Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
For it is not the hearers of the law
This phrase emphasizes the distinction between merely listening to the law and actively engaging with it. The Greek word for "hearers" is "ἀκροαταί" (akroatai), which implies those who listen or attend to something. In the historical context of Paul's letter, many Jews prided themselves on their knowledge of the law, yet Paul challenges this notion by suggesting that mere auditory reception is insufficient for righteousness. This echoes James 1:22, which urges believers to be doers of the word, not just hearers. The emphasis here is on the transformative power of the law when it is internalized and acted upon, rather than just acknowledged.

who are righteous before God
The term "righteous" in Greek is "δίκαιοι" (dikaioi), which refers to being just or right in the eyes of God. In the conservative Christian perspective, righteousness is not self-derived but is a status granted by God. This righteousness is not about legalistic adherence but about a heart aligned with God's will. Historically, the Jewish audience would have understood righteousness in terms of covenant faithfulness, but Paul redefines it in light of the gospel, where true righteousness is a matter of faith and obedience.

but it is the doers of the law
The Greek word for "doers" is "ποιηταί" (poiētai), which means those who perform or execute. This implies an active, ongoing practice of the law, not a one-time action. In the scriptural context, this aligns with Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, where He emphasizes the spirit of the law over the letter. The historical context reveals that this was a radical shift from the prevailing Jewish thought, which often focused on ritualistic observance. Paul is advocating for a faith that manifests in tangible actions, reflecting a life transformed by the gospel.

who will be declared righteous
The phrase "declared righteous" comes from the Greek "δικαιωθήσονται" (dikaiōthēsontai), which is a future passive indicative verb, indicating a future action performed by God. This declaration is a legal term, akin to a judge pronouncing a verdict. In the conservative Christian view, this points to justification, a core doctrine where believers are declared righteous through faith in Christ. This is not based on human merit but on Christ's atoning work. Historically, this was a profound assurance for early Christians, who faced persecution and needed the certainty of their standing before God. The future tense underscores the eschatological hope that believers hold, looking forward to the final vindication at the last judgment.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the Book of Romans, Paul was a key figure in the early Christian church, known for his missionary journeys and theological teachings.

2. The Roman Church
The recipients of the letter, consisting of both Jewish and Gentile believers, who were navigating the complexities of faith and law.

3. The Law
Refers to the Mosaic Law given to the Israelites, which includes moral, ceremonial, and civil laws.

4. Righteousness
A central theme in Romans, referring to being in right standing with God.

5. Judgment
The context of Romans 2 involves God's impartial judgment, emphasizing that both Jews and Gentiles are accountable to God.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Action
True righteousness is demonstrated through actions, not just knowledge or hearing of the Law.

Faith and Works
While salvation is by faith, genuine faith is evidenced by works. Our actions reflect our faith and commitment to God's commands.

God's Impartial Judgment
God judges impartially, based on what we do with the knowledge we have. This calls for self-examination and sincere obedience.

The Role of the Law
The Law serves as a guide to righteous living, pointing us to our need for Christ and His grace.

Living Out Our Faith
Believers are called to live out their faith in practical ways, demonstrating love, justice, and mercy in their daily lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Romans 2:13 challenge the notion that merely hearing or knowing the Law is sufficient for righteousness?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are "doers" of the Word in our daily lives, according to James 1:22-25?

3. How does the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 relate to Paul's message in Romans 2:13 about the importance of doing God's will?

4. What role does the Law play in the life of a believer, and how does it point us to our need for Christ, as discussed in Galatians 3:10-14?

5. Reflect on a specific area of your life where you can better align your actions with your faith. What steps can you take to live out your faith more authentically?
Connections to Other Scriptures
James 1:22-25
This passage emphasizes the importance of being doers of the word, not merely hearers, reinforcing the message in Romans 2:13.

Matthew 7:21-23
Jesus teaches that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father, aligning with the concept of being doers of the Law.

Galatians 3:10-14
Paul discusses the curse of the Law and how Christ redeems us from it, providing a broader understanding of the role of the Law in the life of a believer.
HearersJ. W. Burn.Romans 2:13
Hearing and DoingR. Glover.Romans 2:13
Hearing Without DoingT. Leighton.Romans 2:13
CensoriousnessJ. Lyth, D. D.Romans 2:1-16
Jews as Bad as PagansJ. Oswald Dykes, D. D.Romans 2:1-16
Judging OthersT. Robinson, D. D.Romans 2:1-16
Judging OthersJ. Lyth, D. D.Romans 2:1-16
Judgment -- Human and DivineU. R. Thomas.Romans 2:1-16
Man's InexcusablenessT. Robinson, D. D.Romans 2:1-16
The Final Judgment ForeshadowedW. Tyson.Romans 2:1-16
The Judges JudgedC. Simeon, M. A.Romans 2:1-16
The Judgment of GodT. G. Horton.Romans 2:1-16
The Leading Principles Regulating the General JudgmentR.M. Edgar Romans 2:1-16
The Self-Righteous and the Hypocrite Tried and Condemned ByJ. Lyth, D. D.Romans 2:1-16
Unconscious HypocrisyProf. Jowett.Romans 2:1-16
The Righteous Judgment of GodC.h Irwin Romans 2:5-16
Law and GuiltT.F. Lockyer Romans 2:12-24
People
Paul, Romans
Places
Rome
Topics
Declared, Doers, God's, Hearers, Isn't, Judged, Justified, Law, Merely, Obey, Pronounced, Righteous, Righteousness, Sight
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Romans 2:13

     5159   hearing
     5165   listening
     5635   work, and redemption
     8208   commitment, to God

Romans 2:12-15

     5375   law

Romans 2:13-14

     8453   obedience

Library
September the Tenth Criticism and Piety
"Thinkest thou, that judgest them that do such things, that thou shalt escape?" --ROMANS ii. 1-11. That is always my peril, to assume that by being severe with others I exculpate myself. I go on to the bench, and deliver sentence upon my brother, when my proper place is in the dock. And this is the subtlety of the snare, that I regard my criticisms and condemnations of other people as signs of my own innocence. This is the last refinement in temptation, and multitudes fall before its power. The
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

The Circumcision of the Heart
"Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." Romans 2:29. 1. It is the melancholy remark of an excellent man, that he who now preaches the most essential duties of Christianity, runs the hazard of being esteemed, by a great part of his hearers, "a setter forth of new doctrines." Most men have so lived away the substance of that religion, the profession whereof they still retain, that no sooner are any of those truths proposed which difference the Spirit of Christ from
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Earnest Expostulation
Observe that the apostle singled out an individual who had condemned others for transgressions, in which he himself indulged. This man owned so much spiritual light that he knew right from wrong, and he diligently used his knowledge to judge others, condemning them for their transgressions. As for himself, he preferred the shade, where no fierce light might beat on his own conscience and disturb his unholy peace. His judgment was spared the pain of dealing with his home offenses by being set to work
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 29: 1883

Coming Judgment of the Secrets of Men
"Should all the forms that men devise Assult my faith with treacherous art, I'd call them vanity and lies, And bind the gospel to my heart." Is not this word "my gospel" the voice of love? Does he not by this word embrace the gospel as the only love of his soul--for the sake of which he had suffered the loss of all things, and did count them but dung--for the sake of which he was willing to stand before Nero, and proclaim, even in Caesar's palace, the message from heaven? Though each word should
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 31: 1885

"Hear the Word of the Lord, Ye Rulers of Sodom, Give Ear unto the Law of Our God, Ye People of Gomorrah,"
Isaiah i. 10, 11, &c.--"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah," &c. It is strange to think what mercy is mixed with the most wrath like strokes and threatenings. There is no prophet whose office and commission is only for judgment, nay, to speak the truth, it is mercy that premises threatenings. The entering of the law, both in the commands and curses, is to make sin abound, that grace may superabound, so that both rods and threatenings
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Tendencies of Religious Thought in England, 1688-1750.
THE thirty years of peace which succeeded the Peace of Utrecht (1714), was the most prosperous season that England had ever experienced; and the progression, though slow, being uniform, the reign of George II. might not disadvantageously be compared for the real happiness of the community with that more brilliant, but uncertain and oscillatory condition which has ensued. A labourer's wages have never for many ages commanded so large a portion of subsistence as in this part of the 18th century.' (Hallam,
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

The Same Necessary and Eternal Different Relations
that different things bear one to another, and the same consequent fitness or unfitness of the application of different things or different relations one to another, with regard to which the will of God always and necessarily does determine itself, to choose to act only what is agreeable to justice, equity, goodness, and truth, in order to the welfare of the whole universe, ought likewise constantly to determine the wills of all subordinate rational beings, to govern all their actions by the same
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia.
Part I. History of the Councils. Reason why two Councils were called. Inconsistency and folly of calling any; and of the style of the Arian formularies; occasion of the Nicene Council; proceedings at Ariminum; Letter of the Council to Constantius; its decree. Proceedings at Seleucia; reflections on the conduct of the Arians. 1. Perhaps news has reached even yourselves concerning the Council, which is at this time the subject of general conversation; for letters both from the Emperor and the Prefects
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Epistle xvi. From Felix Bishop of Messana to St. Gregory.
From Felix Bishop of Messana [243] to St. Gregory. To the most blessed and honourable lord, the holy father Pope Gregory, Felix lover of your Weal and Holiness. The claims under God of your most blessed Weal and Holiness are manifest. For, though the whole earth was filled with observance of the true faith by the preaching and doctrine of the apostles, yet the orthodox Church of Christ, having been founded by apostolical institution and most firmly established by the faithful fathers, is further
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Entire Sanctification in Type.
The Mosaic dispensation was legal, ceremonial and typical. "The law having a shadow of the good things to come," says the author of the Hebrews. But a shadow always points to a substance; and so far as holiness is commanded, and so far as it is shadowed forth in the ceremonial law, we shall find that there is a corresponding substance and reality in the gospel of Christ. In the first place, if we study carefully the provisions of the Mosaic law, we shall be struck with the many forms of ceremonial
Dougan Clark—The Theology of Holiness

