Romans 2:The Jews and the Law

¹⁷Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; ¹⁸if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

so basically Paul is calling people out who say that they are christian but dont live out their lives that way. It seems like even Christians today this is still a major problem.It happens alot... I believe I heard that it was about 80% of christians who grew up in the church and go to college stop attending church. 80%!!!!

Back to the passage... but yea I do believe that paul is trying to convict the hearts of all of those who say that they believe yet still dont leave their lives of sin behind.

²⁵Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. ²⁶If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? ²⁷The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

²⁸A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. ²⁹No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

im still iiffy on this verse but I think that even though the law(of moses) says one thing it means nothing if you dont believe it with your heart and live it out. Closing wise I think he was trying to make the point that We shouldn't be seeking praise from others but we should seek the praise from God.

Romans 2:God's Righteous Judgment

¹You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ²Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? ⁴Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

plain and simple...I mean seriously what right do we have to judge other people. Honestly I do it, and i'm not perfect. If you think that you arrent subjected to this... you better think again because I would not want gods wrath on me!

⁵But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶God "will give to each person according to what he has done."⁷To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. ⁸But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. ⁹There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; ¹⁰but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹¹For God does not show favoritism.

sometimes I wonder where i'm at. I think alot of people struggle with this as christians. Lots of people say they are christian and come to church but other than that what else have they done to please god. So many times I've heard that people are christian and they love god yet they dont even thank him for all that hes done. I think as a society of christian we dont praise him enough... and when he comes its as it says above you are going to be with him or with out him. so i'm assuming that paul wanted the people to really check where their hearts were at, which is something we should all be doin

¹²All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law,¹⁵since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) ¹⁶This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

in this part of the passage basically says those who obey and follow the laws are righteous. The laws that he is talking about, referring to a commentary, says that it is the Law of moses. But basically what paul is saying is that those who follow the laws that god has provided they will be deemed righetous by god on judgement day.

Romans 1:God's Wrath Against Mankind

⁸The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

This is so true. It so incredible to see that even though the world has barely changed at all. Think about it, this was written a few hundred years ago and its still describes our world today. What really hits me is how Paul says that there is no excuse why people should not know or follow him.

²¹For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

This is what happens when we neglect god. when we know he's there and not thank, praise or glorify them. we become hardened and foolish believing we can do everything on our own. This is a true and real description of our world today.

²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

I would be fed up too if I wasn't being appreciated.

²⁶Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Again, this is another good description of the world today.

²⁸Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.³²Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Gods love can only do so much if you do not accept it. we need to accept yet also live to praise and honor him. If we dont we will eventually become the type of people that paul describes. What really hits the heart is that this whole passage is so true. That so many people know of God and have seen/ heard his miracles yet the choose to live in the darkness.

I cant lie I'm not perfect and there are times when I act as paul describes and it scares me. but I guess being scared is ok, cause it'll keeps me on my toes.

Romans 1:Paul's longing to visit Rome

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. ⁹God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you ¹⁰in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

vs 8. kinda reminds me of the world today, people are literally coming to christ everyday. vs 9. Pauls really dedicated to serving his people. so many times we say we'll pray for some one but how often do we usually do it.

¹¹I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— ¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. ¹³I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

vs 11-12. we see that Paul wants to make faiths stronger so that others, including himself, faiths may be encouraged. its kinda humbling seeing how paul wants to not only encourage others but he himself wants to be encouraged.

¹⁴I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.

vs 14. There is no certain type of people that can be saved. Every person no matter what they are or who they are can be save.

¹⁶I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ¹⁷For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,^{c]" style=" line-height: 0.5em; ">[c]} just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."^{d]" style=" line-height: 0.5em; ">[d]}

vs 17. The righteous will live by faith...