Faith: Printed Text: Galatians 2:11-21 NLT, Background Scripture: Galatians 2:11-21 NLT, Devotional Reading: Galatians 2:1-10 NLT

 

Unit 2: Faith Triumphs, Law Fails

Key Verse:

Galatians 2:20b NLT

20b So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Prelude:

Galatians 1:8 NLT

8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.

Serious question: How long was it before you understood the truth of the concept of Grace?

The Lesson

Galatians 2:11 NLT

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 

Interestingly, this first verse of the lesson holds important clues to the tone that should be considered in the remainder of the text. Peter was considered the leader of the Church. The head of the Apostles. And then there is Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Singularly responsible for the organizational matrix that supported the growth of the missionary outreach to the Gentiles. Leaders don’t normally make their private grievances public, but Paul made an exception in this case. What had Peter done? One more thing: this happened in Antioch, headquarters for the Gentile Church. This was the place where Christians were first called “Christians.” There is a lot to take away from this setting. Antioch would have ranked as the Mother Church to most of the Gentile Christians, but in the hearts of the Jewish believers, Jerusalem was the centerpiece of the Church. Paul made a very public scene on a very big stage because the outcome would have eternal consequences for millions of believers up to the present day and beyond. 

Galatians 2:12 NLT

12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.

This is pretty straightforward. Peter was sometimey. Sometimes, he acted this way, sometimes, that. Peter, who was taught by Jesus, walked in the truth when he was around Gentile believers, but when he was in the company of Jewish believers, he shunned the same Gentiles that he had previously supped with. With his timidity, Peter was endangering the foundational message of the Gospel: Salvation by Grace through Faith. One more thing. It is entirely possible that the Jewish believers that Peter encountered at Antioch were sent there by the Church leaders from Jerusalem. Did their presence signal an attempt by the Church at Jerusalem to exert undue influence over the Church at Antioch? That is most likely the case. I say all this to try to express the gravity of the situation that was unfolding at Antioch.

Galatians 2:13 NLT

13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Think about what’s happening here. Until the Jerusalem Church contingent showed up, Antioch had a blend of Jewish and Gentile believers who were actively working toward a singular goal; life in Christ. Stop. When using the term Gentile, consider the thought that Gentiles were not a singular group of people. The term Gentile means ayone who is non-Jewish. Careful examination of Scripture reveals that believers in Antioch were from a variety of countries, nations and ethnicities. Antioch was truly a multiracial Church. Peter’s hypocrisy threatened to create division sown by outsiders. In fact, even Barnabus, known for his conciliatory spirit (he was called ‘the Son of Consolation’), was being led into this spirit of division. This division would have been poison to the fledgling Church.

Galatians 2:14 NLT

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

Antioch was a large city in Syria, north of Jerusalem, by more than 300 miles. This may have been the farthest Peter had ventured away from Jerusalem in his own named missionary outreach. However, the Scriptures document Peter’s travels to Joppa, where he stayed with a skin tanner named Simon. It was in Joppa that Peter received the call by God to go to Caesarea, the home of Cornelius, a Captain of the Roman army, to preach the Gospel to Cornelius’ household. Joppa was some forty miles northwest of Jerusalem, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Caeserea was forty miles due north further up the coast. In Joppa, Peter would have been in strict violation of the law of Moses by staying in the house of Simon, a man who made his living surrounded by the carcasses of dead animals. Everything about that scenario screamed, “Unclean!” But it was there that God opened Peter’s heart and eyes, revealing to him that nothing that God called clean could be deemed unclean. Nothing. It was then that Peter went to the home of a Gentile oppressor to deliver a message of ultimate freedom: peace with God through Jesus Christ! Peter knew the truth of the Gospel. He had been convinced!

I’m uncertain what Peter’s purpose was in visiting Antioch. Maybe it was simply to extend the right hand of fellowship to the church there, a diverse body of believers from regions as far away as Ethiopia and Niger in Africa, as well as Greece and various places throughout Asia Minor. History records that the church at Antioch was the first Gentile church. The Bible informs us that Antioch was where the followers of Christ were first called ‘Christians.’ 

