Following his thesis in 1:16-17, Paul sets out, in 1:18-2:11, to establish the universal condition of sin and the impartial nature of God's judgment on sin. In 2:1-5 Paul reminds his law-bound brothers and sisters in Christ that they have no right to point the finger at their less pious brothers and sisters, or anyone in fact. Such people may be uncircumcised, totally uneducated with regard to clean or unclean foods, and most likely exhibiting some rather obnoxious pagan habits, but sin is universal such that we all stand under God's judgment. The person who has broken only eight of the ten commandments is no more secure before God than the person who has broken all ten, and as Jesus has pointed out, in a sense we have all broken the ten in spirit. Paul then goes on to outline the impartial nature of God's judgment, 2:6-11. Irrespective of persons, under God's righteous judgment, the person who does what is evil before God is condemned, while the person who does what is right before God is saved. Of course, the only good work we can do that is acceptable to God is to bow our heads before him and rely on his mercy. The obedience that consists of faith is the one and only good work that saves.
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.
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".
1. When Paul speaks of "you" in this passage, who is he speaking of?
2. Why is it unwise to "pass judgement on someone else"?
3. What part does the Law play in "realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance."