I have been puzzled for a long time now by something in the beginning of Romans 2 that has affected the way in which I read Romans 1. Paul says (2:1-4): “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? “NIV

The abrupt and emphatic way in which he makes this accusation is puzzling unless Paul has been quoting something that the Romans had said to justify their condemnation of someone. Paul accuses them of being hypoctrites - doing the very same things themselves! The whole point of the passage is that we are not fit to judge others, it is only God who is righteous who can judge (v17-24).

Paul does not dispute the catalogue of sins but his whole point is that we are not fit to judge others, our job is to remove the motes in our own eyes. Then, of course, Paul proceeds to lay the foundation for his themes of justice and righteousness in the light of the law and in the light of God’s saving grace in Christ.

I feel that we do Paul a wrong when we then turn around and make much of the list of sins that he speaks of as illustrative of ungodly behaviour and even more so we are misusing the intent of his letter to the Romans if we are not sensitive to the possibility that he is addressing their attemts at theologizing and their attempts to reflect on what Christian ethics and a Christian lifestyle might entail.

I must admit though that I have not been able to find a single commentator who agreeswith my reading and believe me - a scholar I am not!

Live to serve : Serve to live