Why does Paul say that the people in view in 1:18-32 are without excuse before God?  (1:20)  Why does Paul say that the people in view in 2:1-11 are without excuse before God?  (2:1)

How do our reactions to others (judgments, etc.) reveal what we really believe about God, and morality, and accountability?

2:1-3 seems to be a warning against judging others.  (As is Matthew 7:1-5.)  How are we to reconcile these texts with other texts that seem to prescribe certain forms of judgment (Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13)?

How would you define the “kindness and forbearance and patience” of God?  (2:4)  What does it mean to “presume on the riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience”?  How can we be careful not to be guilty of this in our lives?

According to 2:4, why does God show kindness and forbearance and patience to his people?  How should we respond in our lives when we experience these forms of grace from God?

What does Paul mean in 2:6 when he says that God will “render to each one according to his works”?  How do we reconcile that verse with other verses in Romans that clearly teach that salvation is not recieved through works, but through faith?  (1:16-17, 3:21-25, 4:4-5, 5:1)

What can we learn from this text about heaven (2:7, 2:10)?  What can we learn from this text about hell (2:8, 2:9)?

Why might a typical Jewish reader in Paul’s day find this text offensive?  How does it confront some of their preconceived notions and sensibilities? 

It was a fairly novel idea that a Jewish person might receive punishment from God (2:9).  Or that a Gentile might receive reward from God (2:10).  Why are these claims significant?  How do they lay the groundwork for Paul’s gospel of justification by faith in Christ?

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