Romans 2:12

For. Because of their privileges the Jews had questioned whether the principle that “there is no respect of persons with God” (v. 11) could be applied to them. They had so far abused their favored position that they had even come to the place where they felt free to condemn the crimes of others while committing the same sins themselves (vs. 1–3). Now Paul proceeds to explain how God will exercise impartiality in judging the privileged Jew and the less privileged Gentile. Each will be judged by the method appropriate to his case, the Jew by the written law against which he has sinned, and the Gentile by the unwritten law of conscience against which he has sinned.

Without law. This expression evidently means without specifically revealed or written law, for the heathen are not without the unwritten law of conscience (vs. 14, 15). The Gentiles will not be judged by a law that they do not possess. Nevertheless, if they transgress the unwritten law of conscience they will be lost just as those who have sinned against greater light. Paul has already explained that the sins of the Gentiles are inexcusable, for they have rejected God’s revelation to them in nature and conscience (ch. 1:19, 20, 32). The lack of greater light does not give one the right to sin against lesser light. The heathen who sin will be lost, even though they do not have God’s written law. They have sinned against the law they do possess, and punishment follows as the inevitable consequence.

In the law. Literally, “in law,” that is, in the sphere of law, under the authority of law. In this general statement of the principle of God’s judgment, Paul uses the term “law” without the definite article “the.” In the Epistle to the Romans “law” appears about 35 times with the article and about 40 times without. The problem of identifying the particular law referred to in each passage has been the subject of much debate for many years. This much seems certain, that no final decision as to whether the reference is to the Ten Commandments, the ceremonial law, or otherwise, should be based merely on the presence or absence of the article. However, it seems to be quite generally agreed that in the absence of the article the emphasis is being placed upon “law” primarily as an abstract and universal principle. When the article is present, the stress is upon “the law” as a special and concrete code.

In the absence of a precise and simple rule for arriving at the identity of “law” by means of the use or nonuse of the definite article, it will perhaps be wisest to rely mainly upon the context to indicate the particular identification to be made. In each significant passage where the term “law” or “the law” occurs, mention will be made as to whether the article is present or absent in the Greek. Then the context will be considered to help determine whether the reference is to the moral or ceremonial law, to law as a principle, or to other aspects of law.

In this verse, since the article is not present, the passage may be understood as a statement of the principle that those who have sinned against law will be judged by law. Those who have sinned without law will perish without law. However, it is evident from the context that Paul is also alluding to the revealed, or written, code of moral conduct against which the Jews have sinned. Fundamentally this is the moral law of the Ten Commandments, but Paul may also have had in mind the whole OT system of instruction, rules, and standards of moral conduct based upon the Ten Commandments (see PP 464). Those who have been privileged to know this law and yet have sinned against so clear an expression of God’s will are to receive greater punishment than those who have been less enlightened. The severity of punishment corresponds to the measure of guilt, and the measure of guilt depends on the amount of opportunity. That there are different degrees of punishment is clearly taught in the Bible (Matt. 11:21-24; 12:41, 42; Luke 12:47, 48).

Judged by the law. The parallel “shall also perish” suggests that this is a judgment of condemnation. The word “judge” may have this meaning where the context so indicates (see John 3:18; 2 Thess. 2:12; Heb. 13:4, where the KJV translates “condemned,” “damned,” “judge,” respectively). Both classes of sinners will be condemned; both will perish. But judgment “by the law” is mentioned only of those who have the law.