This one was little tougher for me to paraphrase in my own words…
Romans as Interpreted by an Atheist – Chapter 2
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1: I think Paul is telling his follows in faith that while all the above is wicked, they should not pass judgment because they are all sinners as well. God forgives them out of his kindness, tolerance, and patience.
5: So if they cling to arrogant aloofness they’re actually only storing up Gods wrath against them. God doesn’t show favoritism among sinners.
12: Paul says God doesn’t care if people are apart, under, or hear the law. Righteousness is for those who follow the law for it may be written in their hearts as well as our scripture.*
17: Basically I think Paul is saying that those trying to teach yet don’t adhere to the teachings themselves are hypocrites. God’s sin radar is pinging because their would be students see your hypocrisy then curse God’s name because of it. That’s a problem.
25: Paul basically says why circumcision means nothing in regards to sin.
28: Re-emphasizing his point on circumcision in case no one got it from his first rambling paragraph.
* And it’s here that we could start a discussion on morality… maybe not, there isn’t a whole lot to go on for you to explain your point of view because to me the Bible is just another book. For me to get to the conclusion that morality is god-made… I first need to think there is a creator. We COULD discuss whether morality is taught to us through our life cycle or if it’s written into our human DNA, or whatever, so every human has this same morality… BUT then we’re back to how DNA, or whatever, got here digressing the discussion into the evolutionary theory… so I pretty much need to believe in a creator before you can get me started in understanding morality according to the Bible. What do you think?
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A final commentary:
Not really much to say about this one… I think Paul’s addressing his troops telling them to shape up and avoid rookie mistakes.
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Romans ala NIV: Chapter 2
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God’s Righteous Judgment
1: You , therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same thing, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?
5: But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done.”To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gantile; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
12: All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law; they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) They will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
The Jews and the Law
17: Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth– you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
25: Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are lawbreaker.
28: A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
Geek of all trades (GOAT) 