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I would take exception to that statement. In Scripture, the Law is a particular thing. Actually the full title is "the Law and the Prophets". These are the specifics of the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Horeb.
I am identifying them as believers because God's New Covenant promise is He writes His Law on the heart (Jer 31:31-34), and they have that, plus they're keeping God's Law, but lost men don't, and it says they're circumcised by the Spirit (Ro 2:29).
No,
God writes His Law on the heart and believers are called to fulfill it. Those who walk in the Spirit don't commit idolatry, adultery, theft, etc, they don't displease God they please God.
Are called to fulfill it? I thought you've been asserting that they do in fact fulfill it. Is that not correct?
Is this 100%? That these believing Gentiles have the law written in their hearts, and they always do it?
Right, the context shows the grammar is about their own thoughts accusing or else excusing them when they are judged just as their thoughts accuse or excuse them on a daily basis.
I'm not claiming believing Gentiles are flawless, he's telling the Jewish believers they really need to rethink looking down on their believing Gentile brothers, bc God will judge based on actual righteousness, and will not excuse them just bc they're Jewish if they're lawbreakers/unrighteous, and will justify the doer of the Law even if they are Gentile.
The Corinthians weren't fulfilling it, though they'd been called to be saints.
OK, I think I'm understanding something that I didn't before, that for you, the keeping the law that justifies, the law written in the heart, isn't absolute. Even Christians don't always do what their conscience requires, is that right?
We are to work out what He is working into us, both the ability and the desire to do what pleases God. We're works in process, being conformed to Christ's image.
I see the overall trend of the passage to conclude later in the next chapter, how Paul is demonstrating that all have sinned unto death, without exception. Those who think they are special because they have the Law aren't, because they don't keep it. Those who think they are special because they are Abraham's children aren't, because even the gentiles know right and wrong, and have an "inner law" to keep.
Specifically, they excuse themselves while accusing others. Paul cites this as proof that they have at least some concept of right and wrong.
1. Jesus rejects evildoers when He returns (Mt 7), saying only those who do His Father's will will enter His Kingdom.
Yep. God works in us, and "sin" is when we fail to work that out.
I think we're on the same page as far as not being able to merit knowing God, because He is too good, and we have done too much against Him, we owe too much, because He is so good, that we cannot pay for those sins in this lifetime, in order to bride that gap (Is 59:1) that sin causes between us and God... yet at the upcoming judgment only doers of good will be resurrected to eternal life (Dn 12:2; Jn 5: Ro 2), so I don't know how those go together unless it's bc those who keep the faith whereby they receive thr gift as a gift not trying to earn it receive grace whereby they do good and on the Day of Judgment only those who had received the gift will be marked by good works.
Isn't there more to the story than this? If our "doing good" isn't 100%, don't we need forgiveness, justification? Isn't that more important? And not the apparent justification of our works, like James speaks of (I'll show you my faith by my works), but the absolute 100% justification that comes by trusting in Christ?
No, Paul isn't saying they accuse others but excuse themselves, he's saying their own thoughts accuse or excuse them bc they're a law unto themselves bc God is writing His Law in their minds and hearts.
It seems there're different judgments and justifications--one where the ungodly is justified by grace through faith alone, and one that is ongoing (the believer who goes against his faith, does what he doubts, is condemned Ro 14:5,23), and a final judgment of works.
No actually that's the grammar of the passage. "Accuse" is in the active voice, which means they are doing it to others. "Excuse" is a defective verb, which is to say the Middle/Reflexive voice and the Passive voice are spelled the same, so it could be either. In this context, "excusing others" is used as part of an argument to show that the person doing this has at least some undersanding of right and wrong.
I believe in a final judgment of works, but not as a determiner for whether we will live with God in eternity or not. I believe the redeemed will be judged for rewards, while the unredeemed will be judged for punishments.
No, Paul knows the Law is being written on their hearts because they're believers. The issue isn't whether or not they know good and evil, or in what sense, he is discussing the FACT that they are doers of the Law who will be justified.
