Having enumerated the sins humans
commits against God, especially that of twisting the truth and worshiping false
gods of their own creation, rather than worshiping the one true God revealed in
His creation, Paul goes on to describe the basis of God’s judgment against
humankind for their sinful behaviour.
In Chapter Two, verse one, Paul admonishes
the people, the Jewish congregation of the church in Rome, with whom he is
having an imaginary debate, that they have no excuse to behave like the others in
the world. They may pass judgment and be critical of others, the non-Jewish
population, condemning them for practicing sexual perversions, idolatry and
violence. But Paul’s point is they are no better.
Jesus is also very clear in this
regard. In Matthew 7:1-2, he says “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you.” We have been warned not to be critical of
others, without being self-critical of ourselves first. Matthew 7:3-5.
It is similar to the woman caught in
the act of adultery, brought to Jesus for his judgment. Jesus did not condemn
her, and told the teachers of law and Pharisees who brought her up to him, that
“if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at
her.” John 8:7. Stricken by their conscience, they all left.
Again, David in his sin against God
with Bathsheba, was quick to condemn the rich man who took the poor man’s ewe
lamb to cook for his guest, without realizing he had committed the same type of
sin, in getting the husband of Bathsheba killed in the battle and taking her as
his own wife. 2 Samuel 12:1-9. So, we need to be careful that we are not
committing the same sin that we are condemning in others.
Coming back to Paul’s point, there is
no differentiation between the Jews and non-Jewish people, for all have sinned.
Rom.3:22-23. The Jewish population has also sinned despite having the
Law and knowing the Truth about the One True God, the Creator. The Jew also is
guilty of the same sin, sin of being unfaithful to the truth, in their case,
revealed through the Law. Verse 2.
The first basis of God’s judgment is
Truth, truth about Himself. V.2
In Verse 3, Paul is asking his Jewish
listeners, will they escape judgment, when they have done the same things as
those of the pagan world? Or is it that the Jew is so complacent, because of
the kindness, tolerance and patience that God has shown towards them throughout
their history?
In Exodus 34:6 God describes Himself
as “The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in
love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving weakness,
rebellion and sin.” But the very next line says, “Yet he does not leave the
guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of
the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”
The moral in this for us is not to
take the kindness of God for granted. He is kind, especially to His chosen
children, be it a Jew or a believer, but were they to disobey Him and His commandments,
then His punishment will come riding fast on their heels.
All these kindnesses shown by God to
the Jews is a measure of His patience, to goad them towards repentance of their
waywardness and not because of any partiality. V.4. Israel was chosen, not to
gloat in their own blessedness, but to pass on this blessedness to others in
the world. That was their mission and they failed in it miserably. I think they
were not even conscious of it.
Paul reminds his Jewish readers that
Jews are known for their stubbornness, unrepentant heart and God’s righteous judgement
is reserved for such of them who are rebellious against God. V.5. Such a
conduct is equal to idolatry by a non-Jew.
Thus, the second ground for God’s
judgement will be ‘God will give to each person according to what he has done.’
V.6. Each person will be judged according to his or her deeds on earth. It is
surprising to note that this sounds so similar to Hindu concept of karma
theory, where a person’s karma, good or
bad deed will decide his place in the next birth.
The difference is Karma becomes the judge here. It is of course
merciless and grinds on mechanically and Hinduism teaches that Karma is so powerful that even gods
cannot change its course of action.
The God of Bible, whom Jesus called
his Father, is on the contrary merciful and willing to forgive the sins and
rebellion if only the person concerned will repent and seek forgiveness of God.
1 John 1:9.
Of course, we, Christians do not have
the concept of repeated births and deaths; we have one life and depending on
how we lived that life, we get eternal life or eternal death on the Judgment
Day.
Next few verses elaborate this concept
of each according to his or her deeds more fully. Those who persist in doing
good, God will honour with eternal life. V.7. And those who are self-seeking
and reject the truth and follow evil, God’s wrath and anger will be poured
upon. V.8. This is for every one; first for the Jew and then for the Gentile or
non-Jew. V.9, 10.
What you sow you reap. Galatians 6:7.
God is not mocked. If your deeds are good, peace and honour and glory will follow
you; if your deeds are evil, trouble and distress follow you.
Thus, God does not show favouritism;
the third basis of God’s judgement is impartiality. V.11.
In verses 12 to 15 Paul is laying
down an important doctrine for us to follow, even in today’s world, which is
divided as Christians and non-Christians. Jews and Gentile are judged by the
light each one has received.
Jews know the Truth through the
written Law and direct revelation of God. Hence a Jew will be judged according
to this, whether he obeyed the Law or not. Those who obey the Law and not just
those hear it are declared righteous by God. James 1:22 says “But be doers
of the word and not hearers only…”
A Gentile, who does not have the law,
still has these standards of moral conduct written in his conscience and thus
if he lived according to these standards, he will be judged favourably. A
Gentile will be judged favourably, if he followed the requirements of the Law
naturally, even though he did not have the Law.
Greeks of Paul’s days, had their philosophers
like Aristotle and Stoics, who talked about an inner law, a law of nature,
which a rational man had in his conscience. He knew what was right and what was
wrong and was to act accordingly. For according to the Stoics man was a rational
and moral being and hence he was able to recognise the immanent law of his
nature and judge his actions by that standard.[1]
Paul now rounds of his arguments by saying on the
judgement day, God will to all the believers, the Christians, who are to
operate under the law of Christ or the Law of the Spirit. For the Jew, it is
the Law of Moses, for the Gentile, it is the Law of Nature, but for the
Christian, it is the Law of Christ. Accordingly, God will judge human beings,
including their innermost secret thoughts.
God, according to Paul, will judge
humankind on four grounds:
1. God will judge humankind based on
truth. V.2
2. God will judge according to men’s
deeds. V.6
3. God will judge with impartiality.
V.11
4. God will judge the secrets of men.
V.16.
Being born as a Christian or going to
church on Sundays and listening to the sermons, will not make us righteous in
the eyes of God, the Judge. It is the ‘doer’ or one who obeys the Law, the Law
of Christ, who will escape from the wrath of God.
The Law of Christ means we believe in
the work that Jesus did on the cross and appropriate it by repenting and seeking
his forgiveness and obey whatever he taught us, as written in the New
Testament.
So let us take care to be doers of
the law of Christ, and escape the wrath of God and find favour in His eyes on
the Judgement Day.
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