God’s righteous standards: (chap.2):
In (chap.1) Paul dealt with Gentiles that they are condemned as sinners before the Lord (1:20ff). In (Chap.2) Paul deals with Jews i.e. his own people stating that they too are without excuse. They are equally condemnable. This was a big blow to the Jews who were considering themselves as privileged people. But God is righteous God and his judgements are fair. In (Chap.2), Paul exhorts the divine principles of judgement of God as an impartial God.
God judges according to His standards of truth: (2:1-5):
When the Jews listened to the first chapter of God’s condemnation of Gentiles, they must have been very happy. But Paul immediately brings out the same God’s standards for the Jews, that Jews have no excuse. He was stressing that no one is good enough to save himself or herself. All people are condemned without excuse because all without exception have sinned against God. Paul’s exhortation to Jews is similar to what Jesus said in His parable (Lk.18:9-14) about the prayer of Pharisee and tax collector. The attitude of Jews was like the Pharisee who prayed for himself treating the Tax collector as someone who is a big sinner. God’s judgement is not for judging others, but being guilty of the same things that we judge others for. Someone said: we hate our own faults especially when we see them in others. Jews were under the impression that God would show a different standard for them than the Gentiles. Of course God was good to the people of Israel, but the goodness should have made them to repent of their sins and come under His shadow. Instead they were ignorant and committed sins deliberately. God is not partial towards any particular community. God in His kindness, holds back His judgement expecting people to repent. It is a blunder that we take the God’s patience as an approval for wrong doing. We need to evaluate in the light of God’s Word and ask for forgiveness. It is a common sense that we should be grateful to Him for the following reasons.
- God has been better to us than we deserve.
- God has been kind to us even when we have ignored Him.
- God has not been cruel to us when we have rejected Him and mocked Him.
Our thoughts and opinions are different from God’s thoughts. Because of our stubbornness, sins, God’s wrath is stored up in a reservoir like until the day of the righteous judgement of God and it will be poured upon all the un-righteous people.
Eg. Many people count upon the goodness and kindness of God, they received in their lives and think that God will not deal with them harshly. But the fact is that such people should be more grateful and thankful to God and lead a life pleasing to God. Our God is a God of justice, He will judge for every wrongdoing we commit even though we have received many blessing from Him in the past.
God is impartial: (2:6-11):
God’s ultimate judgement will be revealed at the second coming of Jesus. In the first coming of Jesus, God’s love was revealed which paved the way for all humanity to have redemption and forgiveness of sin. But in the second coming, God will judge each person with righteously according to what he or she has done. He will give eternal life to those who by patiently continue in doing good, seek God’s glory, honour, but those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth and live in unrighteousness, God’s wrath and indignation will be poured upon them. There is no partiality. The Jews were the first people to have eternal life, similarly they would be the first people to bear the wrath of God. The statement first for the Jew, then for the Gentile does not imply special consideration or concessions for Jews. Instead, in the light of the divine standard of impartiality, it emphasizes that the entire human race is dealt by God.
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil. Those who patiently and persistently do God’s will acquire eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not saved by works, but by faith. Salvation is a free gift from God. Whether a Jew or a Gentile, everyone has to obey God’s command and seek His will. By faith and trusting Jesus Christ, we will have the redemption, the forgiveness and righteousness of God. God does not show any favouritism but considers everyone equal whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor etc.
Jesus Christ the righteous judge for all: (2:12-16)
The Lord Jesus Christ will deal with the people in accordance with the dispensation in which they live. People are condemned not for what they don’t know, but what they know and fail to do. We are not be saved by our good deeds, but purely by our faith and His grace.
- Jews miserably failed to fulfil Mosaic Law: (2:12-13)The Law was given through Moses to God’s chosen people of Israel and Gentiles were considered outside the Law, but the grace and truth was given by Jesus (Jn.1:17b). Therefore Paul declared, all who sin apart from the Law or without Law will perish. Gentiles who sin will also perish, but the Law of Moses will not be used as a standard of judgment against them. On the other hand the Jews who sin under the Law will be judged by the Law. The Gentiles are not excused from God’s judgment, but they will not be judged according to the Mosaic Law that was not given to them. Jews knew Mosaic Law because they regularly hear the Law in their synagogue service.
At the end of the Law was the grace and faith. Jews who failed miserably to fulfil the Law did not seek the Lord in faith. No one will be justified or made righteous by obeying the Law. God does not give eternal life or justification to those who perform good works, but to those who believe or trust in Him and whose conduct reveals their regenerated hearts.