Romans Chapter 2
The Guilt of the Moralist and the Jew
A. God’s Judgment upon the Morally Educated
Romans 2:1–3
“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”
In Romans chapter 1, Paul unveiled the sinful depravity of the pagan world, describing those who openly rebel against God and exchange His glory for idols. Now, in chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to another group—the moralists. These are men and women who may outwardly appear upright, educated, and even religious, but they take pride in their supposed morality while condemning others. The apostle exposes their hypocrisy and demonstrates that they too are guilty before the holy judgment of God.
Paul begins with the strong declaration, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge.” This is aimed at the moralist who looks down on the openly sinful and thinks himself exempt from God’s wrath. Jesus illustrated this very attitude in His parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:10–14). In Romans 1 Paul dealt with the tax collector, the openly guilty sinner, but in Romans 2 he addresses the Pharisee, the moralist who thinks his virtue shields him from judgment.
Paul’s words would have struck a nerve with the Jews of his day, many of whom took pride in their morality and in condemning Gentile corruption. Yet this principle applied beyond Judaism. For instance, Seneca, the Roman statesman and tutor of Nero, stood as a representative of this moralist spirit. He publicly denounced the vices of pagan society and commended virtue and self-restraint. Many Christians admired Seneca for his eloquence on morality. Yet, tragically, he himself tolerated in his own life the very sins he condemned in others, even excusing Nero’s notorious crimes, including the murder of his own mother. This illustrates Paul’s point—condemning others while secretly committing similar sins makes one guilty and without excuse.
Paul continues, “For in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” The moralist assumes that because he can identify evil in others, he stands as the judge rather than the judged. Yet in condemning others, he acknowledges that God’s standard of righteousness is valid, and by that very standard he stands condemned. As one commentator notes, “Since you know the justice of God, as evidenced by the fact that you are judging others, you are without excuse, because in the very act of judging you have condemned yourself.”
Notice that Paul does not condemn the moralist merely for judging others. Scripture elsewhere calls us to exercise discernment and to judge rightly according to God’s Word (John 7:24). The condemnation comes because the moralist commits the very same sins he denounces. He may not commit them in the same form or degree, but he is guilty of sinning against the light of God’s revelation just as surely as the pagans of chapter 1. As Denney explained, “Not, you do the identical actions, but your conduct is the same, that is, you sin against light. The sin of the Jews was the same, though their sins were not.”
Therefore, Paul insists that “the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.” God’s judgment is not based on appearances, reputation, or human comparisons. It is according to truth—that is, according to the facts of the case. He judges the heart and the reality of one’s deeds. The moralist may escape the judgment of men, but he cannot escape the all-seeing eye of God.
Paul then presses the issue home: “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” The question is emphatic—you, the very one pointing the finger, do you really suppose that you will escape? This rhetorical question pierces the self-righteous heart. As one expositor put it, “Our exhortations should be as forked arrows to stick in men’s hearts; and not wound only, as other arrows.” Paul makes sure that the reader knows he is not an exception.
Lenski remarks that Paul’s purpose is not merely to convict the moralist of sin, but to strip him of the false refuge of moralism itself. The danger of moralizing is that one begins to believe morality is the way of escape from God’s wrath. Paul must shatter that illusion. Righteousness before God does not come through comparison with others, nor through outward decency, but only through the righteousness of Christ received by faith.
God’s Judgment against the Moralist
Romans 2:4–5
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
Paul now exposes the moralist’s presumption. Rather than humbling himself under God’s mercy, the moralist despises it, taking it as license to continue in pride. The apostle asks, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering?” These three attributes—goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering—represent the lavish mercy of God extended to mankind. Goodness may be seen in His kindness toward our past sins, for He has not struck us down though we deserve it. Forbearance may be seen in His kindness toward our present sins, for He holds back judgment at this very hour. Longsuffering may be seen in His kindness toward our future sins, for He knows full well how often we will fail Him in days ahead, yet He restrains His wrath. Truly, these are riches of mercy, and to scorn such treasures is the height of folly.
Paul presents these mercies as “riches” because they are inexhaustible, rooted in God’s greatness, omniscience, and power. To wrong a great man is a grievous sin, and God is the greatest of all, yet He shows mercy. He knows every hidden sin through His omniscience, yet still He shows mercy. He has all power to punish, yet He chooses to delay. And the objects of His mercy are but frail men and women—creatures who, compared to His majesty, are as insignificant as dust. What grace, then, that He is rich in mercy.
