Romans 2:14-15

     The Greek word used here for "nature" is "physei" which means "to follow the natural order of things, i.e. instinctively".  Paul is basically saying that the Gentiles ( nonbelievers ) didn't have the Ten Commandments ( as did Israel ) to follow, however they know "instinctively" that what was contained in the Ten Commandments is how life should be lived.  Even Israel "did not" need the Ten Commandments ... but out of love God still provided it to them.

     Many ask the question "What happens to those that have never heard the Gospel when they pass away?".  Now I can't speak for God ... but I believe these verses shed some light on that question.  Here Paul seems to indicate that God will observe the actions of those that have not heard the Gospel, just as He does with those that have, and that He will judge accordingly based on what has been written on their hearts.  Our God is a just God and He will make those determinations and judgements.

     In verse 15 the term " Which shew the work of the law " would be better translated as "Which shew the work which the Law prescribes".  That is, every person has the law written in their hearts and "knows" right from wrong ... God has put that in their hearts!  No one can ever claim as they stand before God on the day of judgement that they didn't know right from wrong...

     We also see that "their conscience" is "bearing witness" to them when they do wrong.  This wrong can be accusing others or even excusing themselves or other when they do wrong.

Pastor David Buffaloe notes it this way:

     "Among mankind, regardless of race, tribe, religion, or creed, it is wrong to murder, rape, and steal.  Even Atheists, who declare that there is no God, will be quick to tell you that these actions are morally wrong.  But there can be no defined area of morality, no certain right and wrong, if there is no standard to back it up.  I know that twelve inches is twelve inches because, at some time in the historical past, men got together and agreed on the dimensions of a ruler.  Mankind cannot get together and define morality.  Only God can define this state, for He alone is the Designer of all Creation."

Romans 2:16

     The word "judge" here is the Greek "krino" {kree'-no}, which means "to judge, determine, resolve, decree".  Here we are told that He will judge "the secrets of men".  Of course these "secrets" are not secrets to God.  God knows all that we have done and will judge that which many think are secrets.  Not only is the judgement against "secret sin" but also we will be rewarded for what we have done in "secret" for the glory of God as well.

     Also, all secret sin committed by man will be judged by the standard of Jesus Christ.  And remember that God does not look the other way when we sin:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 " ^[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man.  ^[14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Luke 8:16-18 " ^[16] No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed;  but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.  ^[17] For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest;  neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.  ^[18] Take heed therefore how ye hear:  for whosoever hath, to him shall be given;  and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."

Romans 2:17-18

     The first line is literally ( as per the original text ):  "Assuming that you are ( one who is called ) a Jew".  Here we have a translation from the original that is not quite right.  "Behold" is not the Greek "eide" ( which would be translated "look", or behold ), but is actually "ei de", which should be translated "assuming".

     Following this statement we read "and restest in the law".  The Jewish people of that time "rested" in the fact that they had the "law" of God.  That law was basically the "Law of Moses" that we see in the Old Testament.  They felt, of course, since they had the "law" from God that it basically gave them the right to "inherit heaven".  Many people of the Jewish faith still feel that way today.

     As I've noted before ... there are two descriptions of the Savior in the Old Testament.  One is portrayed as a "lion" and the other portrayed as a "lamb".  The "lion", of course, describes Jesus Christ during His second coming.  The "lamb" describes the Jesus we see in the Gospel ... the One who came to show us how we should live.  Those of the Jewish faith have always "ignored" the lamb, Jesus Christ, and have only anticipated the "lion".  That, when you think about, makes sense ... as people we always look for the heros, the leaders, the conquers in this life.  That is why they were, and still are, looking for the "lion" to appear.

     They, the people of the Jewish faith, boasted about the fact that they had the law and even went so far as to say that they "knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent,".  The Greek word used here for "more excellent" is ta diapherota which means "the things that differ".  So basically they were saying was that they knew the will of God enough to approve area's which were in question or "the things that differ" that might not have even been in the law.  They felt that they had the final approval on what the law was really saying.  In verses 17 & 18 Paul begins to build a case against belief without application, knowledge without benefit.

