Romans 2:2-16

2:2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth¹ against those who practice such things. 2:3 And do you think,² whoever you are, when you judge³ those who practice such things and yet do them yourself,⁴ that you will escape God’s judgment? 2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know⁵ that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness⁶ and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed!⁷ 2:6 He⁸ will reward⁹ each one according to his works:¹⁰ 2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but¹¹ wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition¹² and do not obey the truth but follow¹³ unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be¹⁴ affliction and distress on everyone¹⁵ who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek,¹⁶ 2:10 but¹⁷ glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 2:11 For there is no partiality with God. 2:12 For all who have sinned apart from the law¹⁸ will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous.¹⁹ 2:14 For whenever the Gentiles,²⁰ who do not have the law, do by nature²¹ the things required by the law,²² these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. 2:15 They²³ show that the work of the law is written²⁴ in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend²⁵ them,²⁶ 2:16 on the day when God will judge²⁷ the secrets of human hearts,²⁸ according to my gospel²⁹ through Christ Jesus.

¹tn Or “based on truth.”

²tn Grk “do you think this,” referring to the clause in v. 3b.

³tn Grk “O man, the one who judges.”

⁴tn Grk “and do them.” The other words are supplied to bring out the contrast implied in this clause.

⁵tn Grk “being unaware.”

⁶tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.

⁷tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

⁸tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁹tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.

¹⁰sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.

¹¹tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.

¹²tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”

¹³tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”

¹⁴tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”

¹⁵tn Grk “every soul of man.”

¹⁶sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.

¹⁷tn Grk “but even,” to emphasize the contrast. The second word has been omitted since it is somewhat redundant in English idiom.

¹⁸sn This is the first occurrence of law (nomos) in Romans. Exactly what Paul means by the term has been the subject of much scholarly debate. According to J. A. Fitzmyer (Romans [AB], 131-35; 305-6) there are at least four different senses: (1) figurative, as a “principle”; (2) generic, meaning “a law”; (3) as a reference to the OT or some part of the OT; and (4) as a reference to the Mosaic law. This last usage constitutes the majority of Paul’s references to “law” in Romans.

¹⁹tn The Greek sentence expresses this contrast more succinctly than is possible in English. Grk “For not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.”

²⁰sn Gentile is a NT term for a non-Jew.

²¹tn Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:135-37) take the phrase φύσει (fusei, “by nature”) to go with the preceding “do not have the law,” thus: “the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature,” that is, by virtue of not being born Jewish.

²²tn Grk “do by nature the things of the law.”

²³tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

²⁴tn Grk “show the work of the law [to be] written,” with the words in brackets implied by the Greek construction.

²⁵tn Or “excuse.”

²⁶tn Grk “their conscience bearing witness and between the thoughts accusing or also defending one another.”

²⁷tn The form of the Greek word is either present or future, but it is best to translate in future because of the context of future judgment.

²⁸tn Grk “of people.”

²⁹sn On my gospel cf. Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8.