January 21 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: Romans 2:11-16 For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

In today's passage Paul begins to discuss the guilt of both the Gentiles and the Jews before God. As mentioned previously, God is not a respecter of persons. He does not favor one ethnicity over another when it comes to obeying or disobeying the Truth. In verse 12 both the Gentiles and the Jews are mentioned. They are distinguished here as those who received the Mosaic Law (the Jews), and those who did not (the Gentiles). It should be noted at this point that the Mosaic Law was given specifically to the Jews. It was given to them on Mt. Sinai, and was the authority for the decisions that they made. The Law was never given to the Gentiles, but according to verse 15 the principles of the Law were written in their hearts. God has placed in the hearts of all men the realization that some things are wrong to do. In all cultures there are rules and regulations that have come, not directly from Scripture (because many cultures do not have a Bible in their language), but from man's innate knowledge of what is correct behavior. Verse 15 also indicates that men have a conscience that convicts them about their sinful actions.

Paul writes in verse 12 that the Gentiles, who did not have the Mosaic Law, will still be judged and condemned based on their violation of the law written in their hearts. They chose to disobey that which they knew was right to do, and thus they are accountable for that. He also writes that the Jews who violate the Mosaic Law will be judged and condemned by that law, for they knew what was written and disobeyed it. Then in verse 13 Paul makes an interesting statement. He reminds the Jews that hearing the law isn't good enough, but that a person must keep the law as well. Why does he write this? It's because the Jews believed that because they had been the recipients of the Law that they were "better" than the Gentiles and thus were acceptable to God. Paul is pointing out that "having" the law doesn't save anyone, but "keeping" the law is necessary for justification. And he is going to show in future verses that since no Jew has ever completely obeyed the law, all Jews, and Gentiles as well, need to be justified a different way, which is through the blood of Christ.

Tomorrow we will look at two other applications of these verses that are certainly relevant for believers today.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery