Romans 2:15-18

2:15 They ¹  show that the work of the law is written ²  in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend ³  them, ⁴  2:16 on the day when God will judge ⁵  the secrets of human hearts, ⁶  according to my gospel ⁷  through Christ Jesus.

The Condemnation of the Jew

2:17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law ⁸  and boast of your relationship to God ⁹  2:18 and know his will ¹⁰  and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, ¹¹ 

[2:15]  ¹ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:15]  ² tn Grk “show the work of the law [to be] written,” with the words in brackets implied by the Greek construction.

[2:15]  ³ tn Or “excuse.”

[2:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “their conscience bearing witness and between the thoughts accusing or also defending one another.”

[2:16]  ⁵ tn The form of the Greek word is either present or future, but it is best to translate in future because of the context of future judgment.

[2:16]  ⁶ tn Grk “of people.”

[2:16]  ⁷ sn On my gospel cf. Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8.

[2:17]  ⁹ sn The law refers to the Mosaic law, described mainly in the OT books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

[2:17]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “boast in God.” This may be an allusion to Jer 9:24.

[2:18]  ¹³ tn Grk “the will.”

[2:18]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “because of being instructed out of the law.”