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ROMANS CHAPTER 2
[Ro 2:6-8]:
(v. 6) "God will give to each person according to what he has done.
[The context in verse 6 is the giving of eternal life vs the opposite: [eternal] wrath and anger - so eternal life is in view.]
(v. 7) To those who be persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life,
[= An individual is pictured here as one who persistently, enduringly "seeks glory, honor and immortality" obviously via a godly lifestyle that is approved and acceptable by God as contributing toward eternal life]
(v. 8) But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."
[And opposite to this, an antithesis, is the 'self-seeking' individual who 'rejects the truth' of what God reveals in His Word and follows 'evil', i.e, sins. The end thereof for that individual is eternal 'wrath and anger' as opposed to eternal life, i.e., the Lake of Fire.]
Consider the overall context of this section in Romans from 1:18-3:20 as summarized at the end of the section in verse 20:
[Ro 3:20]:
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing law; rather, through law we become conscious of sin."
"Therefore no one" = refers to all groups of unbelievers who go by some code of behavior in order to gain eternal life:
All godless men, (1:18-1-23); specifically to include overtly sinful Gentile unbelievers, (1:24-1:32); and 'moral' Gentile unbelievers, (2:1-16); and Jews who attempt to keep the Mosaic Law in order to be saved, (2:17-3:19).
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His [God's, (v. 19)] sight by observing ...law" =
"law" = "nomon" = code of behavior, no defn article =
The word law here has no definite article thereby signifying not just the Mosaic Law but any system of rules to live by. This is verified in view of the fact that the subject of the verse is all individuals not just Jews which non-Jews would not be subject to the specific Mosaic Law.]
"rather through [the] law we become conscious of sin" = "law" = "nomou", again no defn. article = rather through any code of behavior we become conscious of sin"
Notice that a code of behavior is signified as serving not to be kept in order to attain eternal life but as to make one conscious that they cannot keep it, becoming aware of that inablility as sin.
[Ro 2:6-8 cont.]:
(v. 6) "God will give to each person according to what he has done.
(v. 7) To those who be persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life,
(v. 8) But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."
[So one is determined at the end of this section in Romans as unable to demonstrate "persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality" in order to receive eternal life.
[C.I. Scofield states, The New Scofield Study Bible, NIV, Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1967, p. 1177]:
"In vv. 7 and 13 the cases are hypothetical. Paul is not teaching the possibility of salvation by works but is, rather, showing why all men without exception are lost. As he later states, no man has continued in doing good, nor is he a doer of the law (cp. 3:19-20). The means of justification for sinners, entirely by faith in Christ, is set forth {shortly} in 3:21-8:39."]
Consider what our Lord said when He was confronted by the Rich Young Ruler:
The encounter between our Lord and the rich man bears out that although eternal life is available by keeping a perfect standard of righteous behavior such as the Mosaic Law, this is not possible with man:
[Mt 19:13-26, cf Lk 18:18-27]:
(v. 13) "Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
(v. 14) But Jesus said, 'Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'
[Inferring that the faith of a child not his behavior is in view]
(v. 15) And after laying His hands on them, He departed from there.
(v. 16) And behold, one came to Him and said, 'Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?'
(v. 17) And He said to him, 'Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One Who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.'
If there is only One Who is good: God alone then how can one be 'good enough' to obtain eternal life: impossible.
[Ro 2:9-16]:
(v. 9) "There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;
(v. 10) but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 11) For God does not show favoritism.
(v. 12) All who sin apart from law will also perish apart from law
(v. 13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous.
(v. 14) (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,
(v. 15) since they show that the requirements of the Law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
[Notice that Gentiles have a law for themselves - their consciences - which provide the perfect standard by which they must be justified; but reminding them when they fall short which is always. Thus they are enslaved to it until they are justified by faith alone in Christ alone]
(v. 16) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."
[Zanes Hodges states, The Gospel Under Siege, Second Edition, Redención Viva, Dallas, Texas, 1981, pp. 101-3]:
"It is a tragic feature of the modern debate over salvation, that certain statements made by Paul in his great epistle to the church at Rome have been turned upside down. These statements are found in Romans 2 and are intended by the Apostle to underline man's hopeless state before the bar of God's judgment. Instead, some modern theologians take them as proof-texts that God works, as the fruit of faith, will be the final test of a person's salvation.
Let us look at the Pauline statements in question:
[Ro 2:6, 7, 10, 13]:
(v. 6) "God will give to each person according to what he has done.
(v. 7) To those who be persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life,
(v. 10) but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous."
It is certainly astounding that these words could be taken in such a way as to nullify the doctrine of Paul goes on to teach in this epistle, when he writes emphatically:
[Ro 3:20:
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
This tragic confusion could have been easily avoided. In Romans 2 Paul is discussing how God will deal with men in the final judgment (Rom 2:5). One should remember that born-again believers do not come into the judgment...
[Jn 5:24]:
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
At the judgment bar of God, the day of grace will be past and men will stand before their Judge for His final assessment of their lives...
[Rev 20:12]:
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."
His judgment will be impartial and based on their works. Those who have persevered in doing good may expect eternal life. Those who have not only heard, but kept, God's law, will receive God's justification.
But who are these? There are none. Romans 3:20 says so plainly. So does Romans 3:9-19 - very emphatically!
The standpoint in Romans 2 is analogous to a judge who has a line of defendants ranged before his tribunal. Speaking in the non-prejudicial language of the lawcourts he might say to them: 'In this courtroom everyone will get exactly what he deserves. The innocent will be cleared, but the guilty will be condemned to punishment.'
Does this statement imply that some of the defendants are innocent and will be cleared? Of course not. The judge is simply stating the principles which will obtain in his court. Justice and equity will be the hallmarks of this judicial proceeding.
Romans 2:7, 10, and 13 are not spoken as a prediction, as though there actually will be people whose works entitle them to eternal life and justification. Instead, these verses state the principles on which judgment will be based in God's final assessment of lost men. Each person will get what he deserves. But Paul's doctrine was that no one would gain eternal salvation on the basis of principles like these. In the very next chapter of this epistle (Rom 3), Paul will demonstrate that very point...
[Ro 3:20]:
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
Precisely, then, because men fail to persevere in good works or truly to do God's law, they are utterly shut up to 'he righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ' (Rom 2:21-26)."