Romans 2:29

Romans 2:29
Specifying how to be praised by God rather than men is like casually saying, "I'll give you $50 million instead of $2". Praise from God is so much more valuable than praise from any human alive or dead.

Romans 2:28

Romans 2:28
God knows what you are like on the inside. The interior life spills out when we least want it to, but we can more or less select the impression we give to the world and even choose to believe that impression is the real thing. Yet ultimately we will have to face the reality of who we have chosen to become internally. Ultimately it is not enough to be born into the "right" family, choose the "right" lifestyle or belong to the "right" church. When all is said and done the real question is whether we have consecrated ourselves to God, chosen to covenant ourselves to Him, heart, mind, and strength.

Romans 2:27

Romans 2:27


I try not to compare my two children but there are times when I know that if one can complete a task then the other can too. Especially if my younger daughter is able to complete it, her big sister should be able to also. They are a year and a half apart in age with very different gifts and abilities, but I know, for instance, that if my younger daughter can keep her bib clean at a particular meal, then her older sister should be able to also. If the younger can follow our directions to brush her teeth, so can her sister. If the younger can set forks on the table for dinner, her obedience provides a standard to judge her sister's disobedience. In the same way, those with the Law and the circumcision are the older sibling who should be able to honor and obey God at least as well as those "younger siblings" who are just trying to live in the way they feel is right without the Law to guide them. When "the uncircumcised" without the Law still do what is right, it is a standard clearly judging the misbehavior of those who have been told exactly what is right and choose not to do it.

Romans 2:26

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?

If God's commands for us centered on circumcision, then no uncircumcised man, no matter how "good" would be able to please God. But circumcision is a sign of the true goal, not the goal itself. If we forget the relationship between the sign and the goal, we could find ourselves so obsessed with the sign that we're no longer accomplishing our goal. That would be like someone so focused on keeping their lawnmower in good shape that they never use it. The lawnmower should be well maintained so it can fulfill the true goal of continuing to cut the grass. You may or may not be circumcised; but are you fulfilling the true goal of honoring and obeying God?

Romans 2:25

New International Version (NIV)

 ²⁵ Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.

What is the goal you are after? Is it to be known as a "circumcised" believer? Or is circumcision the means to the goal of a covenant relationship with God? If you make a covenant yet don't follow it up with the effort to keep the covenant, what's the point?
Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of his covenant with God. His part of that covenant was to faithfully follow God. The Law was later given to his descendants so they would know what it meant to faithfully follow God and could keep their part of the covenant they had inherited. Anyone breaking the Law was breaking the covenant--and the covenant, the relationship with God, is the goal. The circumcision is only a meaningless promise without the follow-up.

Romans 2:24

New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

If God is great enough to create everything we see around us simply by speaking a word, it would be wise of us to do everything in our power to not profane His name. This verse is like train crossing with bars lowered, lights flashing and alarms sounding: Danger! Do not cross this line! If we are blaspheming God's name, we need to change our words and actions immediately. The context given in the previous verses shows that this warning is addressed to people who know and enforce God's Law among other people but don't live by it themselves. In what ways do you encourage others to obey God's Law using whatever means available to you and yet disobey it yourself? Be honest in your answer, at least in the privacy of your own mind. Don't play the fool by ignoring the warning and continuing to blaspheme God's holy name.

Romans 2:23

New International Version (NIV)

²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

It's a very serious charge to dishonor God. How much worse it is to boast of the importance of obeying His commandments while dishonoring Him by choosing to break them. Paul hasn't given a solution yet, because first we need to recognize the problem. If we boast in the Law, we are condemning ourselves as hypocrites. Again and again we break the Law. Again and again we fall into the same traps we might like to criticize others for so harshly. Let's take the first step of recognizing our own sinfulness and our own inability to keep all the commandments of the Law and the humility of realizing that we are not in a good position to criticize others for breaking the Law.

Romans 2:21-22

New International Version (NIV)

²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

It's hard to imagine someone consciously choosing to ignore their own advice. If you're going to actively insist that other people do what you tell them to, it seems natural that others would expect you to do the same. No one likes their behavior criticized by a hypocrite. Like Jesus said (Matt 7:5), look first to changing your own behavior before trying to change everyone else's. If you haven't done so, then don't put yourself in a position of leadership. Stay in the back, following the true leaders and focusing on repenting for your own sins and changing your behavior to avoid sinning in the future.