Yet men twist this patience into an excuse. They misinterpret God’s restraint as weakness or indifference. They say, “If there is a God in heaven, let Him strike me dead!” When judgment does not immediately fall, they smugly conclude, “See, there is no God.” In reality, it is His forbearance and longsuffering that hold back His wrath. Every new day is a gift of mercy, every breath an opportunity to repent. As Charles Spurgeon observed, every sunrise says, “I shine on thee yet another day that thou mayest repent.” Every night’s rest says, “I give you another chance to turn from sin and trust Christ.” Every meal, every sermon, every opened Bible is another invitation to repentance.
Paul explains the true purpose of this mercy: “Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” God’s kindness is not given to make us comfortable in sin, but to draw us to Himself. Repentance is not driven by terror alone, but drawn by grace. Cain was driven away as a fugitive after slaying Abel, and Judas was driven to despair after betraying Christ. But the best repentance is that which comes by God’s gentle leading, when His goodness melts the hardened heart. Repentance in the New Testament sense is not mere remorse or sorrow, but a complete turning—a reorientation to a new life in Christ, a life of service to God.
Yet instead of repenting, the moralist hardens his heart. Paul warns, “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” The moralist thinks he is storing up merit by condemning others, but in reality he is storing up wrath. Each act of hypocrisy and presumption adds to the weight of judgment. God in His longsuffering holds it back, but one day it will be poured out in full measure. Poole aptly commented, “Just as men add to their treasure of wealth, so dost thou add to the treasures of punishment.”
Lenski describes the picture as that of a load being heaped up heavier and heavier, while God Himself bears the weight. The marvel is not that judgment falls, but that God holds it up so long. Yet the day will come when His patience will end, and the dam will break. Paul calls it “the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” At Christ’s first coming, God’s love was revealed most clearly. At His second coming, His righteous judgment will be unveiled with terrifying clarity. Then every false refuge will collapse, and the moralist who presumed upon God’s goodness will discover he has been treasuring up wrath for himself.
B. God’s Judgment upon the Jewish Man
1. God’s Principle of Impartiality
Romans 2:11–13
“For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified).”
Paul now turns from the moralist in general to the Jew in particular, pressing the principle of divine impartiality. “For there is no partiality with God.” The Greek word translated “partiality” comes from the root meaning “to receive the face.” It describes a judgment based on outward appearance or preconceived notions rather than the truth of the matter. Human courts often fall into this error, favoring the wealthy, the powerful, or the well-connected. But God’s judgment is entirely impartial. He does not see as man sees. As it is written, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Some ancient rabbis wrongly taught that God would judge the Gentiles by one standard and the Jews by another, assuming that their covenant status exempted them from the severity of divine justice. But Paul refutes this error. Whether Jew or Gentile, whether under the Law of Moses or apart from it, every man will be judged fairly and without favoritism. The possession of the law does not grant immunity, nor does ignorance of it excuse sin. Each is accountable to the light he has been given.
Paul explains, “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.” The Gentiles, who did not possess the written Law of Moses, are still accountable before God because they have sinned against the dictates of conscience and the testimony of creation. They will perish without law, not because they were deprived of privilege, but because they failed to respond to the measure of light they had. On the other hand, the Jews, who possessed the law, will be judged by it. Their accountability is even greater, for they had God’s written revelation and yet transgressed it.
The principle is further clarified: “For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.” It is not enough to hear God’s Word, study it, or even boast in possessing it. True righteousness is found only in obedience. James echoes this truth: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Hearing the law without doing it only increases condemnation, for it reveals knowledge without transformation.
This truth strikes at the heart of both the Jew and the religious moralist. The Jew might rest in the fact that he had the law, the covenants, and the promises. The Gentile might comfort himself with the thought that he was free from the written law. But Paul cuts through both illusions. The question is not whether one has the law, but whether one has obeyed God. As Leon Morris rightly summarizes, “People will be condemned, not because they have the law or do not have the law, but because they have sinned.”
Therefore, the impartial judgment of God operates on a universal principle: the law condemns those who know it but do not keep it, and conscience condemns those who are without it but still transgress against it. In both cases, sinners stand guilty before a holy God.
2. Possession of the Law is No Advantage to the Jewish Man in the Day of Judgment
Romans 2:14–16
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
Paul addresses the unique position of the Gentiles, who did not receive the Law of Moses, yet are still accountable before God. He declares, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves.” This statement demonstrates that the absence of the written law does not exempt the Gentiles from responsibility. God has implanted within every human being a moral awareness, a conscience, that reflects the work of His law written in the heart. When Gentiles instinctively act according to this moral compass, they show that they know right from wrong, even without the tablets of stone given at Sinai.
