Romans 2:1-3:26

New King James Version

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you are ^(A)inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, ^(B)for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. ³ And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you despise ^(C)the riches of His goodness, ^(D)forbearance, and ^(E)longsuffering, ^(F)not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But in accordance with your hardness and your ^[a]impenitent heart ^(G)you are ^[b]treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who ^(H)“will render to each one according to his deeds”: ⁷ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸ but to those who are self-seeking and ^(I)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, ⁹ tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew ^(J)first and also of the ^[c]Greek; ^10 (K)but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For ^(L)there is no partiality with God.

¹² For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law ¹³ (for ^(M)not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; ¹⁴ for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ who show the ^(N)work of the law written in their hearts, their ^(O)conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) ^16 (P)in the day when God will judge the secrets of men ^(Q)by Jesus Christ, ^(R)according to my gospel.

The Jews Guilty as the Gentiles

^17 [d]Indeed ^(S)you are called a Jew, and ^(T)rest^[e] on the law, ^(U)and make your boast in God, ¹⁸ and ^(V)know His will, and ^(W)approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, ¹⁹ and ^(X)are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, ^(Y)having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. ^21 (Z)You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? ²² You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, ^(AA)do you rob temples? ²³ You who ^(AB)make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? ²⁴ For ^(AC)“the name of God is ^(AD)blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

Circumcision of No Avail

^25 (AE)For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶ Therefore, ^(AF)if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, ^(AG)judge you who, even with your ^[f]written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? ²⁸ For ^(AH)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew ^(AI)who is one inwardly; and ^(AJ)circumcision is that of the heart, ^(AK)in the Spirit, not in the letter; ^(AL)whose ^[g]praise is not from men but from God.

God’s Judgment Defended

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much in every way! Chiefly because ^(AM)to them were committed the ^[h]oracles of God. ³ For what if ^(AN)some did not believe? ^(AO)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ^4 (AP)Certainly not! Indeed, let ^(AQ)God be ^[i]true but ^(AR)every man a liar. As it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? ^(AT)(I speak as a man.) ⁶ Certainly not! For then ^(AU)how will God judge the world?

⁷ For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸ And why not say, ^(AV)“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their ^[j]condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned^(AW)

⁹ What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that ^(AX)they are all under sin.

¹⁰ As it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever ^(BE)the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that ^(BF)every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become ^[l]guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore ^(BG)by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(BH)the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, ^(BI)being witnessed by the Law ^(BJ)and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all ^[m]and on all who believe. For ^(BK)there is no difference; ²³ for ^(BL)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified ^[n]freely ^(BM)by His grace ^(BN)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth ^(BO)as a ^[o]propitiation ^(BP)by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over ^(BQ)the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.