What Does Romans 14:12 Mean?
What does Romans 14:12 mean in context?
Romans 14:12, which says, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” has caused many believers confusion and fear because in other verses we discover that believers will not be brought into judgment.
For example, Jesus said in John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
In this article, let’s look at Romans 14:12 in context to discover what Paul meant when he wrote that each one will give an account to God.
In context, Paul begins Romans 14 by addressing two groups of people, and he continues to address these two groups in Romans 15:1-16:
Group #1: Those with weak faith.
Group #2: Those with strong faith.
Group #1 consists of believers relating to God through a mixture of law and grace. They have faith in Jesus for salvation and righteousness; however, they daily observe specific parts of the law of Moses, such as what they can eat and a specific day, probably the Sabbath day.
Group #2 consists of believers relating to God in the freedom of grace – all that God has done in Christ to bring them salvation and righteousness, knowing their relationship with God is not about observing the dietary laws of Moses or observing certain days.
The believers in Rome consisted of both groups. Paul is writing to bring unity, peace, and joy in their relationships with one another.
Based on the context of Romans 14 and 15, it seems that Group #1 consisted mostly of Jewish believers and some Gentile believers who were established in the law of Moses and continued in the practices of the law, though they were trusting Jesus for salvation and righteousness.
It seems Group #2 was mainly Gentile believers and some Jewish believers relating to God totally in grace, without observing any of the law of Moses.
The two groups different ways of relating to God brought conflict.
The conflict arose from the criticism or judgment of one group about the other group concerning disputable matters (Romans 14:1), or issues of the law that were not right or wrong but were open for a person to observe or not observe without either group being right or wrong.
Paul wrote in Romans 14-15 about several ways this conflict and criticism could be resolved and unity, peace, and joy could be experienced among the groups. Let’s look at these ways.
#1: Because God has accepted them, you accept them.
Paul writes in Romans 14:3 that because God has accepted, welcomed, or received both groups, then each group should accept each other as well. Since God does not judge or criticize the different ways each group relates to him, but receives them as his own, then those in each group should not reject, criticize, or judge the other group, but welcome them as fellow believers in Jesus, though they have different ways of relating to God.
Paul writes in Romans 14:1, 3, and 15:7-12 that since Christ accepts each group, though each group has different ways of relating to him, then each group should accept those in the other group. The Jews should accept the Gentiles who do not observe the law, and the Gentiles should accept the Jews who observe parts of the law, and neither should look down on the other or demand the other relate to God as they do.
Let’s look at the second way Paul wrote in Romans 14-15 about how to resolve the conflict and criticism among the law and grace believers so that division could end and peace could begin.
#2: Because the Lord Jesus is their judge, you should not be.
Paul writes in Romans 14:4-12 that since Jesus is the judge of believers, they should not sit in judgment upon each other concerning disputable matters – matters of the law that are not right or wrong but were open for a person to observe or not observe, such as what one can eat and the observance of a specific day.
This leads us to the following verses that have brought much confusion and fear to believers.
Paul writes in Romans 14:10-12,
You [those in Groups #1 and #2], then, why do you judge your brother or sister [about following or not following parts of the law]? Or why do you treat them with contempt [look down upon them for following or not following parts of the law]? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written [in Isaiah 45:23]:
“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” [Isaiah 45:23]
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
In speaking about judgment, Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 from the Jewish Scriptures.
It is important to understand Isaiah 45 if we are to understand Paul’s point in quoting Isaiah 45:23 concerning judgment.
Let’s examine Isaiah 45.
Isaiah 45 begins with God telling Cyrus, the Persian King (modern-day Iran), that he [Cyrus] would allow the people of Israel to return from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and temple (Isaiah 44:28). Amazingly, this prophecy was foretold about 200 years before Cyrus lived. The fulfillment of the prophecy is recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:22–23.
In Isaiah 45, God not only reveals to Isaiah the restoration of Israel, but he also reveals the future salvation of the Gentiles when they would turn from idols as their gods to Yahweh (Lord) as their God.
In the context of Isaiah 45, the restoration of Jews was for the purpose of bringing the revelation of God to the ends of the earth for salvation (Isaiah 45:6; 22). The ends of the earth meant to all the Gentiles.
About this salvation, Isaiah 45:21-22 says [NKJV]:
And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow [Jews and Gentiles], Every tongue shall take an oath [Jews and Gentiles will proclaim to God]. He [those bowing their knees and saying with their tongues] shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord [Yahweh] I have righteousness and strength [strength is translated as glory in the Septuagint - the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek].’
