
I don't mind you copy and pasting, just as long as you offer a meaningful explanation of what you are copy and pasting.
Paul is not saying the Gentiles knew about God's law. That's just your spin. Paul is saying the opposite. He is saying the Gentiles did not know about God's law. That was the whole point of Paul's argument. The Gentiles were able to fulfill the
requirements of the law despite not having the law as the Jews did:
“The one who is not circumcised physically and yet fulfills the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written letter and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law.” -- (
Romans 2:26-29).
It is your argument that the
letter of the law is now written in our hearts, but it is Paul's argument that the Gentiles did not have the
letter of the law, period.
Romans 2 does not tell us God wrote the
letter of the law in our hearts. That is just your personal conclusion, which is flawed. Paul is telling us that the Gentles did not have the
letter of the law but were still able to fulfill the
requirements of the law. This fact shows that fulfilling the
requirements of the law is not dependent on our obedience to the
letter, no matter where that
letter is written.
The confusion exists in your explanation of Romans 2:
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts” -- (
Romans 2:14-15).
“If those who are not circumcised keep the righteous requirements of the law, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet fulfills the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written letter and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law.” -- (
Romans 2:26-29).
Paul tells us the Gentiles did not have the
letter of the law, period. But you are contradicting Paul by telling us that the Gentiles had the
latter of the law written in their hearts.
It was not the
letter of the law that was written in the hearts of Gentiles, it was the "
requirements" of the law that was written in their hearts:
"they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts” -- (
Romans 2:14-15).
It is the "
requirements" that are written, not the "
letter". Big difference.
Which confirms my point that the Gentiles did not have God's law, period.