Lest you be judge!

Romans Chapter 2

The conflict of our faith & the judgement of Yahweh

The letter to the Romans, even though was written to the Gentile nation of Rome, was written to a specific group from the Gentiles, and also addresses a deeper conflict. The division caused by judgment, mockery and unmerciful attacks among Jews and Gentiles. That’s why the Epistles to the Romans fits so well in these days.

This was not always the case in the congregation of Rome. This was a thriving community of believers growing in the knowledge of Yahweh, through the leadership of the Jewish believers whose were more familiarized with the teaching of Yeshua which were rooted in Torah. But then it happened, around 49 CE, Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome, likely due to disturbances over “Chrestus” — a reference many believe points to Christ and early Christian disputes within the Jewish community [^1,2]. A reference of this we can find in Acts chapter 18 verse 1-4:

The tension was high, so high that the government of the time had to take side, and of course, it took side with their own kind, the Gentiles. This is a dangerous pattern we are seeing today, where the tension among those who wants to live a life of full devotion to Torah are always in conflict with those who want to have a watered-down version of the Gospel, without much compromise. I think we know where this will lead to. To go deeper about this conflict, here are my research notes–lets digress– Romans chapter 2. Let’s begin.

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Romans 2:1-11 LSB
¹ Therefore you are without excuse, O man, everyone who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you presume this, O man—who passes judgment on those who practice such things and does the same—that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who WILL REPAY TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS: ⁷ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be affliction and turmoil for every soul of man who works out evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who works good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

Picking up from the chaos we read in chapter one. Paul continues with a series of questions. You might ask yourself why? You see, our brains are designed to solve problems, when we are presented with questions, normally, we pause for few seconds to analyze the question, ponder for answers in our biological database–our brain, in case you are wondering what I’m talking about–, then provide with a response to the better of our understanding.

Remember, since we split the Bible in chapter, we have to reprogram ourselves to do as a network does in any television series. If we have the custom to study the Bible by chapters rather than by books (scrolls), then we have to learn to recapitulate, like saying inside our brains: “Previously in the book of Romans”, then make a quick summary where we left off –you get the idea.

So, previously in chapter one, we are left out hanging with the idea that we are messed up by sin, and because of this, Yahweh has left us been consumed by our own demise. Waiting patiently to see how far we go until when we do realize that it is best to listen to what He has written deep in our heart and really comprehend what Yeshua did for us at the cross. But since we are so stiff neck as the people of Israel in the wilderness of Param, therefore… we continue in chapter two.

This is why we start with the questions:

But do you presume this, O man—who passes judgment on those who practice such things and does the same—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

There are many references we can tie to this statement, but the most obvious and probably the most important is found in the gospel of Matthew, –you guessed it– the sermon of the mount.

Romans chapter two is an expansion of the teaching of Yeshua at the Sermon of the Mount.

Just as Yeshua taught, Paul was not suggesting that we should never judge others. Instead, Yeshua emphasized that we are inherently sinful and limited by our own understanding of good and evil. Relying solely on our personal perspective, we are not in a position to judge others, because they may also find ways to judge us in return. We are bound by our judgments, which should serve as a warning to pause before passing final verdicts on others. It is essential to reflect deeply on others’ behavior and examine our own hearts to ensure we are not guilty of the same faults.

This is nothing new, in the scroll of Chronicles we find the story when the king of Judah appointed judges over the tribes of Israel with these specific instructions:

And this is also addressed by Jethro in the scroll of Exodus, when He advised Moses that he should appointed elders to help carry out the weight of the daily tasks of guiding and judging the new nation of Israel.

And later passed on to the new generations of Israelites before entering the promised land, in the scroll of Deuteronomy.

The stakes are higher for those who set themselves up to the challenge of becoming judges among the people, lets list some of the characteristics that a judge should abide to:

1. Must fear Yahweh (2 Chronicles 19:7, Exodus 18:21)
2. Who are willing to know the Torah and teach Torah to the people (Exodus 18:20, 2 Chronicles 19:6)
3. People that stand with the truth, and of truth (Exodus 18:21)
4. Men of Integrity (Exodus 18:21, Deuteronomy 16:18-19, 2 Chronicle 19:7)
5. Strong enough to overcome bribery (Exodus 18:21, Deuteronomy 16:19, 2 Chronicles 19:7)
6. People that know their limits in understanding–in other words–, humble (Exodus 18:21-22, Deuteronomy 16:21-22, 2 Chronicles 19:6)
7. Willing to service and carry the burden of the leaders and the people (Exodus 18:22)

What Paul is addressing in the first verses of chapter two with questions, is basically asking us if we truly understand what means to be a judge, what is our responsibility as a judge, and if we are willing to carry the burden of being a judge. A person that should truly reflect a heart of repentance turning away from a life of sin.

