The passage
      v1. Arguing against an imaginary person who has said "here, here", when it comes to the sin of others, Paul makes the point that this person has just condemned himself because sin is universal. "You condemn yourselves because you are guilty of doing the very same things", CEV. The person Paul is arguing against is most likely a self-righteous believer, probably a Jewish Christian. Paul had no end of trouble in his missionary churches with those who argued that obedience to the law of Moses was a necessary requirement of the Christian walk. Like all self-righteous people, "speck removal", judging, helps affirm ones own righteousness.
      v2-3. God will judge people according to what they have done. It is very dangerous, therefore, for a one believer to pass judgement on the sinfulness of another, as though they possess a superior righteousness, when in reality, they "do the same things." "God's judgement" is against all "who do such things." None have "excuse" before God, and therefore, none can "pass judgement."
      v4. We all need to take care, because having a blind spot with regard to our own sins "shows contempt for God"; it ignores his gracious mercy freely prompted by repentance. Salvation is by grace (God's "kindness, tolerance and patience") through the instrument of "repentance" and faith.
      v5. Those who stubbornly seek a law-righteousness rather than a righteousness that comes through repentance, place themselves under the "wrath" of God, a "wrath" about to be revealed in the coming day of judgement.
      v6-7. Paul goes on to make the point that God is impartial in judgment. God's promise is that he will give eternal life to all who seek for glory, honour and immortality - "seek and ye shall find." We find a major problem in these verses, because Paul seems to link "doing good" with the gaining of "eternal life"? He may just be saying the obvious. If a person fully obeys God's law, whether it be the law of Moses, or the law of nature, they will gain eternal life. Of course, no one (other than Jesus) has fully obeyed God's law, 3:9-20. Yet, it is more likely that the good deed that Paul is referring to is the obedience that consists of faith. Trusting God's kindness, in Christ, is the one and only deed pleasing to God.
      v8. As God's righteous judgment works for the blessing of eternal life to those who trust him, so it works for the curse of wrath to those who are rooted in selfishness and reject his mercy in Christ.
      v9-11. In the end, God will show no partiality when judging sin. Everyone will be judged on the basis of what they have done; if they rest on God's mercy, then they will be saved, if they rest on their own self-righteousness, then they will be lost. This is true for all humanity, first to the house of Israel as God's special people, and then to the rest of humanity.

The problem of the law-righteous
      A very interesting problem is posed by the first few chapters in Romans which particularly comes to the fore in 2:1. Who is the "whoever you are" who "judges others"? Most commentators think that Paul is addressing Gentiles in 1:18-32, and then in chapter 2 he is addressing Jews. His point being, everyone has sinned and stands condemned. How true! but it is more than likely that Paul is making this point to Jewish Christians in particular, believers who have failed to realize how cursed they are under the Law. These believers are most likely "the weak" referred to by Paul in chapters 14 and 15. That is, they are law-bound believers who feel that their submission to the Mosaic law (along with the commands of Christ) maintains and progresses their righteousness and therefore makes them more worthy than those who are less particular with the regulations of the law. We can well imagine the "bad habits" of some of the Gentile believers. Paul's warning is that their reliance on the law is not maintaining nor progressing their righteousness, rather, it is condemning them. Righteousness before God rests on repentance and faith, not obedience.
      The truth of the gospel is threatened by law-bound believers ("the weak") who see the Law as the means of maintaining and progressing their righteousness before God. In his letter to the Romans, Paul sets out to put to bed the heresy of sanctification by obedience, a heresy which serves to undermine justification by grace through faith. We all stand under "God's judgement". Those who "sin under the law will be judged by the law". Under the law, "eternal life" is ours by perfect obedience - "it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Yet, no one completely obeys the law, so what is the point of a law-abiding believer passing judgement on a lawless brothers? The law can only serve to expose sinfulness and thus lead us "toward repentance." To ignore this path is to "show contempt for the riches of God's kindness, tolerance and patience", and is to inevitably face "God's judgement".

v1
      In v1-5 Paul reminds his pietist brothers that their judgmental spirit evidences their own damnation, a point often made by Jesus to the Pharisees.
      ei\ "you" - It is no longer "they", but 2nd person singular, introducing an imaginary representative of a group with whom Paul will now debate.
      dio "therefore" - wherefore. Those who hold that Paul has just been addressing Gentiles and that he now turns his attention to the Jews, eg. Mounce, Moo, ... have difficulties with this marker of logical result, "for this reason therefore." Barrett suggests a way around by tying it to 1:32a as a parenthesis, but is inclined to the view that "whoever you are" is a Jew, Gentile, moral philosopher.... Paul has been addressing all mankind and now turns his attention to law-bound believers ("Jewish believers", Dumbrell, also Davies). As part of sinful humanity, Paul is well able to draw the conclusion that they have no ground to judge others. "That means", Barrett.
      wJ anqrwpe paV "-" - O man everyone. Note the argumentative style: question / answer. Paul poses/imagines the question, here imagined. The interlocutor roundly condemns the evil of mankind and Paul responds by pointing out that he, the "man", is part of the problem. "So then, my friend", Barclay.
      anapologhtoV adj. "[you .. have] no excuse" - without excuse. The word has a legal sense.
      oJ krinwn (krinw) pres. part. "[you] who pass judgment on someone else" - the one judging all. Participle as a substantive. The present tense probably expresses ongoing judging, although the tense of participles isn't always expressive.
      en w|/ "for at whatever point [you judge]" - This construction is debated: it is possibly temporal, "while"; possibly short for en toutw/ en w| "in that in which", Denny; probably best taken as causal, "because", Turner. "For in judging someone else you judge yourself", Barrett.

