“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” (Romans 2:1)

Paul, having proven that Gentiles, who did not have the written word of God as instruction in righteousness, are nonetheless guilty because God has given ample proof in the light of nature that man is accountable to Him, turns now to the Jews who did have the benefit of the written word of God.

And what does Paul conclude? They are guilty as well.


The Jews thought themselves better than the Gentiles because of their heritage and the fact that some of the Gentile sins were not practiced among the Jews. However, the Jews were just as guilty and even more so because they tried to explain away their sin in self-justification.

The point that Paul is making in the first three chapters of the Roman letter is that man CANNOT justify himself to a Holy God. Man may judge himself better than another man, but the true measure of righteousness is God.