Study note

Romans 2:7

To those … doing good … He will give eternal life: Paul explains elsewhere that no one can receive eternal life except as God's gift through faith (3:20, 28; 4:1–8). Here, Paul may be speaking about Christians whose good actions come from faith and will be considered in God’s judgment. Or he may be pointing to God’s perfect standard of holiness, which shows that only complete perfection could bring acceptance before God. As Paul’s argument continues, he shows that no one is able to meet this standard.