v2
      oJti "that" - Introducing a dependent statement of thinking expressing the content of what "we know."
      tou qeou (oV) "God's judgment" - the judgment of God. Subjective Genitive, God is the subject of the judging.
      toiV ... prassontaV (prassw) pres. part. "those who do" - the ones practising [such things]. Participle as a substantive. "People who do the kind of things I have just been talking about", Barclay.
      kata + acc. "is based on [truth]" - according to truth. Not "rightly falls on", Barclay, RSV, but "in accordance with truth", NRSV. Possibly "impartial", Phillips.

v3
      logizh/ (logizomai) pres. "so" - do you reckon, consider. "Do you imagine", Moffatt.
      oJ krinwn (krinw) pres. part. "you, [a mere man], pass judgment" - the one passing judgment. The participle is properly substantival. "O man, you who judge those who practise such vices", Moffatt.
      poiwn (poiew) pres. part. "when ..... do [the same things]" - [such things] practising. The participle is properly attendant circumstance identifying action accompanying "passing judgment". Note how NIV has opted for a temporal clause, although it's not when they judge, for they do judge. Pietists are always into "speck removal" since it serves to hide their own sin. Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, exposes the lie when he "completes" the law. Even the two commands which most pietists feel support their righteousness, namely, murder and adultery (they rest secure in an 2 out of 10 record), Jesus shows that even these they have broken. "You do them yourself", TNT.

v4
      The argument is a little obtuse at this point, but well identified by Moo. Having a judgmental attitude and a blind spot with regard our own sins "shows contempt for God" for it ignores his gracious mercy freely prompted by repentance.
      h] "or" - not posing an alternative action to judging, but rather posing a rhetorical question. "You don't think much of God's mercy do you?"
      thV crhstothtoV (hV htoV) gen. "of [his] kindness" - The genitive is descriptive. "God's gracious attitude and acts toward sinners", Weiss.
      thV anochV (h) gen. "tolerance" - forbearance. "The forbearance which suspends punishment", Denny.
      agnown (agnoew) pres. part. "not realizing" - being ignorant. The participle probably expresses manner, how they show contempt to God; "they will not see", Lenski.
      agei (pres) pres. "leads [you] toward [repentance?" - drive, lead, bring. Note how the NIV takes the edge off the simple "leads", as if taken to this point by the divine will. The present tense is possibly conative, expressing attempted action, so "tending to lead", "seeking to lead", Moo; "he wants you to repent", CEV.

v5
      Possibly a new paragraph, NIV, CEV, Morris, ... but Moo, Davies .... makes the break at v6 which seems more appropriate. The end of the pietist road is judgment.
      kata + acc. "because of" - Usually meaning "according to", but sometimes causal, as here, "because of, as a result of, on the basis of", BAGD.
      thn sklhrothta (hV htoV) "stubbornness" - hardness. Often referred to Israel of "spiritual obduracy and rebellion", Moo.
      seautw/ pro. "against yourself" - for yourselves. Dative of disadvantage.
      en "for [the day]" - Probably temporal, "you are storing up against yourself wrath, which will fall on the day of wrath", Moo. tou qeou gen. "of God's" - of God. Subjective genitive.
      orghV (h) gen. "of [God's] wrath" - wrath, anger. Descriptive genitive, as also "revelation" and "righteous judgment", all last day terms referring to the last judgment, not chastisement in the present. "You are storing up for yourselves wrath which will break forth in (on) the day of wrath, the day when God's just judgment is revealed", Barrett.

