Notes From Jon

Romans: Part 4
“Justified”
2:25 – 3:31

At the risk of being redundant (and since the hearers will need to be reminded each week) we’ll review where Paul’s taken us so far:

· No one has an excuse: everyone, no matter who or where we are, has some idea of a greater power, and some idea of what is right and wrong.

· Even though we have known God, we still turn away from him.

· Our sinfulness is a result of our turning from God – he allows us the freedom to choose obedience or disobedience.

· Because we have all turned from God in some way, the quantity or quality of the sin is not for us to compare or judge – only God can give judgment. We can give only grace.

· We have failed to live up to the Law – and no matter how much we might preach, our obedience or disobedience speaks volumes about the God we worship.

Paul Drives His Point Home

Moving forward from the end of chapter 2 and into chapter 3, Paul is closing out this part of his argument:

25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

Circumcision, you might recall, was a sign that God instituted among the Jewish people. If someone was to be a covenant-keeper with God, they had a physical sign to show for it. But like so many other things, this act that was meant to merely be a “sign” had taken on significance beyond mere symbol. The Jewish people in Paul’s time obviously believed that circumcision itself gave them righteousness – that the righteousness had taken place of the SYMBOL. Read the rest of this entry »

Romans, Part 3:
“Exhibit A”
2:12-24

Following Paul’s argument thus far:

• No one has an excuse: everyone, no matter who or where we are, has some idea of a greater power, and some idea of what is right and wrong.
• Even though we have known God, we still turn away from him.
• Our sinfulness is a result of our turning from God – he allows us the freedom to choose obedience or disobedience.
• Because we have all turned from God in some way, the quantity or quality of the sin is not for us to compare or judge – only God can give judgment. We can give only grace.

Now Paul turns his argument toward the Law – a difficult topic, especially for us as Christians.  This has always been a sticky subject for us – in what ways are we still under the Law?  Paul could go off on tangents here about the meaning of the Law for us in the aftermath of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  He certainly takes time to look at these ideas elsewhere…

But here, Paul will not be distracted.  He is bent on making his argument plain.  And it is specifically to Jews and Christians now that he is speaking.  Because no matter how we may want to point the finger at the “heathens,” we are the very worst because we KNOW the law, and yet we STILL disobey!

Paul uses imagery of the courtroom, and uses many terms from the courts of his day.  And as in any courtroom, the ultimate standard is the LAW.  Remember that Christianity came from Judaism, and these Jews had spent their entire lives trying to understand and to live by the Law. Read the rest of this entry »