Romans 2:2
But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
Truth to Learn
God will certainly judge sinners, and He will do so based on truth.
Behind the Words
The word translated, “we know” is oidamen, a form of the Greek word idō, meaning “to see with perception.” By implication it means “to know” or “to be aware of.” This word is used here in the perfect tense. The Greek perfect tense indicates past completed action with an ongoing effect, but the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. The best example of this is the expression, “He is risen.” Christ arose from the dead (a completed action in the past) with the ongoing effect being that He is alive today forever more. With oidamen, it’s like someone explaining something to you that you already know and you respond with, “I knew that!” What you really mean is that you know it and you have known it for some time because you learned it sometime in the past. That is, it’s not new knowledge to you.
Meaning Explained
Paul has just warned anyone who critically judges another regarding some sinful practice that they are guilty of doing the same thing. We noted in yesterday’s verse that the word for “judges” means “to judge between good and evil,” and that it was used in such a way as to imply condemnation. That’s how we humans tend to judge other people, and it’s not always based on fact but on emotion.
In today’s verse Paul says “we know the judgment of God is according to truth.” The word translated “judgment” in this verse is from the same root as the word “judges” in the previous verse. It’s another of Paul’s frequent play on words. What He is saying is that God’s condemning judgment (unlike man’s condemning judgment) is according to truth. Those who sin against God will be judged some day, and their judgment and subsequent condemnation will not be based on God’s emotion, it will be based on the truth of their sins.
Because these Jewish Roman Christians were brought up in the Jewish tradition, they have always known that the judgment of God is according to truth. Throughout the Old Testament we see examples of God judging sinners for their sins, and we see that such judgment is always according to truth. This is portrayed so strongly that it became a fundamental doctrine of the Jewish faith.
But, to the Jewish mind, there is a secondary meaning of the expression “according to truth.” Not only is His judgment based on truth, He will truly judge. There is a certainty of His judgment and no one who sins against God will get away with it. He will truly judge everyone’s sin, if not in this life then certainly at the Great White Throne where all sinners will appear at the end of life. Thanks be to Jesus Christ whose blood paid the penalty of that judgment on our behalf! Through His sacrifice we are saved from that judgment.
Application
Let’s not wait until later to pray about our own condemning judgments of others. Let’s commit to each other that we will pay close attention to what Paul is teaching us and ask God to forgive us when we are judgmental of others. While we’re at it let’s thank God that Jesus paid the penalty of our judgment!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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