v6
      In v6-11 Paul examines the "righteous judgment of God" and makes the point that it will be fair and impartial, such that, irrespective of persons, the good will gain life and the evil will suffer wrath. This passage causes two major difficulties: i] It seems to teach salvation by works. Numerous theories are proposed, but we are best to understand that "doing good", v7, involves faith, with its natural product, works. Such has always been the case as Paul will argue when he deals with the life of Abraham in chapter 4, and of course, is a truth already stated in his thesis, 1:16-17. ii] It seems to teach salvation apart from Christ. See Cranfield for all the proposed theories. Of course, salvation is totally dependent on the work of Christ, but that's not Paul's argument here. Paul is establishing the impartial judgment of God. Those who rest on their "faithfulness" (obedience before God) will be condemned (due to sin); those who rest on their ["repentance", v4, and) "faith" will be saved, and this irrespective of persons, ie. the godly law-abiding may be out and the outcast in. Does this mean that a person may be saved apart from the gospel? We can probably say that, on the basis of Christ's sacrifice, a person is saved through their repentance/faith-response to the divine self-revelation available to them, so Abraham, the people of Nineveh, Naaman, Rahab, ..... How about "seek and you shall find"?
      o}V "God" - who.
      apodwsei (apodidwmi) fut. "will give" - will repay, give back. As of recompense, repayment of a debt, a due payment made.
      ta erga (on) "what [he] had done" - the works of him. Used of human conduct, often covering both good and bad behavior, but the word is not just limited to ethical conduct. As noted above, "living by faith" is more likely the "work" Paul has in mind - "the obedience of faith" = "the obedience that consists of faith." Of course, good works are the fruit of faith. See "eternal life" below. Some have suggested that the person referred to here is a believer, so Black, Cranfield, Moo, ... Others have suggested that the possibility of salvation via works is but a theoretical possibility, but due to sin, is not possible, so Murray, ...

v7
      toiV ..... zhtousin (zhtew) pres. part. dat. "to those who ........ seek" - to the ones seeking. Dative of advantage. "To those who ...... strive to attain", Cassirer.
      kaq + acc. "by" - according to. As above, is this preposition here taking the unusual causal sense, "because of, as a result of, on the basis of", BAGD? If this is the case, "persistence" is the qualifier = a life of faith producing good works.
      uJpomonhn (h) "[by] persistence" - endurance, patience.
      ergou agaqou "in doing good" - of good works. "Perseverance in doing what is right", BAGD. As noted above, we are best to understand "doing good" in terms of "faith", so Cranfield, rather than just an ethical "good". There are numerous other proposals: "those who with patient endurance look beyond their own well-doing", Barrett, an example of turning a passage on its head; some think Paul is trying to underline God's impartial dealings with Jew and Gentile, so Bruce; New Perspective commentators argue that, prior to inauguration of the new covenant in Christ, it was possible to maintain covenant status through the law.
      zwhn aiwnaion "eternal life" - The ultimate reward. "Eternal life" is the direct object of "[God] will give." God gives eternal life to those who "live by faith", which faith is expressed in "seeking", possibly better "in the hope of receiving", CEV, "glory, honor and immortality." These three words "define aspiration in terms of the highest reaches of the Christian hope (faith)", Murray, and do not fit with "going good" in the terms of ethical behavior.

v8
      "But on the other hand, those who, from a flawed nature (sin), reject the truth and do evil (ie. don't rest on God's mercy in faith), [will face God's] burning anger."
      de "but" - but, and. Here adversative. "But on the other hand."
      ex eriqeiaV (a) gen. "for those who are self-seeking" - [to those who] out of a hostile, resentful nature / selfish nature [reject the truth]. "Those who are of the quality of / those who are rooted in selfishness", Morris.
      toiV apeiqousi (apeiqew) pres. part. "who reject [the truth]" - to the ones / to those who are disbelieving, disobeying [the truth] . Participle as a substantive.
      th/ adikia/ (a) "[and] follow evil" - to the ones of unrighteousness. "Who rejects the truth and wants to do evil", CEV.
      orgh kai qumoV "wrath and anger" - Possibly a hendiadys, "burning anger."

v9
      Much is made of the Jew / Gentile dichotomy here, although note that Paul uses the word "Greek", not "Gentile." The word "Jews" here, indicates, for most commentators, that those "having the law", those who "judge others", are Jews, not law-bound believers. Yet, all Paul is saying here is that God is impartial in judgment, although with the proviso that judgment begins with the household of God. Israel's privileged status always applies, eg. in making known the gospel it is always Jew first.
      "There will be" - The verb must be added.
      qliyiV (iV ewV) "trouble" - tribulation. Given the context, the day of tribulation, the last day, is intended, although the word is often used of troubles in the present.
      stenoxwria (a) "distress" - Moo suggests a subjective sense is indicated, although the words are close in meaning. "There will be extreme affliction", Morris.
      epi "for" - upon, on.... [every soul of men].
      pasan yuchn anqrwpou "every human being" - The "every" indicating again God's impartiality ("universality", Morris), all humanity must stand before the living God.
      tou katergazomenou "who does [evil]" - the one working evil. "Any man who does evil will have trouble and hardship for his reward", TNT.
      Ioudaiou te prwton "first for the Jew" - Throughout the scriptures the principle remains true, that the more we have, the more is expected of us.

v10
      Virtual repeat of v7. See above