Romans 2:16
16 In [en] the day [hemera] when [hote] God [theos] shall judge [krino] the
secrets [kruptos] of men [anthropos] by [dia] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos] according
[kata] to my [mou] gospel [euaggelion]. KJV-Interlinear
16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God
judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. ESV
One day, all people will be judged. This verse makes clear the universality of
judgment, that everyone will receive a judgment.
The prior verses have stated that all men have had
different standards by which they lived their life.
Jews, and believers in general, have had the scriptures. And they know that all life depends on the
savior and faith in Him. And
furthermore, that the Law of Moses states clearly that no person is able to
live by the standard that is set forth in the Law. Therefore, faith is needed in one who is both
perfect and God. That person is Jesus
Christ.
However, there are those who have lived throughout history,
and apart from the knowledge of the scriptures
and apart from the knowledge of Christ.
But that does not exempt them from being judged as well.
As for believers in Christ, their judgment will come
at the respective resurrections
Therefore, here Paul states that all are judged by the
standard of the gospel that he writes, which gospel includes not only the
gospel of Christ, but also the general principles of truth, by which all men
may live.
Their secrets, which is a revealing of the inner
desires, motivations, lusts, passions, deceptions of the heart and so forth,
all of these will be revealed and therefore considered in their judgment.
There is therefore no bias and no different standard
by which all men will be judged. God is
consistent and God is thorough and fair to all.
While the Jews and Christians alike, have the
scriptures, and with instruction, should know that the Law points to the need
for a higher person by which they may be saved. That no one can live a perfect
life, especially by looking around at this world and seeing all of the
unfairness and burdens that it places on people.
Likewise, all gentiles or those who have not had
access to the scriptures, but they do have the same ability to see the
necessity for law and fairness and judgments, and that no person can live by
those things, that all, sooner or later, die and that there must be a life
after this one, and therefore look to a deity for that next life.
Therefore, Gods judgment is fair to all, whether those
with the scriptures or those without, whether to those who know the name of
Jesus, or to those who have no name to attach to their hope.
But this verse states that the inner motivations and
intents of the individual will be revealed at the judgment.
Man can only see the external behaviors, but God can
see the inner thoughts and intents of the soul.
And when judgment does come, and it should be made clear that it will
come for each one of us, then all of our secrets, so far as men are concerned,
will be revealed and God will judge based on all of the facts.
