17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your transgression of the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.
25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law, but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised man observes the righteous requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the Law, will he not judge you who, through the letter of the Law and circumcision, are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2: 17-29 LSB
Romans 2: 17-29
Vs. 17-18 Know His will and approve the things that are essential - In the past posts we looked at Paul's explanation of how God could judge the Gentiles who were not brought up in the truth. They didn't acknowledge God, left off from the earliest knowledge of Him, that which should be transmitted from generation to generation, and they turned to worshiping nature, man and following after their sin. We saw that God still views them as being without excuse, for they didn't even live up to the light they had. Now Paul shifts his focus to the Jews, those who had the law and the prophets, the heritage of the temple, synagogue readings, much more light, yet did not walk in that light.
1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness— 2who indeed call yourselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel; the LORD of Hosts is His name. 3I foretold the former things long ago; they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.… Isaiah 48: 1-3
…32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?” 34Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.… John 8: 32-34
…21To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.… 2 Corinthians 11: 21-23
John Piper sounds an important warning to us as we study this section, because a casual reading might tend to produce in us an anti-Semitic reaction. Piper cautions against such an occurrence "I want to begin this morning with a caution. Anti-Semitism has been a great sin in the world, acted out by Christians and non-Christians throughout the centuries. By this I mean that there has been terrible mistreatment of Jewish people for no reason other than their Jewishness. (The Effect of Hypocrisy, Part 1 Dishonoring God)
A hypocrite is one who says one thing and does another. In ancient Grecian plays, the actors wore mask to portray a character, but acting out of a part on stage behind a mask (that hid their real identity) was known as "hypokrites." The NT gives speaks of hypokrites only with a negative connotation referring to duplicity (the quality of being double - belying of one’s true intentions by deceptive words or action), insincerity, dissimulation (hiding under a false appearance; hiding or disguising one's thoughts or feelings - don't we all do this from time to time?!). The idea is to pretend, to act as something one is not and so to act deceitfully, pretending to manifest traits like godly or loving character. It means to create a public impression that is at odds with one’s real purposes or motivations, and thus is characterized by play-acting, pretense or outward show. It means to give an impression of having certain purposes or motivations, while in reality having quite different ones. This is an apt summarization of Paul's characterization of the religious Jews who knew the Law and gave feigned acquiescence to it (external), thus failing to practice the Law (internally, from their heart). - PA
Vs. 19-20 A light to those who are in darkness - Part of Israel's call was to be a light to the gentiles. They despised the gentiles instead, and thought they were in good standing, not only because they were related to Abraham genetically, but also because they had the law and the prophets. Now, don't twist what I am about to say, I am not saying that doctrine is unimportant like many today will falsely claim, but you can have sound doctrine and not be born again. The Pharisees studied the law, memorized large portions of Scripture, but they were hypocrites in not obeying God, not being beacons of light to all the other nations, and not recognizing their own need for repentance. There are many academic Christians today who love to memorize doctrine, which again, I don't condemn, but those that do it solely for the sake of debate, and without love for the lost, are committing the same error as the Pharisees and Sadducees. Our actions need to match our words and we need not be confident in our selves, our ability to regurgitate a Biblical vocabulary, but our confidence and hope is Christ, and we should give this message freely as we also freely received it. Israel's disobedience did not override God's plan, for through them the world learned that God is just, even punishing His own people, and they kept the God's word to pass down to future generations. It was through Abraham's seed that those who believed also received the benefit of the Messiah, Jesus, Who was born a Jew.
…11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. 12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 13The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”… Proverbs 26: 11-13
…17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”… 1 Corinthians 3: 17-19
…17You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.… Revelation 3: 17-19
Vs. 21-24 Do you not teach yourself - They had a knowledge of God's law, and we saw that gentiles, even atheist do as well, but if we go about breaking the same laws that we teach, we in turn bring dishonor upon God. The other nations looked at Israel, and thought they were nothing like the things they said. Your God says don't steal, yet you rob the widow and the orphan. Your God says don't commit adultery, yet they found every loophole possible to divorce their wives to be with another. Their own law told them not to even covet, which brings it to the level of thought. Jesus later says, if you look on a woman to lust after her then you have already committed adultery in your heart. In not putting the concerns of God first and foremost, in their rush to appear holy in their social bubble, they ended up causing the name of God to be mocked by the gentiles.
…14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world 16as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.… Philippians 2: 14-16
…21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls. 22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. 23For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,…
…24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so— not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer— he will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.… James 1: 21-26
…4For this is what the Lord GOD says: “At first My people went down to Egypt to live, then Assyria oppressed them without cause. 5And now what have I here? declares the LORD. For My people have been taken without cause; those who rule them taunt, declares the LORD, and My name is blasphemed continually all day long. 6Therefore My people will know My name; therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. Here I am!”… Isaiah 52: 4-6
…20And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’ 21But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone. 22Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.…
…23I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes. 24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. 25I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.… Ezekiel 36: 20-25
Vs. 25-27 Your circumcision has become uncircumcision - It was something that was even hidden beneath their clothes, but a reminder that they had been called out from the nations, set apart as a people unto God. They instead started to hold confidence in being circumcised, tithing, not eating pork, following certain laws, but being thieves and idolaters in their hearts. So if someone isn't circumcised but keeps the law, obeys God, loves his neighbor, isn't he living the life for which your circumcision was supposed to remind you to live? They heard, but they did not obey. They trusted more in the acts of circumcision, animal sacrifice, which pointed to the fact that sin brings death, and that you need to repent, and you can only do this through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
…6And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast to My covenant— 7I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” 8Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”… Isaiah 56: 6-8
…18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts. 20Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.… 1 Corinthians 7: 18-20
…20Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it? 21“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. 22Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.…
…23Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 25Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?… Amos 5: 20-25
Vs. 28-29 Circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit - You must be born again, a new creature, and this is only possible by the power of God, not by keeping ordinances, cutting off your foreskin, getting a Jesus tattoo.
…16O LORD our God, from Your hand comes all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name, and all of it belongs to You. 17I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You. 18O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You.… 1 Chronicles 29: 16-18
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