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.
Også jøderne vil blive straffet for deres ondskab
1Men hvem du end er, kan du ikke tillade dig at dømme andre og undskylde dig selv. I og med at du dømmer andre, dømmer du jo også dig selv. Du gør nemlig de samme ting, som du fordømmer hos andre. 2Vi ved, at Guds retfærdige dom hænger over hovedet på dem, som gør det onde. 3Men tror du virkelig, at du kan undslippe dommen, hvis du gør de samme ting? 4Prøver du at dække dig under, at Gud er så god, forstående og tålmodig? Gud er tålmodig for at give dig anledning til at bede ham om tilgivelse, 5men hvis du ikke vil angre og vende om fra din ondskab, må du tage din straf, når Gud på dommens dag afsiger sin retfærdige dom.
6Når Gud til sin tid dømmer hele menneskeheden, får alle den dom, de har fortjent. 7De, som med udholdenhed har gjort det gode og ønsket at få del i den herlighed, ære og udødelighed, som Gud tilbyder, vil modtage det evige liv hos Gud. 8Men de, som i deres selviskhed og i deres oprør mod sandheden fra Gud har gjort det onde, vil få Guds vrede og straf at føle. 9Alle, der er ulydige og onde, vil opleve en dyb smerte som straf, hvad enten de er jøder eller ej, 10mens alle, der gør det gode, vil opleve herlighed, ære og fred som belønning. Det gælder, hvad enten de er jøder eller ej, 11for Gud ser ikke efter folks status. 12De, der forsynder sig uden at kende Guds lov, vil blive dømt uden hensyn til den lov. Men de, der kender Guds lov og alligevel forsynder sig imod den, vil blive dømt under henvisning til den lov. 13Det er nemlig ikke nok, at du, som er jøde, kender Guds lov. Du skal også overholde den, hvis du vil gøre dig håb om at blive frikendt.
14Når de, som ikke kender Guds lov, alligevel gør, hvad loven foreskriver, viser det, at de følger deres egen indre lov, 15og at lovens krav på en måde er skrevet i deres hjerter. Deres samvittighed kræver, at de følger den lov, og på dommens dag vil nogle føle sig dømt af deres samvittighed, mens andre vil føle sig frikendt. 16Den dag, hvor menneskene bliver stillet for Guds domstol, vil Jesus Kristus dømme deres skjulte tanker, sådan som jeg har forklaret det i mit budskab.
Religiøst hovmod hjælper intet
17Du, som er jøde, tror, at alt er i den skønneste orden, fordi du kender Guds lov, og du er stolt over at tilhøre Guds folk. 18Fordi du er blevet undervist i Guds lov, mener du, at du kender Guds vilje, og at du altid véd, hvad der er det rigtige. 19Du er overbevist om, at du kan vejlede de blinde og bringe lys til dem, der lever i mørket. 20Du søger at opdrage de umodne og undervise de uvidende, for du har jo adgang til al den visdom og sandhed, der findes i den jødiske lov.
21Men når du nu er sådan en god lærer, hvorfor tager du så ikke selv ved lære? Du prædiker, at man ikke må stjæle, men du stjæler selv! 22Du fordømmer andres utroskab, men hvad med dig selv? Du foragter dem, der dyrker afgudsbilleder, men er ikke bleg for at stjæle deres kostbare statuetter. 23Du er stolt over at have Guds lov, men du vanærer Gud ved at overtræde den. 24Du opfylder det ord fra Skriften, hvor der står, at Gud bliver vanæret ude blandt folkeslagene på grund af jer.2,24 En henvisning til Es. 52,5 og Ez. 36,20 i den græske oversættelse, LXX (Septuaginta).
25At du er jøde og tilhører Guds folk, giver dig ingen fortrin over for Gud, hvis du ikke overholder hans lov. I så fald er du ikke bedre stillet end alle andre mennesker. 26Tværtimod! Hvis de andre gør det, som loven foreskriver, så burde de regnes for bedre jøder end dig. 27De, som ikke er jøder, men helt naturligt overholder lovens forskrifter, vil derfor have ret til at dømme dig, der overtræder loven, selvom du er jøde og véd alt om loven. 28Du har det ydre tegn på at være jøde, nemlig omskærelsen, men det er ikke nok til at gøre dig til en sand jøde. 29At være sand jøde er en hjertesag, ikke en formssag. Den virkelige omskærelse foregår i hjertet. Det er en åndelig indvielse til Gud. Sande jøder søger anerkendelse hos Gud, ikke hos mennesker.
