April 26 2026, Sunday School Lesson

God’s Righteous Judgment

Lesson Text: Romans 2:1-16

Related Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-5, 2 Peter 3:8-10; Acts 10:34-35; James 1:22-25; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

TIME: A.D. 57

PLACE: from Corinth

Golden Text: “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:3)

Introduction

This quarter, we have seen God’s wrath on sin, as well as how that wrath was poured out on Jesus and will be poured out on those who refuse to acknowledge Him. This week we begin our final unit of the quarter, “God’s Wrath Satisfied.” Because Jesus has taken God’s wrath, there are radical and glorious implications for believers!

Ase begin this unit, however, we remind ourselves one last time that for those who do not accept Christ’s free gift, God’s wrath is satisfied as it is poured out on sinners. If people could hypothetically meet God’s standard of holiness, they could justify themselves. However, no one meets God’s absolute standard of holiness. We all fall short of his glory (Rom. 3:23).

Paul emphasized that all people, whether Jew or Gentile, are culpable to God. All people, whether they have the written Word of God. All people, whether they have the written Word of God or not, must answer for what they have done. No one’s background give a free pass. People cannot make any excuses for why they should not be held accountable for their actions.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. THE UNREPENTANT AND HYPOCRITICAL WILL BE CONDEMNED - Romans 2:1-5

2. THE IMPARTIAL GOD WILL JUSTLLY JUDGE – Romans 2:6-11

3. THE GENTILES ARE GUILTY OF BREAKING THE LAW – Romans 2:12-16

QUESTIONS

1. Who did Paul address in Romans 2?

2. What was one key reason Paul wrote to the church in Rome?

3. What type of judging did Paul refer to here?

4. Why did Paul condemn judging in this passage?

5. What is Paul’s point in verse 4?

6. What is a chiasm?

7. What is the point of Paul’s chiasm?

8. What difficult problem did Paul address in verses 12-16?

9. Why are those without the law condemned?

10. In what key way are Jews and Gentiles similar?

ANSWERS

1. In chapter 2, Paul was not talking to the Roman church directly. Instead, he allowed them to eavesdrop on a hypothetical conversation with an opponent.

2. The point of this hypothetical debate was to instruct the church in Rome about the gospel preached by Paul

3. Paul, however, defined precisely what he meant by judgment in Romans 2:1. He was referring to the kind of judgment that condemns others for acts of which you yourself are guilty. Paul referred to a hypocritical disgust and superiority over other people.

4. Paul’s point was not that the opponent should not condemn evil. Evil should be condemned. The opponent was wrong because he himself committed the same acts.

5. Although Romans 2:4 is a beloved verse by many, Paul’s point in the context is quite serious and sobering. Paul asserted that the opponent had taken lightly God’s forbearance and patience. The opponent wrongly interpreted God’s silence as approval; it was a summons to repent.

6. In verses 6-11, Paul also used a chiasm (i.e., a literary device that organizes ideas in a sequence and then repeats them in reverse order.

7. Paul’s overall point is that God shows no partially. All will be judged based on the indisputable facts of their works, which will either reveal one’s faith as counterfeit. Abrahamic DNA is no assurance of salvation.

8. If God impartially judges all according to their deeds, then how does this apply to those who have never heard the Bible? The Jews were given the law, and their response to the law is the standard by which God will judge them. But what about Gentiles who were not given the law? How can the works Gentiles do be a fair standard of judgment if they never even had the law?

9. All people violate their consciences sometimes, and thus all people will be condemned apart from the grace of God.

10. Apart from God’s grace, all people would be judged and condemned, regardless of their background.