Romans 2
| Romans 2 | |
|---|---|
 Fragment c to h containing parts of the Epistle to the Romans in Papyrus 40, written about AD 250. | |
| Book | Epistle to the Romans |
| Category | Pauline epistles |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 6 |
Romans 2 is the second chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was written by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid-50s AD,[1] with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in Romans 16:22.[2] Biblical scholar William Sanday observes that although "the main theme of the Epistle [is] the doctrine of justification by faith", in verse 6 Paul "lays down with unmistakable definiteness and precision the doctrine that works, what a man has done, the moral tenor of his life, will be the standard by which he will be judged at the last day".[3]
Text
[edit]The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 29 verses.
Textual witnesses
[edit]Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
- Papyrus 40 (~250; extant verses 1–3)
- Papyrus 113 (3rd century; extant verses 12–13, 29)
- Codex Vaticanus (325–350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (330–360)
- Codex Alexandrinus (400–440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450; extant verses 1–4)
Old Testament references
[edit]- Romans 2:6 references Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12[4]
- Romans 2:24 references Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20,23[4]
- Romans 2:29 references Deuteronomy 10:16 and Deuteronomy 30:6
New Testament references
[edit]Analysis
[edit]Paul's rhetoric style here and in other parts of the epistle (cf. Romans 3:1-9; 3:27–4:25; 9:19–21; 10:14–21; 11:17–24; 14:4–12) resembles the diatribe, a form of argumentation by 'debating' an imaginary opponent (as common among Cynic or Stoic philosophers), such as responding to objections using the expression "by no means!" (me genoito; cf. Romans 3:4, 6, 31; 6:2,15; 7:7,13; 9:14; 11:1, 11) to 'pull' the reader into the 'conversation' on Paul's side. Unlike in Romans 2:17–3:20 where Paul plainly addresses a Jewish interlocutor, the dialogue partner in verses 1–16 is not explicitly identified. The Jerusalem Bible states that the opening verses are addressed to the Jews,[5] while Craig Hill observes that the whole of Romans 2:1–3:20 "speaks to perceived Jewish attitudes".[6]
God's righteous judgment
[edit]Verse 2
[edit]- But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.[7]
Sanday notes Paul's assumption that this statement "will be acknowledged as a general principle by his readers, whether Jew or Gentile".[3]
No partiality with God
[edit]Verse 11
[edit]For there is no partiality with God.
— Romans 2:11, New King James Version[8]
Circumcision
[edit]Paul refers to circumcision as a physical mark of Jewish identity, but for a Jew who breaks the law it becomes a sign of contradiction: "your circumcision has become uncircumcision" (Romans 2:25).[11] The prophet Jeremiah had spoken of those who were "circumcised yet uncircumcised" (Jeremiah 9:25).[12] Paul reiterates the teaching of Moses that:
He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter
— Romans 2:25, New King James Version[13]
drawing on Moses' words in Deuteronomy 30:6:
The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
— Deuteronomy 30:6, New King James Version[14]
See also
[edit]- Torah
- Related Bible parts: Deuteronomy 10, Psalm 62, Proverbs 24, Isaiah 52, Ezekiel 36, Acts 10
References
[edit]- ^ Hill 2007, p. 1084.
- ^ Donaldson, Terence L. (2007). "63. Introduction to the Pauline Corpus". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 1077. ISBN 978-0199277186.
- ^ a b Sanday, W. (1905), Romans 2 in Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers, accessed on 5 September 2016
- ^ a b c d "Biblical concordances of Romans 2 in the 1611 King James Bible".
- ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), footnote 2 at Romans 2:1
- ^ Hill 2007, p. 1091.
- ^ Romans 2:2: King James Version
- ^ Romans 2:11NKJV
- ^ Deuteronomy 10:17
- ^ Acts 10:34
- ^ Romans 2:25
- ^ Jeremiah 9:25
- ^ Romans 2:25
- ^ Deuteronomy 30:6
Sources
[edit]- Coogan, Michael David (2007). Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 (Augmented 3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810.
- Hill, Craig C. (2007). "64. Romans". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1083–1108. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- Moo, Douglas J. (1994). "Romans". In Carson, D. A.; France, R. T.; Motyer, J. A.; Wenham, G. J. (eds.). New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition (4, illustrated, reprint, revised ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 1115–1160. ISBN 9780851106489.
External links
[edit]- Romans 2 King James Bible - Wikisource
- English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)