Part 1b - No Righteousness by the Law [2:6-3:20]

  1. [1:18-4:25] Justification by Faith
    1. [1:18-3:20] We cannot gain righteousness from the law
      1. [1:18-32] Sin is Universal
      2. [2:1-5] You are just as much under judgement as those you condemn
        • [2:1] If you judge others, you automatically condemn yourself
        • [2:2] God has a standard of judgement
        • [2:3] Do you think that the fact that God has not judged you yet, means he has forgotten?
        • [2:4-5] Whereas actually he is giving you time to repent, else you will be punished in the end
      3. [2:6-11] God’s judgement is according to his standards and impartial for both Jews and Gentiles
      4. [2:12-3:8] Having the law does not give Jews a special status
        • [2:12-16] On the Day of Judgement will not be about what law you have, but how well you do what the law requires
        • [2:17-29] The limitations of the Old Covenant
          • [2:17-24] You may think you have a very special relationship with God because you have the law, but if you don’t keep it, the opposite is true—you dishonour God.
          • [2:25-29] Your status as a Jew through circumcision is worth nothing unless you keep the law. A Gentile who obeys the law is more Jewish than you!
        • [3:1-8] Problems
          • [3:1-4] Problem 1: What advantage is it to be a Jew? —there are many advantages
          • [3:5-8] Problem 2: Is God unjust to condemn actions that bring him glory —no, else he couldn’t judge anyone
      5. [3:9-18] Jews can be as evil as Gentiles
      6. [3:19-20] Therefore no-one can make themselves righteous by the law

Structure of [2:6-11]

  1. He will reward each one according to his works:
    1. eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honour and immortality,
      1. but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.
      2. There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek,
    1. but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek.
  1. For there is no partiality with God.
  • Is this teachine we are saved by works?
    • Is the Justification by works in [v.6]
      1. Hypothetical?
      2. Fulfilled by Christians through the Spirit?
      3. We really are saved by works?
    • in the context here, the purpose is [v.11] to establish God’s impartiality
    • but later, in [8:4] we see that in fact the Christian does fulfill the law


  1. [2:12-3:8] Having the law does not give Jews a special status
    • [2:12-16] On the Day of Judgement will not be about what law you have, but how well you do what the law requires
      • Two laws?
        • Paul is “leveling the playing field between Jew and Gentile” (Moo, p.127)
      • [2:15] “the work of the law written on our hearts”
        • this is an important concept
          • Adam
          • defaced in the fall
          • New Covenant
        • relationship with conscience
    • [2:17-29] The limitations of the Old Covenant
      • [2:17-24] You may think you have a very special relationship with God because you have the law, but if you don’t keep it, the opposite is true—you dishonour God.
      • [2:25-29] Your status as a Jew through circumcision is worth nothing unless you keep the law. A Gentile who obeys the law is more Jewish than you!
    • [3:1-8] Problems
      • [3:1-4] Problem 1: What advantage is it to be a Jew? —there are many advantages
      • [3:5-8] Problem 2: Is God unjust to condemn actions that bring him glory —no, else he couldn’t judge anyone
  2. [3:9-18] Jews can be as evil as Gentiles
  3. [3:19-20] Therefore no-one can make themselves righteous by the law