Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 2:13-16

"for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified: (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; in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing [them]); in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ." — Romans 2:13-16 (ASV)

1. After refuting the human judgment with which the Gentiles and Jews judged one another and commending God’s judgment, the Apostle now undertakes to show that the things in which the Jews boasted are not sufficient for their salvation.

   He proceeds in two steps:

   1. He states his position.
   2. He answers arguments against his position, beginning with, What advantage then has the Jew? (Romans 3:1).

   The Jews boasted in two things: the law and circumcision, which originated not from the law but from the patriarchs (John 7:22).

   Therefore, the Apostle first shows that merely hearing or accepting the Jewish law was not enough for salvation. Second, he shows the same is true of circumcision, beginning at Circumcision indeed is of value (Romans 2:25).

   Regarding the first point, he does two things:

   1. He sets forth his position.
   2. He clarifies it, beginning with for when the Gentiles.

2. Regarding the first point, he presents two things: one by rejecting an idea, the other by asserting one.

   He rejects the Jewish opinion that they were made just simply by hearing the law. Therefore, he says: I have said that all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law, for the hearers of the law are not just before God—that is, not just by virtue of having heard the law, even if they are considered just before men. As it is written, everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man (Matthew 7:26); and, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror (James 1:23).

   Second, he declares that the doers of the law are righteous when he says, but the doers of the law will be justified. As Scripture says, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man (Matthew 7:24); be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22); and, a good understanding have all those who practice it (Psalms 111:10).

3. But this point seems to conflict with his own statement later that by the works of the law no flesh will be justified before him (Romans 3:20). Consequently, no one is justified simply for doing the works of the law.

   The answer is that "justification" can be understood in three ways. First, it can be understood in regard to reputation, where one is said to be justified when he is regarded as just: you have made your sisters appear justified (Ezekiel 16:51), that is, by reputation. In this sense, the doers of the law will be justified, meaning they are considered just before God and men.

   Second, it can be understood as doing what is just. For example, this man went down to his home justified (Luke 18:14), because the tax collector performed a work of justice by confessing his sin. In this way, the statement that the doers of the law will be justified is verified, meaning they are justified by performing the justice of the law.

   Third, justification can be considered in regard to the cause of justice, so that a person is said to be justified when he newly receives justice: being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God (Romans 5:1). It must not be supposed, however, that the doers of the law are justified as though acquiring justice through the works of the law. This cannot be accomplished either by the ceremonial works, which confer no justifying grace, or by the moral works, from which the habit of justice is not acquired. Rather, we do such works by virtue of an infused habit of justice.

4. Then when he says for when the Gentiles, he clarifies his position.

   1. He shows that doers of the law are justified even without being hearers.
   2. He shows that hearers of the law are not justified without observing the law, starting at But if you call yourself a Jew (Romans 2:17).

   In regard to the first point, he does three things:

   1. He mentions the worthiness of those who observe the law without having heard it.
   2. He clarifies what he had said, beginning with who show the work of the law.
   3. He proves it, beginning with their conscience bearing witness.

5. Regarding the first point, he touches on three things relating to the Gentiles.

   First is their lack of the law. He says, for when the Gentiles, who have not the law—that is, the divine law, which they have not received. For the law was not delivered to the Gentiles but to the Jews: He has not dealt thus with any other nation (Psalms 147:20); when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob (Deuteronomy 33:4). .

   From this it is clear that the Gentiles did not sin by not observing the ceremonies of the law.

6. Second, he commends their observance of the law when he says they do by nature those things that are of the law. This refers to the moral precepts, which flow from the dictates of natural reason. Thus Job was blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. For this reason, Job himself says: my foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his ways (Job 23:11).

7. But the expression by nature causes some difficulty, for it seems to favor the Pelagians, who taught that man could observe all the precepts of the law by his own natural powers.

   Therefore, by nature should be understood as nature reformed by grace. For he is speaking of Gentiles converted to the faith, who began to obey the moral precepts of the law by the help of Christ’s grace. Alternatively, by nature can mean by the natural law showing them what should be done, as in a psalm: There are many who say, ‘Who will show us some good?’ The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us (Psalms 4:6). This "light" is the light of natural reason, in which God’s image is found. All this does not rule out the need for grace to move the affections, any more than the knowledge of sin through the law (Romans 3:20) exempts one from the need for grace to move the affections.

