For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself.2:2 We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
For you who judge practice the same things.
2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance,
and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?2:5 But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up
for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;2:6 who "will pay back to everyone according to their works:"
2:7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for
glory and honor and incorruptibility, eternal life;2:8 but to those who are self-seeking, and don't obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation,2:9 oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil,
on the Jew first, and also on the Greek.2:10 But glory and honor and peace to every man who works good,
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without
the law.
As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
2:13 For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,
but the doers of the law will be justified
2:14 (for when Gentiles who don't have the law do by nature the things
of the law,
these, not having the law, are a law to themselves,
2:15 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)2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men,
according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ.
vs 1-3 Many self-righteous Jews and Christians as well would shout a loud Amen to Paul's condemnation of Gentile sinners in chapter 1, but now Paul turns to these religious and morally superior types and points the finger at them too. Hypocrisy is quite common among this group. Often what we hate in other people is something is also true of us.
vs 4-5 Why does God tolerate sin for a time? If we do something wrong and get away with it, not experiencing any judgement as an immediate result, we may use this as evidence of God's approval of our actions. But what is happening is that God is giving us time to repent. He is being gracious in withholding his judgement.
This also is an answer to those who say - why doesn't God just prevent evil from happening. If he did, we'd all be dead. For who is without sin. If we take lightly God's graciousness, his judgement will be even worst. So let us repent from our sins.
vs 6-10 is speaking of a righteousness which is by the Law. It is a performance-based righteousness. Paul has yet to introduce the gospel of grace which he doesn't do until Romans 3:21. Here Paul is using the same technique that Jesus used to convict the self-righteous of sin. (Xref: Luke 18:18+; Luke 10:25-28) This was the purpose of the law, as he mentions later:
vs 11-16 God's judgement is impartial and universal regardless of whether you have read the Bible. Under the righteousness of the Law, only the doers are justified. He is speaking hypothetically at this point, not saying that such doers of the Law actually exist. Although there are times when people do the Law - even the Gentiles. But later in chapter 3 he'll conclude that no one does the Law perfectly. All fall short and therefore no one obtains righteousness in this way, a fact which he'll use to introduce another way to obtain righteousness - through faith in Christ.