I’ve answered most all of your questions to the best of my ability and I don’t mind answering these questions either. Would you be kind enough to answering this one question I asked first?
What law is Paul talking about here?
For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified. (Rom 2:13)
He’s talking about the Mosaic Law in 2:13, which includes the 10 Commandments (the Decalogue). Verse 13 specifically refers to Jews who were under the Law. But what Paul is saying in that verse doesn’t enhance your argument for works - of any sort - as a Divine means of justification. That’s not at all what Paul is teaching there. He’s making a statement but his issue is with SIN and the SINNER (both Jews and Gentiles). How can a sinner (under law or not under law) be justified before God?Rom 2:12-13 "For all who
sinned without law (anomôs) will also perish without law (anomôs), and all who
sinned under law (Gr. “
in law,” *en nomô) will be
judged by law (dia nomou); for {it is} not the hearers of
the Law (tau nomau, definite article) {who} are just before God, but the doers of
the Law (tau nomau) will be justified.*Paul is making a statement, but he is in no way stating here that justification for
sinners (all men are) comes through law obedience, of any kind, either the
principle of law (works), or the Mosaic Law itself.
In chapters one and two Paul is building his case that
ALL (Gentiles without law, and Jews under the Law) are
sinners before God; both are charged to be “
under sin,” as stated in the following chapter:“
for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Rom. 3:9b)The Divine indictment is found in Rom. 3:10-18 -
read it.
Romans 2:13 is NOT Paul’s gospel message, Ryan. It’s “BAD NEWS.” Whereas the gospel of Christ is (
good news), and begins in chapter three (you must read on). Paul’s gospel has to do with faith in Christ and Divine justification gifted * to the sinner by faith* alone through Christ’s redemptive work
alone (Rom. 3:24). The doctrinal statement Paul delivers by letter to the church at Rome is that there is a Divine justification gifted by God that is completely "
APART FROM (
the principle of) law (Rom. 3:21), available through faith alone to ALL who have been charged to be under sin (i.e.,
sinners).
The doctrinal issue in Romans chapters one through five is, how are
SINNERS to be justified before God? The answer Paul provides is that it’s Divinely
gifted by faith alone in Christ alone.
You cannot possibly understand Paul’s letter to the church at Rome by stopping at 2:13. In fact you distort it. Paul didn’t stop there, so neither should you.
The intent of
the Law was never to justify anyone (never could). Paul’s teaching on this is crystal clear:Rom 3:20 “…
because by the works of law (
ergôn nomou, no definite article - any law/merit) no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through law (
gar nomou, no definite article)
{comes} the knowledge of sin” (i.e., the knowledge that one is truly a sinner via transgression of Commandments)Law only testifies to the fact that you are a sinner. ALL are sinners.
NONE are righteous before God. It doesn’t matter how many “good works” one might accomplish in his life. No man can be justified before God on the principle of law/works.
Here is what Paul was leading to in chapters one and two:Rom 3:21-24 “
But now apart from law (no definite article)
{the} righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law (
tau nomau)
and the Prophets, even {the} righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all sinned and (continually) *fall short of the glory of God,
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”*He elaborates on this justification by faith alone doctrine in chapters four and five even using Abraham, who was born before the Law, and David who was born under the Law. Both blessed by being reckoned righteousness by God “
apart from works” (Rom. 4:6). In respect to Abraham Paul could not have been referring to works of “the Law,” since Abraham lived over 400 years prior to “the Law.”
Paul’s teaching to the church at Rome concerning justification by faith alone in Christ alone is very clear, indeed. It’s what Christianity is all about. I do find it ironic that Paul’s greatest teaching on justification by faith is found in his letter to the Roman church - the second being his letter to the Galatians (that region now being mostly all Muslim - a works religion). Herein lies the true tradition concerning Divine justification, preserved in
theopneustos Holy Writ for all subsequent generations.
