The context of Romans 2
In the first three chapters of his letter to the Romans, Paul establishes the theological truths that all human beings are sinners (3:23), and that therefore all deserve the wrath of God, and that all are saved in the same way— “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (3:24).GP 15.4
Paul begins his argument in the latter part of chapter 1, where he repeatedly states that because the Gentiles have refused to acknowledge God, He has “given them up” to their own lusts and passions (see 1:24, 26, 28). They are sinners and therefore “worthy of death” (1:32). Next he turns to the Jews. They would agree with him regarding what he said about the Gentiles, but he tells them, “you are inexcusable” for “in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things” (2:1). They are no better than the Gentiles when it comes to obeying God—although they have a greater understanding of God’s standard than the Gentiles, they still do evil. Paul sums up his argument in chapter 3: “All [Gentiles and Jews] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23).GP 15.5
The issue in Romans 2:11-16 is the accountability—not the salvation— of Jews and Gentiles. The fact that God is no respecter of persons (verse 11) is illustrated by what Paul says in verse 12. “As many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.” Those “without law” are the Gentiles, who do not have the written law that God gave the Israelites on Mount Sinai. However, the Gentiles won’t perish because they didn’t have the written law. They will perish because they are sinners.GP 16.1
On what basis can they be said to be sinners? They are sinners because they have transgressed against the law “written in their hearts, their conscience” (2:15). What is written in their hearts is not the new covenant mentioned in Jeremiah 31:31-34 but the deeds or conduct required by the law. Jack Blanco’s expanded paraphrase of Romans 2:15 says, “They give evidence that the principles of the law are written in their hearts because their consciences are guided by God.” Among the Gentiles, conscience performed the same function as the law performed among the Jews.GP 16.2
This passage, therefore, cannot be used to argue that the Gentiles who have never heard the gospel will be saved on the basis of their obedience to their conscience, because this would be salvation by works. Furthermore, we must remember that this passage is not speaking about salvation but about judgment (2:16). Paul contrasts two groups of people, the privileged Jews, who have the written law of God, and the less privileged Gentiles, who do not. How can God be fair to both and judge them impartially? Each, says Paul, will be judged by the method appropriate to their case. The Jews will be judged by the written law and the Gentiles by the unwritten law of their conscience. Judged in this way, both groups will be found to be sinners. The Jews, it will be found, have sinned against the written law of God, and the Gentiles have sinned against the unwritten law of their conscience. The outcome, therefore, is the same for both groups—they are all sinners, and they are all lost. Each can be saved only through the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross.GP 16.3
The statement that the Gentiles “do by nature the things in the law” refers to the fact that even pagans practice things stipulated by the law of God, “such as the pursuit of lawful vocations, the procreation of offspring, filial and natural affection, the care of the poor and sick, and numerous other natural virtues which are required by the law.” In that sense they “are a law to themselves” (2:14)—in other words, they have a general knowledge of God’s requirements for a virtuous life. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that even if a Gentile lived up to all the law that his conscience reveals to him, this could not save him because that would be salvation by works, something Paul clearly denies. Throughout his writings Paul hammers home the truth that “a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28; see also Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8, 9; etc.).GP 17.1
One of the purposes of the written law, as well as of the law of conscience, is to provide a basis for God’s judgment. While the Gentiles have no explicit knowledge of the written law, God can still judge them “in the day when God will judge the secrets of men” (Romans 2:16) because they have transgressed against their conscience-law. On Judgment Day no one will have an excuse; no one will be able to say, “Lord, how can You judge me? I didn’t know anything about Your law.” That day will reveal that all, Jews and Gentiles alike, have sinned, because ” ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’ ” (Romans 3:10).GP 17.2
Thus, Romans 2 is in harmony with the general teaching of the rest of Scripture. There is only one way of salvation—Jesus Christ (see John 14:6). ” ‘This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’ ” (John 17:3). Paul therefore says, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8, RSV).GP 17.3
Jesus’ commission, ” ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations’ ” (Matthew 28:19), and the knowledge that there is only one way of salvation (see Acts 4:12) have comprised the driving force behind Christian mission. The conviction that people will be lost unless they hear the gospel has sent thousands of missionaries into lands where the name of Christ was unknown.GP 17.4
Does this mean that everyone who doesn’t hear the gospel is therefore automatically lost?GP 17.5