New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Romans 2
1
If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing.
Reference
Judgment
Romans 2:3
Luke 6:37
Luke 19:22
James 4:11
Parallel theme
Romans 9:20
James 2:20
1 Corinthians 7:16
2
We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly.
Reference
Judgment
Zephaniah 3:5
Psalm 98:9
Jeremiah 12:1
Psalm 96:13
Revelation 16:5
Revelation 19:2
Acts 17:31
Parallel theme
Psalm 145:17
Isaiah 45:19
References God
Isaiah 45:21
3
Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you?
Reference
Judgment
Luke 12:14
Parallel theme
Proverbs 16:5
Matthew 23:33
Psalm 50:21
Proverbs 11:21
Matthew 26:53
1 Thessalonians 5:3
Luke 22:58
Ezekiel 17:18
References God
Job 35:2
4
Do you make fun of God's great kindness and favor? Do you make fun of God when he is patient with you? Don't you realize that God's kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins?
Reference
Good
Exodus 34:6
Romans 11:22
Psalm 86:5
Parallel theme
Ephesians 2:7
Ephesians 1:18
Ephesians 1:7
References God
Isaiah 30:18
Romans 3:25
Psalm 86:15
Repentance
2 Peter 3:9
5
But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God's anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown.
Reference
Judgment
Ecclesiastes 12:14
2 Peter 3:7
Jude 1:6
Psalm 110:5
Parallel theme
Hebrews 3:15
Deuteronomy 32:34
Hebrews 4:7
Hebrews 3:13
Righteousness
Romans 1:18
2 Peter 2:9
6
God "will give to each person in keeping with what he has done."--(Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12)
Reference
7
God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends.
Reference
Eternal Life
2 Timothy 1:10
Romans 6:23
Glory
Colossians 1:27
Romans 2:10
Romans 8:18
Parallel theme
Luke 8:15
1 Corinthians 15:58
Psalm 37:3
Psalm 27:14
Galatians 6:9
8
But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don't accept the truth. They go down an evil path. God will pour out his burning anger on them.
Reference
9
There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the non-Jews.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Peter 4:17
Ezekiel 18:4
Acts 3:26
Romans 1:16
Romans 2:10
Luke 24:47
2 Thessalonians 1:6
10
But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the non-Jews.
Reference
Glory
Romans 2:7
1 Peter 1:7
Good
James 3:13
Parallel theme
Romans 2:9
Peace
Isaiah 32:17
Isaiah 26:12
Numbers 6:26
Job 22:21
Romans 8:6
Luke 1:79
11
God treats everyone the same.
Reference
Parallel theme
Job 34:19
Colossians 3:25
Deuteronomy 16:19
Ephesians 6:9
References God
Acts 10:34
Deuteronomy 10:17
2 Chronicles 19:7
Galatians 2:6
Matthew 22:16
Luke 20:21
12
Some people do not know God's law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God's law when they sin. They will be judged by the law.
Reference
13
Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law.
Reference
Righteousness
1 John 3:7
Galatians 2:16
1 John 2:29
Romans 10:5
Acts 13:39
Psalm 143:2
Romans 3:30
Luke 18:14
Word
Romans 2:25
Luke 8:21
14
Those who aren't Jews do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don't have the law.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ephesians 2:12
Acts 17:30
Acts 10:35
Romans 1:32
Deuteronomy 4:7
Word
Romans 2:12
Romans 2:27
15
They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them gives witness to that fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 5:11
Titus 1:15
Job 27:6
1 Timothy 4:2
Acts 24:16
Acts 23:1
Ecclesiastes 7:22
Sin
2 Corinthians 1:12
Witness
Romans 9:1
16
People will be judged on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge their secret thoughts. That's part of my good news.
Reference
Judgment
Ecclesiastes 12:14
1 Corinthians 4:5
Acts 17:31
Acts 10:42
Psalm 98:9
Romans 3:6
1 Peter 4:5
2 Peter 2:9
Parallel theme
Luke 8:17
References Jesus
Romans 16:25
17
Suppose you call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law. You brag that you are close to God.
Reference
19
You are sure you can lead people who are blind. You are sure you are a light for those who are in the dark.
Reference
20
You claim to be able to teach foolish people. You can even teach babies. You think that in the law you have all knowledge and truth.
Reference
21
You teach others. But you don't teach yourself! You preach against stealing. But you steal!
Reference
22
You say that people should not commit adultery. But you commit adultery! You hate statues of gods. But you rob temples!
