Listen in to our Romans 2:1-16 Podcast
Romans 2 Podcast Commentary: The Jews Have No Excuse
The phrase “You, therefore, have no excuse, 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,” from Romans 2:1, is one of the most thought-provoking passages in the New Testament. For centuries, theologians and biblical scholars have wrestled with its implications, especially regarding the self-deceptive nature of human judgment. In Romans 2, the Apostle Paul warns that those who condemn others for their faults are often guilty of the same sins. This chapter serves as a sobering reminder that all people—whether Jew or Gentile—are accountable to God for their actions.
Key Themes in Romans 2:1-16
The Romans 2 podcast exposes the dangers of self-righteousness, especially among Jews who believed that their possession of the Law made them immune to judgment. Paul stresses that having the Law is not enough; it must be lived out with sincerity and obedience. He warns that judging others while committing similar offenses is hypocritical and self-condemning. The core message is that all human beings are without excuse before God, whether they have the Law or not. This chapter highlights the universality of God’s judgment, where no one can claim innocence based on external markers such as ethnicity, heritage, or knowledge of the Law.
Exploring Romans 2:5
One of the more chilling verses in this chapter is Romans 2:5: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.” This verse underscores the seriousness of unrepentance and the accumulating weight of sin. It warns that God’s judgment is not arbitrary but rooted in His righteousness. The stubbornness and refusal to repent are not only offensive to God but have eternal consequences.
Romans 2:1-16: Commentary Insights
Engaging with Romans 2:1-16 through study guides, sermons, and theological commentaries can be deeply enriching. These resources offer structured ways to explore the text and uncover its rich theological insights. By understanding the context and application of these verses, believers can better grasp how God calls us to live with humility, repentance, and a genuine desire to walk in His ways, knowing that all will stand before His righteous judgment.
Website and Books We Like
- BobGeorge.net
- Classic Christianity Book by Bob George
- Simple Gospel – Simple Grace by Bob Christopher
Live Bible Coaching
Transcript of Podcast
Transcript of Romans 2:1-16
Want to discover your freedom in Christ? (0:09) Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin Smith talk about it. (0:13) Today on Grace Coach. (0:15) Hello, welcome to Grace Coach.
(0:16) I'm Mike Stone with Kevin Smith. (0:19) Good afternoon, Kev. (0:21) What's up, Mike? (0:22) Let's do it again.
(0:24) Let's get into Romans chapter two today. (0:28) Kevin, let's start by just going back to where we left off (0:32) in Romans 1, 18 to 32. (0:36) I just want to do a little summary here.
(0:42) Basically, you know, 1, 18 to 32, (0:47) from what I can see is Paul talking to the Gentiles. (0:53) And he says in 18 that the wrath of God (0:55) is being revealed from heaven (0:58) against all the godliness and wickedness of people (1:01) who suppress the truth by their wickedness, (1:05) since what may be known about God is plain to them (1:08) because God has made it plain to them. (1:12) And it says, since the creation of the world, (1:15) God's invisible qualities, (1:16) his eternal power and divine nature (1:19) have been clearly seen being understood (1:23) from what has been made so that people are without excuse.
(1:28) So he's saying to the Gentiles (1:31) that you Gentiles are without excuse. (1:36) Look at what God has made. (1:39) I mean, just look around you, look at nature, (1:42) look at yourself, look at your family, look at a live birth.
(1:48) And so he's saying that you Gentiles are without excuse. (1:54) And he's saying that you're suppressing the truth (1:58) by your wickedness. (2:00) And he goes on to say 25, verse 25, (2:05) that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
(2:09) And because of this, God handed them over (2:11) to their sinful desires and a depraved mind. (2:15) Well, then he goes through a laundry list (2:18) of all the sins that the Gentiles were doing. (2:26) And he says, not only do they continue to do these things, (2:30) but they approve of those who practice them in verse 32.
(2:36) Well, then we get to Romans two, (2:40) and he's now gonna be addressing the Jews. (2:44) Can you read Romans two, one to two, four? (2:49) Sir, therefore you have no excuse, oh man. (2:54) Every one of you who judges for in passing judgment (2:57) on another, you condemn yourself.
(3:01) Because you, the judge, practice the same things. (3:07) We know that the judgment of God rightly falls (3:09) on those who practice such things. (3:12) Do you suppose, oh man, you who judge those (3:16) who practice such things, and yet do them yourselves, (3:20) that you will escape the judgment of God? (3:24) Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness (3:29) and forbearance and patience, (3:31) not knowing that God's kindness (3:33) is meant to lead you to repentance? (3:38) Yeah, so it seems like Paul is setting a bit of a trap here (3:45) for the religious moral Jews who said, (3:49) hey, I see what the Gentiles are doing, (3:53) but we're not doing those things.