Love of Religion, a New Nature.
"If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."--Romans vi. 8. To be dead with Christ, is to hate and turn from sin; and to live with Him, is to have our hearts and minds turned towards God and Heaven. To be dead to sin, is to feel a disgust at it. We know what is meant by disgust. Take, for instance, the case of a sick man, when food of a certain kind is presented to him,--and there is no doubt what is meant by disgust. Consider how certain scents, which are too
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"If we Say that we have not Sinned, we Make Him a Liar, and his Word is not in Us. "
1 John i. 10.--"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." There is nothing in which religion more consists than in the true and unfeigned knowledge of ourselves. The heathens supposed that sentence, {GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER NU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA} {GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON}{GREEK
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Though in Order to Establish this Suitable Difference Between the Fruits or Effects of virtue and vice,
so reasonable in itself, and so absolutely necessary for the vindication of the honour of God, the nature of things, and the constitution and order of God's creation, was originally such, that the observance of the eternal rules of justice, equity, and goodness, does indeed of itself tend by direct and natural consequence to make all creatures happy, and the contrary practice to make them miserable; yet since, through some great and general corruption and depravation, (whencesoever that may have
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God

But Now, that as Bearing with the Infirmity of Men He did This...
12. But now, that as bearing with the infirmity of men he did this, let us hear what follows: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. To them that are under the law, I became as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law." [2505] Which thing he did, not with craftiness
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Note to the Following Treatise 1. The Following Letter
NOTE TO THE FOLLOWING TREATISE 1. The following Letter, which is the 190th of S. Bernard, was ranked by Horst among the Treatises, on account of its length and importance. It was written on the occasion of the condemnation of the errors of Abaelard by the Council of Sens, in 1140, in the presence of a great number of French Bishops, and of King Louis the Younger, as has been described in the notes to Letter 187. In the Synodical Epistle, which is No. 191 of S. Bernard, and in another, which is No.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Seances Historiques De Geneve --The National Church.
IN the city of Geneva, once the stronghold of the severest creed of the Reformation, Christianity itself has of late years received some very rude shocks. But special attempts have been recently made to counteract their effects and to re-organize the Christian congregations upon Evangelical principles. In pursuance of this design, there have been delivered and published during the last few years a series of addresses by distinguished persons holding Evangelical sentiments, entitled Séances
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

Neither do they Confess that they are Awed by those Citations from the Old...
7. Neither do they confess that they are awed by those citations from the Old Testament which are alleged as examples of lies: for there, every incident may possibly be taken figuratively, although it really did take place: and when a thing is either done or said figuratively, it is no lie. For every utterance is to be referred to that which it utters. But when any thing is either done or said figuratively, it utters that which it signifies to those for whose understanding it was put forth. Whence
St. Augustine—On Lying

Man.
THE IMAGE OF GOD. MAN is God's image, and to curse wickedly the image of God, is to curse God himself. Suppose that a man should say with his mouth, I wish that the king's picture were burned; would not this man's so saying render him as an enemy to the person of the king? Even so it is with them that by cursing wish evil to their neighbors or themselves; they contemn the image of God himself. This world, as it dropped from the fingers of God, was far more glorious than it is now. VALUE OF THE SOUL.
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

The Hindrances to Mourning
What shall we do to get our heart into this mourning frame? Do two things. Take heed of those things which will stop these channels of mourning; put yourselves upon the use of all means that will help forward holy mourning. Take heed of those things which will stop the current of tears. There are nine hindrances of mourning. 1 The love of sin. The love of sin is like a stone in the pipe which hinders the current of water. The love of sin makes sin taste sweet and this sweetness in sin bewitches the
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity the Christian Calling and Unity.
Text: Ephesians 4, 1-6. 1 I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

All Mankind Guilty; Or, Every Man Knows More than He Practises.
ROMANS i. 24.--"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God." The idea of God is the most important and comprehensive of all the ideas of which the human mind is possessed. It is the foundation of religion; of all right doctrine, and all right conduct. A correct intuition of it leads to correct religious theories and practice; while any erroneous or defective view of the Supreme Being will pervade the whole province of religion, and exert a most pernicious influence upon the entire character
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

Saurin -- Paul Before Felix and Drusilla
Jacques Saurin, the famous French Protestant preacher of the seventeenth century, was born at Nismes in 1677. He studied at Geneva and was appointed to the Walloon Church in London in 1701. The scene of his great life work was, however, the Hague, where he settled in 1705. He has been compared with Bossuet, tho he never attained the graceful style and subtilty which characterize the "Eagle of Meaux." The story is told of the famous scholar Le Clerc that he long refused to hear Saurin preach, on the
Grenville Kleiser—The world's great sermons, Volume 3

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