Reference
Parallel theme
Malachi 3:8
24
It is written, "Those who aren't Jews say evil things against God's name because of you."--(Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22)
Reference
25
Circumcision has value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, it is just as if you hadn't been circumcised.
Reference
26
Sometimes those who aren't circumcised do what the law requires. Won't God accept them as if they had been circumcised?
Reference
27
Many are not circumcised physically, but they obey the law. They will prove that you are guilty. You are breaking the law, even though you have the written law and are circumcised.
Reference
28
A man is not a Jew if he is a Jew only on the outside. And circumcision is more than just something done to the outside of a man's body.
Reference
29
No, a man is a Jew only if he is a Jew on the inside. And true circumcision means that the heart has been circumcised. It is done by the Holy Spirit. It is more than just obeying the written Law. Then a man's praise will not come from others. It will come from God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 10:16
Jeremiah 4:4
2 Corinthians 10:18
Jeremiah 4:14
References God
Deuteronomy 30:6
1 Thessalonians 2:4
Resurrection
1 Corinthians 4:5
Spirit
Philippians 3:3
1 Peter 3:4
Romans 7:6
Chapter Summary
Romans 2 continues Paul's explanation of humanity's need for God's grace by turning his attention from openly sinful people to religious and moral people who judge others while failing to examine their own lives.
Paul begins by warning that anyone who judges another person while practicing similar wrongdoing is actually condemning themselves, because God's judgment is based on truth rather than appearances.
A person cannot escape God's judgment simply because they know what is right, have a good reputation, or can identify the sins of other people.
Paul explains that God's kindness, patience, and willingness to wait are not signs that He ignores sin; instead, they are opportunities for people to turn away from sin and repent.
If people stubbornly refuse to change, they are storing up judgment for themselves because God's righteous judgment will eventually be revealed.
Paul then makes an important point about God's fairness: God does not show favoritism.
He will judge both Jews and Gentiles according to what they have done, and belonging to a particular ethnic or religious group does not give someone permission to live wrongly.
People who know God's Law are responsible for what they know, while people who do not have the Law are still responsible for the moral understanding they possess.
Paul therefore argues that simply hearing God's Law is not enough.
A person must actually live according to what God requires.
This becomes especially important when Paul discusses Gentiles, because some Gentiles who do not possess the Jewish Law still show an understanding of right and wrong through their conscience and behavior.
Their conscience can sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them, showing that God has given human beings an inner awareness of moral responsibility.
Paul then turns directly toward Jewish people who are proud of their religious knowledge.
He recognizes that they possess many important advantages: they know God's Law, understand His will, teach others, and believe they can guide people who are spiritually lost.
However, Paul asks a difficult question: Do you teach yourself?
If a person teaches others not to steal but steals, tells others not to commit adultery but commits adultery, or teaches obedience to God's Law while breaking it personally, then religious knowledge has become a source of hypocrisy rather than genuine righteousness.
Paul's point is not that God's Law is bad.
His point is that knowing God's Law without obeying it cannot make someone righteous.
A person can possess Scripture, teach Scripture, talk about God, and even be respected as a religious teacher while still having a heart that is far from God.
Paul then discusses circumcision, which was one of the most important physical signs of Jewish identity.
He explains that circumcision has value as part of obedience to God, but the outward sign cannot protect someone who refuses to obey God.
Likewise, a Gentile who genuinely follows what is right can demonstrate more obedience than someone who possesses the outward signs of religion but ignores God's commands.
Paul ends the chapter by moving from outward religion to inward transformation.
He explains that true belonging to God's people is not merely about physical identity, appearance, or religious symbols.
True spiritual identity involves the heart, and Paul says that this inner work is produced by the Spirit.
The central message of Romans 2 is therefore that God does not judge people by religious appearance, ethnic identity, knowledge, or outward signs; He looks at the truth of a person's life and heart.
Paul is preparing his readers for the larger argument of Romans: neither Gentiles nor Jews can claim that they are righteous simply because they belong to a particular group.
Gentiles cannot say, "We do not have the Law, so we are not responsible," while Jews cannot say, "We have the Law and circumcision, so we are automatically accepted by God."
Both groups are responsible before God.
Historically, this message would have been especially important in Rome, where Jewish and Gentile believers lived together in the same Christian communities.
The early church had to deal with important questions about whether Gentile believers needed to follow Jewish customs and whether Jewish believers had a special spiritual advantage.
Paul's answer is balanced: Israel has received important privileges and God's Law, but those privileges do not remove personal responsibility.
