But exclude the courtyard outside the temple _ a laymen's commentary. John 2:18-25

 The last time we spoke, we covered verses in John 2:11-18.

Having cleared the outer courts of money changers and merchants, the Jews then said to Him,

John 2:18 NASB “The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"

I could picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He countered,

"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!"
John 2:19 CEV

He wasn't stupid; as a craftsman, He knew how long it took to make certain things, such as a 32-gallon granite water storage container, especially if it was lathed, or to construct a temple where many of its stones are considered by many to be megalithic.

(This lathing aspect has been substantiated through Archaeologists, in Israel, as about five years ago, they uncovered a stone lathing shop about a quarter mile outside of Nazareth; it may have been a source of income for Jesus while He was living there.)

Why did they challenge Him about His authority?

Because He had made a scourge, a short, multi-stranded whip, and with that whip He drove the money changers and merchants out of the outer courts of the temple. This is comparable to when He permitted the demons to go into the herd of swine, which immediately ran off a cliff and into the sea of Galilee, where they drowned. His actions negatively affected the local economy, not to mention it humiliated those challenging Him, and they, like the pig farmers, responded with anger and drove Jesus out of their region. It is also rather obvious that the chief priests and scribes had condoned having those vendors there because they were getting their share of the profits.

Jesus, who, by the standards of the gossips in Nazareth, was an illegitimate child. Now it may not have played a role in what transpired that day at the temple, but since I came to this realization, it has not left my thinking.

Deuteronomy 23:2 NASB "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD.”

The biblical “law” would have prevented Jesus from entering the Temple, a Synagogue, or a Rabbinical school, where most of us assume Jesus got His training in the Law and the Prophets. Oddly, this outer court distinction is rarely explained to us, but it would have allowed Jesus to go where these vendors were. These outer courts are also referred to as the court of the Nations.

For a moment, I referred to the courtyard outside the temple as the courtyard of the Gentiles. I thought I should substantiate this statement, but I could not find a direct quotation. Revelation 11:2 is translated as nations. Several of my concordances define nations as éthnos, and that leads us back to the Gentiles.

Nations, according to Strong's, is the Greek word éthnos, and its meanings include: A multitude, people, race, or belonging and living together.

The Word Study Dictionary states that: "In the Jewish sense, the nations, means the Gentile nations or the Gentiles in general as spoken of all who are not Israelites and implying idolatry and ignorance of the true God, i.e., the heathen, pagan nations."

So, it is safe to say that the outer courts have been given to the Gentiles.

Revelation 11:1-2 BSB Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. 2) But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 11:2, which has its context enveloped within the first 42 months of the seven years that most deem to be the great tribulation.

How do I know that this is the time of the “Great Tribulation”?

The answer is embedded in time indicators.

Revelation 11:3-15 BSB “And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4) These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5) If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed. 6) These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. 7) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them. 8) Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified. 9) For three and a half days, all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and will not permit them to be laid in a tomb. 10) And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them. 11) But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them. 12) And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them. 13) And in that hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14) The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly. 15) Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

What do you see beginning in verse three?

When Jesus says, “I will empower my two witnesses,” He is affirming that they are His. He sends these two witnesses directly to Jerusalem, most likely upon the steps of the newly built temple. This understanding is validated by Revelation 11:1-2, and this alone conveys the idea that the temple will be built swiftly after the church is caught up. 1,260 days is equal to 42 months, and that is three-and-one-half years.

The other thing you see jumps out at you when you get to verse five.

“If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.”

It only stands to reason that, with the outer courts being given to the nations, the attempts upon the lives of these two witnesses would be constant. Those who try to kill them are killed in the same manner. We, the church, will not be here to witness any of this, so our relating or telling someone else about what is to come would be thought of as a deterrent for anyone longing to live outside of God's grace and mercy.

Notice verse 10.

10. “And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts.”

If you know anything about Muslims, then you know that even the most bloody of actions against the Jews, no matter if it is young children, are celebrated by giving sweets/gifts to each other. 

