Romans 2

Reflection

Paul doesn't give his audience much room to breathe when he jumps into chapter 2. He spends much of the first chapter condemning the people who ignore the truth of God and exchange it for the foolishness of the world. As I read chapter one, I could almost hear his audience cheering him on as he smites the people who commit the laundry list of sin he offers up in verses 29 and 30.

But Paul doesn't just stop there. It's almost like he hesitates for a moment between chapters 1 and 2, then says "hey, you remember all those people I condemned in chapter 1? Yeah...that's you. You do all those things." The room goes quiet as Paul questions his audience in verse 3: "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?"

It seems to me that Paul seems to be setting the table to talk about the universal need for the gospel of Jesus. In the book of Acts, it's revealed to be Paul's custom to first present the gospel message to the Jews in the synagogue before engaging the Gentiles. That seems to be what he's doing here. All of chapter 1 is spent condemning the world and those who practice idolatry and immoral behaviors, but then almost all of chapter 2 is spent condemning those who claim to have the law and still do the things that invite God's wrath.

From verse 17 to the end, Paul discusses these very people. He targets the Jews in his writing, but I think it's also appropriate for Christians today. As modern Christians we know (or rather, claim to know) the truth about the world and what needs to be done to save it. But we still sin, often willingly. How many times have we seen televangelists deposed because of their scandals and flings with their secretaries or some comparable indiscretion? Clearly, we can't just be Christians in name only. Our outward actions must be consistent with what we claim to possess on the inside. As Paul says in verse 29, "a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God."


The whole chapter reminds me of a quote I heard in a song. DC Talk begins their song What If I Stumble with the following quote: "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." Paul's condemnation of Jews in name only is even more hard on Christians. The very name "Christian" means "little Christ." We need to be like Jesus in everything we do, not just what we say.

Favorite Verses

Verse 1 - "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because who who pass judgment do the same things."

Verse 13 - "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."

Questions

• What areas do I judge people and also fall short?
• How can I be more aware of the unfair criticism and judgment I put on people?