Romans Chapter 2

Romans Chapter 2


Therefore you are inexcusable, man, whoever you are that judges, because when you judge others, you condemn yourself, for you do the same things that you judge. But we are sure that the judgment of God is the truth and can be used against the people who commit these things. (In case you haven’t kept up, see the end of Chapter 1 for a complete list of crimes… including debate!)


And do you think this, man who judges these other while doing the same thing, that you can escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering? Do you not know that the goodness of God is what leads you to repentance?


But, after your hardness of heart and lack of penitence, you build up wrath toward the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will judge every man according to the deeds he has committed. To those who through patiently do good things to seek the glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But to those who are contentious and do not obey the truth, but instead obey unrighteousness, he will give only indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish. He will bestow these on every soul of man that does evil, first Jews, then Gentiles. But he’ll give glory, honor and peace to those guys who are doing good deeds, again first the Jews and then the Gentiles.


“For there is no respect of persons with God.” As many have sinned without law, they will also perish without law. All those who have sinned within the law will then be judged by the law. (Those who hear the law are not just in Gods eyes, but the doers of the law are. When the Gentiles, who don’t have the law, naturally do the things contained in the law, they are considered as being a law unto themselves. They show the work of the law written in their hearts, where their conscience bears witness and their thoughts act as the means by which they either excuse or accuse one another… everyone clear on this? Great!)


This will all happen during the special day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to Paul’s gospel.


You are called a Jew (I am?? Oh, not me, must be the people to whom this gospel is addressed), and you are lax with the law, and you boast about God, and you know his will and approve of things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, and you’re confident that you are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor for the foolish, a teacher of babes, which has the form of knowledge and the truth of the law. (Paul loves lists, doesn’t he?)


You, who teaches others, don’t you teach yourself? You who preached that a man should not steal, don’t you steal? You who say a man should not commit adultery, do you commit it? You who despises idols, do you commit sacrilege? You who boast of the law, don’t you dishonor God by breaking it?


The name of God is blasphemed by the Gentiles, through you, as it is written. (I wonder what writing he is referring to).


Circumcision is very profitable if you keep the law. However, if you break the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcised. (Um, there’s probable more than a few guys who would like to be made uncircumcised. Gentile mutilation really creeps me out, and I know I’m not the only one.)


Therefore if the uncircumcised keep the righteousness of the law, won’t his uncircumcised body be counted as a circumcised one? (Is anyone else getting weirded out by the heavy emphasis on the state of a guy’s foreskin?)


And won’t the uncircumcised which is natural, if this person fulfils the law, judge you, who by the letter and the circumcision transgresses the law? (I don’t think I can rightfully answer that).


He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and neither is that circumcision which is only flesh. But, he is a Jew, who is one inwardly and is circumcised in his heart, and spirit, not in the letter, who praises God and not men.


Okay, Paul, but I don’t know how many guys really go around feeling like their penis is circumcised in their hearts. It’s kind of a bizarre concept if you ask me.