How to You interpret Luke 12:48 and Romans 2:12 ?

[johnjanuary1984]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

 

[ralliann]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

It seems Luke is about the difference between servants, which have more knowledge, and do sin willfully despite that knowledge. Those servants probably have authority and obligation to servants not having the same knowledge.
Romans is about the uncircumcised are not under the Sinai covenant law, nor indebted to do it as the circumcision is. But are Judged apart from it, as natural law or Noachide law.
It is also specically a judgement made in the law of Moses in Deuteronomy.
Israel is prophesied against in the law to be punished and cused for not keeping the law. When God is finished with this, he judges how the nations treated Israel when they were scattered from their land.

 

[Unqualified]

If you do things in ignorance you will be punished less, but in heaven?
Those non Jews who sin but who are deserving of death and have never heard of the law will not be judged by the law but by their own merits. Also they have not the hope of the law, no reward.

 

[HTacianas]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

Luke 12:48 is an allusion to the Jewish and Roman Catholic doctrines of purgatory. It is a punishment meted out for minor sins committed in ignorance. Luke 12:47 is similar though for some things committed willfully. Also see Matt 5:25-26. There is greater punishment for those who know well enough to hold themselves out as teachers, see James 3:1.

Romans 2:12 is a bit different. Those who commit mortal sin, even if they have not been expressly taught the law, will be punished for it because they should have known better, see Rom 2:15.

 

[Rene Loup]

I believe there's going to be different levels of reward in Heaven and punishment in Hell (Luke 19:11-27, 16:1-15, Matt. 25:14-30, Rev. 20:11-15, 22:12-13), based on our every thought, word, and deed by the Judgment Day (2 Cor. 5:10, Matt. 6:1-24, 12:33-37, Rom. 14:10-12). All things must be taken into account (1 Cor. 13:9-13, John 7:24, Ps. 7:11, 1 Sam. 16:4-7). Which is more deserving of severe punishment: Ignorance of the rules or simply not caring about them?

I also believe there's many people whom, no matter what time and place they're put in, will never be convinced to follow God. Based on foreknowledge of our free will, God salvages this by strategically placing each us in our respective times and places (1 Pet. 1:1-2, Rom. 9:14-24, 2 Thess. 2:3-4). If we use our free will to go our own way, God will adapt accordingly, being both the perfect strategist and improviser playing long game (2 Pet. 3:8-9, Ps. 2:1-12). If Alexander the Great is recorded as being never defeated in battle, what about his Maker?

God is in control, no matter what. We like to think we know everything while struggling with the concept of omniscience. Anyone struggling with the concept of omnipotence simply lacks imagination (Luke 18:27, Mark 10:27, Matt. 19:26). We portray ourselves as saintly victims who can do no wrong, yet deny the existence of omnibenevolence. Quite hypocritical, isn't it?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

The law was given to the chosen, the Jews. They have an inside advantage to God, a direct connection He established with them. With this advantage, as the chosen who brought in the Messiah, many have elected to reject Him leaving a small remnant who believed. Their punishment from the unforgivable sin of apostasy has no recovery and their judgment will be harsher for rejecting the truth vs one who never knew.
Blessings.

 

[ISteveB]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

There's an old saying about successful businesses....

location, location, location....

I.e., location of the business is critical to its success.

In biblical learning, we have a saying about successful, or proper understanding....

context, context, context.

In this case, we use what's long been known in the circles I run in as the "20-20 rule."

We read 20 verses before the passages in question, and 20 verses after the passages in question.

So, instead of stripping those two passages of their context, please read them IN their respective context.

Then feel free to ask your question again.

 

[BobRyan]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

Luke 12 informs the reader that there are degrees of punishment in hell (lake of fire) - rather than infinite debt for all. Knowing God's Word and choosing rebellion anyway - incurs a greater debt

47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.​

Romans 2 makes the same point - those who knew about the Word of God and lived in rebellion against it will be held to a higher standard - than those who did not know it - but it also deals with the case of those though they had no access to God's Word - yet show the New Covenant work of the Holy Spirit writing the Law of God on the heart

12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
​

< to sin without the law is to be lost but have no access to the Word of God... to sin under the law is to be lost and have access to the Word of God>

13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.

28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God.
​

Clarified even more so in Rom 3

Rom 3:1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.​

 

[Jonaitis]

Especially the first half of those passages.

"But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows....." Luke 12:48

"All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law.....". Romans 2:12

The parable in Luke, in particular the verse you pulled, implies that there will be a reckoning for the works of the righteous.

The verse in Romans refers to the judgment of the world. The sinner who was ignorant of the Law will still perish in his sins, and the sinner who was aware of the Law will be judged by the Law.