上帝公義的審判
1因此，你這論斷人的啊，不管你是誰，都難逃罪責。你在什麼事上論斷別人，就在什麼事上定了自己的罪，因為你論斷別人的事，自己也在做。 2我們都知道，上帝必按真理審判做這些事的人。 3你這人啊，你論斷別人，自己卻做同樣的事，你以為自己能逃脫上帝的審判嗎？ 4還是你藐視祂深厚的慈愛、寬容和忍耐，不知道祂的慈愛是要引導你悔改嗎？ 5你這樣硬著心不肯悔改等於是為自己積蓄烈怒，上帝的烈怒在祂施行公義審判的那天必臨到你。 6上帝必照各人的行為施行賞罰。 7凡是恆心行善、尋求榮耀、尊貴和永恆福分的人，祂要把永生賜給他們； 8至於那些自私自利、違背真理、行為不義的人，祂的烈怒和怒氣要降在他們身上。 9一切作惡之人必受患難和痛苦，先是猶太人，然後是希臘人。 10祂要將榮耀、尊貴和平安賜給一切行善的人，先是猶太人，然後是希臘人。 11因為上帝不偏待人。
12沒有上帝律法的人若犯罪，雖然不按律法受審判，仍要滅亡；有上帝律法的人若犯罪，必按律法受審判。 13因為上帝眼中的義人不是聽到律法的人，而是遵行律法的人。 14沒有律法的外族人若順著天性做合乎律法的事，他們雖然沒有律法，自己就是自己的律法。 15這表明律法的要求刻在他們心裡，他們的良心也可以證明，因為他們的思想有時指控他們，有時為他們辯護。 16按照我所傳的福音，到了審判之日，上帝要藉著耶穌基督審判人一切隱祕的事。
猶太人與律法
17你自稱是猶太人，倚仗上帝所賜的律法，自誇與上帝有特別的關係； 18你受過律法的教導，知道上帝的旨意，能明辨是非； 19你自信可以做盲人的嚮導、黑暗中的人的光、 20愚昧人的師傅、小孩子的老師，因為你從律法中得到了知識和真理。 21那麼，你這教導別人的，為什麼不教導自己呢？你教導人不可偷盜，自己卻偷盜嗎？ 22你告訴他人不可通姦，自己卻通姦嗎？你憎惡偶像，自己卻去偷廟裡的東西嗎？ 23你以律法自誇，自己卻違犯律法羞辱上帝嗎？ 24正如聖經上說：「因你們的緣故，上帝的名在外族人中受到褻瀆！」
25如果你遵行律法，割禮才有價值；如果你違犯律法，受了割禮也如同未受割禮。 26如果未受割禮的人遵行律法的教導，他豈不算是受了割禮嗎？ 27身體未受割禮卻遵行律法的人，必審判你這有律法條文、受了割禮卻違犯律法的人。 28因為徒具外表的猶太人不是真正的猶太人，身體上的割禮也不是真正的割禮。 29唯有從心裡做猶太人的才是真猶太人，真割禮是藉著聖靈在心裡受的割禮，不在於律法條文。這樣的人得到的稱讚不是從人來的，而是從上帝來的。
God Judges Fairly
1If you judge someone else, you have no excuse for it. When you judge another person, you are judging yourself. You do the same things you blame others for doing. 2We know that when God judges those who do evil things, he judges fairly. 3Though you are only a human being, you judge others. But you yourself do the same things. So how do you think you will escape when God judges you? 4Do you disrespect God’s great kindness and favor? Do you disrespect God when he is patient with you? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is meant to turn you away from your sins?
5But you are stubborn. In your heart you are not sorry for your sins. You are storing up anger against yourself. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then his way of judging fairly will be shown. 6God “will pay back each person in keeping with what they have done.” (Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12) 7God will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good. They want glory, honor, and life that never ends. 8But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don’t accept the truth. They go astray. God will pour out his great anger on them. 9There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. 10But there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles. 11God treats everyone the same.
12Some people do not know God’s law when they sin. They will not be judged by the law when they die. Others do know God’s law when they sin. They will be judged by the law. 13Hearing the law does not make a person right with God. People are considered to be right with God only when they obey the law. 14Gentiles do not have the law. Sometimes they just naturally do what the law requires. They are a law for themselves. This is true even though they don’t have the law. 15They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts. The way their minds judge them proves this fact. Sometimes their thoughts find them guilty. At other times their thoughts find them not guilty. 16This will happen on the day God appoints Jesus Christ to judge people’s secret thoughts. That’s part of my good news.
The Jews and the Law
17Suppose you call yourself a Jew. You trust in the law. You brag that you know God. 18You know what God wants. You agree with what is best because the law teaches you. 19You think you know so much more than the people you teach. You think you’re helping blind people. You think you are a light for those in the dark. 20You think you can make foolish people wise. You act like you’re teaching little children. You think that the law gives you all knowledge and truth. 21You claim to teach others, but you don’t even teach yourself! You preach against stealing. But you steal! 22You say that people should not commit adultery. But you commit adultery! You hate statues of gods. But you rob temples! 23You brag about the law. But when you break it, you rob God of his honor! 24It is written, “The Gentiles say evil things against God’s name because of you.” (Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22)
25Circumcision has value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, it is just as if you hadn’t been circumcised. 26And sometimes those who aren’t circumcised do what the law requires. Won’t God accept them as if they had been circumcised? 27Many are not circumcised physically, but they obey the law. They will prove that you are guilty. You are breaking the law, even though you have the written law and are circumcised.
28A person is not a Jew if they are a Jew only on the outside. And circumcision is more than just something done to the outside of a man’s body. 29No, a person is a Jew only if they are a Jew on the inside. And true circumcision means that the heart has been circumcised by the Holy Spirit. The person whose heart has been circumcised does more than obey the written law. The praise that matters for that kind of person does not come from other people. It comes from God.