But… Woe to our heart’s default state… A heart of contempt

Romans 2:5 LSB
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

Paul is speaking to both Jews and Gentiles, who were attacking one another by matters of words, and each interpretation of Torah and the new faith in Messiah but ignoring the whole purpose of the Word of Yah.

We are not called to judge others according to our own rules or standards. Instead, our responsibility is to uphold and faithfully observe Yahweh’s law, recognizing it as His eternal and divine Word. Any act that contradicts this law is seen from Yahweh’s perspective as an act of treason. His law is just, perfect, and unchangeable; human laws, on the other hand, are often tainted by self-interest and political agendas—designed to preserve the status quo or appease worldly leaders, as Paul describes in chapter one. Therefore, we are not inherently authorized to judge others based solely on our personal authority. True judgment occurs only when we remain rooted in Yeshua, living lives that serve as a positive example to those around us. It requires humility before our Lord and Savior, placing our trust in His sovereignty and allowing His truth to shape our hearts and actions.

This is exemplified in the story of the adulterous woman, where the crowd is prepared to stone her.

The leaders of Israel at the time, had been adhering to the Torah meticulously, yet their devotion lacked sincerity and heartfelt conviction. It is evident that their oral traditions and laws had taken precedence over the Written Torah, often contradicting direct commands from Yahweh. This reliance on human interpretations made it increasingly difficult to truly follow the Torah or to uphold Yahweh’s will, rendering genuine obedience nearly impossible.

From Yeshua’s perspective they –the religious leaders of Israel– were not fit to judge the woman with the severity of the law, since they themselves were corrupted by prejudice, contempt and envy. Only Yeshua is fit to judge her, and still He had chosen to forgive her. As an example to us, Yahweh has loved us from the beginning and had demonstrated this time-and-time again through His relationship with Israel. Israel still stands among us, not because of their merits, but because of Yahweh’s unfailing love.

Romans 2:5-11 LSB ~ ⁵ But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who WILL REPAY TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS: ⁷ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger. ⁹ There will be affliction and turmoil for every soul of man who works out evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace to everyone who works good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

Rekindling the flames of contempt among brethren is a direct act of disrespect and disobedience against Yahweh and His redemptive power through Yeshua. There will come a time when those who persist in living a life filled with anger and contempt will be judged by the same measure they use to judge others.

Praise be to Yahweh, because He is just and His mercy endures forever and for His patience with us.

We all have sinned, we all need of Yeshua

Romans 2:12-13 LSB
¹² For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Paul is asserting a fundamental truth: if someone dies in their sins without ever having encountered the law, it is equivalent to someone who has heard the law but has failed to obey it. In both situations, they stand condemned under the judgment of Yahweh’s Law—the Torah. Just as people are justified by faith, so too, living in obedience to the law without prior knowledge is akin to obeying the law through faith. Ultimately, both approaches—living by faith and following the law—are justified through faith, because genuine faith involves living in harmony with the Law itself.

Of course, there are those who choose not to follow Yeshua’s Law—God’s Law—and, upon reading this passage of Scripture, they might say, “See, Yeshua did not come to judge. We don’t need to do anything because He fulfilled the law for us.” However, they are completely mistaken.

The reason Yeshua has not been judging the world since the cross is not because judgment is unnecessary, but because His desire is for us to participate with Him and to come before the Father with repentant hearts.

Yeshua explained to Nicodemus the true meaning of the statement, “I did not come to judge,” emphasizing that His primary mission was to offer salvation and reconciliation, not condemnation at that time.

The reason Yeshua did not come as a judge is that the world has already been judged. His mission was not to serve as a judge but to reveal the path of salvation. Israel was given a sacred calling through the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to be a blessing to the nations. However, because they failed to fully represent His name, Yahweh established a new covenant with Himself to bring salvation first to the Jews, and then to the nations. The conditions remain unchanged: we must abide in Him, and by doing so, we also remain in the Father. This time, we are without excuse, for we have been sealed with the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh—Holy Spirit.

Romans 2:14-16 LSB
¹⁴ For when Gentiles who do not have the Law naturally do the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they demonstrate the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

It is important to understand that Paul consistently emphasizes, to both Jews and Gentiles, that obedience to Yahweh’s Law—rather than merely adhering to its superficial elements—is what qualifies us to approach His presence. This obedience is fulfilled through faith in and abiding in Yeshua. Whether these principles are observed through traditional practices or demonstrated by the fruits of the Spirit within us, ultimately, it is through the Messiah that we are justified. Yeshua alone will serve as the judge before the Father, not the mere letter of the Law.

