Saved-By-Grace
Well-Known Member
"For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. "
(Romans 2:14-16)
The Gentiles are those who are not Jews, and therefore the rest of the entire world that is non-Jewish. Taken together, the Gentiles and Jews make up the "whole human race". If you are not the one, then you most certainly were the other.
Paul here says, that though the Gentiles, did not have the Law of Moses that was given to the Jews, yet they did have this same law of God "written in their hearts". This then gives them a "conscience" before God, and thereby leaves them with no excuse in their response to the Gospel Message, which will Judge them when they appear before the Judgement Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ. Same argument made in chapter 1.
There are some who wrongly suppose, that the "unsaved" are so "dead", that they cannot "hear" the Gospel Message, and respond either way. This passage very clearly shows this to be wrong, as the Gentiles are here seen to be responsible for their actions, in either, accepting or rejecting "the law of God", in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gentiles here cannot simply mean the non-Jewish Christians, as the term in Paul is for the lost heathen. Paul was The Apostle to the Gentiles, as Peter was the Apostle to the Jews.
(Romans 2:14-16)
The Gentiles are those who are not Jews, and therefore the rest of the entire world that is non-Jewish. Taken together, the Gentiles and Jews make up the "whole human race". If you are not the one, then you most certainly were the other.
Paul here says, that though the Gentiles, did not have the Law of Moses that was given to the Jews, yet they did have this same law of God "written in their hearts". This then gives them a "conscience" before God, and thereby leaves them with no excuse in their response to the Gospel Message, which will Judge them when they appear before the Judgement Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ. Same argument made in chapter 1.
There are some who wrongly suppose, that the "unsaved" are so "dead", that they cannot "hear" the Gospel Message, and respond either way. This passage very clearly shows this to be wrong, as the Gentiles are here seen to be responsible for their actions, in either, accepting or rejecting "the law of God", in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gentiles here cannot simply mean the non-Jewish Christians, as the term in Paul is for the lost heathen. Paul was The Apostle to the Gentiles, as Peter was the Apostle to the Jews.