     As pastor David Buffaloe noted in one of his studies:  Lest we be quick to jump on the Jew who rejected Christ and studied the Law, think about how these verses can be applied to our present day world.  "Organized religion ( and by this I mean Christian organized religion ) often, in our modern day world, follows the same pattern that the Pharisees did."  Regardless of denomination too often we "follow knowledge and ritual without seeking the "application" of God's Word to our lives".

     In Churches all across our nation we mouth platitudes such as "Pastors and deacons are servants", and then we exalt these same groups above the parishioner.  We preach love, goodness, and faith, and yet our Churches in many instances remain segregated because we refuse to witness to "those kind of people".  We teach the rightness of loving one another and yet we gossip, back stabbing one another terribly in secret.

     Many Churches are little better than large corporations, each member trying to crawl to the top of the corporate ladder over the backs of other Christians.  In Paul's day, as in our day, this is totally unacceptable to God.  We may have the Biblical knowledge but, unless we apply it in our own personal lives, we are no better than those Jews who had the Law but never followed it's precepts.  The individual believer's failure to apply what God has given us in His Word has impacted the Church as a whole, weakening it's effect on our society.

Romans 2:19-20

     Paul notes here how those of the Jewish Faith were so "confident" that they were guiding the blind ( those that didn't know the law ) and how they felt as though they were a light guiding those that were in darkness.  How they were teaching the "foolish" and the "babes" who knew not the law.

     However, as Paul continues, he notes that the Jews, failing to apply what God gave them, had only "the form of knowledge".  The Greek for "form" is "morphosis" {mor'-fo-sis}, which means "A shadow or copy of the original".  The Greek "gnosis" {gno'-sis} is used for "knowledge" which means "experiential knowledge".  However they only had a "shadow" and "experimental knowledge" when it came to the truth in the law.

Romans 2:21-23

     Paul now uses a question and answer format to expose the hypocrisy of the organized religion of his day.  His intent was not to judge, but to cause careful reflection in the reader.  "Am I doing those things which I openly condemn?"  His purpose was to cause the Jew to reflect on the uselessness of following a shadow, and to turn them, in their despair, to the power of Christ.  None of us are sinless, we all have areas of weakness that we fall into time and again.  When we fall, though, we rely on the reality of Christ to bring us back into union with our Father.  We, when confronted with the impossible, apply the teaching:

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

     The Pharisee, bound only to the shadow of the Law, had no real relationship with either God or His Son.  The Pharisees commonly committed adultery with the Temple prostitutes of the Roman religious system.  The word "sacrilege", is the Greek "hierosuleo" {hee-er-os-ool-eh'-o}, and literally means "to rob or desecrate a temple".  The Pharisees often were guilty of "borrowing" from the Temple of God for their own gain.  Their "do what I say, not what I do" mentality did not go unrecognized.

Romans 2:23-24

     When we say one thing and do another, then the "name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you".  The steward of the Gospel must always be careful of his witness, not just the spoken witness, but his living testimony.  The Jews, through their bold hypocritical demeanor and attitude, "turned off" the Gentiles to the Law, and also to the Gospel message.

Malachi 2:8-10 " ^[8]But ye are departed out of the way;  ye have caused many to stumble at the law;  ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.  ^[9]Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.  ^[10]Have we not all one father?  hath not one God created us?  why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?"

     Israel kept failing in their stewardship and lost that stewardship to the Church.  As possessors of the Gospel message we must do better than Israel did with the Law.  We must be careful with our witness, that we don't become a stumbling block to others through our own hypocrisy.  This care must extend not only to the unsaved world, but to our brothers and sisters in Christ:

1 Corinthians 8:7-13 " ^[7] Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge:  for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol;  and their conscience being weak is defiled.  ^[8] But meat commendeth us not to God:  for neither, if we eat, are we the better;  neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.  ^[9] But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.  ^[10] For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;  ^[11] And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?  ^[12] But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.  ^[13]Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."

     The Christian must be careful of his witness particularly in the Assembly of the Saints.  We must avoid all things, even if they are innocent, for the sake of our fellow believer's spiritual well-being.  Is it sin to partake of alcohol?  In the strictest Biblical sense, no.  Yet I do not drink alcohol because it is a sin to my brethren.  If it's offensive to a brother for you to partake of tobacco, eat a certain food, crave a certain beverage, or wear a certain type of clothing, then bear in mind Paul's admonition:  "if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend".