Section 2:1–16
The unbelieving hypocrite must change his thinking
In all of chapter two, Paul wrote as if to someone who disagreed with him. He used the singular “you” throughout the chapter. This form of teaching is called a “diatribe.” Only one person is talking (or writing), but it is as if two people are talking back and forth, asking and answering questions, making objections and responding. Using this diatribe, Paul rebuked those who judged others improperly. The person whom Paul spoke to here was not a believer. His evil deeds store up God’s wrath against him (2:5), and his sins will cause him to perish (2:12).
In this section, Paul addressed someone who judged others as bad but did the same things (2:1). God would punish such a person (2:2–3); it is according to what a person has done (2:6–11) and according to the knowledge of God that a person has (2:12–15).
Here are other possible headings for this section:
The person who does not believe and judges other people as bad yet does the same things
-or-
Hypocritical people who do not believe in Jesus
Paragraph 2:1–4
2:1a
Paul later described this person, whom he addresses as “O man,” as someone who did not believe in Jesus. This person’s evil deeds stored up God’s wrath against him (2:5), and his sins would cause him to perish (2:12). He was of the same group as the group Paul described in 1:18–32, people who do not believe in Jesus.
This verse starts a new chapter. Readers may not see that this person was not a believer. You may want to:
• Make the section heading clearly refer to a person who does not believe. See the current suggested section heading and the suggested alternatives.
• Add a footnote on “you” or “O man” to explain. Here is an example footnote:
Paul spoke to a person who did not believe in Jesus here. This person was an example of this kind of hypocrite.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another: The pronoun You is singular. See description above in Section 2:1–16. Paul did not have just one person in mind here, because many people were doing this. Consider how to make that clear in your language.
In some languages a footnote to explain would be helpful to the readers. Here is an example footnote:
Paul now wrote about people who judge others as bad people yet do the same bad things.
You, therefore, have no excuse: The Greek phrase is more literally “Therefore, you have no excuse, O man.” The term of address (“O man”) is not at the beginning of the sentence. In some languages it is more natural to have the term of address first, as in the Berean Standard Bible. For example:
O man, you therefore have no excuse
You: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as You is literally “O man” (English Standard Version). The word Paul uses is not excluding women from what he said here. In some languages it is more natural to use a word or phrase that includes women. For example:
O person
-or-
my friend (Good News Translation)
therefore: This conjunction introduces a conclusion from what Paul wrote in 1:18–32. God is angry with the evil that people do (1:18), so now Paul wrote that God is also angry with people who judge other people unfairly (2:1).
have no excuse: The word excuse refers to an explanation of behavior when asked about that behavior. In this case, it indicates that the judging person might give reasons why he thinks it is right to judge others in this way. But Paul knew that this person had no good reason for his judging attitude. His judging in this way was still wrong. Here are other ways to translate this word:
you have no defence (Revised English Bible)
-or-
you have no answer ⌊for this⌋
-or-
you have nothing with-which-to-answer God
See how you translated the word excuse in 1:20.
pass judgment: This word refers to looking at someone’s behavior and deciding whether it is good or bad and whether the person deserves to be punished for it. The people that Paul wrote to here think of themselves as the judge of others’ actions, with the right to decide about their guilt. But they had no authority to do that. Here are other ways to translate this word:
says is guilty
-or-
accuse others of doing wrong (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
criticizes
2:1b
For: This conjunction introduces the reason why the judging people had no excuse. Here is another way to translate this word:
because
Some English versions omit this conjunction (perhaps because of another “because” in 2:1c) and allow the context to indicate the connection.
on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself: The Greek is literally “in what you judge the other, you condemn yourself.” These people did the same things (2:1c) that they condemn in others, so they condemn themselves in that way. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty (New Century Version)
-or-
When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself (New Living Translation (2004))
are condemning yourself: The word condemning usually indicates that a judge has decided how to punish the guilty person. Here it indicates that these people, by judging others, have indicated that they themselves are worthy of punishment. Here are other ways to translate this word:
say that you yourself should be punished
-or-
declare yourself worthy to be punished
-or-
proclaim that someone should punish you
2:1c
because you who pass judgment do the same things: The phrase you who pass judgment again describes the person that Paul addressed as you. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
you who judge practice the same things (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
you, as judge, do the same deeds
Some English versions omit the phrase pass judgment because that meaning is already present in this verse and it makes 2:1c easier to read. For example:
you are guilty of doing the very same things (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you do the same things they do (New Century Version)
who pass judgment: The Greek words here are “the one judging.” The words indicate that these people often judge others. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
judging one
-or-
who judge (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
who judge ⌊others⌋ ⌊as bad⌋
do: Here the Greek word refers to doing something. Here are other ways to translate this word:
practice (English Standard Version)
-or-
are doing
See how you translated this word in 1:32.
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