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Romans 2:15 |
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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;)
Audio commentary on this verse
Note 9 at Rom. 2:15: Our conscience is the part of us that bears witness as to what is right and wrong. This happens through our thoughts either accusing or excusing us. Our conscience is a part of our soul (see note 2 at Mt. 22:37, p. 442) which can be deduced from the fact that even a Christian's conscience can be defiled (1 Cor. 8:7), evil (Heb. 10:22), and weak (1 Cor. 8:7,10), which the born-again spirit cannot be (see note 3 at Mt. 26:41, p. 507).
A good conscience is essential to faith. Without a good conscience, our faith is made shipwrecked (1 Tim. 1:19). A good conscience produces confidence (1 Jn. 3:21; Heb. 10:35). An evil conscience condemns us (1 Jn. 3:20).
It is possible that God created man without a conscience and that the conscience was acquired through the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The name of that tree is descriptive of the function of the conscience.
The conscience is referred to by name 31 times in 29 verses in the New Testament (Jn. 8:9; Acts 23:1; 24:16; Rom. 2:15; 9:1; 13:5; 1 Cor. 8:7, 10, 12; 10:25, 27-29; 2 Cor. 1:12; 4:2; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9; 4:2; 2 Tim. 1:3; Ti. 1:15; Heb. 9:9, 14; 10:2, 22; 13:18; 1 Pet. 2:19; 3:16, 21).
