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God’s coming judgment will be impartial, the same for all

So you have no excuse—anyone, whoever you are, who sits in judgment! When you judge someone else, you condemn yourself, because you, who are behaving as a judge, are doing the same things. We know that God’s judgment falls, in accordance with the truth, on those who do such things. But if you judge those who do them and yet do them yourself, do you really suppose that you will escape God’s judgment?

Or do you despise the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance and patience? Don’t you know that God’s kindness is meant to bring you to repentance? But by your hard, unrepentant heart you are building up a store of anger for yourself on the day of anger, the day when God’s just judgment will be unveiled— the God who will “repay everyone according to their works.”

When people patiently do what is good, and so pursue the quest for glory and honor and immortality, God will give them the life of the age to come. But when people act out of selfish desire, and do not obey the truth, but instead obey injustice, there will be anger and fury. There will be trouble and distress for every single person who does what is wicked, the Jew first and also, equally, the Greek— 10 and there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does what is good, the Jew first and also, equally, the Greek. 11 God, you see, shows no partiality.

How God’s impartial judgment will work

12 Everyone who sinned outside the law, you see, will perish outside the law—and those who sinned from within the law will be judged by means of the law. 13 After all, it isn’t those who hear the law who are in the right before God. It’s those who do the law who will be declared to be in the right!

14 This is how it works out. Gentiles don’t possess the law as their birthright; but whenever they do what the law says, they are a law for themselves, despite not possessing the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their conscience bears witness as well, and their thoughts will run this way and that, sometimes accusing them and sometimes excusing them, 16 on the day when (according to the gospel I proclaim) God judges all human secrets through Messiah Jesus.

The claim of the Jew—and its problems

17 But supposing you call yourself a “Jew.” Supposing you rest your hope in the law. Supposing you celebrate the fact that God is your God, 18 and that you know what he wants, and that by the law’s instruction you can make appropriate moral distinctions. 19 Supposing you believe yourself to be a guide to the blind, a light to people in darkness, 20 a teacher of the foolish, an instructor for children—all because, in the law, you possess the outline of knowledge and truth.

21 Well then: if you’re going to teach someone else, aren’t you going to teach yourself? If you say people shouldn’t steal, do you steal? 22 If you say people shouldn’t commit adultery, do you commit adultery? If you loathe idols, do you rob temples? 23 If you boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 This is what the Bible says: “Because of you, God’s name is blasphemed among the nations!”

The badge, the name and the meaning

25 Circumcision, you see, has real value for people who keep the law. If, however, you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 Meanwhile, if uncircumcised people keep the law’s requirements, their uncircumcision will be regarded as circumcision, won’t it? 27 So people who are by nature uncircumcised, but who fulfill the law, will pass judgment on people like you who possess the letter of the law and circumcision but who break the law.

28 The “Jew” isn’t the person who appears to be one, you see. Nor is “circumcision” what it appears to be, a matter of physical flesh. 29 The “Jew” is the one in secret; and “circumcision” is a matter of the heart, in the spirit rather than the letter. Such a person gets “praise,” not from humans, but from God.

God’s Righteous Judgment

You, therefore, have no excuse,(A) you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.(B) Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches(C) of his kindness,(D) forbearance(E) and patience,(F) not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?(G)

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath(H), when his righteous judgment(I) will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[a](J) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor(K) and immortality,(L) he will give eternal life.(M) But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,(N) there will be wrath and anger.(O) There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:(P) first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;(Q) 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.(R) 11 For God does not show favoritism.(S)

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law(T) will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey(U) the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,(V) they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets(W) through Jesus Christ,(X) as my gospel(Y) declares.

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;(Z) 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(AA) 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?(AB) 23 You who boast in the law,(AC) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[b](AD)

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,(AE) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.(AF) 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,(AG) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?(AH) 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you(AI) who, even though you have the[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,(AJ) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.(AK) 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,(AL) by the Spirit,(AM) not by the written code.(AN) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:6 Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12
  2. Romans 2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22
  3. Romans 2:27 Or who, by means of a