Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 2:14

"(for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;" — Romans 2:14 (ASV)

For when. The apostle, in Romans 2:13, had stated a general principle: that only the doers of the law can be justified, if justification is attempted by the law. In this verse and the next, he proceeds to show that the same principle is applicable to the heathen; that though they do not have the written law of God, they still have sufficient knowledge of His will to take away every excuse for sin. Consequently, the reasoning by which he concluded they were guilty is well-founded.

This verse is not to be understood as affirming, as an historical fact, that any of the heathen ever did perfectly obey the law they had, any more than the previous verse affirms it of the Jews. The main point in the argument is that if people are justified by the law, their obedience must be entire and perfect. This obedience is not to be external only, or to consist in hearing or in acknowledging the justice of the law. Furthermore, the Gentiles had an opportunity of illustrating this principle as well as the Jews, since they also had a law among themselves. The word when (otan) does not imply that the thing shall certainly take place, but is one way of introducing a supposition, or of stating the connection of one thing with another (Matthew 5:11; Matthew 6:2, 5, 6, 16; Matthew 10:19).

It is, however, true that the main things contained in this verse and the next actually occurred: that the Gentiles did many things which the law of God required.

The Gentiles. All who were not Jews.

Which have not the law. This refers to those who do not have a revelation, or the written word of God. In the Greek, the article is omitted: "who have not law," that is, any revealed law.

By nature. Some have supposed this phrase belongs to the previous part of the sentence: "who have not the law by nature." However, our translation reflects the more natural and usual construction.

The expression clearly means by the light of conscience and reason, and whatever other aids they may have without revelation. It denotes simply, in that state which is without the revealed will of God. In that condition, they had many aids from tradition, conscience, reason, and the observation of the dealings of Divine Providence, so that to a considerable extent, they knew what was right and what was wrong.

Do the things. This refers to their not merely understanding and approving, but actually performing the things required by the law.

Contained in the law. Literally, the things of the law, that is, the things which the law requires. Many of those things might be done by the heathen—for example, respect for parents, truth, justice, honesty, and chastity. So far as they did any of those things, they showed that they had a law among themselves. And where they failed in these things, they showed that they were justly condemned.

Are a law unto themselves. This is explained in the following verse. It means that their own reason and conscience constituted, in these things, a law, or prescribed for them what the revealed law did for the Jews.