We need to go back to the previous chapter from the book of Romans in order to determine whether the word "works" refers to the ceremonial law or the moral law:
No, we don't need to, because I already proved it; but will gladly keep showing you the truth with the other scriptures too.
"For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Ro.3:20).
Paul talks about the whole law, the works of the law that purifies/justifies a person, and the part of the law that are the works of the law that teaches what sin is and what to do and what not to do.
You are not catching this when you read the scriptures.
Please read this:
Romans 3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Now do you see where Paul says as a teacher of Jesus, how a person is JUSTIFIED by FAITH apart from the WORKS OF THE LAW? The WORKS OF THE LAW that justified a person before Jesus came, they were justified by the purification works that the people HAD TO DO to get cleaned/justified---but now THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS' SHED BLOOD on the cross CLEANING us, PURIFYING US---we no longer have to do those works of the law to clean us.
Now read how Paul then says do we nullify the law by this faith, no, we uphold the law.
That is Paul now speaking of the other works of the law. We uphold the 'do not' commands, such as do not commit adultery, etc, but we DO NOT do the things for which a CIRCUMCISED person used to have to do, such as the various baths, the special diet, the observance of special days, the going to the priest, and the sacrifice of animals.
Here the words "no human being" must include both Gentiles and Jews. So the words "the law," which refer to the Law of Moses, cannot be a correct translation since the Gentiles were never given the Law of Moses:
The Gentiles could have converted and did the purification works of the law.
"When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them" (Ro.2:14-15).
The law is the whole law WITH the purification/ceremonial works that purifies the person, it justifies them.
So now you must see that you are mixing up the two things, just like Peter says the unlearned do, and just like what James says the foolish do.
Just look at the works James is speaking about when he says faith without works is dead.
James isn't talking about the purification/ceremonial works; he is talking about doing right.
Peter in 2 Peter 3:16, 17 isn't speaking of the purification works; he is talking about doing right.
In Romans 2 which you quoted is about doing right and not doing wrong. Just read what Paul says. Paul brings up adultery and stealing! That is about the doing right and not doing wrong.
That is the type of works that James and Peter are talking about, but the foolish and unlearned misunderstand Paul and think when he says 'not of works' that it means not of doing right, like not stealing and not committing adultery.
Read carefully what Paul says in these next scriptures.
Notice that Paul speaks about boasting in the law? That is about boasting in circumcision and doing the other purification works.
Now notice where Paul says BUT DO YOU who are CIRCUMCISED also STEAL or COMMIT ADULTERY.
See how Paul brings up CIRCUMCISION, a purification works of the law, and THEN SPEAKS OF STEALING AND ADULTERY.
Learn to tell the difference of the works Paul is speaking about.
Paul would NEVER EVER preach we are saved by faith and not doing right.
The Jews and the Law
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;
19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—
21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
[b]
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the
[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
You see, Paul is comparing a CIRCUMCISED Jew with UNCIRCUMCISED Gentiles who know right from wrong.
Since the Gentiles do not have the Law of Moses then the following is the correct translation of Romans 3:20:
"wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin" (Ro.3:20; Young's Literal Translation).
That is about the works of the law that came from Moses such as CIRCUMCISION, the dietary laws, the various baths, the sacrifice of animals.
Read the scriptures just above the one you quoted, it is about how the Jews would do the purification works BUT STILL SIN.
God did not like it that the Jews would do the purification works to purify themselves, but they would still sin.
Paul is NOT saying anything against people who obey by not committing adultery and stealing, etc. PAUL IS SPEAKING ABOUT HOW CIRCUMCISION and the OTHER PURIFICATION WORKS OF THE LAW IS NOT THE WAY to get cleaned anymore.
We read, "
through law is a knowledge of sin." In regard to the Gentiles the law which is a knowledge of sin is the moral law. That is the only law to which the conscience bears witness.
In regard to the Jews it is the Ten Commandments which is a knowledge of sin, as witnessed by the following words of Paul found later in the same epistle:
"What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'" (Ro.7:7).
The law which says, "You shall not covet," is one of the Ten Commandments (Ex.20:17).
So at Romans 3:20 Paul is saying that by the moral law shall no flesh be declared righteous in the sight of God, and that moral law must include the Ten Commandments. Therefore, the "works" refers to the moral law for both the Gentiles and the Jews.
Stop right there and see for yourself that you are missing it, for the only thing the GENTILES WHO DID RIGHT BY NOT STEALING, ETC, they also DID NOT DO, WAS THE PURIFICATION WORKS OF THE LAW. The Gentiles were EXCLUDED AND WITHOUT God BECAUSE THEY DID NOT do the purification works of the law.
Paul is saying now ALL will be considered righteous and clean BY FAITH in Jesus' shed blood on the cross.
No way is Paul says by obeying the moral law shall no flesh be declared righteous in the sight of God.
Paul is saying no one who does the purification/ceremonial works of the law no one will be declared righteous---because, as Paul says it is by FAITH now that God cleans us by the blood of the Lamb.
And that is exactly what the word "works" refers to in the following passage:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph.2:8-9).
Just as I explained.
You deny the truth of the gospel of grace when you insist that no one can be saved apart from keeping the moral law and it is obvious that you have not yet believed the gospel of grace because you do not even understand it. If you think you have been saved you are mistaken because you do not believe the gospel of grace.
You don't understand what the gospel is.
The gospel isn't hey everyone, just believe that Jesus is God and you can keep sinning as always.
The gospel IS that we can find forgiveness and help with our sin if we believe that Jesus' blood washes away the sins we repent of doing and promise to live to please Jesus.
The gospel is that we no longer have to do the purification works of the law just to go to the temple to be near God's Spirit.
The gospel is that Jesus cleans us and we become the temple of God's Spirit.