Studies in Romans

Studies in Romans Presentation 05

Summary of Contents OPENING REMARKS:1:1-17 BAD NEWS :Universality of sin and its condemnation 1:18 - 3:20 GOOD NEWS : A gospel that changes our relationship to God 3:21- 5:21 HOW TO GROW AS A CHRISTIAN: 6:1- 8-39 Sanctification 6:1-23 The Place of the Law 7:1-25 Life in the Spirit 8:1-39 A SHORT DETOUR : Questions concerning Israel 9:1-11:36 HOW A CHRISTIAN OUGHT TO LIVE :12:1-15:13 In our various relationships 12:1-13:14 Dealing with the ‘weak’ and the ‘strong’ 14:1-15:13 PAUL’S GENTILE MINISTRY, POLICY AND PLANS :15:14-33 GREETINGS AND CLOSING DOXOLOGY :16:1-27 Presentation 05

Studies in Romans Universality of Sin and its Condemnation Chap.1v18 – 3v20 Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 Introduction In the earlier part of the chapter Paul has begun to outline principles of judgement designed to demonstrate that the Jew is not as immune from judgment as he thought he was. Paul shows that the Jew’s privileges did not only fail to protect him from condemnation but aggravated it. The false confidence of the Jew is thereby undermined. The foundation of his religious life begins to collapse around him. Presentation 05

Studies in Romans The Aggravation of the Jews’ Condemnation 2:17-29 Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 Spiritual privilege failed to produce humility. The Jews gloried in their special covenant relationship with God. Entrusted with the O.T scriptures they knew what God expected of man. But when knowledge of spiritual things is not converted into practice then conceit abounds. Spiritual privilege should produce humility. Bragging is the opposite of true spirituality. The Jews failed to grasp that God chose them not because they were more important than the rest of humanity but to win the Gentile nations by the light of godliness shining out of their lives. Instead of drawing the Gentiles to God, they had the very opposite effect. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 2. No credibility as communicators of truth. The Jew revelled in his role as instructor v20. The mere possession of God's textbook was not enough to lead the heathen nations out of a minefield of religious error. You can teach history without being a historian, and science without being a scientist but you cannot teach true religion if your subject has not begun to possess and control your life. The Jews’ behaviour caused their classroom to empty. cf. v 21ff.... They openly flouted the law in which they took great pride. The law not only lows the whistle on wrong external acts but on wrong internal attitudes. Cf the Sermon on the Mount. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 2. No credibility as communicators of truth. Paul quotes from Is. 52 .24. The passage addresses Israel's Babylonian captivity. Israel’s idolatry meant she had failed in her mission to be a light to those in darkness. The Babylonians assumed that to conquer a nation was to conquer its god. And so the gods of conquered nations were mocked as weak and inadequate. Israel's God was blasphemed in this way! But more than that in v24 Paul unpacks the working of the Gentile mind - It reasoned that a people’s behaviour reflected the character of their God and so when Israel behaved wickedly, the God of Israel was thought to be wicked! Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 3. Circumcision an inoculation against judgement! The Jew also believed circumcision freed him from God’s judgement. Paul refutes this view in v 25ff… The Jew saw circumcision as a badge that said, ‘I belong to a protected race’. Paul argues, ‘Your badge is useless if your behaviour contradicts the badge claims’. Illustration. If I went to a football match wearing an Esteghlal F.C. scarf, I am sending a signal that said, ‘Esteghlal are my team. I support them'. But if during the match I started cheering on the opposition, then my behaviour would deny the colours I wore. My behaviour reveals my true loyalty. My scarf becomes a meaningless expression of loyalty. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 3. Circumcision an inoculation against judgement! Paul says to the Jews, "The scarf of Circumcision, which points to a special relationship with God, is of no value if you are unfaithful to the covenant ". When the covenant is broken, circumcision becomes uncircumcision and the outward sign loses all its significance. The converse of this argument is also true, cf v26. The uncircumcised man who exercises faith and covenant obedience shows his allegiance to God, and can therefore legitimately be treated as circumcised. Ultimately, it is faith and obedience that marks out the people of God, and not their involvement in a religious rite. The absence of the sign does not annul the grace of God, just as the presence of the sign does not guarantee the grace of God. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 4. The true Jew has a circumcised heart. In v28-29 Paul contrasts the outward with the inward. The outward, for the Jew includes the mark of circumcision and a family line traced back to Abraham. But outward rites and rituals, by themselves, have little value. For Paul, the true Jew has a circumcised heart. Jeremiah stressed the necessity of this inner work of circumcision in Jer. 4:4. He called on Israel to 'circumcise their hearts' i.e. to refuse to rest content with an outward religious ritual that was divorced from an obedient life. This inward spiritual operation can only be accomplished by God ‘s Spirit cf. Ezek 36.26-27. Ezekiel points forward to the gospel era. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 4. The true Jew has a circumcised heart. The test of real spirituality is not ritual but relationship. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 5. Praise: The touchstone of true religion It is not immediately obvious why Paul closes this section in v29 with the phrase, 'whose praise is not from men but from God’. But once we recognise that he had begun in v17 by stating that Jews were not worthy of that name, and finishes by describing the true Jew, his conclusion becomes apparent. The word ‘Jew’ is derived from 'Judah' which means 'praised'. The true Jew is content to receive his praise not from men but from God. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 5. Praise: The touchstone of true religion In contrast the Jews whom Paul has been criticising either praised themselves or were eager to receive praise from men [cf. Lk 18:11, Jn 5:44]. The touchstone of a man's religious experience can be distilled to a single question. ‘Do you actively pursue the praise of men or the praise of God?’ The religious man, who is content to praise himself, or bask in the praise of men, has never allowed the law to do its inner spiritual work and convince him of his spiritual need. He tends to be preoccupied with outward ceremony and ritual, with little time for faith. He will have little or no awareness of his need of God's grace. Presentation 05