(3:56) We're upholding the law. (3:58) Yes, well, by the time that Paul wrote Romans, (4:04) he'd been preaching about 20 years, give or take, right? (4:09) And so he's been in this rodeo before. (4:13) This is not his first time that he's presented (4:18) to a mixed group of people (4:23) and that he's condemning the Gentiles.
(4:25) Like you just said, you read in Romans 1 concludes (4:29) with a laundry list of things. (4:31) He was excoriating the Gentiles with, (4:34) and the Jews are sitting there with their bony fingers (4:37) saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. (4:39) You Gentiles are bad.
(4:42) Yet what Paul is doing just in a cool way here (4:48) by the phrase, oh man, that's inclusive. (4:54) That's not Gentiles, that's not Jews. (4:56) Oh man is speaking to everybody.
(5:00) Paul's leveling the playing field here (5:04) that everybody is under judgment, (5:09) whether you are doing the laundry list (5:11) or you're the proud Jew who may be having (5:17) even the law as an idol. (5:20) They're having, worshiping the law, (5:23) like we've got the law, you don't, we're better than you. (5:28) Yeah, yeah, the Jews were thinking (5:30) that God would not judge them for sin (5:35) because they were upright holy people (5:37) because they were the Jewish people, (5:42) God wouldn't judge them, right? (5:44) But here they are judging the Gentiles, (5:49) judging their hearts.
(5:52) And Paul is saying that you Jews have no excuse. (5:58) You cast judgment on someone else, the Gentiles. (6:02) Well, we just got done reading in Romans 1, 18 to 20 (6:07) that the Gentiles had no excuse, right? (6:11) They had no excuse because they have seen (6:15) what has been made by God.
(6:19) Jews have no excuse (6:20) because they're passing judgment on the Gentiles. (6:25) So just like I said, neither of them have any excuse. (6:29) The wrath of God is coming on all people who don't believe.
(6:35) So Paul's basically writing to lost Gentiles, (6:38) now he's writing to lost Jews (6:41) and the Jews are like scratching their head (6:43) and they thought, well, I thought we were doing (6:47) the right thing by following the law and upholding it. (6:52) I think there's some principles (6:53) that will help us understand chapter two. (6:57) One, first and foremost, is that nobody, (7:02) nobody, Jew or Gentile obeys the law completely.
(7:07) Nobody's gonna be justified by obeying the law. (7:12) That is just a principle (7:16) that will really help you understand it. (7:19) And that the other piece is, just like we just said, (7:24) Jew or Gentile, we're all under the condemnation.
(7:28) It's just a reiteration of what he's talking about (7:31) in chapter one, just continuing on the thing, (7:36) we're all under condemnation. (7:39) Yeah, and so here in Romans 2.5, it says, (7:43) but again, talking to the Jews, (7:46) because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, (7:50) you are storing up wrath against yourself (7:53) for the day of God's wrath (7:55) when his righteous judgment will be revealed. (7:59) So he mentioned God's wrath was being revealed (8:04) to the Gentiles.
(8:05) Now he's saying that you Jews are storing up (8:09) against yourself for the day of God's wrath, (8:12) because you both, Jew and Gentile, (8:15) need to come to Christ by faith and be saved. (8:19) Absolutely. (8:21) You know, we're getting into verse six.
(8:24) Six through 11, in my opinion, (8:28) is probably the hardest to understand (8:32) based on what we talk about (8:34) and what we see in the word of God. (8:37) I'll go ahead and read that if you want, (8:39) unless you have something else you wanna say. (8:42) Yeah, no, I just wanna go back to verse four, (8:45) which is a little wordy, even in the NIV.
(8:49) You know, the NIV can sometimes be the clearest reading, (8:54) but it says, or do you show contempt, Jew, (8:58) for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, (9:02) not realizing that God's kindness (9:04) is intended to lead you to repentance? (9:07) So I feel that's a little wordy, (9:09) and that the NLT, the New Living Translation, (9:14) has a much better translation, (9:15) which helped me understand what this is saying. (9:19) So the Jewish people, he's saying, (9:21) don't you see how wonderful, kind, and tolerant, (9:24) and patient God is with you? (9:28) Does this mean nothing to you? (9:30) Can't you see that his kindness (9:33) is intended to turn you from your sin? (9:37) Yes. (9:38) And that is beautiful because it's the grace of God (9:41) which teaches us to say no to unrighteousness.
