Morality is often about questions of ethics and how these ethics are practiced. From there, one arrives at assumptions about “right behavior” and “wrong behavior”. Morality therefore often has to do with customs, laws and religious beliefs. Ethics is broader when it reflects on the reasons and concerns of morality and compares and questions moral assessments. Morality is what is lived in the community, while ethics is the more distanced consideration of these things. You could say that ethics is the technique and development of a compass and morality is the direction we take in concrete terms.

Morality defines what is good and what is not, while ethics can determine that these assessments are interpreted differently around the world and that there are nevertheless overlaps. Communities therefore generally cultivate a certain morality that is shaped by religious ideas, for example. It is perhaps a good idea to regard one’s own understanding of morality as valuable, but not as absolute. Thinking about this raises ethical questions that have to do with the justifications of morality in general. You reflect on your behavior, your ideas, your dealings with other people.

What Paul describes in his letter to the Romans is therefore astonishing:

“For if the nations which have not the law do by nature the things which are required by the law, these (who have not the law) are law unto themselves, making a show of the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness with them, and their reasonings accusing or else defending them one against another – in the day when God shall judge the hidden things of men according to my gospel by Jesus Christ.”
Romans 2:14-16

Paul has observed something. He has seen that people from the nations, from the non-Jewish peoples, naturally do what the law demands. He seems to be speaking here to people from the nations who are outside the church. He makes the comparison with the Mosaic Law, which was only given to Israel. Only Israel was given this law and God let the other nations go their own way (Acts 14:16).

So although the nations had no law as a guideline, the apostle recognized that some “by nature do what the law requires”. In other words, Paul recognized that people who did not have the Law of Moses fulfilled it by nature. People therefore do not appear to be depraved and sinful from birth, as the later doctrine of original sin portrays.

Do some people from the nations fulfill the whole law? That seems to involve a whole lot of rules. Sacrificial service and rituals come to mind here. However, the apostle probably meant something else, because he doesn’t end up with rules and rituals. These things are indeed preserved in the Law of Moses, but they can also be seen as a basis for practising certain behavior, i.e. for an orientation of the heart and actions. The idea behind this is that although rules and rituals are mentioned here and there for certain groups, these things are not a goal in themselves. It is not about the law, but about what the law is supposed to achieve.

Jesus was once asked the following:

“Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law? And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. This is the great and first commandment. But the second, which is the same, is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Mt 22:36-40

The complexity of the law and all the requirements can be reduced to a few lines. Those who fulfill these things fulfill the core of the law, so to speak. Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees here (Mt 22:34).

Love as the sum of the law

Paul also writes in his letter to the Romans:

“For the commandment: “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not lust,” and if there is another commandment, it is summarized in these words: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no harm to one’s neighbor. Love is therefore the sum of the law.”
Rom 13:9-10

Paul, who was specially called as an apostle to the nations (Romans 11:13), speaks to the church in Rome and describes love as the sum of the law. So whoever loves fulfills the law. There is no simpler way to summarize it.

You can now consider that the church in Rome is not the same audience as Jesus had in front of him in the conversation earlier. Jesus only spoke to Jews and specifically only to Pharisees. However, not only Jews are present in the church in Rome, but also non-Jews who did not know the law. It is not very helpful to speak to non-Jews about certain rules of the law as “the core of the law”, as Jesus did to the Pharisees. Paul shortens this once again and ends up with just one term: love. This is understandable for everyone. Because love fulfills the law and therefore speaks to both Jews and non-Jews in the church.

Although Paul does not explicitly mention it here, one can almost assume that these people, who did not know the law, were also religiously influenced. This was common at that time. It is therefore remarkable that Paul does not refer to another religion or local customs. He writes about what these people do “by nature”. He also refers to their conscience as such a natural source.

Morality is therefore not dependent on religion. In comparison, love fulfills all requirements, even if laws are not kept. That seems astonishing to me.