Reading and meditation on Chapter 2 of the Letter to the Romans:
“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are, if you judge; for when you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in harmony with truth, against those who practice such things” (verses 1,2).
Someone who judges places himself in a precarious position, given that he is judging himself before God and His Son Jesus Christ; in doing so, he will be judged according to those very same standards: « Stop judging that you may not be judged; 2 for with the judgment you are judging, you will be judged, and with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you » (Matthew 7:1-5).
“But according to your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and of the revealing of God’s righteous judgment. 6 And he will pay back to each one according to his works: 7 everlasting life to those who are seeking glory and honor and incorruptibleness by endurance in work that is good; 8 however, for those who are contentious and who disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be tribulation and distress on every person who works what is harmful, on the Jew first and also on the Greek; 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who works what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God” (verses 5-11).
Whoever judges others harshly while sowing a spirit of contention will bring God’s wrath down upon himself.
“For all those who sinned without law will also perish without law; but all those who sinned under law will be judged by law” (verse 12).
God’s judgment, through Christ, will take into account the individual’s circumstances. Either people will be in a state of involuntary ignorance of God’s law, or they will possess exact knowledge of the law and be judged on that basis—receiving a more severe judgment.
“For when people of the nations, who do not have law, do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves. 15 They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them, and by their own thoughts they are being accused or even excused. 16 This will take place in the day when God through Christ Jesus judges the secret things of mankind, according to the good news I declare” (verses 14-16).
The Apostle Paul describes the process of the conscience’s inner self-judgment. This is a divine gift possessed by all human beings—both those who live without God’s law and those who live under it. In the first case, people may naturally and unwittingly fulfill some aspects of God’s law. In the second case, people have educated their conscience based on God’s law. This process of inner self-judgment operates particularly when humans act in secret, whether doing good or doing evil. On the day of judgment, God—through His Son Jesus Christ—will simply need to observe the state of our conscience: either a clear conscience that excuses, or a burdened conscience that accuses.
“If, now, you are a Jew in name and rely on law and take pride in God, 18 and you know his will and approve of things that are excellent because you are instructed out of the Law, 19 and you are convinced that you are a guide of the blind, a light for those in darkness, 20 a corrector of the unreasonable ones, a teacher of young children, and having the framework of the knowledge and of the truth in the Law— 21 do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching, “Do not steal,” do you steal? 22 You, the one saying, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You, the one abhorring idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who take pride in law, do you dishonor God by your transgressing of the Law? 24 For “the name of God is being blasphemed among the nations because of you,” just as it is written” (verses 17-24).
The Jews of the Apostle Paul’s days took a certain pride—even an unwarranted arrogance—in their knowledge of the Law, viewing themselves as guides for the blind. Yet, by this attitude, they exposed themselves to even harsher judgment in the future. Indeed, Jesus Christ summarized their situation as follows: « Jesus said to them: “If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, ‘We see.’ Your sin remains” » (John 9:41).
“Circumcision is, in fact, of benefit only if you practice law; but if you are a transgressor of law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 If, therefore, an uncircumcised person keeps the righteous requirements of the Law, his uncircumcision will be counted as circumcision, will it not? 27 And the physically uncircumcised person will, by carrying out the Law, judge you who are a transgressor of law despite having its written code and circumcision. 28 For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision something on the outside, on the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code. That person’s praise comes from God, not from people” (verses 25-29).
The Apostle Paul writes that true circumcision is that of the heart—spiritual circumcision—which signifies faith in and obedience to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, with right motives. Moses had understood the spiritual meaning of circumcision: « You must circumcise the foreskin of your heart and stop being so stubborn » (Deuteronomy 10:16).
This covenant has a spiritual meaning, which is spelled out in the farewell speech of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy: « You must now cleanse your hearts and stop being so stubborn » (Deuteronomy 10:16).
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Table of contents of the http://yomelyah.fr/ website
Reading the Bible daily, this table of contents contains informative Bible articles (Please click on the link above to view it)…
Table of languages of more than seventy languages, with six important biblical articles, written in each of these languages…
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