Whatever the reason, it had been demonstrated that Peter had left behind the meticulous observance of the Law of Moses in previous encounters with Gentiles. Additionally, he had witnessed God’s grace shed upon the Gentiles. Peter knew better. Surrounded by all of the other members of the church, Paul publicly reminded Peter that he (Peter) had abandoned the strict observance of the law years ago. Peter knew better than anyone that…Jesus had fulfilled the Law. Why, then, would Peter push dead tradition upon the Gentiles?

Galatians 2:15 NLT

15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles…”

Paul continues his chastisement of Peter by reminding him of their shared heritage. He and Peter are Jews. They are God’s chosen people. They have Abraham as their progenitor. This clearly distinguishes them from the Gentiles who are standing there listening. Oh, and what is the ‘sin’ of the Gentiles? Simple. They are not Jews. Paul continues…

Galatians 2:16 NLT

16 “…Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

Now, Paul clearly and concisely declares the message of the Gospel. We are made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ has saved us. Faith alone. He goes on to tell Peter… and us what does not save. Obedience to the law of Moses does not save. It never could. It was only a placeholder until God’s true salvation could be revealed. Let me say it again. The law could not save. It never could.

Galatians 2:17 NLT

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ, and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not!

Paul then poses the question of the ages. Has Christ led us into sin? Even the sound of the question spoken out loud sounds preposterous. Has Crist led us into sin? Can Christ lead us to sin? Has Christ ever led anyone into sin? Will Christ ever lead anyone into sin? See? Preposterous. So then, the argument that Paul poses around this question is this. He and Peter placed all of their faith in Christ. In so doing, they had abandoned the law of Moses. Because of this, they were now guilty before God (of breaking the law of Moses). Subsequently, they should have been eternally condemned. Eternally! And the question remains. Would Christ have led them into this sin? Really a rhetorical question. There can only be one right answer: No! Emphatically! No!

Galatians 2:18 NLT

18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.

Now, Paul turns the tables with a second rhetorical argument. If he or anyone else were to try and rebuild a flawed system that could never provide salvation, would that not make them a sinner? I mean, no matter how well intended they might be, if what they preached was less than adequate for the provision of eternal life, would they not then be…guilty of sin? Now, the obvious answer to this rhetorical argument is an emphatic… yes! Any attempt to rebuild a works-based path to salvation was sin!

Galatians 2:19 NLT

19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.

Paul adds one final piece to his argument. He makes a personal confession. He had come to realize that the very law he had tried in the past to keep had condemned him. I can’t tell you when this may have occurred. But allow to make a hypothetical argument. Could his understanding of his own guilt before God have been what fueled his well-renowned zeal? Could his own self condemnation have been what caused him to persecute Christians with ruthless dispassion for their lives? Thinking back to Jesus’ many contentious encounters with Pharisees and Teachers of the law, would not their own realization that they missed the mark in their own lives have eventually led them into a space of self delusion whereby they deemed one another saved by others within there circle of influence? See how that works?

Allow me to bring this into a modern day application. Or, can you see it already? Listen, every Sunday, we assemble in churches with other people who look just like us. They act like us. They dress like us. They are us. That’s why we go to church with them. When we join their church, we elevate …us, I mean, each other. We institute certain rules and traditions within the confines of our church that everyone must follow. Our clothes, hats, music, all of that. And sometimes, we insinuate that those who do not follow our traditions might not be saved. C’mon y’all. Amen or…Ouch!

Paul gave it up. He gave it all up. Christ was the best news he had ever heard! Christ provided him a way out. Or rather, a way in. His feelings of hopelessness had finally been lifted. With Christ’s intrusion into his life that day outside of Damascus, Paul could finally be free from the anchor that was the law of Moses. It’s no wonder Paul accepted God’s gift so eagerly. For the first time, may be in his whole life, Paul would be free. Free to live for God. Can you see this? All of you reading this right now should be shouting. Shouting!

Galatians 2:20 NLT

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.[e] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

(A Personal note: I have taken this verse as my own personal confession, kind of the shingle on the door of my heart. It’s also sometimes a very harsh reminder…)

Paul’s personal confession is remarkable. He took his own fervor and killed himself with it. From the moment of salvation, he reckoned himself dead to his old life and alive in Christ. He was free. Christ made it so. Since that day on the road to Damascus, the only work that Paul was guilty of was trusting Christ and what Christ had done for him. “Wait!”, you’ll argue with me. “Didn’t Paul respond to the call of the Lord by spending the remainder of his life working to build the Church?” There is an old saying that goes something like, “If you can find an occupation that you love, you’ll never work a day in your life!” That’s what Paul found when Christ found him. All Paul did was respond in love to love.