(9:44) Ungodliness, yes. (9:45) Yeah, it's not the wrath of God, (9:49) it's not the anger of God, (9:51) but it's the grace of God (9:54) that teaches us to say no to unrighteousness (9:58) and unbelief, basically. (10:00) Yes, I'm so glad you read that (10:03) before we jump into six through 11, (10:06) because after a chapter and a half (10:11) of reading about wrath and condemnation, (10:14) and you're screwed up, this is the key.
(10:18) This verse four in chapter two (10:21) is basically a key to the whole problem. (10:28) God's kindness, if you can understand God's plan, (10:34) what God wants, his kindness wants to lead you to repentance. (10:39) His kindness wants you to say to yourself, (10:43) I can't obey the law, I can't fulfill the law, (10:48) and just turn to him in his plan of grace (10:52) and salvation through grace by faith.
(10:57) So that's a great connection into verse six through 11. (11:03) And I will just say before I read this, (11:05) that this is, every time I read this chapter, (11:09) this six through 11, (11:11) I really couldn't get any clarity from it. (11:14) And I finally went to the commentary, (11:16) and I'll read a portion of the commentary, (11:18) I won't read the whole thing, (11:19) but just to say the commentators (11:24) are saying this is hard to understand.
(11:27) But let me read it and we'll get into it. (11:30) Chapter two, verse six through 11. (11:32) He will render to each one according to his works, (11:35) to those who by patience and well-doing (11:39) seek for glory and honor and immortality.
(11:42) He will give eternal life, (11:45) but for those who are self-seeking (11:48) and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, (11:52) there will be wrath and fury. (11:54) There will be tribulation and distress (11:57) for every human being who does evil, (12:00) the Jew first and also the Greek, (12:03) but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, (12:06) the Jew first and also the Greek, (12:08) for God shows no partiality. (12:13) All right, so the thing that I'm sure (12:16) you'll concur with this, Mike, (12:18) that we've always been teaching, (12:21) you believe and you receive God's grace.
(12:27) It's not about works. (12:29) It's not about, we're all guilty (12:32) based out of our mother's womb. (12:35) But this is saying that you'll render (12:38) each one according to his works.
(12:40) And so that whole thing, is it grace or is it works? (12:46) So do you have any thoughts on this issue, Mike? (12:50) Well, I do. (12:51) I think we have to ask the question, (12:55) how do we come to Christ and how are we born again? (12:59) And we could look at verses like John 3, 16, (13:03) whoever believes in him shall not perish, (13:06) but have eternal life. (13:09) John 5, 24 says the same thing, (13:12) that if you believe in him, (13:14) you cross from death to life.
(13:16) So we know that it is by faith and faith alone. (13:20) That's how Romans started out, right? (13:23) That the righteousness of God comes by faith (13:26) and faith alone. (13:28) So we know that.
(13:29) So we have to look through those lenses (13:32) when we're reading this. (13:34) And so it comes down to is what's your definition of good? (13:39) What's your definition of evil? (13:42) What's your definition of wickedness? (13:46) And I think there's enough in the new covenant (13:50) for us to see that doing good and seeking glory, (13:54) honor and morality, it doesn't come by works. (13:59) We see that over and over.
(14:02) So he doesn't give us life by all of a sudden, (14:06) we come to Christ by faith and now we're back under the law (14:10) and we start walking by our works. (14:13) I mean, that's what the whole book of Galatians is about. (14:17) This is to say you foolish Galatians, (14:19) you started out by faith and now who has bewitched you? (14:24) Right, yeah, I agree with you, Mike, (14:27) that there are so many other places in the Bible (14:31) that it's clear that it's by grace through faith (14:35) for those who believe.
(14:36) You and I are on the same page, (14:38) but I guess my thing is, (14:40) why would Paul write this the way he's saying? (14:44) He's saying he will render to each one (14:46) according to his works. (14:48) Yeah, well, it's based on the version we're all reading (14:51) and we also, it kind of forces us to dig a little deeper. (14:55) Here's a verse in Colossians 121.
(14:58) It says, once you were alienated from God (15:01) and were enemies in your mind, (15:05) and catch this, because of your evil behavior, (15:10) but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body (15:15) through death to present you holy in his sight (15:19) without blemish and free from accusation. (15:22) So you were once alienated because of your evil behavior, (15:29) your evil works. (15:31) You know, we're talking about once you were lost (15:34) and now you were saved.
(15:37) And this is really the same thing. (15:40) He's talking about those who reject the truth. (15:43) Rejecting the truth is really what the whole book (15:46) of Hebrews is about, (15:47) that the Hebrews were turning away from the living God.
(15:51) They were suppressing the truth. (15:54) They deliberately kept on sinning, which is just unbelief. (15:59) We just read in Romans chapter one about the Gentiles (16:03) that they suppressed the truth.