Romans 2:20

New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

What really strikes me in this verse and the previous ones is who is doing the convincing or persuading. In other words, it doesn't seem that God or another person is setting "you" up as the authority figure but that the "you" in this passage is setting "yourself" up and the one with all the answers ready to teach and lead everyone else. I once heard a man with a gift of healing say that you should never claim a spiritual gift for yourself. You should live it out as God directs, but leave it to others to label the gift. In other words, if you have been given the gift of teaching, go ahead and teach as opportunities arise. But let other people recognize that gift and call it the gift of teaching; don't grasp for the authority that comes from telling everyone the gifts God has blessed you with and that they ought to listen to you and respond to your leadership because you have such gifts. There is a certain humility required in following this advice, especially when you feel like you have been blessed with a gift yet no one else seems to recognize it.

Romans 2:19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,

I actually saw once a blind person leading another blind person. Matthew 15:14 came to mind immediately and I wondered why the man following trusted the one leading. The man in front was using a stick, so probably the second man figured someone with a stick could lead better than he could lead himself without anything to check for curbs and barriers and he probably didn't have anyone else to lead him. I imagine they'd both be a lot happier though if someone capable of seeing was leading them. 


I was also once swimming through a water-filled tunnel in complete darkness. It's hard to even find complete darkness these days, but for a moment I wasn't even sure which way was up, let alone which way was forward out of the tunnel. I was a hundred times grateful to see a light again, knowing that light was helping me escape the darkness.


A guide for the blind or a light in the darkness has a tremendous responsibility to lead in the right direction. The person following is trusting them not to leave them stranded without knowing which way to go. If someone is going to take up that responsibility, it is incredibly important not to simply point in the general direction or lead for a little ways then head off alone while the person following has no idea where they are.

Romans 2:18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;

Knowing right from wrong is truly a blessing. Paul's rebuke in this passage is toward those who use that knowledge and authority from the Law to condemn others without consideration for their own actions. But not once is he suggesting that it is a bad thing to know what the Law teaches: rather that the condemnation should be left to God since even those who already know the Law well find themselves disobeying it. I can't paint anything better than stick figures, but I can recognize and appreciate art that is well-done. It would be very foolish of me to criticize people whose art is as bad as mine, but I could certainly play the role of student or use what I *have* learned to show approval for another's art.

Romans 2:17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;

First of all, I'm not a Jew. But after 2000 years of Christendom, I think this verse applies just as well to a Christian "resting on" (fill in the blank) rather than loving God above all else. Anytime we focus on ourselves, our works, our efforts, our heritage, rather than on Christ and His love for us, we are acting like the Jews criticized by Paul for relying on the Law. We need to remember that the greatest commandment is NOT to attend our church every week or to work in a soup kitchen. The greatest commandment, according to Christ Himself, is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matt. 22:37).

Romans 2:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Of course the hidden things include the sacrifices no one else knows you're making and the injustices you've suffered because someone jumped to the wrong conclusion. God knows these things as well as the secret thoughts against other people and the sins you've committed when no one else was looking. If it's something you wouldn't want friends and strangers to watch you doing, maybe you should skip it altogether. If you would feel ashamed in front of people who love you, remember that the One who cares about you more than anyone else in the world still sees you at all times.

Romans 2:15

As much as some may pretend that there is no right and wrong, there are certain things we all agree are inappropriate. Natural law is in our hearts though we have the free will to accept or ignore it. Paul was writing long before the scientific method was developed and used on humans to test whether there are underlying principles that guide what we think distinguish a right action from a wrong action, yet modern studies continue to show that there are understandings that would consistently guide our conscience if we would left them, regardless of our race, nationality, religion, age, or other factors. God is just: He won't expect us to live by a Law we don't know. Yet He has put a law in our hearts and when we willfully choose to disobey Him, it is perfectly just for Him to judge us according to that law.

Romans 2:14

I am not a fan of anarchy. I don't believe that humans are essentially good or that if left on our own we will generally do what is right. Because we are descendants of Adam and Eve we have been changed and will often revert to evil, including laziness, spite, anger, malice, and much worse. But that doesn't mean we don't know what is right and what is wrong: we usually know the difference but we have the free will to choose which path we will take. Government exists because the right path benefits other people besides ourselves and it can be helpful to have their influence encouraging us to choose the right path. The laws of government don't match up entirely with the Law given to Moses, yet many of them correspond: Thou shalt not commit murder is certainly enforced in every government I've read about. The law may not go far enough (e.g. the definition of who is a person and therefore who is protected by the law against murder), but it is certainly better than allowing selfish human beings to choose our own paths without offering protection for society from the evil choices made by individuals.