Paul clarifies that this does not mean Gentiles created their own rules, as in the modern phrase “a law unto himself.” Rather, it means that God placed within them the “work of the law” as a moral standard. Even pagan writers of Paul’s day referred to the “unwritten law” within man, recognizing a universal moral code that directed human behavior. Calvin noted rightly, “He indeed shows that ignorance is in vain pretended as an excuse by the Gentiles, since they prove by their own deeds that they have some rule of righteousness.” Thus, conscience is God’s internal revelation, bearing witness to His moral order.
Paul continues, “who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.” Conscience is that inner faculty that convicts us when we do wrong and affirms us when we do right. In theory, if a man perfectly obeyed his conscience, he could be excused. But in practice, every man has violated his conscience, just as every man has broken God’s written law. Paul is careful in verse 14 to say that Gentiles may “by nature do the things in the law,” but he does not say they fulfill the law by nature. Conscience is a witness, but it is not infallible. It can be damaged, hardened, or seared through sin and rebellion. Yet even a distorted conscience leaves man without excuse, for the very act of accusation or excuse testifies to an awareness of God’s moral demands.
The apostle adds a solemn reminder: “in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” No one will escape the searching gaze of divine judgment. Outward appearances, religious privileges, or appeals to ignorance will not stand. God will judge not only visible actions but also “the secrets of men.” Hidden thoughts, motives, and desires will be laid bare before Christ. As Solomon declared, “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
Paul emphasizes that this judgment will be carried out “by Jesus Christ.” This is a distinctly Christian revelation. Jewish teaching held that God alone would judge the world, not even entrusting this role to the Messiah. But Jesus Himself declared, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:22–23). This affirms the deity of Christ and His divine authority to judge the living and the dead.
Finally, Paul calls this message “my gospel.” This phrase reflects not personal ownership in the sense of invention, but personal conviction and identification with the truth of Christ. As Spurgeon remarked, it is as if a soldier speaks of “my king” or “my banner.” Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. That gospel includes not only the good news of forgiveness through Christ but also the sober reality of judgment. Any proclamation of the gospel that omits judgment is an incomplete gospel.
Thus, Paul’s argument devastates Jewish reliance on the law for privilege. Possession of the law is no shield in the Day of Judgment. Gentiles will be judged by their conscience, Jews by the written law, but both alike will be judged impartially by Jesus Christ.
3. The Boast of the Jewish Man
Romans 2:17–20
“Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.”
Paul now addresses the Jewish man directly. He begins by acknowledging the titles and privileges in which the Jew took pride. “Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God.” The Jewish people rightly recognized their unique status as the covenant nation, entrusted with the holy oracles of God (Romans 3:2). They gloried in this privilege and found their identity in it. To be called a Jew was to claim heritage as one of God’s chosen people, to rest in the fact that God had given His law to them, and to boast in their relationship with the one true God.
Paul elaborates on their claims: “and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law.” Because they possessed the Torah, the Jews believed they had insight into God’s will, could discern what was morally superior, and could instruct others. They prided themselves on being the spiritual elite, in contrast to the ignorant Gentiles. They saw themselves as uniquely qualified to pass judgment on the moral failings of the nations.
Paul continues: “and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.” These words describe the exalted view the Jews held of their mission. They saw themselves as guides to the blind—those ignorant Gentiles groping in darkness. They believed themselves to be a light to those in ignorance, instructors of the foolish, and teachers of spiritual infants. Indeed, God had called Israel to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6). Yet Paul hints at the problem: they had “the form of knowledge and truth in the law,” but mere possession of the law without obedience is not enough. Their confidence was misplaced.
4. The Indictment against the Jewish Man
Romans 2:21–24
“You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written.”
Having outlined the boast of the Jew, Paul now exposes his inconsistency. “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?” The principle is simple: you who instruct others, do you live by your own instruction? The possession of the law does not excuse hypocrisy. It only heightens accountability.
Paul drives home the charge with examples: “You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” These rhetorical questions would have struck deeply. Many Jews of Paul’s day believed they were fully justified by the law through their interpretations of it. Jesus Himself exposed the fallacy of such thinking in the Sermon on the Mount, declaring that God judges not only external actions but also inward attitudes (Matthew 5:19–48). To preach against theft and yet steal, to forbid adultery and yet commit it in heart or act, to condemn idolatry and yet profit from idolatrous practices—this was the hypocrisy Paul confronted.