Galatians 2:21 NLT

21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Beloved. One word: Grace. Put that word at the top of your lexicon, or thesaurus, or little black book. We are saved because of God’s unmerited favor toward us through Christ Jesus. It is the greatest gift of God to mankind. Paul reminds his readers that to regard Grace as less than sufficient for salvation is to regard the death of His Son as unnecessary and without merit. Allow me to close with this final question. Which side of God do you want to be on? Was the death of His Son enough for you? See how this works?

Selah!

wb

Galatians 1:8 NLT

8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.

Sunday School Lesson for October 8, 2023 - Old and New: Printed Text: Romans 7:1-12 NLT, Background Scripture: Romans 7:1-25 NLT, Devotional Reading: Jeremiah 7:1-15 NLT

 

Unit 2: Faith Triumphs, Law Fails

Key Verse:

Romans 7:6 NLT

6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now, we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Prelude:

Romans 6:4 NLT

4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

. This week’s lesson in Chapter 7 of Romans is an illustration of an argument that Paul has been making since Chapter 2. Paul has made two key points clearly. First, “All have sinned have fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:12). Paul has built his argument to include both Jews and Gentiles. Secondly, he has argued that, for both Jews and Gentiles, God has provided righteousness through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-11). 

Now that Paul has demonstrated to his audience their formerly shared unrighteousness, as well as the righteousness they now share through Christ, he encourages them to live holy. Furthermore, he argues and will argue that they have the power (the Holy Spirit) and the freedom to decide for God. They no longer are under an obligation to follow their sinful nature. Paul uses the illustration of marriage according to Jewish custom to make his point clear.

The Lesson

Romans 7:1 NLT

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters[a]—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living?

Just a reminder. Paul is writing primarily to Jewish Christians in Rome. His secondary audience is Gentiles, Romans who have become Christian converts. Why? It is important to Paul that he helps all of the Christians in Rome to come to a place of understanding concerning their unity in the faith so as to quash the dissension between them. They are now brothers and sisters in Christ.

Writing to Jews, he reminds them of contractual law. Contractual law of any kind only applies when the parties involved in the contract are alive. The exception exists in the case of a will, where, at the time of death, the will of the deceased is enforced so as to execute the last wishes of the deceased. Among the many purposes that the law of Moses served, the establishment of the civic law of Israel was integral in their establishment as a nation.

Romans 7:2 NLT

2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.

One of the few commonalities that every culture shares is the rite of marriage. Every culture recognizes the spiritual sanctity and the legal gravity that accompanies the marriage ritual. Though the customs may vary, every culture honors the marriage bond. By invoking the custom of marriage as an example, Paul provides an example that all Jews can recognize. A woman is bound to her husband for as long as he lives. But, when he dies, the woman is no longer bound to him. Give me a minute.

Romans 7:3 NLT

3 So, while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.

Matthew 19:8 NLT

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

Malachi 2:16 NLT

16 “For I hate divorce!”[c] says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,[d]” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

In ancient Israel, according to the law, divorce occurred at the purview of the husband. If he was dissatisfied with his wife, he could request a writ of divorce and absolve the relationship. However, for the woman, the issue was not so cut and dried. In the case of divorce, if she remarried, she was considered to have committed adultery. In essence, though she was no longer married to her first husband, she was associated with him by marriage for as long as he was alive. 

Let me make note of the fact that divorce was permitted under the law, but it was never God’s will. Also, in ancient Israel, the stigma of divorce did not abide with the man as it did with the woman. The stain on her reputation was indelible. Allow me to make a couple of final points. First, while it is clear from Scripture that divorce was not intended by God, it is also clear that in the case of divorce, God bore no ill will toward the woman. In fact, in the Book of Malachi, God holds the husbands responsible for divorce and accuses them of cruelty to their wives in the case of divorce. Jesus confirms this by noting that divorce was allowed because of the hardness of the hearts of the men who submitted these ‘writs of divorce’. Wives were to be loved and cherished by their husbands, not crushed or abandoned by them. Peter seems to align with this concept when he admonishes husbands to ‘honor their wives … so that their prayers would not be hindered’. Secondly, Paul is not giving us inspired instruction in regard to marriage and divorce in this passage in Romans. He’s teaching about the diminishing power of sin in the life of the believer. This is not a treatise on divorce. We will do that some other time.

