Romans - December 30, 2007

Section -- Two; Condemnation -- Romans 1:18-3:20, continued

3. (v.20) Was Paul criticizing the Jew for acting as if they were instructors to others?
a. (Joh 4:21-22) NO! The Jews, having God’s revealed will, were instructors to the unlearned and were failing in their mission

4. PONDER: What is the significance of “therefore” at v.21?
a. The “therefore” of 2:21 is a transition word , thus, Paul is making application of or building upon the point he has just made about the Jew’s point of view of themself.

5. What did Paul say about the Jew’s point of view on being a Jew? [2:21-24]
a. (v.21-22) They failed to practice what they taught others, i.e., what they knew to be God’s will — they were the “embodiment of knowledge and truth” but they failed to put their knowledge into practice; their inward man was not involved in their obedience...
(1) Taught against stealing, yet stole from God. [Eze 22:26]
(2) Taught against adultery, yet did so. [Mat 12:39; Jam 4:4]
b. (v.23-24) He, who would not pronounce the Tetragrammaton (YHWH/JHVH; G_D), but damaged God’s reputation with others...
(1) Claimed he was a follower of the Law, yet did not live as a respecter (follower) of the Law, causing the Gentiles not to respect the Jew’s God. [Isa 52:5] This was prophesied by Isaiah.

6. PONDER: In v.22 the Greek word expressed by “sacrilege” [KJV] is expressed by “rob temples” in most other versions. The Greek word (hierosuleo, G2416) means “to be a temple robber”. What is the charge Paul is making against the Jews in the last part of verse 22.
a. He is not saying they looted pagan places of worship, nor is he saying they physically removed things from their places of worship. Is using the word in a figuratively sense, he is saying they taught against being sacrilegious (worshiping idols), yet they were sacrilegious by twisting the things of God to serve their own purpose — allow their traditions to set aside God’s commandments [cf. Mar 7:9-13; Luk 19:45]. KJV is using the Greek word in a figuratively sense.

D. Evidence Applied [Discussion Question Answered] — What was the problem with the Jew’s concept of their salvation? (Raised in the church(?); Know what the Bible teaches; Talk the walk, but fail to walk the talk; etc.)
1. The Jews were not wrong about their God given special position, a position given them not because they earned it. Their problem is they had an attitude causing them to fail to use their position to glorify God, thus, they glorified themselves.
a. Problem is not preaching better than one lives, for no one is perfect; problem is failing to inwardly strive to live up to what one preaches and teaches.+
OBSERVATION: The Jews had become blind to their rejection of God and God’s purpose for making them special (Christ’s linage), thus, they rejected the Christ for they were convinced what they expected of the Christ was what God expected and the person Jesus was not what they expected, thus, not what God expected.

E. Conclusion — Paul shows God was impartial in his condemnation for both the Gentiles and Jews failed to strive to live up to what they knew was God’s expectations, having the revealed mind of God in your possession does not prevent your condemnation.
1. The Jews were not “bad” people, per se, that had just closed their mind to any position that did not fit what they had always been taught, thus, what they had always believed.
2. If their position did not stand up against a logically presented different position killing the messenger was their only response — not because they were evil but because they had the responsibility to prevent “error” from being spread, for they were keepers of God’s revealed mind.

IX. {Rom 2:25-29} Physical obedience is not sufficient to prevent God’s wrath