New Testament Commentary - Romans 2

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 2 God shall render to every man according to his deeds—Both Jews and Gentiles judged by gospel laws.
1 THEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou ^ajudgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things^a. 2 But we ^aare sure that the ^bjudgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.	1^a wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things I recall hearing it said that we ought not point the finger at others, that is to take it upon us to judge, criticize and decry the sins of another. For when we do point that single finger at the actions of another, there are three fold fingers pointing right back at our own selves. For we are are but vain wretched men of the flesh ourselves, and are but guilting of the same things of which we so declare and judge another. It is better that we be about the business of seeing to that 'beam' which is our own eye, rather than to take it upon ourselves to decry the sins and judge another. For indeed, we are before God guilty of the 'same things' and are but 'poor worms of the dust' of this natural man ourselves and so subject to sin and guilty of it ourselves. And only in our own repentance are we justified before God, and partakers of his grace, mercy and redemption.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that ^ajudgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the ^bjudgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the ^ariches of his ^bgoodness and ^cforbearance^a and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?	4^a despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance The hypocritical Pharisees and Rulers of the Jews resented the easy with which Jesus would hand out 'forgiveness of sin'. They questioned the immediate 'mercy' Jesus offered unto the repentant and lowly of spirit who came unto him. And they would inquire after by what authority he did so forgive the sins of men so freely. Yet we too fall under that same consideration when we do but declare the sins of others, do not easily forgive and forget the sins of others. For indeed the 'riches of his, the Christ's, goodness and forbearance' is in freely forgiving the sins of men and remembering them no more, while of such things those of a false and prideful nature do so dispise him for doing so. Ought not the wicked suffer for their sins? Ought not they experience the damnation of Hell? Why then the atonmentment and the grace of God our Saivor at all? Is not the work and the glory of God in the Redemption and Salvation of man, in bringing to pass the immortallity and eternal life of man, and it is not caught up in the damnation of souls as the unmerciful would so teach and prescribe. If we but decry the sins of others and demand the wages of just punishment be meeted out upon them? Yet by so doing, we have so placed our ownselves to be judged even as we so judge another, and God will punish us for our many sins without that mercy and forgiveness which we do deny unto another.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
5 But ^aafter thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will ^arender to every man ^baccording to his ^cdeeds^a: 7 To them who by ^apatient ^bcontinuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and ^cimmortality, eternal life:	6^a will render to evey man according to his deeds While forgiveness of sin is freely given unto the truly repentant, and this solely by that faith one exercises in Christ, Paul does not teach that the righteous works of a man go unnoticed and rewared. For he so states it plainly that God will render unto every man according to his deeds of well doing, unto the variance of degrees of glory in the immortality and eternal life of man to come. Thus there is peace in such righteous doing, and we need not resent that God so freely forgives the sinner. But what we ought to be about is the business of good works, for in them lies the rewards of heaven unto exaltation.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
8 But unto them that are ^acontentious, and do not ^bobey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, ^cindignation and wrath, 9 ^aTribulation and ^banguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the ^cGentile;
10 But glory, honour, and ^apeace, to every man that ^bworketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the ^cGentile: 11 For there is no ^arespect of ^bpersons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without ^alaw shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the ^adoers of the law shall be ^bjustified.
14 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: 15 ^aWhich shew the work of the ^blaw written in their hearts, their ^cconscience also bearing ^dwitness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall ^ajudge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my ^bgospel.
17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the ^aform of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, ^ateachest thou not thyself? thou that ^bpreachest a man should not ^csteal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit ^aadultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou ^bcommit ^csacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
24 For the name of God is ^ablasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25 For ^acircumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and ^acircumcision is that of the heart, in the ^bspirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.