2:1-4 How are we to understand this passage of scripture?
2:1-4 How are we to understand this passage of scripture?
In V1 Paul accuses the self-righteous moralists - Jews and Gentiles alike - for justifying themselves while condemning others for the sins enumerated in chapter 1.
They were guilty of the same sins (CP 1:29-31). The self-righteous moralists condemned themselves by virtue of the fact that they were able to judge right from wrong in others.
They condemned others' sins but excused their own, so Paul then proceeded to teach about the judgment of God (CP 2:2-16).
God's judgment is according to truth and those who condemn others while doing the same thing themselves, will not escape this judgment.
However, God delays His judgment in order to give sinners time to repent (CP 2:4 with 2Pe 3:9).
In His goodness God holds back His judgment, giving sinners time to repent, although they are worthy of immediate death. In spite of their provocations, God is longsuffering toward them. This demonstrates His grace by which men are saved (CP Ro 3:21-26; Eph 2:8-10).
There is also a lesson for the contemporary church here: the church should not direct secular society to follow biblical teaching while at the same time it is blind to the worldliness and sin in its own membership (CP Lu 6:41-42).