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NASB | Romans 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 2:15 They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts; and their conscience [their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices] bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or perhaps defending them |
Subject: Where did our conscience come from? |
Bible Note: Hi again Azure, thanks for responding. Actually, I was more focused on your questions as I observed them to actually be asking the same thing while being presented as two different possibilities. I'll repost them here for reference. 1/ Do we get our conscience after the fall of Adam and Eve? or 2/ Was our conscience triggered after they after ate the forbbiden fruit from the knowledge tree? Is not the time "after the fall.." and "after they ate..." the same thing? Anyway, that is what I was asking for clarification on. I share your need for further exploration and understanding on this issue. How awesome is that sister? That even the apparent simple things regarding our relationship with our creator, can be so deeply explored and better understood. We could really go deep in the few verses in Romans and actually prepare many sermons and bible studies from them. But not to be derailed from the primary message; that of the consequences of unbelief. With that in mind, a very obvious parallel can be drawn between the passage in Romans and that in Genesis. Specifically, that of unbelief and the very definate consequences. Those spoken of in Romans knew God and were without excuse. Adam and Eve knew God and were without excuse. How much is attributed to conscience (that is, their sense of right and wrong)verses the "knowledge". In other words, Adam and Eve knew God, they knew the specific does and don'ts, and they knew the consequence of disobedience. So an appropriate question might be; without the experience of the fall and the experience of the consequence, how "in tune" was their "conscience"? My personal experience causes me to frame it this way. I consider my own disobedience throughout my lifetime. Along the way, my disobedience, and the consequences of that disobedience has lead to a true evolution in my relationship with God. I'll try to explain. At one point when I disobeyed, I ended up feeling guilty and ashamed. Defeated in a way and encouraged to do better. To work harder and be a more "successful" Christian. It was mostly mechanical and focused on my own effort. There was God, the expectations were clear, and "I" failed to fullful them. Now, the expectations are the same. The truth is the same. God is the same. But my conscience, my sense of right and wrong, is more tuned to those expectations. More in tune with the truth and more in tune with God. I guess what I'm saying is that while God created me with a conscience, He developed that conscience through a series of experiences. Not that the experiences created the truth, but rather, they served to draw me closer and closer to the truth. This all has lead to a better understanding of my own inability and my total dependence on God; the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It leaves me actually without excuse; and the closer I get to the truth of it, with a clearer conscience. The Cross, the blood... the resurrection. Very familiar words and considerations for all true Christians, while being made more and more understood and depended on all the time. God Bless, Jeff |