Who is judged by which gospel?

Who is judged by which gospel?

QUESTION:

Is Romans 2:16 only referring to those who denied the Paul's gospel during the dispensation of grace? That is my current understanding of Rom 2:16

ANSWER:

Consider the Kingdom gospel. It is based upon the precepts God gave to Israel. It required repentance based on their unbelief and it required water baptism based on the ordinance of washing applied to priests in the Mosaic law. It also required being filled with the Spirit according to the new covenant prophesied in Ezek.36 and Jer.31. So, this gospel had requirements and ordinances specific to Israel and their relationship with God under law.

Now consider Paul's gospel. To be justified by God, it simply required faith in God, and more specifically, faith in His Son. Paul writes,

Rom 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

This grace gospel is not like the Kingdom gospel. All men cannot be held accountable to specific laws and commands given to Israel. Paul's gospel is given to all men. As part of his gospel, Paul writes in Romans 2 that all of us were created with a conscience, something to “accuse” us when we do wrong and something to “excuse” us when we do right. Read Romans 2: “[14] For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: [15] 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; ) [16] In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

In short, the Gentiles (non-Jews) did not have the written or codified Word of God as the Jews had during the Old Testament economy (see Romans 3:1-2). However, those Gentiles will be also held accountable to a holy, righteous God one day because they had some sense of right and wrong in their conscience. As the Word of God will condemn the lost Jews when they give account to the Lord at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), so the conscience of the unsaved Gentiles will testify against them when they are also judged for their sins. For example, they knew it was wrong to steal and kill because that knowledge is innate among all peoples. Any society cannot function and survive if there is disorder and death.

The Gentiles did not have it written down on scrolls or animal skins (as Israel did), but, even in their idolatrous state, they had a God-given conscience and thus had some insight into what actions were acceptable and what conduct was unacceptable. Romans chapter 2 is saying no sinner—Jew or Gentile—will escape the wrath of a just God. None will have an excuse, and none will be able to say, “Do not throw me into the Lake of Fire, God! I did not have a chance to know and believe the truth!” Thus, God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to Paul's 'universal' gospel, which is applicable to all men and all nations, unlike the specific requirements of the Kingdom gospel unique to the Jews under that economy.

FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT:

So, Rom 2:16 has nothing to do with the Judgement Seat of Christ? And what about the gentiles outside of the dispensation of grace? Paul’s gospel wasn’t revealed during the dispensation of the law, so gentiles will just be judged by their works if they never converted(proselyte) right?

ANSWER:

Let's first clarify the groups and what gospel they fall under:

ISRAEL: (all people from Abraham to the end of Acts, who are Abraham's decedents and are circumcised in the flesh and under that covenant) will be judged according to the law. Those who lived in the time of Jesus earthly ministry will be judged by the law and the Kingdom gospel. They are not under Paul's grace gospel. If they meet the necessary requirements of the gospel they were under, they are saved and will be resurrected at the second coming of Christ and enter into the Millennial Kingdom. Those who did not meet the requirements will be raised at the Great White Thone judgement and being found guilty will be cast into the everlasting flames.

EVERYONE ELSE not of Israel: (all people of all nations and all time who are not in the above group) will be judged by Paul's gospel. How can this be if Paul only appears in the Bible in Acts? Well, the gospel of Paul is based on faith in God as described in my first reply and not in the laws given to Israel. Whatever revelation of God that person had at the time they lived, if they believed in that they are saved, if they rejected that revelation of God, they will be lost. You and I, and all those from Paul's day onwards, are accountable to the gospel of God's grace through Jesus Christ as Paul taught it, 1Cor.15:1-4. Those who reject Paul's gospel of Christ will be resurrected at the Great White Thone judgement and being found guilty will be cast into the everlasting flames. Those who believed Paul's gospel of Christ are saved and will participate in the Judgement Seat of Christ that will happen after the rapture. They are members of the Body of Christ, and the judgement seat is a judgement for their reward, not condemnation.

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Parts of this post credited to Matthew McGee here.