Does verse ten surprise you?

When the false prophet comes on the scene he performs signs comparable to what the two witnesses have been doing; such as what we see in Revelation 11:6. “These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.”

Where did the false prophet get the idea that he could do such things?

That implies that the false prophet is paying attention to the things that they do.

When you are giving serious consideration to Biblical study, then you have to understand that ONLY three people groups are being considered: The Jews, the nations, and the church.

The church is the body of Christ and includes anyone from the other two groups who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah who lived, died, and rose again from the dead so that we can live eternally with the Father/God.

The Jews - you should understand that the Jews, along with the Arabs, were descendants of Abraham; however, only the descendants of the promised son, Issac, would be considered the descendants of the promise. Don't get me wrong, we, like as in me, get to be grafted into the vine when we choose to believe.

This leaves the nations. The nations cover a vast and wide territory, effectively all those outside of the church, the bride of Christ. So we are talking about the Gentiles, the Arabs, and all those that fall between the cracks. No one is excluded, especially when we are talking about acceptance into the “family of God.”

Remember when I asserted that Jesus may have popped His hand against His chest when He spoke about raising up this temple in the last days?

Well, John tells us explicitly that He was talking about His own body.

John 2:21 NASB “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

John goes on to validate this claim by including so many of the disciples who witnessed Jesus alive after being laid in the tomb.

John 2:22 NASB “So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

Since it is obvious that Jesus' time in Jerusalem was nothing short of tumultuous, you might think it is safe to ask, did Jesus have a positive effect on the people?

John 2:23 NASB Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.

Ah, but here is the flaw: people are spectators, much like with a horrific car crash.

John 2:24-25 NASB “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25) and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

Entrust is the Greek word pisteuō and can also be translated as trust, believe, or commit.

Jesus, knowing their shallow little hearts, would not commit to these people. They were really there for the snacks. John 2:24 tells us that He knew all men; that includes women.

Know is the Greek word ginōskō, which also means to perceive, understand.

Another example of knowledge comes from Paul's second letter to Timothy. Consider the depth and definition of this paragraph, as Paul explains that it is essential for “young” Timothy to comprehend not only what is to come but also what surrounds us on a daily basis.

Read the passage below. It opens with the term ginōskō and then defines, with multiple terms, what this looks like. 

Then ask yourself: if Timothy or Paul is dealing with people in the church and they are acting like this, what is the problem?

2 Timothy 3:1-9 NASB “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4) treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6) For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9) But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.”

The problem is, they came for the snacks. Obviously, they put on a good show for a time, but like everything else that this world has to offer, they got bored. Getting bored can happen to anyone, and like physical exercise, sometimes you just have to do it. 

Do what? 

Invest ourselves in the truth of God's word. If you have stumbled upon this, and you are silly enough to say, I don't have God's word to study, well, guess what, I have included portions of scriptures in everything I have posted. If you have internet, then you have access to the Word. Try the Blue Letter Bible (Bible Search and Study Tools - Blue Letter Bible) or Bible.com (John 2 | NASB1995 Bible | YouVersion )

There will no longer be any curse upon the earth. Revelation 22: 3-6.

 Revelation 22 begins to repaint the picture of the Holy City because we have moved into the era of the millennial reign of Christ.

The Holy City is where a river begins to flow from under the throne of God and the Lamb. This river splits and grows in width and strength, flowing to the western and eastern seas. We see men fishing with their nets along the banks of these rivers, and we also find the trees of life. It is the leaves of these trees that bring healing to the nations. The street, or perhaps streets; Yes, it seems odd to hear terminology like this, but Scripture speaks of this street in the singular. How could a city 1500 miles square only have one street? The street(s) of the City are made of the purest gold, so much so that the gold seems to be translucent.

Revelation 22 verse 3 tells us there will no longer be any curse upon the earth.

What does that mean? 

Because of the purposeful events that transpired between the cross to the throne, the curse was demolished.

If you cannot grasp the extent of the curse due to Adam's treasonous act, then I suggest you take a moment and read what God said the effects would be.

"Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly, you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." To the woman, He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain, you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Then to Adam, He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil, you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."
(Genesis 3:13-19 NASB)

Here are some highlights of the passage above.

• “I will put enmity (a perpetual hostility and animosity,) between you and the woman.”

  A perpetual battle between humans and Satan

• “between your seed and her seed.”

  Her seed eventually became three things: all the descendants of the woman, as they would all be made in the image of Jesus; Israel – the Jews; and the Followers of Christ.

• “He shall bruise you on the head,”

  No one with common sense sees us walking through this earth without taking at least a bit of a beating from Satan and his cohorts. So let's pretend that the sweet little old lady down the street who prays always does not go through battles; I can guarantee that she has been in pitched battles, but she is not going tell you, as you would not understand.

• “ I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children.”

  This statement would make no sense unless you have had children and it was pain-free.

• “ Cursed is the ground because of you.”

  You shall work it in toil, all the days of your life, and everyone after you. Some would say, Ah, but here is where you stumbled in your logic and explanation for we have machinery. Oh, you think. Have you ever worked in a production nursery or pig farm? Machinery only promotes mass production and waste products that someone else has to process. Nope, we are under a curse, and it is obvious.

• “By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

  And then you die and are forgotten. Of course, some relatives will have fleeting moments of remembrance, but maybe you will be lucky, and others will forget how rude, crass, and angry you were.

Welcome to the curse and the disgusting evil, such as murdering babies in the name of false gods, that blossomed out of it, and this was merely the beginning of evil.

Demolished is an overwhelming and all-encompassing word, but we followers of Christ still go through tribulations. (When I say tribulations, I am NOT talking about the improperly labeled period we call the tribulation, but the things we must go through in our daily lives.)

But if that's the case, why have we continued to live with sin, disease, and mental anguish?

Because Satan's influence on earth extends to the end of the seven years of God's wrath when Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah, and Satan gets locked away for a thousand years. Until the day he gets locked away, he is on a rampage to kill anything that looks like Christ.

It is easily assumed that the fallen angels are also locked away; that implies that the evil actions any human carries out would be solely based upon their memories, lusts, and desires, all of which are an aspect of their broken nature.

Why wouldn't the curse's damage be undone in everybody if there is no longer any curse?

Initially, the only thing that popped into my brain was that the church (those humans that make up the church) gets changed in the process of being caught up to Jesus. Without that Holy alteration, people approaching the millennial kingdom will be unchanged.

A second possible explanation may come from the many generalizations we find throughout the scriptures. An example of a broad-spectrum generalization happens when the "three Hebrew children" are about to be thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar's statue. This command to bow was put forth for everyone, yet Daniel was nowhere to be found. Many have explained that this is a symbolic picture of how God saves us from the wrath that is to come, such as He did with Noah.

That change, associated with the rapture, removes the curse's effects from our bodies and "seems" to remove the drive to sin. No one is being forced to accept the price that Jesus paid for us, but the change that will eventually free us from the curse only comes through an acceptance of Jesus Christ. Sadly, I do not see everyone entering the millennial kingdom, whether by transitioning from the time of wrath or those born during the thousand years, coming to accept Jesus, which will be a problem for them.

But how and why did that change, that alleviates the curse, happen? 

1. When you accepted Jesus Christ, the change initiated and signed you up for the wildest ride you could ever imagine.

2. The change happens during the transition as we ascend into the clouds to meet Jesus. (Those arguing against this point believe we will stand before an angry God in judgment, known to many as the Bema seat.)

Both Revelations 21 and 22 tell us that no evil will be allowed into the kingdom, so it is clear that we cannot bring our brokenness and sin into the Holy City. That tells me that the change of the brokenness, which has tormented our souls, must happen between the earth and our meeting Christ in the air.

Are you beginning to grasp the power of the cross and the obedience of Jesus Christ? 

Only those who are His are going up in the rapture; that will leave an incredible number of people who think they know Jesus behind. Many others will come to acknowledge Christ's rule over their lives, but they will have to pay the violent price of martyrdom. Then, God will gather the martyred to Himself and brings them back to life at the beginning of the millennial reign, where they will rule over the earth with Christ. These people have been changed at some point, and I suspect this change occurred when they were martyred.

Now, what of the nations that are allowed to enter the millennial kingdom? 

Know this, unchanged; they will NOT gain entrance into the Holy City.

Let's continue with Revelation 22:6.

Revelation 22:6 NASB And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.”

As I have migrated through the Revelation, a couple of voices have been echoing in my head; 1,) I look for you every day, and 2,) how much longer, Lord?

The realization that He said this to the Apostle John, these words I am telling you are (pistos and alēthinos) trustworthy and in complete opposition to any fictitious gods and the stories associated with them, stuns me.

Why would He have to say this?

Perhaps it is because, after even short periods, it becomes easy to drift away and lose hope?

I vividly remember the "brother" in Christ who tried to humiliate me and shut me up because I spoke freely of the coming of the Lord with enthusiasm and anticipation. This "brother" said, "you are just a firebrand, trying to stir things up. We have been waiting for the Lord for over two thousand years, and He is NOT coming back for at least forty more years." Around this time frame, one of my pastors said something similar to me. I chose to keep my distance from these two, as they were trying to strip my hope away from me.

How would you perceive God telling you, “these things are faithful and true, and, they are things that must soon take place”?

Faithful – pistos = trustworthy, trusting, and sure.

True – alēthinos = Although it also means trustworthy, Thayer's dictionary conveys that this is the complete “opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended.”

Show – deiknuō = to expose to the eyes; to give evidence or proof of a thing; to show by words or teach.

Bond-servants – doulos = A slave, bondman, man of servile condition. Metaphorically, one who gives himself up to the will of another.

Bond-servant was a term that the Apostle Paul used of himself.

To be honest, this gap between what God calls soon, and how I perceive the soon makes it difficult at times to explain. Just know that He is coming for those who are waiting for Him.

“keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”
(Jude 1:21 NASB)

The gospel of Mark 15:43 records that Joseph of Arimathea was waiting for the kingdom of God. Luke's gospel tells us this.

“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.”
(Luke 12:35-36 NASB)

If you search for the word waiting, you will find at least ten references, within context, that compel us to wait patiently. My dear Mother was waiting for Him. In her case, the Lord took her home through cancer. It is not my place to challenge how or when He will take us home, but I must tell you, I know in my spirit that I will soon hear the blast of the shofar.

Consider this idea of being a bond-servant (doulos.) God spoke to John in terms that not only John could understand, but so could anybody else. The fact that God speaks like this tells me that God is talking to the commoner. It is NOT that God excludes the proud; they do that to themselves.

Another thing about this verse that catches my attention is the word "must.” Look at what the verse says, “ to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.”

When did the countdown timer start running?

When Israel became a nation. So the fig tree has fully leafed out, and Jesus said that when you see these things come to pass, know the time is at hand. Dear Lord, we get so stupid as we scream at each other, "NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR," and yet Jesus tells us that when these signs come to pass, you know. The Apostle Paul informed us that we are NOT in the dark that we should not know, so obviously, we can know, AT LEAST THE SEASON, and folks, we are in the season.

Let me ask you a question, assuming you know baseball when the season begins, do you know who will play in the world series? NO, but by about 13 weeks into the season, you have a pretty good idea. Once the world series begins, how many games do they play? As few as four or many as seven. Why only four? Because one team could sweep the series in four games – as it is a best of seven series. The series has often gone to three and three, so you know that there will be one last game played. How many innings will they play in each game? A minimum of nine, but in tie games, they have gone on for hours, exhausting every potential pitcher in the dugout. So when the series begins, do we know when it will end? Absolutely and it will be spectacular, guaranteed.

Well, we are in the world series, so to speak, and every day, I am watching the teams (nations) rally for a position at the top as the managers move more players around the playing field.

When Gentiles, who do not have the law... Romans 2: 12-21.

 A slight shift in thought, but not really.

The Biblical caption inserted by the translators reads like this:

God's Judgment and the Law

Romans 2:12 CJB  All who have sinned outside the framework of Torah will die outside the framework of Torah, and all who have sinned within the framework of Torah will be judged by Torah.

Who would have sinned outside the law?

The Gentiles/nations. An example of the nations is easily seen when you look at Nineveh; that large city that Jonah had been sent to with the purpose of delivering a message of destruction.

The threat of death sounds rather ominous, but he is making a point that few will catch. It is that these people - the Gentiles world, will not be judged according to the law.

How then will they be judged?

Look at Matthew 25 where you find the sheep and goat judgment. (At this point, we have to apply some logic, as there is no clear, directive that tells us to treat these two groups as the same. Here are some of the reasons I do so.)

What we see in Matthew's account, is a parallel to Revelation, however,

• in Matthew 25:32 we see “All the nations” being gathered before Him, whereas in the Revelation it merely states that the “ the dead, the great and the small” are brought before Him.

• In the gospel of Matthew, it is Jesus who has "segregated" the massive crowd of those who died outside of Christ or the law; and yet, the sheep are shown mercy and given entrance into the kingdom of God. While Revelation 20 does not show us the segregation, it merely speaks of those who received the harsh judgment.

• Those, in Matthew's account, who are stunned by this mercy, ask why.

  The answer from Jesus comes,

• because when I was hungry - you fed me;

• when I was thirsty - you gave me a drink;

• when I was incarcerated - you came and visited me.

All these things Jesus mentions are indicative of persons acting in the nature and character of the Father God; and yet, WE do not perceive them as having known the Father, why?

Because we did not see them doing the appropriate religious thing, in a religious manner. Look closely at what Revelation 20:13-15 tells us.

Revelation 20:13-15 NASB (13) "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. (14) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

These people, just like those in Matthew's account, were judged by their deeds. How odd considering that Paul's gospel plainly states that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ as our savior. Since I can perceive a chain of events, such as the catching away of the church;

• Then it's obvious that neither Matthew's crowd nor the one we see in Revelation 20, have put their FAITH in Christ, at least that is NOT apparent to me.

• These are NOT the martyred saints from the seven-year period, as they were resurrected just as the seven-year period began;

• There is one other thing that stands out, and that is the fact that many of these have lived through the thousand-year reign, chose to fight against Christ one last time, and are now counted among the dead – a number that may go back to Cain and Abel in the garden.

If I focus strictly on those who are deceived and fight against God, one last time, at the end of time, it is hard to perceive that any of those would be found in the book of life, but still, Jesus looks to see if there is any mercy that could be extended to them because of their deeds, which are detailed in Matthew 25.

Do you not yet understand that sin was forgiven at the cross, and this includes these deceived people who came to believe that they could kill God?

Oh, we do not escape judgment, and neither will they, but they will judge according to what they did with Jesus, just as all believers are.

This justification seems almost miraculous but read on.

Romans 2:13 NASB for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

These people have somehow been followers of the law, and they were not Jews. I might put this another way, These people we see in Matthew 25, where they are called sheep, have managed to follow the law written upon their hearts, and the majority of this crowd may have had NO RELIGIOUS experience, as defined by religion. I once heard a missionary state, that even though some of the people groups they encountered had never been contacted by outsiders, they still had standards that they lived by, such as, don't eat other tribe members. If they demonstrated any of the qualities seen in Matthew 25, then Jesus extends mercy to them.

Don't think for a second that God will allow you to bring YOUR garbage into His kingdom, and therefore, somehow, these too will be changed in a twinkling of an eye.

Hey, wait a minute, isn't Romans 2:13 talking about me as well?

It is and you can see that in the phrase “for when Gentiles. If you are NOT a Jew, then you are a Gentile.

Romans 2:14 NLT  Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.

(14 NASB) “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,”

I had originally put forth the NASB because it frequently conveys an understandable account, however, in this case the NASB uses a phrase that portrays those Gentiles as being a law to themselves. I suppose I watched to many cowboy movies when I was young because characters that operated as a law to themselves were the bullies that murdered others just to get their way, and that is not what we are talking about here. For that reason I gave you the NLT translation as well because it says, “they instinctively obey it (that law written upon their hearts,) even if they don't openly accept that the law came from the heart of God.

(Romans 2:15-16 NASB) in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, (16) on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Instinctively is an excellent choice of words as we are so prone to attribute our behavior to that concept instead of accepting personal responsibility. Many, leaning upon their heritage, will say something foolish like, it is just an instinctive within in my heritage to be an angry and violent person.

One more thing I want you to consider before letting go of verses 15-16, and it is this.

• “their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”

They, whoever they are, lived their lives without the benefit of a Bible. An acquaintance of mine would tell you that Jesus cannot return for His church because of that very issue.

Sorry, I do not see it that way, because, as the Amplified Bible conveys,

“They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts and are operating there,” (BBE) “their sense of right and wrong giving witness to it, (CJB) “for their conflicting thoughts sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them.”

With the law written upon their hearts, their hearts provokes them to live by God's moral standards, even if they cannot express that it is God's moral standard living there. So there is no excuse available to them. In other words, they cannot whine about NOT having a printed copy of the scriptures and, therefore, did not know.

Seriously, how many of us have six Bibles and open none of them in an effort to curtail and maintain our lives before God?

And, though our hearts will often judge, when it is not our place to judge, and condemn these at this final throne, to the fires of hell, we refuse to acknowledge that God has the right to show these at the judgment seat, mercy. In order to come to the conclusion that all here must go to hell, we have to set aside the Word of God where it says, “ their thoughts alternately accusing or defending them.”

Consider something. We know that all believers will be “judged,” and yet, you expect mercy. The idea of judgment for the church comes from Romans 14:10, where it plainly states, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. I would like to point out that the word judgment/bema is the same word used to describe the rostrum or podium at the Olympic games where the awards are given for an outstanding performance. You are not here to be judged, as though some part of the body of Christ should be cut off and thrown into the pit of hell. You are safe in the arms of Jesus and thanked for the smallest of efforts. You will be given a crown, which we will delightedly cast before the feet of Jesus, the only one who deserves our accolades.

Why can't you allowthese that God has brought before His throne the same mercy?

It's a rhetorical question that does not demand an answer.

A not-so-friendly approach.

Romans 2:17-21 NASB But

• if you bear the name "Jew"

• and rely upon the Law

• and boast in God,

• (18) and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,

• (19) and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind,

• a light to those who are in darkness,

• (20) a corrector of the foolish,

• a teacher of the immature,

• having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,

• (21) you, therefore, who teach another,

• do you not teach yourself?

• You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?

Note the practical and logical side of this; wouldn't the confident guide, a teacher and corrector of the foolish, teach themselves?

Of course, they would, that is unless they were deluded.

Romans 2:22-23 NASB

• You who say that one should not commit adultery,

  do you commit adultery?

• You who abhor idols,

  do you rob temples?

• (23 CJB) You who take such pride in Torah,

  do you, by disobeying the Torah, dishonor God?— 

If this is the way you live, then you need to know, there is no HONOR in that, and you can see Paul's reaction in verse 24.

“For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written.” (Romans 2:24 NASB)

No wonder the world blasphemes God, we certainly haven't shown them anything.

Romans 2:25 NLT  The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.

But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. I think these words would sting if I was a Jew (I do have some Jewish blood, but I don't count because it comes through my grandfather and not my grandmother. Go figure. Thank God I was adopted.)

Romans 2:26-27 NLT  And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people?  (27)  In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.

Well, Romans 2:26-27 bites, but why?

Because the law of God is written upon the hearts of everyone.

Romans 2:28-29 NLT  For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.  (29)  No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. 

And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; 

rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit.

And how about this: 

a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Do you have a changed heart?