8. Third, he shows their worth in that they, having not the law, are a law to themselves, insofar as they function as a law to themselves by instructing and leading themselves to the good. As the Philosopher says, law is a statement that lays down an obligation and proceeds from prudence and understanding. Therefore, it is said that the law is not laid down for the just (1 Timothy 1:9), who is not compelled by an external law, but for the lawless, who need to be compelled from without.

   It is, of course, the highest level of greatness among men when they are led toward the good not by others but by themselves. The second level belongs to those who are led by others but without force. The third belongs to those who need to be forced to do good. The fourth belongs to those who cannot be directed to the good even by force: In vain have I struck your children; they took no correction (Jeremiah 2:30).

9. Then when he says who show, he explains how they are a law to themselves. This can be compared to an external law, which is typically delivered in writing because of memory's weakness. In contrast, those who observe the law without hearing it externally show the work of the law written not with ink, but first and foremost with the Spirit of the living God (2 Corinthians 3:3), and second, through study. As it is said, write them on the tablet of your heart (Proverbs 3:3), referring to the precepts of wisdom. For this reason, he continues here, in their hearts, not on parchment or on stone or copper tablets: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).

10. Then when he says their conscience bearing witness, he proves that the work of the law is written in their hearts by citing actions that reveal its presence.

    First, he mentions these actions, one of which is the witness of conscience. He touches on this when he says their conscience bearing witness, conscience being the application of one’s knowledge in judging whether an action was good or bad to do.

    This conscience sometimes gives testimony of good, as in Our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience (2 Corinthians 1:12), and sometimes of evil, as in your conscience knows that you have often cursed others (Ecclesiastes 7:22).

    However, no one can testify that an action is good or bad unless he has knowledge of the law. Therefore, if a conscience bears witness about good or evil, this is a clear sign that the work of the law has been written in the person's heart.

11. Another function of conscience is to accuse and defend, which also requires knowledge of the law.

    In regard to this, he says and their conflicting thoughts accusing or also defending, following the Greek practice where the genitive case is used for "accusing" and "defending." And these thoughts are conflicting.

    An accusing thought regarding an action arises in a person when he has reason to suppose that he has acted evilly: now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you (Psalms 50:21); the look on their faces bears witness against them (Isaiah 3:9).

    But sometimes a defending thought arises, when he has reason to suppose that he has acted well: my heart does not reproach me for any of my days (Job 27:6). Between this accusation and defense, the testimony of conscience has the final say.

12. This passage, their conscience bearing witness to them, can be interpreted in another way, so that there is consciousness not only of one’s deeds but also of one’s thoughts. But the first interpretation is better.

13. Because testimony, accusation, and defense occur during a trial, he mentions the time when he says in the day. He says this not to designate the quality of the time but the disclosure of things that are hidden: I will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness (1 Corinthians 4:5).

    Yet it is sometimes called "night" on account of the uncertainty of that hour: at midnight there was a cry (Matthew 25:6).

    The accusing or defending thoughts are not those which will arise on the day of judgment, because on that day each one’s salvation or damnation will be clear to him. Rather, such thoughts as exist now, and the testimony of conscience that exists now, will be represented to a person on that day by divine power, as Augustine says in The City of God.

    Indeed, as a Gloss says, the recognition of those thoughts that remain in the soul seems to be nothing less than the debt of punishment or the reward which follows them.

14. Then he shows the author of the judgment when he says, when God shall judge: he will judge the world with justice (Psalms 96:13).

    He also describes what the judgment will concern when he says, the secrets of men—matters about which men cannot now judge. He will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness (1 Corinthians 4:5).

    He also shows the teaching from which faith in this judgment is derived when he says, according to my Gospel, that is, the gospel preached by me: on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word (Matthew 12:36).

    He says according to my Gospel, although he could not say "my baptism," despite being a minister of both. This is because in baptism a person's diligence effects nothing, but in preaching the Gospel the preacher’s diligence achieves something: when you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4).

    Then he mentions the judge when he says, by Christ Jesus, who has been appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). The Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22), who will appear to the good and the wicked during the judgment. He will appear to the good in the glory of the Godhead: your eyes will see the king in his beauty (Isaiah 33:17). But he will appear to the wicked in his human form: every eye will see him (Revelation 1:7).