Romans 2

God’s Righteous Judgment

¹Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.²But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.³And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?⁴Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?⁵But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,⁶who“will render to each one according to his deeds”:⁷eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;⁸but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,⁹tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.¹¹For there is no partiality with God.

¹²For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law¹³(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;¹⁴for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,¹⁵who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)¹⁶in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles

¹⁷Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,¹⁸and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,¹⁹and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.²¹You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?²²You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?²³You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?²⁴For“the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

Circumcision of No Avail

²⁵For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.²⁶Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?²⁷And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?²⁸For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;²⁹but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.