Romans 2:13

Nothing aggravates me more than being pinned down by circumstances I can't control in any way whatsoever. I'm not always hard-working and responsible to do what I know I should, but I'd rather fall on my face through my own fault than be forced into an impossible situation because of other peoples' actions. Even though this verse implies a lot of work, it's very promising to know that we're not stuck in a position of going to Heaven or Hell based on the family we were born into. I would hate to be condemned simply because I wasn't born into a Jewish Law-abiding family.

Romans 2:12

What is the standard you use to distinguish right from wrong? Ultimately our standard should be based on God's standard, but we grow and change in our understanding of what that means. In the meantime, He isn't going to use someone else's measuring stick against us or a definition of right/wrong that we've never encountered before. He isn't going to judge me by the hundreds of stipulations in Jewish Law for hand-washing, house cleaning, food preparation, and so forth. But He is going to use what I know in my heart is right/wrong, and I have to admit (at least to myself) that I don't always live up to that standard. I'm *really* glad to not be held to a standard I'm not familiar with, since I'd be sure to fail miserably at it. But that doesn't let me off the hook; I need to improve at following the standard of what I *know* is right in my heart, including repenting each and every time I choose to do what's wrong.

Romans 2:11

Isn't it reassuring to know that God isn't racist? He doesn't look at the color of our skin, the place where we were born, the parents we were born to, the neighborhood we grew up in, the dominant hand we prefer, the personality we received, or any other comparatively superficial characteristic. He doesn't even insist that we be descendants of Abraham by birth, nor grant us immunity if we are. No matter who we are or where we're from He will treat each of us "according to his works" (v.6). Of course that also means we can't sit back and assume that being born "on the right side of the tracks" will make the way easy for us. Between the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel and the individual descendants of Abraham who have quietly managed to deny their heritage (for good or bad) and intermarry with gentiles, I wonder how many "Israelites" or "Jews" are living today who don't know they're descended from Abraham. I certainly wouldn't know if I was. But now God has provided a way for those of us who aren't Jewish (or don't know if we actually are) to be given the same grace and the same opportunities for "glory and honor and peace" (v.10) that might've once been offered only to His Chosen People. It's the chance of a lifetime. Will you take it?

Romans 2:10

Honor and glory have always seemed to me to be empty words all by themselves. Yet it becomes altogether a different story when considering who is giving the recognition.

One year when I was in grade school we were given 2 math tests close together. The first one I knew affected our math grade for the entire year. The second was presented as a contest with the prize being some kind of math puzzle book. It was very important to me to maintain a good grade, so I worked hard on the first test and finished in second place among my classmates. But I had no interest whatsoever in the prize offered for the second and I didn't understand somehow that the students with the top scores for both tests would be presented and honored before the whole school. My grade on that second test was nowhere near my grade for the first; the honor of having passed at the top of my class for a math exam that didn't affect my grade in anyway whatsoever simply didn't appeal to me. It was kind of funny actually when the teachers honored those with the top grades: in every single class except ours the top three grades for both sets of tests was one combination or another of the same three students. They almost didn't know what to make of the fact that I was invited onto the stage for a grade in the first test that was only 1 point or less below that of the top student, yet wasn't even a contender for the top three positions for the second test. The honor for the second test simply didn't motivate me.

Can you imagine how good it would feel to be honored by the Lord? The prize isn't a little puzzle book and a round of applause from your grade school. The prize is greater joy than you've ever known, everlasting life, surrounded by people who love you better than you've ever been loved before. But the honor itself is worth all sacrifices you may have to make along the way. Imagine: the Creator, the Messiah, the Lord of the universe, looking you in the eyes and honoring you for your service. That is an honor worth receiving.

Romans 2:9

The Lord is just. If my actions are evil, why would I expect to be rewarded with blessings? No matter who I am, who my parents are, or where I am from, if my actions are evil I can expect to be punished. Why would I expect anything different?

One person on this radio program from Catholic Answers asked why it seems that those who are reveling in sin are still being rewarded, while those working hard and denying themselves for the sake of doing what is right seem to have the short end of the stick. Obviously we haven't reached the end of the trail yet and the rewards/punishments after judgment may have little to do with what we experience in this life. Yet I loved how the speaker answered the question: that sometimes we misinterpret a reward/punishment. The particular example given was that of sexual promiscuity where a man seems to be enjoying innumerable relationships with as many beautiful women as he'd like. But, the speaker pointed out, his escapades are like dabbling in numerous shallow pools. It may seem as though he has it better than someone faithfully following God's laws, but the truth is that he is really missing out on diving deep into the ocean of a single woman's love. Follow God's ways to find the soulmate.