Bible Study Materials

Romans 2:17-3:20

by Paul Choi   01/31/2010  

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GOD’S JUDGMENT AGAINST THE JEW

Romans 2:17-3:20

Key Verse: 2:29

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  1. Read 2:17-24. What are the advantages of the Jews and of those who have studied the Bible? How can these strengths become weaknesses that make the people of God enemies of God’s redemptive work in the world?
     

 

  1.  Read 2:25-29. What kind of circumcision is valuable? What does this mean? (Dt 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4) From whom should God’s people seek praise? How can we please God?
     

 

 

  1. Read 3:1-8. What is the advantage of being a Jew, or of being born into a Christian home? Does man’s failure to be a steward of his opportunities cancel God’s faithfulness?
     

4. Read 3:9-20. What do the quotations from the Old Testament show about what it means to be under sin? What is Paul’s conclusion about the condition of all men? (3:23) What is the purpose of the law?


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Message


ALL HAVE SINNED

Romans 2:17-3:20

Key Verse: 2:29 “No, 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.”

  Last week we studied about God’s judgment against the world without faith. God will judge Gentiles who suppress the truth of God deliberately and turn their hearts to worship idols. God will also judge those who pass judgment on others thinking that they are righteous before God. Paul said that both Gentiles and legalists cannot escape God’s divine judgment.

  In today’s passage Paul states God’s judgment against Jews as a prosecutor pronounces charges against a criminal before a judge. Jews are chosen and privileged. But Paul says that they are also law breakers who cannot escape God’s judgment.  Finally, through his long apologetic statements and conversation from 1:18-3:20, Paul makes a conclusion that both Gentiles and Jews are all under sin and that the whole world is held accountable to God. What he really means is that it is impossible for any man to be saved by his own will or by any other human ways, and that man can be saved only by God’s grace and by the way provided by God, which is through faith in Jesus Christ who satisfied God’s righteousness through his death on the cross. May God give us a deep understanding of Paul’s teaching today. Amen.

First, the sins of Jews (2:17-3:2). There are several reasons why Jews think of themselves as special and superior to others. Verse 17 gives us some clue. “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about relationship to God.” Jews think that they are special because they hold God’s law, especially the five books of Moses called “Torah”, which means “Teachings”. Jews believe that Torah is God’s word and they are the receivers of God’s law. So Jews discipline their children to memorize Torah from the age of five so that their children will finish memorizing before they become twelve. Jews believe that they know God’s will through the law and that they are superior because they are instructed by the law. (18) They are also convinced that they are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants because they have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. (19,20)  In a word, Jews are proud of  being holders of God’s law (3:2, 9:4)

  Jews are proud of themselves as being a covenant people. They brag about their  relationship with God as God’s firstborn sons.(Ex 4:22, Jer 31:9, Hos 11:1) In Exodus 4:22,23), God commanded Moses to deliver His message to King Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me….” In the Jewish tradition and sentiment, a firstborn son inherits his father’s rights and possessions. Jews believe that they are privileged to inherit God’s favor and blessing as his firstborn son.

In God’s redemptive history, Jews have a covenant relationship with God. Every Jewish male child has to be circumcised when he is eight days old. Circumcision is an act of cutting off a part or all of male’s foreskin. It is a painful surgery. However, God commanded Abraham to circumcise him and all males who had belonged to him as a sign of covenant. In Genesis 17:10,11 the Lord said to Abraham, “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.” Therefore, circumcision was God’s appointed sign of the covenant, which signified Abraham’s covenanted commitment to the Lord-that the Lord alone would be his God, whom he would trust and serve.  Jews are proud of being the  descendants of Abraham who made a covenant with God.

Thus, Jews brag of their identity as law holders and as covenant bearers. Paul also admits this fact. But now Paul accuses Jews of being law breakers and blasphemers who cannot escape God’s righteous judgment like Gentiles. Please read verses 21- 24. “you, then, who teaches others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”  Paul’s charge against the Jews is based on the law which they brag about. Paul accused them of being law breakers who do not obey the law. They do not practice what they teach others. It is easy for us to teach others, right?  But there are not many who correct themselves before they judge others. We have a tendency to be strict to others and generous to ourselves. This is the reason why a pastor or leader in any organization has to struggle to show a good example to others.

 In these verses Paul claims that no one is perfect in observing the law because whether they are Jews or Gentiles, all are the same sinners who break God’s law in one way or another. If a man violates one of thousands of laws, he is still a law breaker and cannot escape judgment. Among us, is there anyone who never stole anything from others? Biblically speaking, if anyone does not offer proper time and money to God, he is stealing from God who owns his life. According to Jesus’ words, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in her heart. (Mt 5:28) Is there anyone who dares to claim, “I have never committed adultery”?

Paul weighs Jewish spiritual sin more than their moral sin. By breaking God’s law, they dishonor God. In terms of Jewish legalism, blasphemy is the most serious and contemptible crime. By breaking the law, Jews committed the most contemptible sin before God. Therefore, Jews are held accountable to God alike with Gentiles, and charged with blasphemy and hypocrisy.

