Rom 2:13-15 | KingComments | STEP | Let’s begin with a review. Romans 1:19-32 speaks about the Gentiles. Then in Romans 2:1-8 Paul addresses people who think they are not as bad as the Gentiles. . Now in , Paul continues with this topic, but he makes a distinction between the two groups of people: Jews and Greeks. The Greeks are also called the Gentiles or heathen. Heathen, or as is said here “Greek”, doesn’t just mean those with little civilization. When he addresses the heathen, Greek or Gentile people, Paul refers to all people who are not Jews – those with whom God didn’t make a special relationship as He had with the Jews. Jews are the people to whom God made His will known by giving them a law. God didn’t make Himself known to the Gentiles in that way. You could apply this to the situation in which we live. There are people who have grown up in a Christian family and there are people who have grown up in families in which God’s will has not been made known. Even so, God does not show partiality or favoritism to persons in the future judgment. He who does evil, either Jew or Greek, will receive “tribulation and distress” from God. He who does good deeds, being either Jew or Greek, will receive “glory and honor and peace”. . The difference is the standard that is applied for judgment. Jews and Greeks have both received something from God through which they know what is right and wrong. God gave the Jews a law in which He made known what they were to do. They will be judged by this law. The Gentiles never had a law and will perish without one. . But they have something else – a conscience. For example, most heathen know by nature they shouldn’t steal, even though God never told them through a law. If they still plan to do it, they will be troubled by their conscience. It speaks to them, and if they listen to the voice of their conscience, they would not steal. Therefore they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts because in the law it is written: “You shall not steal” ( ). He who does what the law says, even though it has never been made known to him, will be justified. It doesn’t matter whether you have heard of God’s will or not, but it does matter whether you do what God wants. Every person, even if he is ignorant of God and His will, has received a conscience passed down from the fall of Adam through which he knows the difference between good and evil. This conscience is formed or deformed in proportion to the values set up by parents and surrounding society. A person can try to not listen to the voice of his conscience, but deep in his heart it is still there. Others around him may remind him about these wrong things. Certain rules are enforced by the groups in which people live. If someone oversteps these rules, he is judged. If someone is judged and it becomes evident he has not committed a crime, he will be defended. This is how it works with people who have no knowledge of God. . But God looks further than deeds. God also sees the source of a person’s works. He sees the secrets of the heart where reasoning takes place. He knows the motives through which a person lets himself be led. We can conceal our real motives for each other, but not for God. A day will come when God will judge these secret things through Jesus Christ ( ). This is an unpleasant thought for most people. They would rather not think about it. However, this judgment also is part of what Paul calls “my gospel”. Motives are just as important for God as deeds. People can be misled by deeds, but not God. He who really lives with God will not have any difficulty in opening his heart completely to God. Now read Romans 2:9-16 again. Reflection: How do you view the thought that God knows all about you?

‏ Romans 2:13-15

Jews and Gentiles

Let’s begin with a review. Romans 1:19-32 speaks about the Gentiles. Then in Romans 2:1-8 Paul addresses people who think they are not as bad as the Gentiles.

Rom 2:9-11. Now in Rom 2:9-16, Paul continues with this topic, but he makes a distinction between the two groups of people: Jews and Greeks. The Greeks are also called the Gentiles or heathen. Heathen, or as is said here “Greek”, doesn’t just mean those with little civilization. When he addresses the heathen, Greek or Gentile people, Paul refers to all people who are not Jews – those with whom God didn’t make a special relationship as He had with the Jews. Jews are the people to whom God made His will known by giving them a law. God didn’t make Himself known to the Gentiles in that way.

You could apply this to the situation in which we live. There are people who have grown up in a Christian family and there are people who have grown up in families in which God’s will has not been made known. Even so, God does not show partiality or favoritism to persons in the future judgment. He who does evil, either Jew or Greek, will receive “tribulation and distress” from God. He who does good deeds, being either Jew or Greek, will receive “glory and honor and peace”.

Rom 2:12. The difference is the standard that is applied for judgment. Jews and Greeks have both received something from God through which they know what is right and wrong. God gave the Jews a law in which He made known what they were to do. They will be judged by this law. The Gentiles never had a law and will perish without one.

Rom 2:13-15. But they have something else – a conscience. For example, most heathen know by nature they shouldn’t steal, even though God never told them through a law. If they still plan to do it, they will be troubled by their conscience. It speaks to them, and if they listen to the voice of their conscience, they would not steal. Therefore they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts because in the law it is written: “You shall not steal” (Exo 20:15). He who does what the law says, even though it has never been made known to him, will be justified. It doesn’t matter whether you have heard of God’s will or not, but it does matter whether you do what God wants.

Every person, even if he is ignorant of God and His will, has received a conscience passed down from the fall of Adam through which he knows the difference between good and evil. This conscience is formed or deformed in proportion to the values set up by parents and surrounding society. A person can try to not listen to the voice of his conscience, but deep in his heart it is still there. Others around him may remind him about these wrong things. Certain rules are enforced by the groups in which people live. If someone oversteps these rules, he is judged. If someone is judged and it becomes evident he has not committed a crime, he will be defended. This is how it works with people who have no knowledge of God.

Rom 2:16. But God looks further than deeds. God also sees the source of a person’s works. He sees the secrets of the heart where reasoning takes place. He knows the motives through which a person lets himself be led. We can conceal our real motives for each other, but not for God. A day will come when God will judge these secret things through Jesus Christ (1Cor 4:5).

This is an unpleasant thought for most people. They would rather not think about it. However, this judgment also is part of what Paul calls “my gospel”. Motives are just as important for God as deeds. People can be misled by deeds, but not God. He who really lives with God will not have any difficulty in opening his heart completely to God.

Now read Romans 2:9-16 again.

Reflection: How do you view the thought that God knows all about you?