“Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”
They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their own consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. The law written on the heart (graphō en tais kardiais) refers to the conscience (syneidēsis), the human faculty that discerns moral truth. This conscience bears witness (martyreō) to the law's demands and either accuses (kategoreo) or defends (apologeomai) human conduct. The internalization of moral law in all humanity establishes that Gentiles possess moral culpability despite lacking the written Torah.
Church Fathers on Romans 2:15
“For when the Gentiles,” he says, “which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves.” I am not, he means, rejecting the Law, but even on this score I justify the Gentiles. You see how when undermining the conceit of Judaism, he gives no handle against himself as villifying the Law, but on the contrary by extolling it and showing its greatness he so makes good his whole position. But whenever he says…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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