In verses 25-29, Paul confirms Jews to be law breakers by explaining the true meaning of circumcision. Look at verses 28, 29. “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, 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.”  Jews use circumcision as their identification as God’s people. However, Paul said that their physical circumcision and their outward mark are invalid as long as they violate God’s law. He added that a real Jew is one who is circumcised inwardly, who circumcised his heart by the Holy Spirit. What Paul really means is that the people of God are not those who have an outward mark on their physical bodies, but those who are transformed inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Deuteronomy 10:16 Moses warned the stubborn Israelites by saying, “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.” Moses continued in 30:6. “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.”

What does “circumcision of the heart” mean? In a word, it means repentance.  As God wanted Abraham to cut off a part of his body in order to establish a covenant relationship, so God also wants us to cut off all sins in and around us which disturb our relationship with God. Cut off all your sinful desires and evil behaviors in order to become the people of God! As physical surgery is painful, a spiritual operation is painful, too. It could be more painful than physical, but it is very necessary in order to have a right relationship with God. As a physical circumcision is performed with knives, so a spiritual circumcision is carried out by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and leads us into repentance.( Jn 16:8) The Holy Spirit also transforms us into a new generation. (Jn 3:5, Ro 8:2,11,16)  Therefore, the people of God are not those who brag about the law or physical circumcision, but those who love God and obey his law.

It is in the same token that real Christians are not those who only carry the Bible and brag about their human advantages, but those who believe the Bible as the words of God and live according to its teachings.  As those who hold the Bible are not all Christians, so those who are children of pastors or ministers are not all Christians. One day a pastor asked a young man in his church, “Do you believe in Jesus?”  The young man answered,  “I graduated from a Catholic school.” The pastor asked him the same question. The man said, “I am a pastor’s son.”  The pastor with great patience asked the young man again if he really believes in Jesus. The young man replied, “No”. As this short episode tells, any human conditions or privilege cannot be a guarantee for salvation for anyone. Only the one who believes in Jesus and accepts him as his personal Lord and Savior can be saved. John 1:12,13 says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Salvation is personal and it is obtained only by God’s grace and through faith in Jesus Christ (Ro 3:21,24, Eph 2:8)

Paul’s accusation is not only against the Jews but also against all Christians who live superficial and hypocritical lives. We Christians are considered as new covenant people. (Lk 22:20) Jesus made a new covenant with his disciples in his own blood. Those who accept Jesus and believe in his promise are a new covenant people. As a covenant people, we should live as people of God. We must honor God as God by being good examples to the unbelievers.  But, how many times have we dishonored God’s name through our evil behaviors and double life? How often have we liked to teach others rather than teach ourselves? How slow and stubborn have we been to repent? We are not much different from the legalistic Jews in terms of Paul’s accusation. May God give us the spirit of repentance and help us to circumcise our hearts by the Holy Spirit. May He help us to come to God just as we are and confess all our sins of hypocrisy and disobedience and receive forgiveness of sin. Amen.

Second, all have sinned (3:3-20) In verses 3-8, Paul urges that the unfaithfulness of human beings cannot nullify God’s faithfulness. Shortly speaking, our God is absolutely just and righteous while human beings are totally unfaithful and sinful. We should not commit sin in order to increase God’s grace. God’s grace is not a excuse for our sinful behaviors (5:20, 6:1,2).

  In verse 9, Paul made a final accusation against the world. Look at verse 9. “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.” Paul’s final conclusion is that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. Whether they are Jews or non-Jews, Greeks or non-Greeks, Americans or Chinese, young or old, all without exception are under God’s divine judgment because there is no one righteous, not even one.(3:10) All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23). The whole world is condemned and the result of condemnation is death (Ps 94:21, Mt 20:18, Ro 6:23a)

  In order to classify the charge, Paul quotes several verses from the Old Testaments (Ps 14:1-3,5:9, 140:3, 10:7, Is 59:7,8, Ps 36:1). Please read verses 12-18. Is there anyone who is exempted from this charge? After pronouncing the charges one by one, Paul makes a final verdict toward the world like a judge in the Supreme Court. Look at verses 19,20. “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” As we have studied for the last two chapters, there is no one who can claim to be righteous in the sight of God by observing the law. All failed whether they are Jews or non-Jews. So Paul’s final sentence is that all have sinned before God and the whole world waits for God’s divine judgment. The destiny of human beings is like that of a prisoner who receives a death sentence and waits for the day of execution. What shall we do then in this helpless situation?  Praise and thanks to God who is faithful to keep his promise of salvation as told through his servants in the Scriptures! As he had promised, God sent us Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus died on the cross for our unrighteousness and unfaithfulness. Through his sacrificial death on the cross in our place, the righteousness of God is satisfied. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ is justified and is credited with righteousness. What was impossible with men, God made possible through Jesus Christ.  Praise Jesus!

  Let us circumcise our hearts and be transformed by the Holy Spirit! May we teach ourselves first with God’s law before we teach others. Let us humbly accept that we are sinners before God and completely helpless with our sins and only by the merit of the blood of Jesus we can be justified. May God help us to live as a new covenant people in this generation. May God make America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Amen.


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