Romans 2:14-15 - Exposition

For when Gentiles, which have not law, do by nature (or, having not law by nature, do; cf. Romans 2:27 , ἡ ἐκ φύσεως ἀκροβυστία ) the things of the Law ( i.e. the Mosaic Law), these, not having law, are law unto themselves; which ( οἵτινες , with its usual significance of quippequi ) show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness (or, bearing witness therewith ) , and their thoughts betwixt each other accusing or else excusing (not, as in the Authorized Version, meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another, μεταξὺ being used as a preposition, governing ἀλλήλων ). The "for" at the beginning of Romans 2:14 connects it with the preceding one thus: "Not hearers but doers of law will be justified." The Jew, therefore, has no advantage in the way of justification over the Gentile from being in a peculiar sense a hearer. For Gentiles also may be doers, though not of a positive revealed law, yet of the law of conscience. It is not, of course, implied that on the ground of any such doing they "shall be justified;" only that, so far as they do, they will, equally with the Jews, be rewarded. Nor is it said that any, in fact, do all that law enjoins. We observe the hypothetical form of expression, ὅταν ποιῇ , and also, τὰ τοῦ νόμου , i.e. any of the Law's requirements. The Law, for instance, says, "Thou shalt not steal;" and if a Gentile, though knowing nothing of the ten commandments, on principle refrains from stealing, his conscientious honesty will have its own reward as much as that of the Jew who refrains in obedience to the revealed commandment. A few of the expressions in these verses call for consideration.