Romans 2:12-16
12 For 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 law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for 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, 15 who 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) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. [NKJV]
Paul says that both Jew and Greek (i.e., non-Jew) will be punished according to their behavior, because God does not show partiality. He is not a respecter of persons, and will not regard the Jewish person blameless simply because of his or her ethnicity. He now makes his argument more pointed by bringing in the law (which, I think we can understand to mean the Law, as in the Law of Moses).
There was a common belief among the Jews at this time that they would be spared by God because they are God’s chosen people, and this is signified by the fact that they have the Law. Possession of the Law meant protection from God’s wrath. Paul blows that idea right out of the water! Those that have sinned without the law/Law (i.e., Gentiles) will also perish without the law/Law. They will get what’s coming to them anyway. But those who sin under the law (i.e., Jews, who have the Law, and yet continue in flagrant sin), will be judged by the law. The Mosaic Law is not an empty threat. If a Jew claims to have the Law and doesn’t follow it, he or she must face the consequences of disobedience. Only doers of the Law will be justified (see also James 1:22). But who can truly say they do the Law perfectly? Hang on… we’re not there yet! Let’s follow Paul’s argument here.
Verse 14 is very interesting. How can Gentiles, who don’t have the Law, obey the Law? This is where I believe 1:18-20 come into play again. Even Gentiles know God, but suppress that knowledge. The Law–specifically the heart of the Mosaic Law, the Ten Commandments–is written into their hearts. That’s why non-Christians of all cultures still have moral values. They recognize that murder, stealing, dishonoring parents, greed, adultery, and so forth are wrong, even though they can’t explain why. Atheists may appeal to “common consent” or “shared cultural values” but that doesn’t explain why these values, and why they appear in so many diverse societies.
It’s also interesting to notice that we see echoes of the Ten Commandments in Scripture prior to them being revealed on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20. For example: God accuses Cain of wrongdoing by killing Abel (murder) (Genesis 4:8-13), God tells His people to honor the Sabbath when collecting manna (Exodus 16), Joseph is rebuked for dishonoring his parents (Genesis 37:10), God punished Pharaoh for attempted adultery with Abraham’s wife (Genesis 12:17), Laban accuses Jacob of stealing his household gods (Genesis 31:30), Jacob deceives Isaac (Genesis 27:12), and Lot chose to settle in Sodom because of his desire for the Jordan valley (Genesis 13:10-11). Some of these may seem a bit of a stretch, and I’m not saying they are exact parallels to the Ten Commandments. What I’m pointing out is that the Ten Commandments were not new in Exodus 20. God had given them to all people from the moment of Creation, and I think the fact that these actions were considered wrong even prior to Exodus 20 reflects this.
In verse 15, Paul continues this idea, that the Gentiles show their natural understanding of God’s Law, a) by the fact that they will often act in ways consistent with this Law, and b) by the fact that their conscience reminds them of God’s Law, and will often cause them to struggle over whether to do something. I think the picture Paul paints here is one we’re all familiar with, even prior to becoming Christians. We know what we want to do, but a nagging voice tells us we shouldn’t. Or we know what we should do, and a voice confirms to us that it’s the right thing. I believe this is our conscience testifying to the Law of God that we know to be true.
I would tend toward agreeing with the NKJV by linking verse 16 back to verse 12, and making verses 13-15 parenthetical. So the idea is that God will judge those who sin, whether under the Law or not, on that day when all the secrets of men will be judged through Christ, according to the gospel Paul preaches. I think we have here a hint at our answer to the question, “I thought we were justified by grace, not works.” Our works will be judged through Christ according to the gospel.
Thoughts from the passage: Consider the role of the Ten Commandments in your life. There are many Christians who consider them part of an old dispensation that no longer applies to believers today. If they are written into creation, and into the hearts of all men, how can that be? If we are saved by grace, what should be our attitude to these commandments? What purpose do they serve?
