Romans 2:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

NIV: To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

NASB: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life;

CSB: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality;

NLT: He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.

KJV: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

NKJV: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;

God's Word was not written in tiny pieces, nor was it meant to be studied and understood in fragments. Chapters and verses make finding certain words easier, but they are not part of the original text of Scripture. The words of any particular verse have to be understood in the context of the rest of that passage, and chapter, and book. This verse may seem, at first glance, to contradict what we understand to be the good news: salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and not through human good works (Ephesians 2:8–9).

However, it's important to follow Paul's full train of thought, instead of taking verses out of context. Paul is building the case for salvation by God's grace through our faith in Christ alone, and apart from anything we could ever do to earn it. Paul's point here sets up the truth of the gospel, it does not contradict it.

Having said that, Paul describes something that is absolutely true. God will judge each of us according to our works. For those who are saved, God does judge our works for the purpose of determining heavenly rewards (2 Corinthians 5:10). Further, if someone was able to seek glory and honor and immortality by persistently doing good works, God would absolutely give to that person eternal life. A perfectly truthful, sincere person would follow God's will perfectly for their entire life—and that would mean salvation. In reality, however, nobody will do that (Romans 3:23). A parallel application of this verse is that those who truly, honestly seek the will of God will find that will fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:7–8).

The point Paul is building towards is that no person, not a single one of us, can lead such a perfect life. We don't have it in us to persistently do good in that way. In the following chapter, Paul will quote Old Testament Scripture to show that "no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:12) and that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Romans 2:1–11 springs a trap, of sorts, for every reader who thought that Paul's devastating list of sins at the end of Romans 1 was about other people. In truth, everyone is guilty of sin. Those who judge others are guilty, also, of hypocrisy. Nobody will escape God's judgment for personal sin, including religious Jews and Gentiles. God will absolutely judge each person according to what he or she has done. If someone has lived sinlessly, doing only good, he will receive rewards and eternal life. If not, he deserves wrath and fury. This point sets up Paul's explanation of how we can, in fact, obtain salvation: by grace through faith.

Romans 2 springs a trap on any religious person who read Paul's lists of sins at the end of Romans 1 and thought it wasn't about them. Paul calls them out for making themselves judges when they are also guilty. He shows that God will judge everyone, including those under the law, based on their works. This prefaces this letter's theme of salvation by grace, through faith, rather than by works. Many benefits come with having the law, but only if those under the law keep it. Jewishness—circumcision—must be an inner state, not just an outer one. Paul will show in the following chapter that none of us really meets those conditions.

Having just concluded a list of terrible sins humanity indulges in as a result of rejecting God, Paul turns to religious people and says, ''This applies to you, too.'' Nobody can judge arrogantly, because we are all guilty. Even God's people the Jews will stand before Him in judgment based on their works. Having the law only matters if someone can keep the law. Paul asks his Jewish readers why they don't and shows that they must be Jewish and circumcised in their hearts for it to matter. In the following chapter, he will show that nobody can keep the law.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.