2 Peter 3:7 NLT

7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

______________________________________

Romans 7:4 NLT

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 

Paul now returns to his primary topic: our permanent separation from sin and the power therein. In the same way that a woman in ancient Israel could not be separated from association to her husband, except by the death of the husband, we could not be separated from sin, except by death. Through our death in Christ, we are no longer bound to sin. Rather, we are free to live for God and to exemplify that life to others as Christ’s servants.

Romans 7:5 NLT

5 When we were controlled by our old nature,[b] sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

In the same way that a divorced woman was indelibly associated with her first husband, before Christ, we were indelibly associated with sin. From birth, we were held captive to sin. Sin has taken residence in our old nature and controls our thoughts and actions. In fact, the law condemns us by revealing to us the depth of our evil desires and our powerlessness to overcome them.

Romans 7:6 NLT

6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

But when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we died to sin. That death separated us from the power and penalty of sin… permanently. Eternally. That separation is as final for the believer as it was for the woman whose husband had died. That woman was free from any perceived legal association with her now-deceased husband.. Beloved, in the same way, we are now free from any legal association with sin. In that it is contractual, it is eternal before God, the Judge of all creation. That’s really good news, Beloved!

Romans 7:7 NLT

7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”

Beloved, be reminded that the Law of Moses was given by God at Mount Sinai. The law originated with God. The law is holy and just. The law cannot be sinful. Rather, the law is the standard by which all men are judged. The law serves as a mirror to reveal to us our sins. The law stands between us and Heaven and justly declares us unrighteous by our own will or our own acts of self-righteousness.

Romans 7:8-10 NLT

8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time, I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.

Before we became aware of the law, we were still guilty of sin, we just weren’t aware of how wretchedly evil sin was. Then, even when we were exposed to the letter of the law, we set about trying to justify ourselves by creating various caveats to the law that justified our behavior while condemning the behavior of others. Rather than admit our covetousness, we justified our lusts and desires while condemning the shortcomings of our neighbors. Paul personalized this epithet with a damning revelation: by the power of the law, ”...sin came to life, and I died.” The law revealed God’s standard. We all fall short. We are all worthy of death.

Romans 7:11-12 NLT

11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

Paul closes by commending the law for exposing our sins. Remember, Paul is writing to Jews. His argument has not been to denigrate the law but to expose the real purpose of the law. It is God’s standard, revealed to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. Sent from Heaven to reveal all unrighteousness of mankind, leaving us without hope. Beloved, the law could never save. But it reveals to us, our need for a Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

Selah,

wb

Romans 1:16-17 NLT

16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.[g] 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Sunday School Lesson for October 1, 2023 - Inward and Outward: Printed Text: Romans 2:12-24,28-29 NLT, Background Scripture: Romans 2:12-29 NLT, Devotional Reading: Ezekiel 25-30 NLT

 

Unit 2: Faith Triumphs, Law Fails

Key Verse:

Romans 2:29 NLT

29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[d] from God, not from people.

Prelude:

Acts 18:1-2 NLT

1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There, he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.

. This week, we begin the new Unit: Faith Triumphs, Law Fails. Allow me to offer the following as a prelude to the lesson. The Lesson Standard informs us that Paul wrote to the churches at Rome as a result of conflict between the Jewish Christians and the Roman (Gentile) Christians. Paul wrote the letter to the Roman churches in 58 AD after the Jewish Christians returned to Rome. They had been expelled by Emperor, Claudius, nine years earlier, in 49 AD. Claudius, who reigned from 41 AD to 54 AD, expelled all of the Jews, both Christian and non-Christian, from Rome. He expelled them because of their continuing conflicts over Christianity. After the death of Claudius, many of the Jews returned. The Jewish Christians returned to find that their churches were now being led entirely by Gentile Christians. For a moment, imagine that you were forced to abandon your home for a number of years, then return only to find that another family had moved in some time ago. This was the position that the returning Christians of Jewish descent found themselves in. 