In these verses, we see that Gentiles will recognize Israel’s God as the true God and will turn to him for righteousness and salvation, with every tongue, both Jews and Gentiles together, acknowledging that only in Yahweh does one have righteousness.
Isaiah writes of this righteousness and salvation in Isaiah 45:8 [NIV]
“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it.”
Notice the connection between God’s righteousness and his salvation.
Remember, we are seeking to understand Romans 14:12 in context, which says, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
Prior to writing that each person will give an account to God, Paul quoted Isaiah 45:23, which says, “As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.”
Romans 14 comes after Paul has taught in Romans about salvation through God’s righteousness that comes by faith for both the Jew and the Gentile. Paul writes in Romans 1:16-17,
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
The righteousness and salvation that Isaiah spoke of in Isaiah 45 has come to earth though Jesus and is available to everyone on earth, both Jew and Gentile. God’s righteousness that brings salvation is received by faith in Jesus, since Jesus took our sinfulness on the cross and now freely offers us his righteousness that is received by faith in him (Romans 3:21-26).
Let’s read once again what Isaiah 45:21-24 says about salvation and righteousness for both Jews and Gentiles, this time focusing on what every tongue [Jews and Gentiles] will confess or acknowledge.
And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath [proclaim]. He shall say [confess, acknowledge], ‘Surely in the Lord [Yahweh] I have righteousness and strength [strength is translated as glory in the Septuagint - the Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures].’
What is it that everyone, every tongue, will confess or acknowledge?
Everyone, meaning Jews and Gentiles together, will confess that “I have righteousness in the Lord and in his righteousness I glory [boast].”
Let’s look at how Isaiah 45 concludes by reading three different translations of Isaiah 45:25.
Brenton Septuagint Translation
By the Lord shall they [Jews and Gentiles] be justified, and in God shall all the seed of the children of Israel be glorified.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
All the seed of Israel shall be glorified in me and shall be declared righteous.
New American Standard Bible
In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will boast.
Notice the word justified.
Both Jews and Gentiles are justified by God’s righteousness, not their own righteousness – since no one has any righteousness to justify them.
Justified is the main word Paul used in Romans when he says that a person is justified by faith, meaning declared by God to be innocent of all sins (righteous) the moment a person trusts in Jesus.
In Romans, Paul makes the point that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, all are sinners and are saved the same way – by grace through faith in Jesus who took our sinfulness at the cross and offers us his righteousness as a gift that is received by faith.
God in Isaiah 45:21-25 announces this saving message of righteousness for the world.
In Romans, Paul explains the saving message of righteousness (justification) that came through Jesus by grace when he took our sinfulness upon the cross and freely offers us his righteousness as a gift that is received by faith.
This is what Paul is referring to in Romans 14:11 when he quotes Isaiah 45:23, “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”
In the context of Isaiah 45:23, we see that what people will acknowledge with their words (tongue) is that “in the Lord is my righteousness.” And in his righteousness will they glory or boast, not boasting in their own righteousness.
So how does this help us understand what Paul wrote it Romans 14:12?
Remember, Romans 14:12 states: “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
The word account is the Greek word logos which means to speak words, to say something, to make a statement, or to proclaim a message. It is used in each of these ways starting with Matthew and going through 1 Peter.
With this in mind, what will each believer of Romans 14:12 speak, say, state, or proclaim to God when they bow their knee to acknowledge God? According to Isaiah 45:24, each believer will say: “He shall say, ‘Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength.’”
In Romans 14:12, Paul is reinforcing what he has written in most of Romans about righteousness – that God’s righteousness is a gift of grace which is received by faith in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile.
In the context of Romans 14:12, conflict and criticism had broken out between two groups.
Group #1 is the group that has placed their faith in Jesus for salvation and righteousness but continues to observe parts of the law, such as observing special diets and days associated with the law of Moses. This group probably consisted mostly of Jews.
Group #2 is the group that has placed their faith in Jesus for salvation and righteousness yet does not observe any parts of the law. This group probably consisted mostly of Gentiles.
Consequently, we see tremendous conflict between Jews and Gentiles because of the critical, judgmental spirit existing within them toward each other because of observing or not observing parts of the law.
In context, Paul writes to end the conflict and criticism between the two groups and to establish peace between them. He states several ways to do this.
