The book of Romans is a very important book for all humans. As Romans chapter 2 commentary shows, God explains to us the most important truth in the Bible: righteousness by faith. This is the most peaceful, the grandest message in all the Bible, when billions of people work to try to appease their own soul, or the soul of a god.
The Bible, especially the books of Romans and Galatians, tells us: “Rest in Me. I will do the works through you.”
Ask Me for My righteousness every day, then you will receive My power, which is My righteousness by faith. Understand that no human being has any righteousness of their own, and that most humans are deceived on this topic, believing themselves to be good, when in fact they are totally corrupt.
Yet Romans chapter 2 commentary explains to us that man is so proud that he does not want to know that he is evil. He does not want to humble himself to ask God and realize that only God can give him righteousness to fix his sin problem. This is a message where God says you can rest, knowing that you cannot do good, and let Him take care of the obedience part. Let us now study Romans chapter 2 commentary.
RO 2:1 “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” Here we see an astounding thing that is going on all over the world, especially today.
People who are totally corrupt, selfish, proud, and dishonest, not seeing their own condition because of hardness of heart from rejecting God, end up believing they are good and that they need to rebuke others’ faults, not even understanding the difference between good and evil.
In Romans chapter 2 commentary, God says that they are without excuse, as only those whom God calls are permitted to rebuke others. We only rebuke others for their good and blessing, not to condemn and hurt them. Any time you see someone rebuking another harshly, know that God is not speaking through them. We need to be careful whom we rebuke also; if we rebuke a servant of God, let us think twice before assuming we are not the one who is wrong.
When Moses’ sister and the people of Israel rebuked Moses, saying, “The Lord is also speaking through us,” God was greatly displeased, as the people did not believe that someone could be inspired of God and be a servant of God from whom the words of God proceed.
This same condition exists today, where people do not believe God speaks through certain people. Today, human reasoning is worshipped, and only humans are praised instead of God.
People also judge by this world’s standards; they think what is good and evil here is the same for God, not understanding that many things that are okay here are an abomination to God, and many things that are okay with God are seen as evil in this society.
People are so blind that they do not see they are doing evil. They do not know that pride, selfishness, unloving and unkind behavior, dishonesty, and many more traits of character are very displeasing to God.
They think that because there is no law against these things on earth, it should be okay to be rude, unkind, aggressive, and unloving. It is interesting that no government has a law against being unloving, and I am glad about that. But the main thing the Bible says we should do is love one another. If there is nothing else to remember, let us remember this one thing: love other people, love God.
RO 2:2 “But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.” The Bible says that whatsoever we sow, we will reap. One day the evil we have done will come back to us; the good we have done will come back to us also. One of the most important verses in the Bible for me, which many people do not remember, is that God will judge us the same way we judge others.
RO 2:3 “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” The Bible says that God is slow to anger; only when someone has passed the boundary of God’s patience do the punishments fall. This is why many do evil — because they think God is not seeing their evil course. And when we say “evil course,” you can know that we see sin in a different light than most ministries, for whom sin is only sex, abortion, and homosexuality.
We need to know the difference between sin and righteousness. Sin is pride, selfishness, being rude, unkind, unloving, unbelief, legalism. These sins are seldom spoken of in church. This is why in these churches you are only getting part of the truth, or no truth at all. We can judge according to people’s fruits, the ones we just mentioned. When the Bible says do not judge, it means we should not judge according to the fashion and standards of what people think is okay and not okay in this corrupt, passing society.
RO 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” As mentioned, God only brings judgments when we have passed the limit of His forbearance. But when God loves someone, this person is sometimes rebuked and punished right away. This means that some people can sin a long time without anything happening to them.
Israel worshipped idols, and one day they were deported to Assyria and Babylon. The warnings were given repeatedly. We have the Bible — this is the warning to tell us what is pleasing to God. Romans chapter 2 commentary says that doing good can only come from God. Those who judge others are often worse than the people they condemn, as a true Christian will not condemn but will lovingly rebuke the person for their course of action.
