Comments on Romans 2:12-16

Timotheos,

I believe you have spoken well concerning Romans 2:12-13. I would simply add that the notoriously difficult verse 13 is not as difficult as so many commentators make it. Paul's words--For the hearers of the Law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the Law will be declared righteous.--do not speak of the basis of justification. If he had spoken of the basis of justification, he would have used different wording. Paul uses two adjectival nouns in contrast the hearers (hoi akroatai) and the doers (hoi poietai). In other words, Paul is not speaking of the basis upon which anyone will be justified in the Last Day. Rather, he is talking about whom God will justify on the Last Day. He is only identifying whom God will justify in the Last Day. He is not identifying something in them that serves as the basis of God's Last Day justifying verdict.

Paul's contrast is not unlike James' contrast: "Be doers [poietai] of the word, and not hearers [akroatai] only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). They use the same adjectival nouns. The interest of both James and Paul is to identify by characteristic.

I believe that Paul is speaking of Christian Gentiles in Romans 2. However, one difficulty with this understanding, as you have pointed out, is the word phusei in 2:14, which you translated "by nature." It is conceivable that we could take the phrase "by nature" either as modifying "who do not have the Law" or "do the things required by the Law." I believe you are right to link the phrase with the words before it rather than after it. The expression "by nature" can hardly refer to something that is common to everyone, to all humans, including Jews. If so, Paul's point would be lost. Instead, "by nature" must be true of the Gentiles of whom Paul speaks in contrast to the Jews of whom he speaks. So, it seems to me, that Paul is not speaking of "natural law" with this expression. This is, in my opinion, one of the arguments for taking Romans 2 as referring to Gentile Christians. Thus, it seems to me, that you are correct to identify Paul's phrase to refer to "a new type of man," as you say, "a new covenant Gentile . . . who is a doer of the Law."

As for verse 15, you are right. It is not altogether clear to us. You translate the verse: they demonstrate the work required by the Law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternatively accusing and defending them. I believe you rightly associate Paul's comments with the promise of the new covenant, the Law "written on the heart." On the one hand it seems that Paul has in view the consciences of Gentile believers testifying that they are acquitted before God. On the other hand, I wonder if Paul's words (their thoughts alternatively accusing and defending them) give expression to the universal Christian experience of the deep knowledge of acquittal before God while also the ever present realization that one is never finished with the plague of sin and its consequence, guilt, in this present age.

Paulos