The chapter also reflects the wider religious world of the Roman Empire, where public identity, social reputation, family background, and religious customs were extremely important.
Paul challenges the idea that external identity automatically proves a person's moral worth.
His argument is that God sees deeper than society does.
A person may look religious on the outside while being disobedient inside, while another person may lack the outward religious signs but show genuine obedience and moral understanding.
Romans 2 therefore prepares for one of Paul's major conclusions in the next chapters: all people are sinners and all people need God's grace.
No one can stand before God and say, "I am better than those people."
The proper response is humility, repentance, and dependence on God's mercy rather than pride in one's own goodness or religious identity.
Paul begins by warning that anyone who judges another person while practicing similar wrongdoing is actually condemning themselves, because God's judgment is based on truth rather than appearances.
A person cannot escape God's judgment simply because they know what is right, have a good reputation, or can identify the sins of other people.
Paul explains that God's kindness, patience, and willingness to wait are not signs that He ignores sin; instead, they are opportunities for people to turn away from sin and repent.
If people stubbornly refuse to change, they are storing up judgment for themselves because God's righteous judgment will eventually be revealed.
Paul then makes an important point about God's fairness: God does not show favoritism.
He will judge both Jews and Gentiles according to what they have done, and belonging to a particular ethnic or religious group does not give someone permission to live wrongly.
People who know God's Law are responsible for what they know, while people who do not have the Law are still responsible for the moral understanding they possess.
Paul therefore argues that simply hearing God's Law is not enough.
A person must actually live according to what God requires.
This becomes especially important when Paul discusses Gentiles, because some Gentiles who do not possess the Jewish Law still show an understanding of right and wrong through their conscience and behavior.
Their conscience can sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them, showing that God has given human beings an inner awareness of moral responsibility.
Paul then turns directly toward Jewish people who are proud of their religious knowledge.
He recognizes that they possess many important advantages: they know God's Law, understand His will, teach others, and believe they can guide people who are spiritually lost.
However, Paul asks a difficult question: Do you teach yourself?
If a person teaches others not to steal but steals, tells others not to commit adultery but commits adultery, or teaches obedience to God's Law while breaking it personally, then religious knowledge has become a source of hypocrisy rather than genuine righteousness.
Paul's point is not that God's Law is bad.
His point is that knowing God's Law without obeying it cannot make someone righteous.
A person can possess Scripture, teach Scripture, talk about God, and even be respected as a religious teacher while still having a heart that is far from God.
Paul then discusses circumcision, which was one of the most important physical signs of Jewish identity.
He explains that circumcision has value as part of obedience to God, but the outward sign cannot protect someone who refuses to obey God.
Likewise, a Gentile who genuinely follows what is right can demonstrate more obedience than someone who possesses the outward signs of religion but ignores God's commands.
Paul ends the chapter by moving from outward religion to inward transformation.
He explains that true belonging to God's people is not merely about physical identity, appearance, or religious symbols.
True spiritual identity involves the heart, and Paul says that this inner work is produced by the Spirit.
The central message of Romans 2 is therefore that God does not judge people by religious appearance, ethnic identity, knowledge, or outward signs; He looks at the truth of a person's life and heart.
Paul is preparing his readers for the larger argument of Romans: neither Gentiles nor Jews can claim that they are righteous simply because they belong to a particular group.
Gentiles cannot say, "We do not have the Law, so we are not responsible," while Jews cannot say, "We have the Law and circumcision, so we are automatically accepted by God."
Both groups are responsible before God.
Historically, this message would have been especially important in Rome, where Jewish and Gentile believers lived together in the same Christian communities.
The early church had to deal with important questions about whether Gentile believers needed to follow Jewish customs and whether Jewish believers had a special spiritual advantage.
Paul's answer is balanced: Israel has received important privileges and God's Law, but those privileges do not remove personal responsibility.
The chapter also reflects the wider religious world of the Roman Empire, where public identity, social reputation, family background, and religious customs were extremely important.
Paul challenges the idea that external identity automatically proves a person's moral worth.
His argument is that God sees deeper than society does.
A person may look religious on the outside while being disobedient inside, while another person may lack the outward religious signs but show genuine obedience and moral understanding.
Romans 2 therefore prepares for one of Paul's major conclusions in the next chapters: all people are sinners and all people need God's grace.
No one can stand before God and say, "I am better than those people."
The proper response is humility, repentance, and dependence on God's mercy rather than pride in one's own goodness or religious identity.