Romans 2

The Impartiality of God

1Therefore you have 1no excuse, 2you foolish person, 3everyone of you who passes judgment; for 4in that matter in which 5you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2And we know that the judgment of God 6rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3But do you suppose this, 78you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you think lightly of 9the riches of His 10kindness and 1112restraint and 13patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5But 14because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart 15you are storing up wrath for yourself 16on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 617who will repay each person according to his deeds: 7to those who by 18perseverance in doing good seek 19glory, honor, and 20immortality, He will give 21eternal life; 8but to those who are 22self-serving and 23do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. 9There will be 24tribulation and distress 25for every soul of mankind who does evil, 26for the Jew 27first and also 28for the Greek, 10but 29glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew 30first and also to the Greek. 11For 31there is no partiality with God.

12For all who have sinned 3233without the Law will also perish 34without the Law, and all who have sinned 35under the Law will be judged 36by the Law; 13for it is 37not the hearers 38of the Law who are 39righteous before God, but the doers 40of the Law who will be justified. 14For when Gentiles who do not have 41the Law 4243instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having 44the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show 45the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16on the day when, 46according to my gospel, 47God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.

The Jews under the Law

17But if you call yourself a 48Jew and 49rely 50upon the Law and boast in God, 18and know His will and 5152distinguish the things that matter, being instructed from the Law, 19and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness, 20a 53corrector of the foolish, a teacher of 54the immature, possessing in the Law 55the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth-- 21you, therefore, 56who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who 57preach that one is not to steal, do you steal? 22You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you 58rob temples? 23You who 59boast 60in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24For “61the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles 62because of you,” just as it is written.

25For indeed circumcision is of value if you 63practice 64the Law; but if you are a violator 65of the Law, 66your circumcision has turned into uncircumcision. 2667So if 68the 69uncircumcised man 70keeps the requirements of the Law, will his uncircumcision not be regarded as circumcision? 27And 71he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not 72judge you who 73though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator 74of the Law? 28For 75he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29But 76he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and 77circumcision is of the heart, by the 78Spirit, not by the letter; 79and his praise is not from people, but from God.