So 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
Parallel translations
- WEB in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves 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;)
- NKJV who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
- NASB in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
- NLT They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They show the law's work written on their hearts, with conscience and thoughts accusing or defending them. Conscience bears witness that all know God's moral standard.
Overview
Continuing v.14, Paul explains that the Gentiles' moral awareness reveals 'the work of the law written in their hearts.' Their conscience and internal moral reasoning, sometimes accusing and sometimes excusing, testify to this inner knowledge. This universal witness of conscience confirms that no one is truly ignorant of right and wrong, leaving all accountable to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 2 Cor 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.
- 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.
- 2 Cor 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, but in the grace of God.
- Rom 1:18–19The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
- Job 27:6I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.
- Rom 9:1I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Tim 4:2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.
- 1 Jn 3:19–21And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:
- 1 Kgs 2:44The king also said, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head.
- Gen 20:5Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
- Acts 24:16In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.
- Eccl 7:22For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
- Gen 42:21–22Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
- Gen 3:8–11Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
- John 8:9When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.
- Acts 23:1Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 2:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.