Romans 02 Overview

Romans Chapter 2 Argument, Outline, and Selected Doctrines

Self righteous judging, God judges all people, religious hypocrisy

Argument

Paul then warns those with moral pride who, in their self righteousness, judge other people. They think they are better because they do not sin so grossly, but they are still guilty. God will judge them, too. God is the impartial judge of all people. Both those under the Law and those without the Law will be judged on whatever standard they have, whether by the Law or the conscience. Those without the law are still guilty because they have the law written in their hearts. Many Jews have religious pride because they have the law and circumcision, but they do not follow the law nor understand circumcision. They are religious hypocrites. They too are guilty and do not understand that the Jew whom God praises is the one who practices the law from the heart. So far Paul has demonstrated that the immoral sinner, the self righteous moral sinner, and the religious sinner are all guilty before God.

Outline

Self righteous judging, God judges all people, religious hypocrisy

1. Self righteous judging (Romans 2:1-5)
2. God judges all people (Romans 2:6-16
3. Religious hypocrisy (Romans 2:17-29)

Expanded Outline

1. Self righteous judging. Moral self righteousness is sin, and this person tends to judge others which is wrong because they also sin. They are so focused on their own self righteousness that they disregard and scorn God’s graciousness to them. They refuse God’s call to repentance, and so they build up more reason for God to judge them (Romans 2:1-5)
2. God judges all people. Paul presents the general principle that God judges all people. God is an impartial judge and will judge those who persevere in doing good and those who do evil. He judges both Jew and Greek according to their deeds. The Jew has the law as a guide and the Gentile has the law in their conscience (Romans 2:6-16).
3. Religious hypocrisy. The religious pride of the Jew dulls him to the fact that though he talks about the superiority of the law, he does not keep the law. He brags about circumcision but does not understand circumcision. The Gentile who obeys the law of conscience is better off than the Jew who places misapplied ritual over religious reality and rejects the true nature of being Jewish—that it is inward, not simply outward. From his condemnation of these religiously proud and self righteous Jews Paul reasons that in practical application the Law is of no value unless one applies the law in one’s life (Romans 2:17-29).

Romans Chapter 2 Select Doctrines

1. God judges, works, rich young ruler (Romans 2:1-16)
2. Judging others, select Scripture (Romans 2:1-16)
3. Judgments in the Bible (Romans 2:1-16)
4. Judgments in the NT (Romans 2:1-16)
5. Judging others (Romans 2:1-16)
6. Repentance (Romans 2:5)
7. Does Paul teach salvation by works? No (Romans 2:1-16)
8. False premises Lordship salvation
9. Mosaic Law (Romans 2:12-27)
10. Conscience (Romans 2:15)
11. Self-righteousness (Romans 2:1, 17-24)
12. Pride (Romans 2:1-5, 17-23)
13. Circumcision (Romans 2:25-29)
14. Meaningless ritual (Romans 2:25-29)
15. Faith application of God’s word (Romans 2:13
16. Spiritual Jew—Jew inwardly (Romans 2:28-29)