The Bridge · Explore the Bible · Session 2 of 13

Coming Judgment

Romans 2:1-13 · CSB

The Bridge · First Baptist Church Minden · September 13, 2026 · Taught by Rob

God will judge every person according to their response to Him.

Setting the Scene

Last week Paul indicted the pagan world for suppressing the truth about God. This week he turns the mirror around: the reader who's been nodding along — likely a Jewish believer confident in his own standing — becomes the target. "Therefore," Romans 2 opens, whoever judges that behavior is judged by the same standard, because they do the same things.

Passage — Romans 2:1-13 (CSB)

¹Therefore, every one of you who judges another, you are without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ²Now we know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God's judgment? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶He will repay each one according to his works: ⁷eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth while obeying unrighteousness. ⁹There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; ¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹For there is no favoritism with God. ¹²For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.

Key Truths

Point 1 — No Excuses (2:1-5)We should focus on our own sin rather than judging others.The self-righteous judge condemns himself the moment he judges, since he does the same things (v. 1) — God's kindness is meant to lead to repentance, not to be presumed upon (v. 4).
Point 2 — Perfect Standard (2:6-11)Our eternal destiny is based on our response to God in this life."Glory, honor, and peace" versus "affliction, distress, wrath, and anger" describes two harvests (Gal. 6:7-9) — and there is no favoritism with God (v. 11).
Point 3 — One Way (2:12-13)Unbelievers need to understand that good works will not justify them before God."Doers of the law will be justified" (v. 13) sounds like a path through obedience, but no one actually keeps the law perfectly except Jesus — the principle is fulfilled in Him alone.

Key Doctrine

Man

In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race.

Genesis 3 · Psalm 51:5

Worth Noting

Point 1Paul uses a first-century rhetorical device called a diatribe — addressing an imaginary objector directly to draw the reader into agreeing with a principle before turning it back on them.
Point 2"Favoritism" (Gk. prosopolēmpsia) literally means "receiving the face" — a judge ruling based on who someone is rather than the evidence. God's courtroom has no such loophole.
Point 3"Justified" (Gk. dikaioō) is a legal-declaration word — a judge pronouncing someone innocent, not a process of gradually becoming better.

Memorize

Romans 2:11 (CSB)

"For there is no favoritism with God."

Class Passphrase