Romans 2:17-24 LSB
¹⁷ But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, ¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, ²¹ you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? ²² You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the Law, through your transgression of the Law, do you dishonor God? ²⁴ For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.

As we have discussed in previous conversations, pretending to be followers of Yeshua will not be sufficient on the Day of Judgment. Misrepresenting the name of Yahweh is a direct violation of the third commandment. As Yahweh has stated:

This is a sin that will not be left unpunished. Is that severe. Paul is telling the Jew believers of Yeshua, that forcing Torah to Gentiles without the true commitment of Torah in them, is a direct violation against Yahweh, and it is so, that Paul quoted from the Greek translation of the Tanak, the Septuagint:

Which is very interesting to me, it seems to me that the Jews in Rome were more familiar with the Septuagint than with the Masoretic Text:

Which is what most modern English translations uses today. Including the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)–I digress. In the full context of Isaiah 52, Yahweh declares to the people of Israel, that one day He is going to bring them back together, not because of merits of the Law, which they have broken them continually, but because of the merits of His faithfulness. Which is the context of Chapter 2 in the Epistle to the Romans.

One thing we need to understand is that there’s nothing from our part that will grant us salvation. We have been saved by the work of Yeshua in the cross, confirmed by His resurrection from the grave, and sealed with the Holy Spirit inside us. We do not bribe Yahweh with our obedience, but instead He gifted us with the ability to obey Him.

Romans 2:25-29 LSB
²⁵ For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law, but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶ So if the uncircumcised man observes the righteous requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the Law, will he not judge you who, through the letter of the Law and circumcision, are a transgressor of the Law? ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

The conclusion of this chapter also elicits controversy among Jewish listeners. However, it is neither a novel idea nor a teaching pioneered by Paul. Remember, the message of the Messiah fundamentally challenges all established traditions—whether the Jewish oral tradition or Greco-Roman beliefs embraced by the Gentiles. It is so that Paul dedicated fourteen years of preparation and reflection before openly sharing the Gospel with others (see Galatians 1:11-24 for the background). In the scroll of Deuteronomy (Devarim), Moses addressed the nation of Israel:

True circumcision is a matter of the heart, signifying an inner transformation rather than mere physical ritual. Understood in this way, undergoing circumcision without a sincere heart or solely out of obligation is purposeless and holds no spiritual value in the eyes of Yahweh. Forcing Gentiles to undergo circumcision without a genuine understanding of its spiritual significance is equally meaningless. Conversely, a Gentile who wholeheartedly obeys the Torah demonstrates a spiritual circumcision—a renewed heart—as a sign of their covenant with God.

In the other hand, if your heart is so proud that the mentioned of circumcision triggers it, and you say: “God made me free, and I’m going to stay that way!” that’s the wrong approach. First of all, circumcision is not an obligation, like baptism, is an act that you choose to undergo to publicly confess your giving your I to the will of Yeshua. The circumcision is a more personal testament to you that you surrender your body to be in covenant with Yahweh. Both, baptism and circumcision, are voluntary acts of true repentance, like the expressions: “burn the ships” or “burn the bridges”. Is a commitment of faith where you lay down your life to Yahweh, as He lay down His life for you in the cross through Yeshua the Messiah. If your pride rejects that, then you also need to analyze your heart.

For men, circumcision is a choice of faith as a result of salvation, not a requirement of salvation, and that’s all that Paul was saying to the believers of Rome. First the Jew, and then the Gentiles.

Conclusion

Romans chapter two is a necessary bitter pill we need to swallow as believers. Yeshua did not save us to continue in our path of destruction or to walk on sin; we can do that without His intervention.

In the contrary, Yeshua laid down His life for us so we can come with confidence to the Holies of holies, the Presence of the Most High Elohim. To become part of His people and part of His nation. Israelis are doing their part, either in a correct manner or not, to keep the Word of Yahweh preserved, with all His traditions and festivals, most of them without the Spirit of the Word, only the rudiments of the letter of the Law. It is our part as Gentiles to bring them back to the truth of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit), so they can rejoice of the inheritance they received in covenant from Yahweh.

Neither of us is exempt of failure, our faith is fragile when it is not rooted in Yeshua and His shadow, torah. Through His instruction we learn to grow and mature. We always in need of His rescue, it is true, but He expect from us to grow. We will never be able to judge and represent the Kingdom of Heaven in righteousness until we become true disciples of the One who called us and saved us.

May Yahweh bless you and keep you, May Yahweh shine His face upon you and be gracious to you, May Yahweh lift up His attention towards you and grant you, His Peace.

Shalom

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Footnotes

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1. Claudius’ expulsion of Jews from Rome – Wikipedia ↩︎
2. Jews in Rome – Bible Odyssey ↩︎