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All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. .... This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Romans 2:12, 16.

Most commentators agree that verses 13-15 of this passage are a parenthesis - that is, they are an additional aside to the main content of Paul's argument.

For that reason, I will comment here on the verses either side of the parenthesis today and on the verses inside the parenthesis next time.

The theme of this second chapter of the letter to the Romans is the wrath of God. In fact, this is the main theme of the first three chapters of the letter. Paul wants his readers to understand that the human race is under the wrath of God. This is the problem which the gospel solves, as he shall later explain from chapter three onwards.

God's wrath - his intense displeasure at human sin - is described in chapter one in the way it is expressed and outworked among the gentiles. The pagan world of the first century is under God's wrath - as is the pagan world of the 21st.

In chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to the Jews. Far from being free from God's wrath, Paul insists, they are every bit as guilty as the gentiles and are in fact under the wrath of God as well. This is the main point of chapter two.

In this context, verses 12 and 16 make perfect sense. All people, whether those who have the Law of Moses (Jews) or those who don't (gentiles) - will be judged by God in the future. The Jews will be judged according to the fact that they had the Law; the gentiles will be judged according to the fact that they did not. In other words, Paul insists, God's justice will be executed with fairness and will be appropriate to the circumstances of each individual.

Please note! Paul is not saying here that people will be saved or given eternal life as a result of their good works. Certainly not! Rather he is stating the principle that God (who does not show favoritism) will judge all people fairly according to the degree of light and revelation they have received.

The fact that Paul uses the word "perish" to describe the result of this judgment on the gentiles should be taken seriously. This is the classic word used in the New Testament when describing the judgment which is to come. Jesus used it frequently in the gospels and the apostles use it in their letters when speaking of the future judgment. The word "perish" does not mean "cease to exist". It means "to suffer loss" or "suffer destruction" (not extinction). This is an eternal perishing! Jesus himself warned of it in graphic terms: "where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched."

As human beings, we habitually treat people unequally. We are more lenient with ourselves than with other people. We tend to shield members of our own family, social circle, group, tribe, community or nation. However, we define those to whom we belong, our tendency is to be less strict with them than with others.

God is not like that. He does not show favoritism. He treats all people with absolute fairness. No-one will receive injustice at the hands of God.

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. .... This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. Romans 2:12, 16.

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