Romans
2:1 ¶ Therefore thou art inexcusable, O
man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou
condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is
according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest
them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the
judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according
to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal
life: 8 But unto them that are
contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation
and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish,
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the
Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and
peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the
Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of
persons with God. 12 For as many as have
sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in
the law shall be judged by the law; 13
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the
doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the
law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law,
are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew
the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one
another;) 16 In the day when God shall
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
At first glance, and
bear with me please, and from reading various commentaries from different
historical Christian leaders in Paul’s argument he now, after explaining the
history of man’s willful depravity and those who take delight in evil, warns
the reader of hypocrisy for judging people, condemning them, while doing the
same things that are cursed by God.
Jesus passed judgment
on such hypocrisy.
John
8:1 ¶ Jesus went unto the mount of
Olives. 2 And early in the morning he
came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down,
and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto
him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken
in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now
Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest
thou? 6 This they said, tempting him,
that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger
wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted
up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her. 8 And again he
stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went
out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left
alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said
unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus
said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
He also warned His
followers on the dangers of judgment, the fact that when you point at someone
with one finger that you have three pointing back at you. Unbelievers are not
so stupid that they cannot see your hypocrisy and turn and attack you for your inconsistency.
Matthew
7:1 ¶ Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be
judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in
thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me
pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out
of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of
thy brother’s eye. 6 Give not that which
is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample
them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
The self-righteous
hypocrite does not escape the judgment of God. Verse 4 asks if you lightly
regard God’s mercy and patience, hold it in contempt, when that very thing
gives you time and leads you to repent of your wicked ways.
Here, Paul seems to be
talking about someone who thinks of themselves as one of God’s people, worthy
to dispense judgement on the sinner when Paul suggests the self-righteous are
simply engaged in self-deception. We know when God’s wrath and righteous
judgment will be poured out and when every man and woman is held accountable
for their deeds.
Revelation
20:11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne,
and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them. 12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works. 13 And the sea gave up
the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were
in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
For how can you truly
have received Christ if the very things that God listed through Paul in Romans,
chapter 1, are traits that identify who you are? Many of those who identify
themselves as Christians have deceived themselves that a 1-2-3 repeat after me
prayer is enough for salvation when there is no repentance in the heart.
While to some Paul here
appears to be preaching a religion of works it is more likely, in my estimation
based on the total body of his writings, that he is showing the religious
minded person that there are behaviors that characterize the saved as well as
the lost. If you are evil you are as damned without the Law if you don’t have
it as you are judged by the Law if you have it, and no one is spared.
For how can you brag
about your position in Christ as opposed to those who are not saved by Him;
atheists, Muslims, Hindus, and the ubiquitous “other” of all types whom you
hold in contempt when they, without God’s true Bible or standard, manage to
behave more Godly than you do? If you have known many atheists, Muslims,
Hindus, homosexuals, etc. etc. meaning anyone of whom you don’t approve you
will have met many with a higher standard of good than many so-called
Christians you have met. I’ve met Muslims that are more concerned about sin in
their lives than many Christians and atheists with a perfect credit rating and
a good reputation for kindness and charitable giving.
The conscience of every
man or woman on earth bears witness to God’s standard and that has been the
case since Noah and sons walked off the Ark. Every person in their heart of
hearts knows what sin is, having some knowledge of God the creator’s standards.
Notice my comments on a passage in Genesis 7. Long before the Law was given to
Moses there was an understanding of God’s standard of clean and unclean animals
just as Abram knew to honor God at an altar and Job understood sacrifices for
sin. There was a knowledge of God’s standards which became corrupted and which
understanding He renewed in the Law given to Moses. Clean animals were brought
into the ark by sevens and unclean by twos.
For evangelicals who separate the
Great White Throne judgment from the Judgment Seat of Christ as the former
being of the unsaved and the latter for the saved understand that even at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, if that is not the same as the Great White Throne
judgment, our works are judged although we are saved from fire.
Romans
14:10 But why dost thou judge thy
brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord,
every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of
himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore
judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a
stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
1Corinthians
3:11 ¶ For other foundation can no man
lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for
the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire
shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself
shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
2Corinthians
5:10 For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
However, keep in mind
that historical commentators like Matthew Henry regarded the Great White Throne
judgment as another phrase for the Judgment Seat of Christ. Remember there is
little evidence in scripture itself for two judgments. See;
Daniel
12:1 ¶ And at that time shall Michael
stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every
one that shall be found written in the book.2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Either way, the person
who is judged, if they are trusting Christ, is saved and the person who rejects
Christ is damned although we believe that the raptured Christian is judged at a
different time, the Judgment Seat of Christ, and the Great White Throne is
reserved for the unsaved dead, do we not?
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the
law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law,
are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew
the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one
another;) 16 In the day when God shall
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Paul seems to be
reflecting also a sentiment made by Peter regarding those who we would not regard
as being in the fold.
Acts
10:34 ¶ Then Peter opened his mouth, and
said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and
worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
It is likely here, though,
in this passage in Romans 2 that Paul is not even referring to the church of
God as he makes a distinction elsewhere of three groups before God.
1Corinthians
10:32 Give none offence, neither to the
Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
In fact, this appears
to be the foundation, what we have read, upon which Paul builds his argument
for justification through Christ alone. If he is referring to unsaved,
self-righteous Jews and commenting on unsaved Gentiles who follow the Law
without even knowing it is the Law with no mention of the Church of God in the
passage we can then see a pattern to Paul’s argument. Notice his interaction
with the Jews at Rome.
Acts
28:17 ¶ And it came to pass, that after
three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come
together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing
against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner
from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18
Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was
no cause of death in me. 19 But when the
Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had
ought to accuse my nation of. 20 For
this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you:
because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 21 And they said unto him, We neither received
letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came
shewed or spake any harm of thee. 22 But
we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we
know that every where it is spoken against.
23 ¶
And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his
lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them
concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from
morning till evening. 24 And some
believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves,
they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost
by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26
Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall
not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they
should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the
salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed,
and had great reasoning among themselves.
30 ¶
And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all
that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the
kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ,
with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
So, Paul is preaching
here, after the review of the religious history of mankind, about the unsaved
but self-righteous Jew as part of an argument that salvation from an eternity
of agony and loss can be found only through Christ, the visible image of the invisible
God. See how he greets the church at Rome early in the first chapter and then
proceeds to expound on the religious history of mankind and then goes on with a
short dissertation about those who have the Law and are judged by it and those
who do not have the Law whose conscience would bear witness against them. But,
then Christ is the ultimate judge.
A preacher once said
that the sound of a man falling into Hell is, “AAAAA-mennnn!” The point is that
no one has an excuse.
My conclusion for this
passage is that Paul is speaking about the self-righteous Jew and the lost
Gentile and the hopelessness of both without Christ. And this will seem to be
borne out in the next passage.
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