Studies in Romans The Faithfulness of God 3.1-8 Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 1. What’s the point of being a Jew? Paul has shown that circumcision did not guarantee immunity and a knowledge of God's Law does not keep the Jew out of God's dock. The disgruntled Jew might ask, ‘what is the point of being a Jew if I am in the condemned cell along with the rest of mankind?’ Paul replies that the Jew’s greatest blessing was God’s special revelation of himself - not only did the Jew possess God's written law but also God's covenant promises. Immediately, Paul anticipates another objection. What happens if Israel proved to be faithless to her trust? Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 2. Unfaithfulness does not nullify advantages v3-4 Illustration. A young man is enrolled by his family in a college course. They agree to pay all his fees, and ensure that he has the best teachers and textbooks available. He enjoys good health and has been blessed with above average intelligence. In spite of all these advantages he never graduates. Why? Because he has been lazy. He has been unfaithful to his trust. Opportunity and privilege do not guarantee success. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 2. Unfaithfulness does not nullify advantages v3-4 If some Jews failed to make use of the advantages offered by God, and turned their back upon them, does that mean that by condemning them God has broken his promise and proved to be unjust, unreliable and unfaithful? In reply Paul says v4 'perish the thought!' The language used denotes a very strong denial. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 3. God’s faithfulness is two-edged – promises and threats. The faithfulness of God, like a sword, is a two-edged attribute. We must not concentrate upon the faithfulness of his promises at the expense of his faithfulness to his threats. The Jews like many church people today edit out the threats and the sanctions associated with God’s promises, and then accuse God of being unfaithful, when the blessing they expect does not materialise. Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 3. God’s faithfulness is two-edged – promises and threats. Illustration: a child told by his parents, 'Tidy up your room and I'll take you to the park this afternoon, but if your room is not tidied then you will spend all afternoon tidying it'. The child neglects to tidy his room and after lunch gets very excited about going out to the park. When his parents refuse to take him he accuses them of not keeping their promise, BUT that is precisely what they are doing. The child had paid attention to the first part of the promise, for he wanted to go to the park - but he disregarded the second part - an untidy room would mean staying at home. Do you see the parallel? Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 4. Surely man's sin magnifies God's righteousness? Now it is against the blackness of human faithlessness and unrighteousness that we see the faithfulness and righteousness of God stand out in remarkable brilliance. This fact causes an imaginary objector to shout out yet another question in v5... ‘Is man's sin not therefore magnifying God's righteousness, making it shine more brilliantly? Is it therefore fair of God to punish man for enhancing God's character by his wicked behaviour?’ Presentation 05

Sin and its Condemnation 1.18 -3.20 The Faithfulness of God 3:1-8 4. Surely man's sin magnifies God's righteousness? A university professor regularly blasphemed Christ's name in his lectures. When a Christian student challenged his behaviour, he justified it, saying the mention of Christ's name made his students think about him. It is the same warped reasoning that faces Paul here. It argues that man’s sin is excellent if it causes the righteousness of God to appear more attractive. Therefore it would be wrong of God to punish it! Paul does not even dignify this argument with an answer, it is beneath contempt! Only because God is a God of impeccable justice can he can be trusted to judge the world! Presentation 05

Studies in Romans