Romans 2:12 Meaning and Explanation
“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Those who sin apart from the law perish apart from it, and those under the law are judged by it; each is answerable to what they were given.
What Does Romans 2:12 Mean?
Paul explains how impartial judgment works across different situations. Some sinned without the written law of Moses; others sinned within it. Each, he says, is judged in keeping with the light they actually had.
This guards God's fairness on every side. No one is condemned for failing a standard they never received, yet no one escapes accountability for the light they did have. The measure fits the gift. God's justice is exact and tender at once, judging each person not by another's advantage but by their own faithfulness to what was entrusted to them.
Romans 2:12 in the Original Language
anomos (ἀνόμως), 'without law' -- apart from the possession of the written law, describing those outside the covenant of Moses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 2:12
What does Romans 2:12 mean?
Those who sin apart from the law perish apart from it, and those under the law are judged by it; each is answerable to what they were given.