.2);

kata…ten sklepoteta sou…according to your hardness (v.5); kata ta erga autou…according to his (the) works (v. 6).

Thus, God acts according to what is, as it relates to truth. His judgment of all-O man of (vv. 1 & 2) (the Jew) and the man of a different race of (v. 3 )

(ton heteron…the Gentile)-accords with truth and righteousness. wrath... in the day of wrath: We note several points here:

(1) that the wrath of God is upon all sin;

(2) that one sin of Adam and Eve brought spiritual and physical death upon the human race (Rom 5:18); here two supreme issues are evident-election and sin.

In what sense then may the elect (the seed of Abraham), though in sin, benefit in the day of wrath?

The elect Jew is here shown as having no advantage whatsoever over any other sinner or heathen.

An elect Jew is shown as having gone to hell, according to Jesus (Luke 16:19-31).

Election offers security to no person at any time while in rebellion, Jew or Calvinist, for all are excluded from the benefits of grace by sin and unbelief.

THEOLOGICAL NOTE:

Election and Sin Mutually Exclusive (Rom 2:1-5) Paul argued with the elect Jew of his day that election apart from righteousness profits nothing.

Today we argue with the so-called elect Calvinist, who claims the security of the believer even while in sin.

This class of "the elect" are in UNBELIEF that the blood of Christ saves from sin in the here and now, but they contend that they are saved from the wrath to come because elect.

This form of unbelief blinds its subjects to the truth that sin excludes every benefit of the atonement, utterly, unless forsaken. "O man," who ever you are that does the "same things" as do the rest of the heathen and sinners, you are in the same presumption and arrogance as were the elect Jews of Paul’s day and if not led to repentance, to the same dreadful fate-cut off without God. It is a grave matter that as the elect Jew reasoned that judgment was for the other man of a different kind (ton heteron)-the Gentile, not the seed of Abraham-the elect Calvinist thinks that the judgment of God is, likewise, for the other man of a different kind of sinners, i. e., non-elect sinners.

The Jew contended for security grounded in an election because Abraham’s seed; the Calvinist’s security rests in the claim that God punished God, the Son, for the sins of the elect; hence, secure whiled in sin, their sins not being liable to punishment. But faith in the atoning benefits of Christ’s blood cannot exist in the sphere of falsehood, sin, and lies. It can only exist in truth and obedience, as these are mutually necessary to each other.

Therefore, an election apart from the truth of Scripture is no election at all.

There is no such thing as faith and election being mixed with sin and rebellion/unbelief.

Both exist only in elements of truth. Accordingly, the elect Jews were rejected because of sin (2:12b-13a); and the non-elect Gentiles were justified on the ground that they do instinctively the things of the Law (2:14a).

That the elect were rejected because of sin, and that the non-elect were accepted because of obedience shows that Calvinistic election is false to the Scripture.

Election is necessarily of a corporate class known as the body of Christ, who are set apart from the world -holy and without blame before Him (Eph 1:4b).

2:6-10: These verses depict judgment as according to our deeds or works (erga) [v. 6].

Perseverance then is apart from Calvinistic election. It is by enabling grace…and by the power of faith.

Faith is not a mystical act securing one for eternity; it is rational and behavioral; thus, what the mind accepts, the will does. Faith cannot stand-alone; it requires an Object of obedience-Christ.

Disobedience cannot properly lay claim to either faith or grace (v.8).

This is true whether an elect Calvinist, "religious sinner," or heathen; accordingly, the judgment of all sin and evil is set forth in (v. 9.)

2:11 no partiality with God: God is just, holy, and righteous, because of Who He is then, His nature can admit no partiality whatsoever.

2:12 for all: All are alike in God’s sight, in that, the standard of judgment is truth in accordance with our works.

without law: There is still no partiality even though the Jew has the Law, and the Gentile does not.

God will judge the Jew by the Law, and the Gentile by the law of conscience.

The same standard of judgment is applied to both systems of law.

2:13 hearers…doers of law: The hearers only will stand condemned, but the doers are justified, i. e., declared just.

Justified: The verb dikaioo occurs in Rom about 15 times.

The KJV is translated to justify, except in Rom 6:7, it is translated freed. So, the KJV is translated in the Calvinistic tradition with the phraseology of a law or legal righteousness, whether under the OT or NT. Based on penal or legal atonement, the believer is not made righteous, he is simply a "saved sinner," merely declared righteous, but not in fact.

Justified is used here, as in a few other places in Romans, as under the Law: acquitted, justified, righteousness imputed.

These meanings of the Law are carried over into the NT, perverting the gospel of righteousness in fact.

See Theological Note 5:19.

2:14 Gentiles: This term is used variously: of nations generally, including Jews, of non-Jews-the heathen, nations, Gentiles.

Here the usage is restricted to Gentiles who may do the things of the Law of conscience.

2:15 conscience: Even in a heathen context the conscience gives witness to the actions of the will with respect to the Law written on the heart-the conscience is witness; the heart is the statute book; God is judge.

2:16 according to my gospel: Paul uses this expression in Rom 16:25 & 2 Tim 2:8.

"My gospel," what precisely is meant? The other Apostles tended, at first, to have a traditional view of the gospel, which would have slanted Christianity as developed or perfected Judaism; but for Paul, the herald, and apostle, and teacher of Gentiles, "my gospel" antedated Judaism. Thus he was: ready, unashamed, unafraid, and proudly proclaimed my gospel!

2:17-24 These verses give the condition (vv. 17-20; in grammar the prodasis) and the result (vv. 21-24; the apodosis), and should be read as a logical whole.

Verses 17-20 state the condition, noting 10 or so areas of Jewish arrogance: YOU, a Jew, rely upon law, boast in God…,etc. Verses 21-24 state the result, noting 6 or so areas in which they are hypocrites: the one teaching…do you teach yourself?

You preach…not seal, do you steal? etc. They are thus made to face their sins-traditionalism and hypocrisy.

2:21 another: This is an echo of 2:1, and a solemn reminder that the covenant opportunity has yielded noncompliance and sin. The chosen people have thus rejected the Holy One of Israel.

2:25-29 Circumcision is the dominant issue of the rest of the chapter, and valid only under law.

So, circumcision without law is nothing (v.25); and conversely, if the Law of conscience be observed by the heathen or uncircumcision, they are forensically of the circumcision (vv. 26-27).

Paul now shifts to NT circumcision, which is by the Spirit in the heart, not flesh; the Jew is the inward man, not national, not racial (vv. 28-29).

In the OT, circumcision was of the flesh and a sign of belonging to Yahweh (Gen 17:9-14; cf. Ex 4:24-26; Joshua 5:2-12).

In the NT, circumcision is made without hands in the heart, putting off the body of the sins of the flesh (Colossians 2:11; 3:9).

This is heart purification by putting off the carnal or sin nature. Note that Israel was not allowed to go on and possess the land until circumcision-a type of Spirit circumcision-after which the manna ceased and they did eat the fruit of the land Joshua 5:7, 12).

The enemies of the land thus fell before them or fled in defeat.

Accordingly, Jesus put a restraining order on the Early Church, not permitting them to go on and evangelize (Acts 1:4) And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth; (2:4).

Only by the baptism of the Holy Spirit can the Church succeed in spiritual warfare and world evangelism, as time has proven.