EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Romans 2:14
14The Gentiles do not have God's Law. But they may still do the right things that the Law teaches. They do right things because of what they themselves think is right. In that way they are showing that they have a certain law in their minds, even though they do not know God's Law.
Romans 2:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
- New International Version (NIV)(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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,
Context of Romans 2:14
12The Gentiles do not have God's Law that he gave to Moses. If Gentiles do wrong things, God will punish them. But he will not use his Law when he judges the Gentiles. But the Jews do have God's Law. So, if Jews do wrong things, God will use his Law to judge them. The Law will show that they have done wrong things. 13Who does God accept as right with himself? It is those people who obey his Law. It is not the people who only know his Law but do not obey them. The Gentiles do not have God's Law. But they may still do the right things that the Law teaches. They do right things because of what they themselves think is right. In that way they are showing that they have a certain law in their minds, even though they do not know God's Law. 15Those people show that they know what is right. It is as if God has written his Law deep inside them. Their thoughts tell them the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes their thoughts say: ‘You did something that is wrong.’ And sometimes their thoughts say: ‘You did what is right.’ 16That is the message that I tell people. God knows everything that people think secretly. One day he will judge everyone. He has given Jesus Christ the authority to do that.
Read all of Romans 2Romans 2:14 word by word
ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες ἑαυτοῖς εἰσιν νόμος,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
- the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- which haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- notμήmē · notG3361
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- by natureφύσιςphusis · natureG5449
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- unto themselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
Cross-references for Romans 2:14
- Romans 2:12The Gentiles do not have God's Law that he gave to Moses. If Gentiles do wrong things, God will punish them. But he will not use his Law when he judges the Gentiles. But the Jews do have God's Law. So, if Jews do wrong things, God will use his Law to judge them. The Law will show that they have done wrong things.
- Romans 3:1So someone may ask, ‘Does it help a person if they are a Jew, rather than a Gentile? Does it help a person if someone has circumcised them?’
- Deuteronomy 4:7No other nation has a god who is near to them like the Lord our God. Even great nations have no god like that. But when we pray to the Lord our God, he listens!
- Psalms 147:19He sends his message to Jacob's descendants. He gives his rules and laws to Israel's people.
- Acts 14:16In past times, God let people everywhere do what they wanted to do.
- Acts 17:30In past times people did not know the true things about God. Because of this, God did not punish them. But now God tells people everywhere, “Stop doing bad things and turn to me!”
- Ephesians 2:12At that time, you did not know about Christ, God's special Messiah. You did not belong to the nation of Israel's people. You did not know about the good things that God had promised to his people. You were living in this world with nothing good to hope for. You were living without God's help.
- Romans 2:27In that way, even Gentiles will show that you who are Jews are wrong. God's Law was written to help you Jews. They circumcised you to show that you belong to God. But if you refuse to obey God's Law, then God will punish you. The Gentiles who do obey God's Law will show that God is right to punish you.
- Romans 1:19They should understand what God is like, because God himself has shown it to them clearly.
- 1 Corinthians 11:14If a man has long hair, that should make him ashamed. That is clear.
- Philippians 4:8Now my friends, I want to say this to you. Fill your minds with thoughts about good things. Think about things that are true, clean, right and lovely. Always think about things which people know are very good.
- Romans 1:32These people understand God's message about what is right. They know that people who do bad things like this ought to die. But they still continue to do those bad things. They are even happy when other people do those bad things too.
Commentaries on Romans 2:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, etc. - Nor does it follow that the Gentiles who have not had a Divine revelation, shall either perish, because they had it not; or their unrighteous conduct pass unpunished, because not having this revelation might be considered as an excuse for their sins. Do by nature the things contained in the law - Do, without this Divine revelation, through that light which God imparts to every man, the things contained…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14For when - The apostle, in Romans 2:13, had stated a general principle, that the doers of the Law only can be justified, if justification is attempted by the Law. In this verse and the next, he proceeds to show that the same principle is applicable to the pagan; that though they have not the written Law of God, yet that they have sufficient knowledge of his will to take away every excuse for sin, and consequently that the course of reasoning by which he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires: This fits with the idea that the law is written on their hearts (2:15), which points to the promise of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34). Or Paul may be speaking about non-Christian Gentiles. These Gentiles know God’s basic moral law through their conscience. In this case, Paul shows that all people can be held responsible for basic moral standards, even without God’s written law.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1513-15. For not the hearers, &c.--As touching the Jews, in whose ears the written law is continually resounding, the condemnation of as many of them as are found sinners at the last involves no difficulty; but even as respects the heathen, who are strangers to the law in its positive and written form--since they show how deeply it is engraven on their moral nature, which witnesses within them for righteousness and against iniquity, accusing or condemning…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 2:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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