---
title: Romans 2:7
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/romans-2-7/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/romans-2-7.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Romans 2:7
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Romans 2:7

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "everlasting life to those who are seeking glory and honor and incorruptibleness by endurance in work that is good"

## JW Usage

Watchtower commentary treats Romans 2:7 as describing the category of people who will receive everlasting life — those who persevere in doing good, seeking glory and honour. On the JW reading, the verse describes the requirement for salvation: endurance in good works produces the verdict of everlasting life. The verse is taken as confirmation that salvation requires sustained obedience.

## Protestant Usage

Verse 7 is a real promise — to the class of people who perfectly persevere in doing good, seeking glory, honour, and immortality. Paul's next move is to ask who belongs to that class. Romans 3:10-12 answers: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God; all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." The promise is real; the problem is that human beings disqualify themselves from it. That is why Paul immediately introduces "the righteousness of God… through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe" (3:22). One righteousness is demanded by the law and unreachable; another righteousness is given through faith and available to all.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Doers of the Law — Romans 2:13](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/romans2-13-doers-justified.md) — Paul's principle vs Paul's conclusion [Salvation]