Romans 2:15
in Romans 2So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them);
KJV
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
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This verse in Romans 2
Commentary
14 notes on this verseBut as for his saying "in the hearts," it must not be supposed that the law is said to be written in that member of the body which is called the heart. For how could flesh either put forth such perceptions of prudence, or contain such great storehouses of memory? But it must be understood that the rational power of the soul is customarily called the heart. And the Apostle says that those who hold the law inscribed in their hearts make use of the testimony of a sound conscience.
This site's exposition
do by nature what the law requires
on Romans 2:14-15
Gentiles who never received the law sometimes do what the law requires, by nature. That obedience makes them a law to themselves. Verse 15 says where the law was written for them, on the heart, with conscience bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or defending, a court sitting inside the man.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
The meaning here is that those who believe under the guidance of nature do the work of the law not through the letter but through their conscience. For the work of the law is faith, which, although it is fully revealed in the Word of …
Compare this with 1 John [3:20]: "Dearly beloved, if our own hearts condemn us, God is greater than our conscience."
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue · Written before 523.
proposed
For the man who, though listening not, doeth, is better than the man who is constant in listening and empty of works, even as the word of the apostle Paul teacheth us, "For not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the …
"Which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." See how he again puts that day before them, and brings it close to them, battering down their conceit, and showing, that those were to be the rather honored who without the Law strove earnestly to fulfil the things of the Law. But what is most to be marvelled at in the discretion of the Apostle, it is worth while to mention now. For having shown, from the grounds given, that the Gentile is greater than the Jew; in the inference, and the conclusion of his reasoning, he does not state it, in order not to exasperate the Jew. For the conscience and reason doth suffice in the Law's stead. By this he showed, first, that God made man independent, so as to be able to choose virtue and to avoid vice. And be not surprised that he proves this point, not once or twice, but several times. For this topic was very needful for him to prove owing to those who say, Why ever is it, that Christ came but now? And where in times before was the scheme of Providence? Now it is these that he is at present beating off by the way, when he shows that even in former times, and before the Law was given, the human race fully enjoyed the care of Providence.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts." Of which law? The law in deeds. On the day of judgment our own thoughts will stand forth, now condemning, now justifying, and a person will need at that tribunal neither another …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says who show, he explains how they are a law to themselves. This can be likened to a law presented to man from without and which it is customary to deliver in writing on account of the memory's weakness; whereas, those who …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Their conscience - There is none of all its faculties which the soul has less in its power than this. Bearing witness - In a trial there are the plaintiff, the defendant, and the witnesses. Conscience and sin itself are witnesses against the heathens.
), upon this principle, that that which is the rule of man's obedience is the rule of God's judgment. Three degrees of light are revealed to the children of men:-- 1.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Which show the work of the law written in their hearts,.... Though the Gentiles had not the law in form, written on tables, or in a book, yet they had "the work", the matter, the sum and substance of it in their minds; as appears by the practices of many of them, in their external conversation.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which show - Who thus evince or show. The work of the law - The design, purpose, or object which is contemplated by the revealed Law; that is, to make known to man his duty, and to enforce the obligation to perform it. This does not mean, by any means, that they had all the knowledge which the Law would impart, for then there would have been no need of a revelation, but that, as far as it went, as far as they had a knowledge of right and wrong, they coincided with the revealed will of God.
Which show the work of the law - In acting according to justice, mercy, temperance, and truth, they show that the great object of the law, which was to bring men from injustice, cruelty, intemperance, and falsity, is accomplished so far in them: their conscience also bearing witness - that faculty of the soul, where that Divine light dwells and works, shows them that they are right; and thus they have a comfortable testimony in their own souls of their own integrity: their thoughts, the mean while, accusing, or else excusing one another; or rather, their reasonings between one another accusing or answering for themselves. As if the apostle had said: - And this point, that they have a law and act according to it, is farther proved from their conduct in civil affairs; and from that correct sense which they have of natural justice in their debates, either in their courts of law, or in their treatises on morality. All these are ample proofs that God has not left them without light; and that, seeing they have such correct notions of right and wrong, they are accountable to God for their conduct in reference to these notions and principles. These seems to be the true meaning of this difficult clause. See below.
Modern Voices1 voice
Nothing can be, in the strictest sense of the word, more comic than to set so shadowy a thing as the conjectures made by the vaguer anthropologists about primitive man against so solid a thing as the human sense of sin. By its nature the …
The words behind it
24 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἵτινες | oitines | who | G3748 → | 144 times |
| ἐνδείκνυνται | endeiknuntai | show | G1731 → | 11 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔργον | ergon | work | G2041 → | 168 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νόμου | nomou | law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| γραπτὸν | grapton | written | G1123 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καρδίαις | kardiais | hearts | G2588 → | 156 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | when they | G846 → | 5565 times |
| συμμαρτυρούσης | summarturouses | are bearing witness | G4828 → | 3 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | to them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τῆς | tes | their | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συνειδήσεως | suneideseos | conscience | G4893 → | 30 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μεταξὺ | metaxu | between | G3342 → | |
| ἀλλήλων | allelon | one another | G240 → | 100 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λογισμῶν | logismon | thoughts | G3053 → | |
| κατηγορούντων | kategorounton | accusing | G2723 → | |
| ἢ | e | or | G2228 → | 342 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπολογουμένων, | apologoumenon | presenting a defense | G626 → |
οἵτινεςwho
oitinesG3748 →144 times
ἐνδείκνυνταιshow
endeiknuntaiG1731 →11 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἔργονwork
ergonG2041 →168 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
νόμουlaw
nomouG3551 →192 times
γραπτὸνwritten
graptonG1123 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
καρδίαιςhearts
kardiaisG2588 →156 times
αὐτῶνwhen they
autonG846 →5565 times
συμμαρτυρούσηςare bearing witness
summarturousesG4828 →3 times
αὐτῶνto them
autonG846 →5565 times
τῆςtheir
tesG3588 →19766 times
συνειδήσεωςconscience
suneideseosG4893 →30 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μεταξὺbetween
metaxuG3342 →
ἀλλήλωνone another
allelonG240 →100 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λογισμῶνthoughts
logismonG3053 →
κατηγορούντωνaccusing
kategorountonG2723 →
ἢor
eG2228 →342 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπολογουμένων,presenting a defense
apologoumenonG626 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Titus 1:15To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
it leads to
- Romans 14:14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
- Romans 14:20
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.
- 1 Corinthians 10:23
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.
- Romans 14:14
Through
1 Timothy 4:2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:19
Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
- Ephesians 4:19
Through
2 Corinthians 5:11Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.
it leads to
- Jude 1:23
save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
- Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
- Jude 1:23
Through
2 Corinthians 1:12And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom,…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:13
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Romans
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Epistle to the Romans; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 10; GK Chesterton, All Things Considered, Science and Religion (1908); John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 5; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 1 -- Prologue; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.