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,
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;)
- BSB 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
- 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)
- 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 5:11Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God; and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.
- Titus 1:15To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
- 2 Cor 1:12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.
- Rom 1:18–19For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
- Job 27:6I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
- Rom 9:1I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Tim 4:2through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;
- 1 Jn 3:19–21And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,
- 1 Kgs 2:44The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to David my father. Therefore Yahweh will return your wickedness on your own head.
- Gen 20:5Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister?’ She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.”
- Acts 24:16Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
- Eccl 7:22for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
- Gen 42:21–22They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”
- Gen 3:8–11They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
- John 8:9They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
- Acts 23:1Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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
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