LessonThree--Romans2:6-29
Those who keep the law will be saved, not merely those who hear it
2:6-11 God judges impartially
Inthissectionandthenext,Paulmakes onebasicpoint.Hesaysthatpeoplecan talkalltheywantaboutobeyingthelaw, theycanresolvetoquitsinning,theycan makeeverygoodresolutiontheywant, andinamisguidedwaytheycanshow theirzealforthelawbyjudgingthesins ofothers.Butunlesstheyobeythelaw, theywillbecondemnedaslawbreakers.
Focusonthecontrastintheseverses. Describeeachofthephrasesthattell aboutthewayoflifeofthegoodperson andwhatheorshewillreceive.
1. Some,bypersistencein doingwhat is________________seek
2. Ontheotherhand,thosewhodo
Forthem,theresultwillbe
Forthem,theresultwillbe
Wemustbeverycarefulwhenwe interpretthissection.
PaulisnotinstructingaChristianon howtoearneternallife.Thissectionis law.Paultellsusthatallpeoplewillbe judgedonthebasisofwhattheydo.The gentilesinneriswarned.TheJewwho dependsonhisreligiousheritageshould alsotakethiswarningtoheart.
However,inverse7Paul is describinga Christian.Inverse6Paulquotesfrom Psalm62,whereDavid clearlyputs himselfintothecategoryofaperson whomGodwillrewardaccordingto whathehasdone.Howthisistobe understoodwillbecomemoreclear whenwestudythebeginningofchapter 8.
1997NorthwesternPublishingHouse.Reprintedbypermission.
Verse10 Note:Paulrepeatsthephrase heusedin1:16,“firstfortheJew,then fortheGentile.”WhatdoesPaulmean bythatphrase?
Godwillcondemnallwhodoevil andrewardallwhodogood.Jews andGentilesalikestandunderthis law.
2:12-16 God will judge all people impartially
Verse12Whoarethepeoplewhosin “withoutlaw”? Whoarethosewhosesin is“inconnectionwithlaw”?
Verses14,15EventhoughtheGentiles didnotreceiveGod'slawwrittenon tabletsofstoneasIsraeldid,theystill havethelaw.Weallhavetwonatural qualities:
1. The_____________________ writteninour _____________________.
2. Avoicecalled the_____________________.
Howdothesetwointerplay?
GodwilljudgeJewsandGentiles impartiallyonthebasisofwhetheror nottheyhavekepthislaw.
2:17-24 Paul indicts the Jews
Verses17-23PaulparrotstheJews' boastabouttheirknowledgeandthe privilegedpositioninwhichthis knowledgeputsthem.
Verse24 HowdoestheOldTestament passagePaulquotesanswerallthe previousquestions?
Jewishhistoryprovesthatknowing thelawandobeyingitaretwo differentthings.
2:25-29 Real circumcision
Verse25Whatwasthemeaningof circumcisionfortheOldTestament Israelites?
Verse26Withthatmeaninginmind, discusshowGentiles(mostofusare Gentiles)canbecome“circumcised”and trueJews.
Verse29 Describethesetwophrasesand contrastthem:
“spiritualcircumcision”
“onebasedoncarryingouttheletter ofthelaw”
1997NorthwesternPublishingHouse.Reprintedbypermission.
Isourfaithbasedonthefirstprincipleor thesecond? Howisitpossibletoslip intoareligionthatisbasedon“theletter ofthelaw”?
Summary
Verse29ReadMatthew6:16-18inthe lightofthispassage.
Matthew6:16–18
“Wheneveryoufast,donotmake yourselflooksadlikethehypocrites, fortheydisfiguretheirfacestoshow everyonethattheyarefasting.AmenI tellyou:Theyhavereceivedtheir reward. 17 Butwhenyoufast,anoint yourheadandwashyourface, 18 so thatitisnotapparenttopeoplethat youarefasting,butonlytoyour Fatherwhoseeswhatisunseen.Then yourFather,whoseeswhatisdonein secret,willrewardyou.”
Whydothosewhoshapetheirreligion bythe“letterofthelaw”receivetheir praisefrommen? Whyarethosewho havea“spiritualcircumcision”content tohaveGodalonepraise them?
Onlyspiritualcircumcisionmakesa personatrueJewandonewhocan trulyserveGod.
