Romans 2:1
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
Truth to Learn
Don’t be judgmental of others. It reveals your own sins.
Behind the Words
The expression, “without excuse” is from the Greek anapologētos, which is a compound word made up of a meaning “not or without” and a form of apologēomai, which means “to apologize or to excuse.” Anapologētos means “without excuse or inexcusable.”
“Judge” is translated from the Greek word krinō, meaning “to judge between good and evil.” It can refer equally to a judgment of innocence or of guilt.
The word “condemn” is from katakrinō, which is made up of kata, meaning “against” and krinō, which we just looked at. This word means to judge against, that is, to judge as guilty.
Meaning Explained
Because of all that has been said up to this point, Paul says, “you are without excuse” The one who is inexcusable is the person who is judging another.
But why would Paul say that anyone who critically judges another (for that’s what kind of judgment he’s talking about) is inexcusable? Here’s why according to Paul; when we criticize others for certain sinful practices, we are condemning ourselves because we do the same thing. Paul is exposing a fact of human nature of which we are all guilty. The things that we are the harshest in condemning others about are the very things that we are guilty of doing ourselves.
He has just rattled off a whole long list of sins that come from our sin nature. At this point he says, “Now, don’t be too critical of others who do one or two of these things because they are the very things that you are guilty of.” It’s sort of like that expression, “When you point a finger at someone else, there are three others pointing back at you.”
Paul is specifically talking to the (predominantly) Jewish people in Rome who have become Christians. The Jews were particularly adept at pointing out the problems with the Gentiles and the fact that the Gentiles were not of the promised seed as the Israelites were. In the previous verses the Jews of the day would have clearly recognized the Gentiles and their rejection of God. In the following two chapters of this letter, Paul will systematically explain to these Jewish Christians that being a physical descendent of Abraham means nothing, but faith means everything.
But let us not get so caught up in condemning the Jews of the first century that we fail to recognize that we, every single one of us, are also guilty of Paul’s accusation in this verse.
Application
The next time you hear a brother or sister being judgmental of someone else, stop and realize that you are learning something about that brother or sister.
Even more importantly, the next time you are judgmental of someone else, stop and realize that you are telling someone else about yourself.
Ouch! That hurts, doesn’t it?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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