Romans 2 Questions

God's wrath revealed/announced on those who claims to be morally good:

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, 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 the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

Observation:

  1. Who are inexcusable?

  2. Why they are inexcusable?

  3. In what basis God will judge them?

  4. Will they escape the judgment of God?

  5. Did they despise the God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering?

  6. What are they treasuring up?

  7. How are they treasuring up?

  8. When will they receive the God's wrath or judgment?

Interpretation:

  1. Who are inexcusable?

    • To whom Paul is addressing? Is Paul refers to same group of people in Romans 1:22-32 who are Idolaters and immoral?

      • How many of us are not like those immoral people described in Romans 1:22-32?

    • What is judge means?

  2. Why they are inexcusable?

    • Do they really practicing the same thing what they judge?

  3. In what basis God will judge them? Do they know that?

  4. Will they escape the judgment of God?

  5. Did they despise the God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering?

    • How they can despise the God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering? or Why Paul is raising this question?

    • What is forbearance?

    • What is longsuffering?

    • What is the difference between forbearance and longsuffering?

    • How the goodness of God leads sinners to repentance?

  6. What are they treasuring up?

    • What is treasuring up the wrath means?

  7. How are they treasuring up?

  8. When will they God's wrath will be poured out?

Application:

  • Are we (the believers in Christ) allowed/permitted to judge others?

  • Do you (the believers in Christ) despise the God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering?

  • Do we (the believers in Christ) misuse the Grace of God? How?

God's righteous judgment to all:

6 who "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 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 first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For 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 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 work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Observation:

  1. How will God judge?

  2. What is the outcome of God's judgment?

  3. Will God show any partiality while He judges Jews and non Jews(Greeks/Gentiles)?

  4. Will God's judgment varies between those who are in the law and those are without the law?

  5. How God will judge those who are in the law?

  6. How God will judge those who are without the law?

  7. What is the basic measure God uses to allow people to enter into Heaven? or What is the bottom line God uses to judge all humanity?

Interpretation:

  1. How will God judge?

  2. What is the outcome of God's judgment?

  3. Will God show any partiality while He judges Jews and non Jews(Greeks/Gentiles)? Will God judge the Jews with one measure and the Gentiles with another?

    • Does God not have sovereign power to give preference to His own people while judging?

  4. Will God's judgment varies between those who are in the law and those are without the law?

  5. How will God judge those who are in the law?

  6. How will God judge those who are without the law?

    • Do they have capacity to identify the right and wrong?

    • How do they have the capacity to identify the right and wrong?

  7. Do the Gentiles needs to fulfill all the requirements of the law by nature?

  8. How will God remember all our deeds/works/sins?

  9. Is Paul is teaching salvation by works or good deeds?

    • Is it possible for any one to be justified (go to heaven) by their good deeds/works based on God's standard declared in Romans 2:7 and James 2:10?

  10. Who will judge all on the judgment day? or Whom God will uses to judge?

  11. What is the basic measure God uses to judge people to allow people to enter into Heaven? or What is the bottom line God uses to judge all humanity?

    • What we need to enter into heaven?

Application:

  1. Will God judge believers in Christ like non-believers? Will God's judgment varies between those believe in Jesus and those not believe in Jesus?

  2. Are you doers of the word or just a hearer?

God's righteous judgment includes Jews/Israelites:

17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and 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, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 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, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written. 25 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, 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, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For 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 who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Observation:

  1. To whom Paul is addressing?

  2. What do they know and do?

  3. What do they really have?

  4. Do they really follow what they know and teach?

  5. What is the result/outcome of their behavior?

  6. When circumcision will be profitable?

  7. What might happen to circumcision when they break the law?

  8. What might be possible if uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law?

  9. Who is a true Jew?

Interpretation:

  1. To whom Paul is addressing?

    • What does Jew mean?

    • From when Israelites are called Jews?

  2. What do they know and do?

      • What it means that they "rest on the law, and make your boast in God"?

      • How do they know the will of God?

      • What it means "approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law"?

  3. What do they really have?

    • What it means?

  4. Application: How these passage relates to our Christian life or walk with God?

    • What happens if you gain just the theoretical knowledge without any experience?

  5. Do they really follow what they know and teach?

  6. What is the result/outcome of their behavior?

  7. Application:

    • Are you doers of the word or just a hearer?

    • Are we the believers in Christ are glorifying God among non-believers?

      • How to glorify God among non-believers?

      • How do you achieve this?

  8. Summary:

  9. When circumcision will be profitable?

    • What is circumcision?

    • Where and who instituted/established the circumcision?

    • Why?

      1. Who made the covenant?

      2. What is the Covenant?

      3. What needs to be done to keep the covenant?

    • Who needs to be circumcised?

    • In what age they need to circumcise?

    • What happen if one refuse to circumcise?

    • Is there any way/options God provided to anyone who wants to become a Abraham's family (Israel)?

    • Is this circumcision still applicable or necessary now?

    • Why circumcision is not necessary now?

  2. Is there anything similar to circumcision exist in Christianity?

  3. Why Paul has brought this circumcision as a part of this discussion?

  4. What might happen to circumcision when they break the law?

    • Does Paul really mean that the circumcision has become uncircumcision?

    • What Paul is saying?

      • Application:

  5. What might be possible if uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law?

    • What Paul is saying?

  6. Who is a true Jew? What is true Circumcision means?

    • What it means "whose praise is not from men but from God"?

  7. Application:

    1. Is there any advantage/use in circumcision, adult/child baptism, confirmation, Christening/dedication, communion if you are mere hearer but not the doer or not keep the law?

    2. Are you focusing on outward life whom others see or inward change in your heart?

    3. Whom do you pleasing?

    4. Whom do you expect praise from?

    5. Are you a true born again believer in Christ?

    6. Is your faith produces works?