“Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?” -Romans 2:3
From verse one to verse five, Paul is presenting a single argument about the hypocrisy of those who believe they are safe from the judgment of God because of some unique position they hold. The reader quickly learns, if not intuitively then by direct address, Paul is ultimately speaking to the Jews (verses 9-11 Cf. 17). Given the rhetorical nature of Paul’s writing, there is a timelessness about the argument that could, in other circumstances, strike the heart of any religious hypocrite.
Speaking of rhetorical argument, there are notable shifts in Paul’s perspective. In verse one, he writes in the second person perspective (“you have no excuse, O man”). In verse two, he shifts to first person plural to include his audience and make them a participant, rather than the object, of in his argument (“We know…”). By verse three, he has returned to second person (“Do you suppose, O man…”).
In a court of law, or in a political argument, Paul’s use of this accusative rhetorical device usually comes after the point has been clearly proven. The rebuke follows the conviction. But Paul is appealing to the reader’s conscience, knowing that if they were willing to allow themselves to be scrutinized before God rather than men, a sharp rebuke of their “fictitious sanctity” is the only thing that will shake such a class of men who possess such astonishing security in themselves. Such trust in oneself is the hypocrisy of religion.
Acting as our own prosecutor(1 Corinthians 11:31), the question we can ask ourselves before God’s tribunal of our consciences is whether we who judge those who practice such wickedness and yet do them ourselves will escape the judgment of God?