Gentiles and Torah: Romans 2:14 and the Nature of Biblical Greek Adverbs

How should we understand φύσει in Romans 2:14? Does it mean that the Gentiles "naturally" do what the Law requires, as suggested by most translations (e.g. ESV)? Or does it mean that Gentiles do not "naturally" have the Law, as suggested in translations like the CSB? And how does this distinction change what Paul is trying to communicate about Gentiles?

In this short explanation, Dr. Kevin Grasso looks at how φύσει functions adverbially in other biblical Greek texts, as well as broader ancient Greek texts. He uses this analysis along with the context of the verse to better understand the meaning of the verse and how it should be translated.

This is a bonus episode for our series on Key Terms in Pauline Theology. Go to biblingo.org/podcast to learn more and subscribe to the Biblical Languages Podcast.