(16:06) They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. (16:09) They did not think it worthwhile (16:10) to retain the knowledge of God. (16:13) So they were rejecting the truth about Jesus (16:18) and good and evil.
(16:21) Good is about faith in Christ. (16:24) Do you remember in John six, when the disciples said, (16:29) what is it the work you want us to do Jesus? (16:32) And how did Jesus reply? (16:34) To believe. (16:35) To believe in me.
(16:37) That's the work I want you to do. (16:40) So I just think Paul's writing this, (16:43) wanting us to dig deeper into the scriptures, (16:47) but we know we inherit eternal life by faith and faith alone (16:51) and that good is faith. (16:54) Good equates to faith.
(16:57) Evil equates to unbelief and rejecting the truth. (17:04) So there will be trouble in verse nine (17:07) for every human being who does evil in their unbelief, (17:11) first for the Jew and then the Gentile, (17:14) but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good (17:18) or puts their faith in Jesus for first for the Jew (17:22) and then the Gentile for God does not show favoritism. (17:27) Well, right.
(17:28) I mean, I think the only way (17:31) that we could understand this verse (17:33) is if you equate doing good with believing in Christ. (17:39) That to me is the only way (17:41) you can make any sense out of this. (17:44) Let me read this, what this commentator wrote.
(17:47) This is a NIV application commentary by Douglas J. Moo, (17:52) who was a professor at Moody Bible Institute (17:56) when I went there years and years and years and years ago. (18:00) Anyway, he wrote this. (18:01) He's got five answers to this actual paragraph (18:05) that we're reading six through 11.
(18:08) First four were, (18:10) I'm not even gonna bother reading them or explaining them. (18:13) I will read this fifth one (18:17) and I wanna hear what you think about it, Mike. (18:20) Paul may not be referring to anyone in particular.
(18:24) His purpose here is to enunciate the basis (18:27) on which, outside of Christ, God judges people. (18:33) Whether anyone actually persists in good works (18:36) adequately enough to earn salvation, (18:40) Paul simply does not say. (18:42) His subsequent argument reveals that, in fact, (18:47) no one can do so.
(18:49) See chapter three, verse nine and 20. (18:52) So it's basically he's saying (18:54) that kind of what we're saying, (18:57) but leaving it out, (18:59) he doesn't say one way or another (19:01) that anybody could ever, by works, (19:04) be good enough for salvation. (19:06) But verse 11, to me, is the clincher.
(19:11) Simply, for God shows no partiality. (19:16) That, to me, I think is the point that Paul is trying. (19:19) The overall point is, Jew or Gentile, (19:23) God's not gonna show any partiality (19:26) to you who have the law or you who don't have the law.
(19:30) You're all under judgment. (19:33) That's right, and I think if we take that (19:36) and apply that to the verse, (19:39) then doing evil has to do with belief and unbelief, (19:44) not good works and bad works. (19:48) But anyway, let's move on to verse 12.
(19:51) Maybe we'll get some more insight (19:53) into those previous verses. (19:57) It says that all who sin apart from the law (20:01) will also perish apart from the law, (20:04) and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. (20:09) So there he's talking about the Gentiles (20:13) who sinned apart from the law (20:15) because they were never given the law.
(20:17) You'd never know that by looking at Christian churches today (20:22) are still telling Christians they need to follow the law. (20:27) But here it says all who sin under the law (20:29) will perish apart from the law. (20:31) Those who sin under the law, again, (20:34) those are the Jews, will be judged by the law.
(20:37) For it is not those who hear the law (20:39) who are righteous in God's sight, (20:41) but it's those who obey the law (20:43) who will be declared righteous. (20:46) Now, who is that referring to? (20:49) Nobody. (20:50) Nobody.
(20:51) Nobody. (20:52) Not a zip. (20:53) That's right.
(20:54) Only Jesus, but he had an edge on us because he was God. (20:59) Yeah. (20:59) He could do that.
(21:01) Then it says in verse 14, and notice it in parentheses, (21:06) indeed, when Gentiles, catch this people, (21:10) indeed, when Gentiles who do not have the law (21:15) if you're from a Gentile background, you don't have the law. (21:19) You never were given the law. (21:21) It was only given to Israel.
(21:25) Let it go. (21:27) The 10 commandments are not for you. (21:28) I should read this to some of my friends.
(21:31) I hope they're listening. (21:32) But they do by nature things required by the law, (21:36) just by nature. (21:38) They are a law for themselves, (21:40) even though they do not have the law.
