Romans 2:18

18 you know what God wants you to do, and you have learned from the Law to choose what is right;

Romans 2:18 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 2:18

And knowest his will
Not the secret will or purpose of God; nor his revealed will in the Gospel, for of this they were ignorant; but his declared will in the law, showing what is to be done, and what is not to be done: to know which in express terms was a privilege, that other people had not; but then the bare knowledge of this will be of no avail: for persons may know their Lord's will, as the Jews did, and not do it, and so be worthy to be beaten with many stripes:

and approvest the things that are more excellent:
or "triest the things that differ"; from one another, and from the will and law of God; or as the Syriac, "discernest" (atylw) , "things that are convenient"; agreeable, which are fit and ought to be done: and having tried and discerned them, they approved of them in their judgment as the things more excellent; but then they did not put these excellent things in practice which they approved of; and the knowledge and approbation they had of these things, arose from their

being instructed out of the law,
and not the Gospel; for the excellent things of the Gospel, they had no discerning, knowledge and approbation of; see ( Philippians 1:10 ) .

Romans 2:18 In-Context

16 And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all.

17 What about you? You call yourself a Jew; you depend on the Law and boast about God;

18 you know what God wants you to do, and you have learned from the Law to choose what is right;

19 you are sure that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in darkness,

20 an instructor for the foolish, and a teacher for the ignorant. You are certain that in the Law you have the full content of knowledge and of truth.