RO 2:5 “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;” This is why people treasure up, or pile up, wrath against the day of wrath, not knowing they are doing so. There are millions of people today who unknowingly add to the day of punishment, without realizing it. Jesus said, “Pray that you be found worthy to escape all those things that are coming upon the earth.” It means that the Christian world, which is mostly composed of people in Babylon who are offending God every day by rejecting the three angels’ message and the Sabbath, will also receive the seven last plagues.
RO 2:6 “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:” All our actions, thoughts, and words are written down. God will even judge the motives, the reasons why we do things. We will meet all the things we have done, unless we repent and truly ask forgiveness — then we will not meet those things in the judgment. But one thing is sure: 2 CO 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
God is not a respecter of persons; let us understand that we will not give account according to how we behaved by our society’s standards, because we obey human laws, because we render to Caesar. This has nothing to do with being approved of God. Some people are so deceived that they think because they follow human laws, they will go to heaven.
When we do something, we need to do it for God and out of love for others.
Human righteousness is very low and many times in conflict with the Bible. Yes, we obey human laws so that there can be peace and order on earth, but this is not to say that it is a sure guarantee that you will go to heaven. Jesus told the disciples, MT 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
RO 2:7 “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:” This is not to say that we do good in our own power. We need to take the whole Bible in context. When we realize we are evil, that only God has righteousness, then we do good. But taking the whole Bible together, we find that only God can give us His righteousness to do good.
In this verse we also see who alone has immortal life — God. Does this mean humans are immortal? No. When shall we receive immortality? At the second coming of Jesus. Jesus will only change the body at His second coming; the Bible never says that Jesus will transform our characters in a moment, from proud to humble, for example. Romans chapter 2 commentary tells us that only God is good, and He alone is righteousness.
RO 2:8 “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,” Dishonest people will always reject the truth. Their minds have been so long accustomed to lying that they cannot see the truth anymore; they cannot distinguish truth from lies. Pride is the cause of contention, though there might be other reasons. One reason a person does not accept the truth is that they do not want to humble themselves to say they were wrong. Another is that they do not want to change their belief or practice. They think that there is no such thing as absolute truth.
Human beings do not decide truth; truth comes from God. Romans chapter 2 commentary tells us, in fact in chapter one, that those who refuse the truth will be lost. The Bible says there will be no excuse for them. We need to be honest by God’s power and accept the truth, for if we do not, we become liars. Some people think they have the right to reject truth, but the Bible says that if God sends messengers and we refuse the message, we reject God at the same time.
RO 2:9 “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;” To the Jew first, because of the increased knowledge they had. The last-day church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has received the most amazing increase of Bible truth ever given to mortals. The United States of America has been chosen by God to give the truth to others. If found unfaithful, it will be rejected of God, as old Israel was. Evil is not loving God and not loving others. Simply being unloving, rude, and unkind constitutes being evil. Being proud and thinking oneself above others also constitutes being evil.
RO 2:10 “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:” Here also, taking the whole Bible in context, which says, RO 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” God does the works through us by faith, through His righteousness. The Bible presents this as us doing the works, but we need to be honest and take the full context to rightly divide the Word of God.
RO 2:11 “For there is no respect of persons with God.” God does not care if someone is a rabbi, a pastor, or a president. We are all responsible to follow truth, to be humble, sincere, and honest. On earth this is very different — powerful people have many advantages, attractive people get a good parking spot or a good table at the restaurant — but this is not the way it goes with God. Poor, rich, all of us shall be judged the same way. Old Testament and New Testament people also. Some think God will judge people differently, saying that in those times this was permissible but later it was not. But will God be so unjust as to judge people more leniently at one point in history and more strictly later, in New Testament times? No.
RO 2:12 “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” Those who knew more will be judged by what they knew. People who never read the Bible will be judged according to their conscience. Those who knew the Bible will be judged according to their knowledge.
This is not to say that it is better not to read the Bible, as God will judge us according to our opportunities. If someone had the opportunity to study the Bible and did not, they will be judged as one who knew the Bible well. Romans chapter 2 commentary tells us that not all who are religious will go to heaven. The legalists are an offense to God. This is a needed message for those who look at religious people and think that this is what God is like.
RO 2:13 “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” When we know something, we are responsible to do it by God’s grace. So many people hear the truth and do not follow it. As Jesus says, “He that is not with me is against me.” People do not realize there are two camps: God’s camp and Satan’s camp. There is no middle ground. If we do not practice the truth, we disobey the truth.