TheJewsboastedaboutthelawbut didnotkeepit.Onlyspiritual circumcisioncanenable apersonto berighteousbeforeGod.TheGentile whohasbecomeatrueJewwill condemntheJewwholivesasifhe were aGentile.
For next time
1. ReadPsalm62andcompareDavid's wordsinverse12withhowPaul usestheminRomans2:6.
2. ReadRomans3:1-20and thinkabout thefollowing:
a. Trytomakeasmuchsenseas possibleoutofverses1-8.Seeif youcanisolatethefourJewish argumentsandhowPaulanswers eachone.
b. Use yourBible'scrossreference guidetofindthepsalmsPaul quotesinverses10-18.How manyofthesepsalmsreferto Gentilesandhowmanyreferto Jews?
c. Noteverse20. Itseemstobea directcontradictionto2:13(as wellas2:7).Can youexplainthis puzzle?
1997NorthwesternPublishingHouse.Reprintedbypermission.
Romans2:6–29(EHV)
6God“willrepayeachpersonaccordingtowhathehasdone”—7eternallifetothose whoseekglory,honor,andimmortalitybypersistingindoingwhatis good, 8butfurious angertothosewhooutofselfishambitionaredisobeyingwhatistrueandobeyingwhat iswrong. 9Therewillbetroubleanddistressforthesoulofeverypersonwhodoeswhat isevil—fortheJewfirstandfortheGreek—10butglory,honor,andpeaceforeveryone whodoeswhatis good—fortheJewfirstandfortheGreek. 11ForGoddoesnotshow favoritism.
12Indeed,allpeople whohavesinnedwithoutlawwillalsoperishwithoutlaw,and allthepeoplewhohavesinnedinconnectionwithlawwillbejudgedbylaw. 13Foritis notthosewhohearthelawwhowillberighteousinGod’ssight,butthosewhodothe lawwhowillbedeclaredrighteous.
14Infact,wheneverGentiles,whodonothavethelaw,dobynaturewhatthelaw requires—eventhoughtheydonothavethelaw—theyarealawforthemselves. 15They demonstratetheworkof thelawthatiswrittenintheirhearts,sincetheirconsciencealso bearswitnessastheirthoughtsgobackandforth,attimesaccusingorattimeseven defendingthem.
16Thiswillhappenonthedaywhen,accordingto mygospel,Godwilljudge people’ssecretsthroughJesusChrist.
PaulAddressestheJewDirectly
17Nowifyoucall yourselfaJew,and youfind yourcomfortinthelaw,andyou boastinGod; 18andifyouknowhiswill,andyouapprovethethingsthatreallymatter, sinceyouareinstructedbythelaw; 19andifyouareconvincedthatyou yourselfarea guidefortheblind,alightforthoseindarkness, 20aninstructoroftheignorant,anda teacherofinfants(sinceyouhavetheessenceofknowledgeandtruthinthelaw)—21now then,you,theonewhois teachingsomeoneelse,doyoufailtoteach yourself? Youwho preach,“Donotsteal,”doyousteal? 22Youwhosay,“Donotcommitadultery,”do you commitadultery? Youwhodetestidols,doyourobtemples? 23Youwhoboastinthelaw bringshameonGodbybreakingthelaw. 24Yes,asitiswritten,“God’snameis blasphemedamongtheGentilesbecauseofyou.”
DoesCircumcisionMake aDifference?
25Indeed,circumcisionhasvalueif youobservethelaw.Ontheotherhand,ifyou arealawbreaker, yourcircumcisionhasbecomeuncircumcision. 26So,ifan uncircumcisedpersonkeepstherighteousrequirementsofthelaw,won’this uncircumcisionbecreditedtohimascircumcision? 27Theonewhoisnotcircumcised physically,butwhofulfillsthelaw,willjudge youwhoarealawbreaker,eventhough youhavethewrittenlawandcircumcision.
28Infact,aJewwhoismerelyoneoutwardlyisnotreallyaJew,andcircumcision thatisonlyoutwardinthefleshisnotreallycircumcision. 29Rather,arealJewisoneon theinside,andhiscircumcisionisoftheheart—aspiritualcircumcision,notonebasedon carryingouttheletterofthelaw.Thatperson’spraisedoesnotcomefrom peoplebut fromGod.
1997NorthwesternPublishingHouse.Reprintedbypermission.