Thursday, November 6, 2014

Romans 2:13

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely
Romans 2:13

13 (For [gar] not [ou] the hearers [akroates] of the law [nomos] are just [dikaios] before [para] God [theos], but [alla] the doers [poietes] of the law [nomos] shall be justified [dikaioo].   KJV-Interlinear

13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.   ESV

When people see these two terms, hearers and doers of the law, they inevitably misapply them into systems of works.  Paul has made it very clear that by the law no man may be justified.  And yet this verse if not read correctly seems to be a contradiction.

The easy answer, that clears this up, is that the word for law, ‘nomos,’ refers to the principle of law, and does not refer to the law, namely the Mosaic Law.

The difference between the hearer and doer terms has to do with the level of application of the principles of law to ones own life.

The principles of law are the principles taught throughout the Bible.

Therefore, if you hear or read the bible, but do nothing to apply its teachings to your daily life, then you are a hearer only.  You hear but do not learn. You hear but do not understand.  You hear but do not comply.

If you are a doer, then you follow the mandates that Gods makes of us all and expects of us.  This is not doing works, for works are specifically rejected by God as an application of arrogance on mans part.  The book of James is a complete study of mans works versus spiritual works.

A doer complies with Gods rules. Namely faith in Christ for salvation, that is doing the principle of salvation.  Confession of sin is doing the principle of fellowship.  Daily study is doing the principle of the spiritual learning process.  Application of doctrine is doing the many principles of living the spiritual life, not the activity of doing works and so forth.

The word for justified, ‘dikaioo,’ refers to the process of justification or living within the life sphere of justification.  Often times we simply call this living and functioning in the spiritual life while in fellowship.

Therefore if you hear but do not follow up on the principles of doctrine, then you have nothing.

You must follow through with the principles of doctrine in order to have the benefits of spiritual growth and production.