Romans 2:9-11. Without Excuse

After Paul methodically showed that no one is without excuse before God’s wrath, he turns his sights on his kindred people, the Jews. As God’s chosen people, it was easy to judge the Gentiles for their lifestyles but to ignore looking within. Imagine someone always looking through a window and only seeing others’ sin. A clear Old Testament example of this would be Nathan telling King David of his sin by using a metaphorical story of the rich man, with many sheep, taking the poor man’s one sheep (in 2 Samuel 12).

When we look into a mirror, however, we see our own sin and can respond accordingly. There is a form of lostness that has a religious appearance. Paul will eventually show that one may retain an unrepentant heart toward God, close to the altar. Those of us involved in the local church should take notice!

Paul was embarking on the difficult task of showing that the Jews were equally guilty before a holy God and that it was not just the Gentiles who were guilty. Having the Law meant the Jews had a greater advantage and a greater responsibility. Paul keeps saying “The Jew first, and also the Greek.” Many of the first-century Jews would not like that “God shows no partiality.” A modern saying sums this up well:

“All ground is level at the cross”

Every single one of us will give an account of how we lived our lives. Praise the Lord! Paul will give us some help later, in other portions of his letter to the Romans!

- Brian Mott