---
title: Romans 2:8
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/romans-2-8/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/romans-2-8.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Romans 2:8
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Romans 2:8

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "for those who are contentious and who disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and anger"

## JW Usage

Watchtower commentary takes Romans 2:8 as the negative counterpart to v7 — those who disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness face wrath. The verse is read as the condemnation that motivates the JW life of compliance: avoid contention, obey the truth Jehovah has revealed through his organisation, and remain on the right side of judgment.

## Protestant Usage

V8 continues Paul's prosecutorial setup. The wrath is real — unrighteousness brings divine anger. But the question is who belongs to the "contentious" class. Romans 3:9 answers: "Jews as well as Greeks are all under sin." Without Christ, every person is in v8's category. The rescue is in 3:24-25: the redeemed are "declared righteous as a free gift by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus" (NWT). The verse is true and grim — and the gospel is its only answer.

## 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]