RO 2:14 “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:” A strong rebuke to the Christians who claim that only Christians will be saved. Oh no — Jesus said that many from the east — Muslims, Jews, Buddhists — will enter heaven, while the legalistic Christians will be thrust out. God speaks to the conscience and minds of all people, telling them which way to walk. Those who did not have the opportunity to read the Bible will be judged according to the voice of the Holy Spirit to their heart.
RO 2:15 “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.” The law is written in our hearts; everybody has a conscience, and without ever reading the Bible we know when we are rude or unkind. We know when we are unloving and proud. People know in a rough way what good and evil are without the Bible. It bears witness to them.
RO 2:16 “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Some people may appear good and holy, but there is a different world we do not see — the world of thoughts. What is happening in the thoughts? What are the motives that move a person to do something? Romans chapter 2 commentary says that there will be many surprises in heaven, where people we thought were good and presentable will be found to be only tin and stone.
RO 2:17 “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,” A big mistake of the Sunday-keeping churches today is that they think Israel is still God’s people and that the temple will be rebuilt. This is false. The Jewish nation has been rejected of God, and Jerusalem is no longer a holy city. The temple will not be rebuilt. A “Jew” today is the last-day church. It is the three angels’ message group, or the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Can we call fallen churches “Jews”? No, because they have mixed paganism and satanic beliefs with the Bible.
RO 2:18 “And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;” RO 2:19 “And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,” RO 2:20 “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.”
Those who claim to be Christians and followers of Jesus will be more responsible to show the example of what the Bible teaches. Personally, I never claimed to be anything good; I never claimed to be a follower of Jesus on my own merit. God has called me, and His fire burns in me to tell others of the love of Jesus and the beautiful heaven that awaits, with no more tears, no more pain, no more death.
RO 2:21 “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?” The Pharisees taught others that the Torah says do not steal, yet they stole the glory that belongs to God by being proud. They had murder in their hearts. This blindness — as we saw with Pharaoh — was so deep that he did not realize he was fighting against God, and his army was no match against God.
RO 2:22 “Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?” It also says that not many should presume to be teachers, as we shall receive the greater condemnation. We are so ready to look at other people’s faults when we do not see our own defects. Unless we overcome our defects, we shall not enter heaven. Jesus said, “He that overcomes will eat of the tree of life.”
RO 2:23 “Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” RO 2:24 “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” Many people do not want to become Christians because many Christians are rude and judgmental. They condemn others; they are proud, selfish, and unloving. They profess to know Jesus in name, but their works show they serve Satan.
RO 2:25 “For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.” A nice suit and tie, a Bible under the arm, does not mean anything. It may mean God is using someone to draw a person to church, but that person could be more corrupt than the people he is preaching to.
RO 2:26 “Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?” Paul is saying that it is not the profession that counts, the name “Christian” — it is the fruits. By fruits we are not talking about merely avoiding things. This is what most Christians falsely believe: “I avoid sex and drugs and alcohol, so I am a good Christian.” First of all, you should read our post about whether sex outside of marriage is a sin.
Being a Christian is not avoiding things; it is being like Jesus. The most evil person can avoid drugs and alcohol — does that make him a good person? No. Being good can only come from God’s power, called righteousness by faith, which He places in us by our request in prayer.
RO 2:27 “And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?” The pagans who are honest, humble, sincere, and loving — yes, they fulfill the law of God and will enter heaven before the professed Christians.
RO 2:28 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:” A follower of Jesus is not the one who merely says, “I am a Christian.” We know him to be a Christian by the fruits. This is why Jesus says “many” — and when Jesus says “many,” He means the majority of Christians will say, “We have done wonderful works,” but Jesus will tell them, “I do not know you.”
RO 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” The Jew, or Christian, or child of God, is anyone from any country and profession who has the fruits of God — he is the one who is like Jesus: humble, kind, honest, meek, and lowly.
Father God, thank You for Your message. Bless and heal and prosper us, please. Give us Your righteousness. May the truth go all over the world, and may people be healed physically and spiritually, in the name of Jesus, amen.
I highly counsel you to read these two books: The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White and Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith.