The unrighteousness of moralists
Paul has just finished a graphic section indicting the Gentiles for their grievous sins and obvious lack of righteousness. Because they turned their backs on him, God gave them over to all sorts of disgusting sins and degrading vices.
In the present section, Paul envisions a person who agrees with Paul’s denunciation of these evildoers. In effect the person says, “You’re right, Paul. People who do things like that are definitely out of God’s good graces. They deserve the dreadful fate that’s in store for them.”
The moralist’s approach rests on the principle that people have to lead better lives if their status before God is to improve. His assumption is that he himself knows what is better and that he is doing so. He fancies himself as having more righteousness than others. That’s why he can criticize others and presume to give them advice on how to improve. Paul’s response is, Wait a minute! Watch out—lest by the approach you’re using, you actually condemn yourself.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?
With supposed superiority, the moralist passes judgment on someone else. In this instance he is condemning the evil actions Paul has identified as characteristic among the Gentiles. Paul does not dispute the correctness of the moralist’s assessment of the situation.
Paul agrees, “Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.” The Gentiles’ sins deserve punishment. The problem, however, is that the moralist, in his arrogance and presumption, doesn’t see that he himself is committing the same kind of sins. In doing so, he falls under the same condemnation—in fact, under his own condemnation.
Paul exposes both the moralist’s arrogance and faulty logic when he asks, “So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” In Paul’s mind there is absolutely no doubt that the moralist, with his present mind-set, will not escape God’s just judgment. But the moralist doesn’t know that and doesn’t agree. He’s going to protest, But I’m not doing the same things as those Gentiles!
Hence, good teacher that he is, Paul asks a follow-up question to get at the heart of the matter. Paul continues, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”
The main problem is that the moralist has an unrepentant heart—and understandably so. He has been comparing his life and conduct to the depraved conduct of the Gentiles. He’s not doing the gross things they do; therefore, he feels self-righteously superior. Trusting in his relatively more moral life, he thinks he’s fine with God just as he is.
But he’s been comparing himself to the wrong standard. Instead of looking at Gentile misbehavior, he should have been looking to the kindness, tolerance, and patience of a loving God, who takes care of him day in and day out. He should have been recognizing his obligation to love the Lord with his whole heart, soul, and mind.
He has not done this. Instead, by ignoring this kind, tolerant, and patient God, he has actually been doing just the opposite of loving God. He’s been “show[ing] contempt” for the richness of God’s grace. As such, he’s no better than the Gentiles who “suppress[ed] the truth by their wickedness” (1:18), who “neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (1:21), and who “did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God” (1:28).