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
No comments:
Post a Comment