Romans 2:12-24

Common English Bible

¹²Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. ¹³It isn’t the ones who hear the Law who are righteous in God’s eyes. It is the ones who do what the Law says who will be treated as righteous. ¹⁴Gentiles don’t have the Law. But when they instinctively do what the Law requires they are a Law in themselves, though they don’t have the Law. ¹⁵They show the proof of the Law written on their hearts, and their consciences affirm it. Their conflicting thoughts will accuse them, or even make a defense for them, ¹⁶on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the hidden truth about human beings through Christ Jesus.

Jews will be judged as well

¹⁷    But,
if you call yourself a Jew;
if you rely on the Law;
if you brag about your relationship to God;
¹⁸if you know the will of God;
if you are taught by the Law so that you can figure out the things that really matter;
¹⁹if you have persuaded yourself that you are:
        a guide for the blind;
        a light to those who are in darkness;
²⁰        an educator of the foolish;
        a teacher of infants (since you have the full content of knowledge and truth in the Law);
²¹then why don’t you who are teaching others teach yourself?
If you preach, “No stealing,” do you steal?
²²If you say, “No adultery,” do you commit adultery?
If you hate idols, do you rob temples?

²³If you brag about the Law, do you shame God by breaking the Law? ²⁴As it is written: The name of God is discredited by the Gentiles because of you.^[a]

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