Let’s take a moment to investigate this conflict between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. One of the biggest conflicts was circumcision. The Jews continued the practice as a matter of national identity. The Romans and the Greeks regarded the practice as a form of barbaric mutilation. In 167 BC, the practice had been banned in Rome. The books of the 1st and 2nd Maccabees both record the seriousness of the conflict. According to the writers, the discovery that a Jewish woman had allowed her son to be circumcised oftentimes resulted in the death of the mother and the child. The writers also record that the Jews remained steadfast in their conviction to circumcise their sons. I offer all of this as a way of highlighting the depth of emotion that existed on both sides as a result of this issue. Add all of this to the fact that Gentiles were now in leading positions in the Roman churches and you can surmise the depth of the resulting animosity. It is against this backdrop that Paul is writing to the church at Rome. Selah.

The Lesson

 

Romans 2:12 NLT

12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.

Romans 1:18 NLT

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Romans 2:1 NLT

1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.

In Chapter 1, after his opening greeting, Paul argues to his readers that all wickedness draws God’s ire. In Chapter 2, Verse 18, Paul declares to his audience that those who sin will suffer the consequences. In Chapter 1, his argument is aimed at the Gentiles. In Chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to the Jews. He warns that they have no special standing. The consequences of sin are the same for them. So then, whether they were raised within or without the Law of Moses, all were accountable to it.

Romans 2:13 NLT

13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 

James 1:22 NLT

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

In his continuing reprimand, Paul echoes the Apostle James admonition that it is not the hearers but the doers of God’s Word who are justified. He and James had corresponded about justification some years earlier. It seems that James’ words resonated with Paul. That’s a topic for another day.

Romans 2:14-15 NLT

14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

Taken together with verse 13, Paul argues that doers of the Word are evidence of God’s presence in the fabric of all Creation, even in the Gentiles. Though they were not given the Law of Moses, their innate knowledge of right and wrong are one of the many proof’s of His (God’s) existence.

Romans 2:16 NLT

16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

Here it comes. No one is without sin. The day will come when we all will have to have our darkest secrets revealed. The good news is, all who have accepted Christ will be judged by Him. Judged by He who gave Himself for us.

For a moment, let’s remind ourselves of Paul’s purpose in writing the letter: the animosity that had formed between the Christians; Jewish and Non-Jewish. Does any of this sound familiar? I’m reminded that it is commonly believed that in America, Sunday is thought of as the most segregated day of the week. How am I contributing to the schism? Before I ask you to examine yourself, I must examine myself. What can I do to ease the tension that exists between the factions in today’s church?

Romans 2:17-20 NLT

17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

The Jews returning to Rome, Both Christian and non-Christian absolutely believed that they had a special relationship with God. They were God’s chosen, weren’t they? Sons of Abraham. They claimed Jacob as their partriarch. Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah and so many more as national heroes. Of couse they considered themselves experts where the Law of Moses was concerned. Of course they thought that they were more qualified to lead the church than their Gentile counterparts. Paul may as well just say so.

Romans 2:21-23 NLT

21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?[b] 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.

However, by the unction of the Holy Spirit, Paul declares that they too are guilty of a variety of sins. Self righteousness can buy you that. It can give you an air of, “Above it all” or, “I’m holier (better) than they are”. Pride goes before a fall. These Jewish Christians need to check themselves.

Romans 2:24 NLT

24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

Yes, the Jews failure to exemplify the character of Christ cause unbelievers to blaspheme the Name of God. That blasphemy could have had eternal consequences. The same is true today. Beloved, our own failure to exemplify Christ’s character can cause unbelievers around us to question anything we tell them about Christ. It is imperative that we walk in humility before the Lord, our God. Imperative.

Romans 2:28-29 NLT

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[d] from God, not from people.

Paul closes Chapter 2 with this thought. It is not obedience to the Law of Moses that puts us in right standing with God. Paul stated that true circumcision was of the heart. A heart that has been moved to contrition is the heart that is right before God. The heart that understands it’s need for a Savior is the heart that Christ savors. Beloved, stay humble.

Selah

wb