Hi everyone,
I'd like to suggest a few things in relation to some of the responses here if I could:
"In Romans 2 Paul is simply laying out the righteous judgment of God, or how the law of God works, and how God will judge men by the law. He is not explaining how sinners are saved, but just how the law works on judgment day. If you do good you will be accepted, and if you do evil you will be condemned. That's a fact of law."
I agree that this is part of the overall context that this passage appeares in but I do not think it fully relates what is being said in that passage or in these verses specifically.
The contrast in this passage is not specifically between works and faith, but rather of seeking to be justified by works, [b]apart from faith[/b](Rom 9:31-32).
Paul's declaration in verse 7 is not about those who seek eternal life [b]by perfect obedience[/b] to God's law(Mat 23:23, Luke 18:21, Lev 18:5, Gal 3:10), but of those who have acknowleged the truth of the Gospel and are seeking to live in accord with it(Php 1:27, Col 1:5-10)(1John 1:6-10), by patient continuance in doing good, not doing perfectly, or being without sin, or not having ever fallen from the perfection of the Law, but in doing good(both in coming to Christ to be justified(John 6:29) and in following after Him afterwards(John 8:31).
This is in contrast to verse 8, where, according to Strong's the word being translated [i]do not obey[/i] is:
G544 ἀπειθέω apeitheō ap-i-theh'-o From G545; to disbelieve (wilfully and perversely): - not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.
and
G3303 μέν men men A primary particle; properly indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with G1161 (this one, the former, etc.: - even, indeed, so, some, truly, verily. Often compounded with other particles in an intensive or asseverative sense.
I think this is important to distiguish for at least a couple of reasons:
One because, while I understand that Paul at times and in several places makes a sharp distinction between works and faith, I believe this is in order to make specific points, and namely, [i]that no one will merit eternal life[/i] [u]on the grounds[/u] [b]of their own goodness[/b].
This is ultimaltely the essence of our fall in Adam; that man, being made in the image of God, and being placed in a paradise, with no moral requirements for having had life or keeping it untill the commandment from God was given to him, having not kept it, was thrust out of the garden and now required to live as God(Gen 3:22). Without being God(Gen 3:19).
But Christ being not [b]an image of God[/b] but [b]the image of God[/b], under all the pressures and stresses and under the weight of Divine Life, lived perfectly as God. When we could not. And He merited eternal Life(Ps 45:7, Is 53:9-12) on the basis of His own goodness.
And this I think Paul wants anyone to understand that might think they could gain eternal life on the basis of their own goodness. Clearly none of us can! God alone merits having Eternal Life on the basis of His own goodness(Luke 18:19, John 5:26).
But this I think leads to the other reason why I believe these distinctions need to be made, and that is, that I believe the scriptures do teach that eternal life is the reward of the righteous.
I believe the scriptures teach that eternal life is the reward of the righteous, not on the basis of their own moral perfection and goodness, but as of stewards, and of those who have used what was [b]given to them[/b](1Pe 4:10, Mat 25:21, 2Co 6:1).
Time and again I think that the things in verse 7 are held out to believers as a reward and I think it is an error to say otherwise.
Wish you all well.
_________________ Christopher Joel Dandrow
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