Read Romans 2 again. The Gentile there is one who had faith in Christ.
Otherwise, Paul contradicts other statements that he makes in the book of
Romans.
Paul's point in Romans 2 is this: Paul is concerned with the issue of judgment some members of the church might levy against others. He reminds them of two things, at least, in this passage. 1) Judging others is wrong because in some ways, we are all guilty ( v v 1-3). 2) Secondly, judging is wrong because God is the one, in this case, who works the work of repentance (v 4) and judgment through Christ (v 15,16). The Gentiles, in this passage are in contrast to those of prominence within the church (v v 17ff). They (those in prominence) have the Law; they are teachers of the immature and are the embodiment of knowledge and truth. By contrast, these Gentiles KNOW NOTHING. They have heard nothing (v v 13,14) that would cause them to even begin to compare with those of prominence. All these Gentiles have, by contrast, is a natural inclination to perform what is essentially required in the Law. Paul is saying " You have all this going from you and are wrong while they have nothing going for themselves except righteous (as it turns out) effort. While we might have everything going for us, the only thing that really works in our expressed effort at living outside ourselves is Jesus.
You are not the only who goes elsewhere in the letter or the biblical message to argue the point that this passage could not possibly mean what it says. I see no contradiction, but more importantly, I see the critical importance for the existence of these Gentiles in this illustration. Without them, Paul's point is without the contrast necessary to the making of his point.
John