One way was to accept one another because God accepts each group. He also says that Jesus is their judge, so they should stop judging one another.
When Paul writes that Jesus is their judge, he says the Lord is able to make them stand (Romans 14:4).
What is Paul referring to with this statement, the Lord is able to make them stand?
Paul is referring to standing righteous before God on the day of judgment (Romans 14:10).
On this day, believers in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, will make the statement that their righteousness is from God, boasting only in his righteousness.
This is consistent with Romans 5:1-2, which says:
Therefore, since we have been justified [declared innocent of sin, righteous] through faith [in Jesus], we [both Jew and Gentile] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
The Lord makes them stand righteous in judgment because they have received by faith his gracious offer of righteousness. They now stand in grace, resulting in peace with God on judgment day.
In Romans 14 and 15, Paul is seeking to bring peace between the believing Jews who continue to observe parts of the law of Moses and the Gentiles who do not observe the law of Moses. Mixed in with the Jews (Group #1) were Gentiles who kept parts of the law. And mixed in with the Gentiles (Group #2) were Jews who did not keep parts of the law (Paul was a Jew who did not keep the law as a means for relating to God – Romans 14:14).
Both groups consisted of individuals who on judgment day will acknowledge God and make the statement or speak the words that their righteousness is in Jesus. Therefore, since the righteousness of those in Group #1 is in Jesus, and since the righteousness of those in Group #2 is in Jesus, which is what they both will declare with their tongues, their words, on the day of judgment - when they declare their righteousness is in Jesus - they should seek peaceful relationships with one another. What they have in common is their righteousness in Jesus; therefore they should not allow their differences concerning the law divide them.
Jesus will judge both groups as righteous because those in both groups have believed in Jesus for salvation and righteousness. They will stand in grace as justified, righteous on the day of judgment.
As a result, each group should no longer criticize the other group for observing or not observing parts of the law, since they share the common belief that righteousness is by faith in Jesus, which is what they will proclaim on the day of judgment (Isaiah 45:21-25; Romans 14:10-12).
Some may ask, “Why does Paul only quote Isaiah 45:23 and not verse 45:24 in Romans 14?”
It could be that he is writing to believers who were familiar with Isaiah 45 and God’s plan to provide righteousness and salvation to all the earth - both Jews and Gentiles. It is highly probable Paul understood his audience knew that what they would confess to God was that their righteousness was in him alone (Isaiah 45:23-24). Therefore, since his audience was familiar with Isaiah 45:23, he did not feel the need to quote the entire verse.
We can be assured, however, that when quoting Isaiah 45:23, Paul had all the verses in mind, which is that both believing Jews and Gentiles would declare on judgment day that their righteousness is in Jesus alone. This is the message Paul taught and is the message that God desired to unify Jew and Gentiles in an environment of joy and peace.
In Romans 14 and 15, Paul appeals to Group #2, the grace group, to take the initiative in creating peaceful relationships with those in Group #1, the mixed law and grace group, by limiting their freedom in love when around those of Group #1. Paul is asking those in Group #2, the spiritually mature group, to not flaunt their freedom in the faces of those in Group #1, but rather to limit their freedom in their presence so as to not cause them to violate their conscience and stumble, and so they all can enjoy peaceful and encouraging relationships.
So how are we to understand Romans 14:12 in context?
Romans 14:12 says, “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
Paul is speaking to both groups of Jewish and Gentile believers, stating that each person in each group will give an account to God concerning themselves, not how they treated those in each group.
So was is the account they will give concerning themselves?
The word account means to speak words, make a statement, or proclaim a message. Based upon the context of Isaiah 45, specifically Isaiah 45:23-24, the accounting the will give to God, the words they will speak to God, the statement they will make to God, or the message they will proclaim to God is: “My righteousness is in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in his righteousness I boast.”
It is this message of righteousness in Jesus for both Jew and Gentile that Paul wanted both groups to understand, thus bringing unity, peace, and joy to their relationships by ending the conflict and criticism over observing or not observing parts of the law.
In Paul’s logic, if members of each group were going to proclaim the same message of their righteousness in Jesus on the day of judgment in the future, then they should allow this proclamation to unite them everyday in the present rather than being divided over the law. They should give one another the freedom to practice the law or not practice the law; and in this freedom, they could concentrate on what they have in common - righteousness by grace through faith in Jesus - and, therefore, they could experience peace and joy in their relationships rather than conflict and criticism.