(21:43) Here, in one verse, it's mentioned twice, (21:46) the Gentiles do not have the law. (21:49) They show, they Gentiles show that the requirements (21:52) of the law are written on their hearts, (21:55) their consciences also bearing witness (21:59) and their thoughts sometimes accusing them (22:02) and at other times even defending them. (22:05) That's a great point right there.
(22:07) It's like, you're not doing it under the law (22:10) because your own conscious (22:11) that you're understanding the law by, (22:18) you're not making it, it's accusing you. (22:21) And that's really the work of the law. (22:25) That's the bottom line, the work of the law.
(22:28) It's to bring you to this place to accuse you, (22:33) to say, you can't do it. (22:35) You have a consciousness awareness (22:39) that you need to be doing something (22:41) and your conscious is accusing you saying, (22:44) you can't do it, you're not doing it. (22:47) There's a lot to this chapter.
(22:49) Yeah, and Bob George wrote in his book, (22:53) Class of Christianity, that the law is like a mirror (22:58) to show you your deadness. (23:02) God gave the law to Israel. (23:05) Now the law has a different purpose.
(23:10) It shows you your need for Jesus. (23:14) So when Gentiles who do not have the law (23:17) get themselves under the law, (23:19) the purpose there is to reveal to them (23:22) there's a problem, it's called spiritually dead. (23:26) I need life.
(23:28) Yes, so people, friends who are listening, (23:31) if you are putting yourself under the moral law (23:35) that's in the Bible, the 10 Commandments, (23:38) I've got friends who, (23:40) oh, we've got to live on our 10 Commandments. (23:42) I'm like, good luck with that. (23:44) Lots of luck, yeah.
(23:46) Lots of luck. (23:47) Even if you try, you're never going to do it. (23:52) Well, one of the laws of, one of the 613 laws (23:55) says you must obey all of them.
(23:58) Yes, catch all. (24:00) Good luck. (24:03) All right, then in verse 16, we'll conclude it here, Kevin.
(24:06) It says, that this will take place on the day (24:11) when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ (24:15) as my gospel declares. (24:18) Hey, that's the great judgment. (24:20) That's the great white throne judgment in Revelation 20, 11, (24:25) 12, and I just want to read that.
(24:27) This is John speaking. (24:29) Then I saw a great white throne (24:31) and him who was seated on it. (24:34) The earth and the heavens fled from his presence (24:37) and there was no place for them.
(24:40) Verse 12, and I saw the dead, great and small, (24:44) standing before the throne. (24:46) That's God's throne. (24:48) And the books were open.
(24:50) Another book was open, which is the book of life. (24:54) The dead were judged according to what they had done (24:59) as recording in the books. (25:01) Again, you could read that and say what they had done.
(25:05) Well, there you go. (25:06) We are judged by our works. (25:09) No, the what they had done is referring to what they believe.
(25:14) Did they accept Jesus or did they not? (25:18) And if they believe Jesus, (25:19) they were written in to the book of life. (25:22) And that's the day when God will judge (25:25) both all the Jews and all the Gentiles, that's all people, (25:29) and will judge people's secrets through Jesus Christ (25:32) as my God. (25:32) You know, I just want to just also conclude (25:35) with this fact that this one verse (25:40) kind of shows the supernatural nature (25:45) of how the Bible is written.
(25:47) That from Genesis to Revelation, (25:49) and with this one verse, (25:52) he takes it from the context of these Roman people (25:56) that he's talking to all the way to Revelation. (26:00) And it's like what other book in the world (26:04) is so tied together so tightly (26:08) that you can have all these different concepts (26:12) and they all are woven together like a rug? (26:15) And it just makes sense. (26:17) Now, of course, somebody who's not a Christian (26:19) can shoot stones at it, blah, blah, blah, blah.
(26:22) But it's the Holy Spirit that lives in every Christian (26:26) that opens our minds to this truth. (26:31) Yeah, and there you go. (26:32) It is the Holy Spirit, you know, (26:35) working through the writers (26:36) of the different books of the Bible.
(26:39) So it's the same Holy Spirit that was in Paul (26:42) is the same Holy Spirit that was in John, (26:46) who was in us, allowing us to understand this. (26:51) That is right, living in anyone who believes. (26:54) Yes.
(26:55) Yeah, so we'll pick up Romans 2.17 on our next show. (27:01) This was a fun podcast. (27:04) It was, Mike.
(27:05) I love you, bro. (27:06) You too. (27:07) Thank you for listening to Grace Coach.
(27:10) If you want to connect with us, (27:11) we would love to engage with you. (27:14) Email us at thegracecoach at gmail.com. (27:18) Visit our Facebook page or visit our website, gracecoach.org.