Rom 1:18-2:16 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Rom 1:18-3:20: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21 ) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32 ) and Jews (2:1–3:8 ) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20 ). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12 ; Num 11:1 ; Jer 21:3-7 ) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually depicts God’s anger as occurring in the end times (Rom 2:5 , 8 ; 5:9 ; Col 3:6 ; 1 Thes 1:10 ), the present tense of shows refers to God’s expressions of anger throughout human history.

Summary for Rom 1:18-3:20: 1:18–3:20 ^a Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21 ^b) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32 ^c) and Jews (2:1–3:8 ^d) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20 ^e). 1:18 ^f God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12 ^g; Num 11:1 ^h; Jer 21:3-7 ⁱ) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually depicts God’s anger as occurring in the end times (Rom 2:5 ^j, 8 ^k; 5:9 ^l; Col 3:6 ^m; 1 Thes 1:10 ⁿ), the present tense of shows refers to God’s expressions of anger throughout human history.
1:21 ^o To know God in Scripture usually means to have an intimate, saving relationship with him (see 2 Cor 5:16 ^p; Gal 4:9 ^q; Phil 3:8 ^r, 10 ^s). Here, however, they knew God means that people knew about God. All people have some understanding of God through creation, yet they do not do what is right based on that knowledge. Rather than learn more about God, they worship gods of their own making.
1:24 ^t When human beings exchanged the living God for idols, God abandoned them, a point Paul makes twice more in this paragraph (1:26 ^u, 28 ^v). The word abandon includes a sense of “handing over,” suggesting that God actively consigns people to the consequences of their sin.
1:26 ^w women turned against the natural way: In this context, natural way refers to the nature of the world as God made it. As in the Old Testament, Paul singles out homosexuality as a key illustration of how people have fallen away from worship of the true God (see Gen 19:1-28 ^x; Lev 18:22 ^y; 20:13 ^z; Deut 23:17-18 ^aa). God created human beings as male and female, and engaging in homosexual activity is a violation of God’s creative intention.
1:27 ^ab suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved: When people abandon the Creator’s intentions, they are judged for their actions. This judgment can take many different forms, but the ultimate consequence is spiritual death (see 1:32 ^ac).
1:28 ^ad thought it foolish: Sin affects our actions and even our thoughts. One of the serious consequences of turning away from God is an unsound mind; people can no longer use their minds as God intended.
Summary for Rom 1:29-31: 1:29-31 ^ae This list of sins follows a popular Hellenistic literary form called a vice list. While not exhaustive, it reminds readers of various forms that evil might take.
1:32 ^af To encourage others to sin is worse than sinning oneself (Jas 3:1 ^ag; cp. Testament of Asher 6:2: “The two-faced are doubly punished because they both practice evil and approve of others who practice it; they imitate the spirits of error and join in the struggle against mankind”).

‏ Romans 2:1-16

Summary for Rom 2:1-5: 2:1-5 ^ah You is singular in the Greek. Here, the you is a hypothetical complacent Jew, who feels superior to Gentiles and in no danger of judgment. Paul adopts a popular Hellenistic style called a diatribe, in which a writer tries to win over an audience to his views by portraying a debate between himself and a hypothetical opponent.

• these very same things: Paul’s point is that Jews, like Gentiles, turn from God’s revelation to go their own way.
2:4 ^ai Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Behind Paul’s question are Jewish passages (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon 12–15; cp. Jer 7:1-5 ^aj; Amos 5:18-27 ^ak) that portray a prevalent Jewish complacency toward judgment. Many Jews thought that because they were God’s people, they did not need to worry about judgment, for their sins would not be punished as the sins of Gentiles would be. Paul emphasizes that God’s grace was intended to turn the Jews from their sin, not to condone a sinful lifestyle.
Summary for Rom 2:6-11: 2:6-11 ^al Paul uses a chiasm (“X” arrangement) to make his point:

A God judges everyone the same (2:6 ^am)

B Life is the reward for doing good (2:7 ^an)

C Wrath is the penalty for evil (2:8 ^ao)

C^′ Wrath for doing evil (2:9 ^ap)

B^′ Life for doing good (2:10 ^aq)

A^′ God shows no favoritism (2:11 ^ar)

2:7 ^as He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good: Paul makes it clear elsewhere that no one can receive eternal life except as God’s gift through faith (3:20 ^at, 28 ^au; 4:1-8 ^av). Here, Paul is either referring to Christians whose good deeds (that result from faith) will be taken into account in God’s judgment, or he is reminding readers of the absolute standard that God’s own holiness establishes, since only by perfection can sinners hope to find acceptance before God. As the argument of the letter unfolds, Paul will show that no one is capable of meeting that standard.
2:8 ^aw Live for themselves translates a rare Greek word (eritheia) that seems to convey the idea of selfish ambition or strife. Using this word, Aristotle scolded the politicians of his day for seeking public office for selfish gain rather than from a desire to serve the people (Aristotle, Politics 5.3; see also 2 Cor 12:20 ^ax; Gal 5:20 ^ay; Phil 1:17 ^az; 2:3 ^ba; Jas 3:14 ^bb, 16 ^bc).
2:12 ^bd destroyed: This common New Testament word describes the fate of the wicked after death (see also 9:22 ^be; 14:15 ^bf; 1 Cor 1:18 ^bg; 15:18 ^bh; 2 Cor 2:15 ^bi; 4:3 ^bj; Phil 1:28 ^bk; 3:19 ^bl; 2 Thes 2:10 ^bm; 1 Tim 6:9 ^bn). Condemned sinners do not cease to exist, but they suffer eternal punishment, which includes the everlasting destruction of all good in their identity and experience.

• the Jews, who do have God’s law: The Jews were given the law of Moses, while the Gentiles never had God’s written law. In the New Testament period, Jews emphasized their possession of the law as a mark of God’s favor and even as a guarantee of salvation.
2:13 ^bo obeying the law ... makes us right in his sight: Regarding the promise of righteousness through obedience, see 2:7 ^bp; see also Jas 1:22 ^bq.
Summary for Rom 2:14-15: 2:14-15 ^br The Gentiles who know his law when they instinctively obey it may be Gentile Christians, especially since written in their hearts (2:15 ^bs) alludes to the prophecy of the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34 ^bt). Or they could be non-Christian Gentiles who know God’s general moral law through their consciences. In this case, Paul would be using the notion of natural law to show how all people could be held accountable for certain basic moral requirements.
2:16 ^bu secret life (literally the hidden things): Scripture frequently stresses that God will judge people according to their thoughts and intentions (see 1 Sam 16:7 ^bv; Ps 139:1-2 ^bw; Jer 17:10 ^bx).