ACC ~ Romans 2 v15

WHAT IS WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS? ORIGEN: “Written on their hearts” should not be taken too literally. What Paul calls the heart is the rational faculty of the soul.

It is also necessary to discuss what Paul means by the word conscience. Is it something distinguishable from the heart or from the soul? … Conscience is the spirit which the apostle says is with the soul, according to which we have been instructed in the higher things. This spirit or conscience is linked to the soul as a teacher and guide to point out what things are best and to reprove and condemn faults. The apostle was speaking of it when he said: “What person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him?” COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

THE DEFENSE OF CONSCIENCE IN FINAL JUDGMENT. AMBROSIASTER: The meaning here is that those who believe under the guidance of nature do the work of the law not through the letter but through their conscience. For the work of the law is faith, which, although it is fully revealed in the Word of God, also shows itself to be a law for the natural judgment. Faith goes beyond what the law commands. Faith trusts in Christ. These people believe because of the inner witness of their conscience, because they know in their conscience that what they believe is right. It is not disjunctive for the creature to believe and worship his Creator, nor is it absurd for the servant to recognize his Lord.

Unbelieving Gentiles will be judged first of all by other believing Gentiles, just as the Lord said that his disciples would judge the unbelieving Jews: “They themselves will be your judges.”The unbelief of the Jews will be judged by the faith of the apostles who, although Jews themselves, believed in Christ while the rest of their people rejected him. Similarly the Gentiles will be accused by their own thoughts if, touched by the faith and power of the Creator, they refuse to believe. But if because of some foolishness a man does not think to believe the words or deeds of the Lord, his conscience will defend him on the day of judgment, because he did not think that he was obliged to believe. He will be judged not as an intentional malefactor but as one who was merely ignorant. … It is Christians to whom Paul is referring when he speaks of accusing and excusing on the day of judgment. Those who differ from the true church, either because they think differently about Christ or because they disagree about the meaning of the Bible in the tradition of the church (e.g., Montanists, Novatianists, Donatists and other heretics) will be accused by their own thoughts on the day of judgment. Likewise one who recognizes that the Christian faith is true but refuses to follow it so as not to appear that he has been corrected and who is ashamed to depart from what he has so long held will be accused by his own thoughts on the day of judgment. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE CARE OF PROVIDENCE. CHRYSOSTOM: Conscience and reason take the place of the law. By saying this, Paul showed that God made persons independent, giving them the freedom to choose virtue and avoid vice. Do not be surprised that he proves this point, not once or twice but several times. He had to do this in order to counter those who said: “Why did Christ delay his coming so long? Where was this great scheme of providence before Christ came?” … But even before the law was given the human race enjoyed the care of providence.

Why does Paul insert the words accuse or perhaps excuse?If they have a written law and do what it says, how can their thoughts still accuse them? Paul is not speaking here of the righteous only but of all mankind. For then our thoughts do pass judgment, some excusing us and others accusing. And at that tribunal, one needs no other accuser. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 5.

OUR CONSCIENCE. AUGUSTINE: Compare this with 1 John [3:20]: “Dearly beloved, if our own hearts condemn us, God is greater than our conscience.” AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 10.

THE WITNESS OF CONSCIENCE. PELAGIUS: Nature produces a law in their hearts through the witness of their conscience. Or it may mean that the conscience testifies to the fact that it has its own law, because even if the sinner is afraid of no one the conscience is worried when he sins and rejoices when that sin is overcome. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

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