The statement “You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” likely refers to Jews who, while abhorring idols, nevertheless profited from dishonest dealings related to idol temples. As Morris observes, some Jews justified financial gain from pagan worship practices even while condemning idolatry itself. This kind of double standard dishonored the God of Israel before the Gentiles.
Paul’s final charge is devastating: “You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written.” This echoes Old Testament warnings such as Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20, where God declared that His name was profaned among the nations because of Israel’s disobedience. Instead of being a light to the Gentiles, their hypocrisy caused the Gentiles to blaspheme God. To boast in the law while breaking it was to bring reproach on the very God whose law they claimed to honor.
Hypocrisy is always destructive to the witness of God’s people. Trapp observed, “Hypocrites can talk of religion, as if their tongues did run upon patterns, they are fair professors, but foul sinners.” History is full of examples where religious leaders preached holiness but lived in corruption, causing unbelievers to mock the faith. When God’s people dishonor Him through sin, the unbelieving world uses it as fuel for blasphemy. This indictment makes it clear: the Jew’s possession of the law is no shield in judgment. In fact, it heightens his guilt, for with greater light comes greater responsibility.
5. The Irrelevance of Circumcision
Romans 2:25–29
“For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
Paul now addresses one of the greatest boasts of the Jewish people—the covenant sign of circumcision. The Jew might protest Paul’s previous indictments by saying that his salvation is secured by being a descendant of Abraham and bearing in his flesh the sign of the covenant. Paul answers directly: “For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.” Circumcision, like any outward sign or ritual, is only meaningful if accompanied by true obedience. Without obedience, the external sign becomes meaningless.
The Jew believed circumcision was a guarantee of salvation. Some rabbis taught that Abraham sat at the gates of hell to ensure that no circumcised Israelite would ever enter. Others declared, “All Israelites will have part in the world to come.” Still others claimed that God would judge Gentiles by one measure and Jews by another. Paul dismantles this false assurance. Salvation is not secured by ritual, but by righteousness. Circumcision without obedience is no better than uncircumcision.
Paul’s point applies to all religious rituals. Circumcision for the Jew is no different than baptism for the Christian. Neither circumcision nor baptism saves. Ritual is only the outward label, but the inward reality is what matters. As one illustration puts it, if a can is filled with carrots, labeling it “peas” does not change its contents. In the same way, outward rites cannot change a sinful heart. True salvation begins with regeneration—the inward change of being born again. Only then does the outward sign match the inward reality. Even the Law of Moses affirmed this truth: “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer” (Deuteronomy 10:16).
Paul continues: “Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?” Theoretically, if a Gentile fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law written on his conscience (Romans 2:14–15), his obedience would matter more than circumcision itself. The point is not that Gentiles can attain salvation by law-keeping, but that God requires righteousness, not ritual. As Manson noted, “If they are loyal to the good they know, they will be acceptable to God; but it is a very big ‘if.’”
Paul presses further: “And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?” In other words, the Gentile who obeys conscience will stand in judgment over the Jew who boasts in the law yet breaks it. This addresses the familiar objection: “What about the one who has never heard the gospel, such as the tribesman in a remote land?” God will judge that person by the light he has received. Yet even then, the verdict will be guilty, because no one has perfectly lived according to conscience or creation. The real problem is that there are no “innocent natives.” Far more pressing questions are: “What about you who have heard the gospel but reject it?” and “What about you who are commanded to take the gospel to the nations but refuse to obey?” (Matthew 28:19).
Paul concludes with a profound redefinition of Jewish identity: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” True covenant membership is not about external lineage or physical rites, but about inward transformation by the Spirit. Outward religion may win the applause of men, but only the inward work of God receives the praise of God. Jeremiah foresaw this when he spoke of a new covenant in which God would write His law upon the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:33). Paul affirms that true circumcision is spiritual, not ceremonial, and its evidence is seen in a life changed by God’s Spirit.
William Newell summarized Romans 2 with seven great principles of God’s judgment:
God’s judgment is according to truth (Romans 2:2).
God’s judgment is according to accumulated guilt (Romans 2:5).
God’s judgment is according to works (Romans 2:6).
God’s judgment is without partiality (Romans 2:11).
God’s judgment is according to performance, not knowledge (Romans 2:13).
God’s judgment reaches the secrets of the heart (Romans 2:16).
God’s judgment is according to reality, not religious profession (Romans 2:17–29).
