Romans 2:17-29 (Wednesday Evening Bible Study)

Romans 2:17-29

• Would you try to pull over a police officer who was driving faster than the speed limit?
• A woman pulled over a Miami-Dade officer, accusing him of speeding. Claudia Castillo was following the officer and thought he was going much faster than necessary.
  • “He passed me with so much speed, so much force, my car shook,” she said. She started recording him on her cell phone, which was mounted on her rearview mirror.
  • She said she tried to catch up with him and the officer finally pulled over, thinking Castillo was driving so fast to get to an emergency.
  • “I pushed 80 [mph] to try and catch up to you, and I was still eating your dust,” she told him.   By the way Claudia has her own problem with speeding and careless driving according to her driving record.
• Context:
  • Tonight we will see the keepers of God’s laws had their problems keeping them.
  • Do you think the Jews prided themselves in being of possession of the laws of God?
  • The law was delivered to the Jews. Thru the Jews it had been preserved and passed down. Could be that the Jews felt the mere possession of the Law equaled righteousness?
  • What is the only way to be saved by the Law? By keeping it  perfectly
  • Note: By Paul’s time the term “Jew” had replaced Israelite or Hebrew.  The Name came from the land of Judah which was all that was really left after the Babylonian exile.
• Romans 2:17-20
• 17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, 18 and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law—
  • What do you think Paul means the Jews were “boasting in God” here?
    • Now there is nothing wrong in  boasting God but here the context seems to be negative,  like Paul is saying they are  boasting that they have  God and  you don’t
  • Do you think the Jews thought they were superior because they had the Law from God and the O.T?
  • Who would the blind and those in the dark, the foolish and the little children represent?
    • All these descriptions would be representative of Gentiles. They saw themselves as  the proper teachers  of the  non- Jews 
• Romans 2:21-24
• 21 you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? 22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
  • The Jews would have been agreeing with Paul up to verse 21 but then what does Paul do to them?
    • He turns the tables on them…Paul points out that the Jews may have the Law  but that doesn’t means they are keeping it.
  • According to Paul’s questions were the Jews being hypocritical?
    • It certainly appears so Paul gives three different  ways, stealing, adultery and robbing of pagan temples which could mean some kind of action that was sacrilege (or robbing  idols of  precious metal and melting it down for  gain.)
  • How is God’s name blasphemed because of their actions?
    • Their sinful and actions and hypocritical behavior dishonors God but also causes the Gentiles who see their behavior… it is damaging to God’s reputation.  If Jews have this sense of superior religious behavior they are going to be very vulnerable to criticism if and when they sinned against the law they boast about.
• The Jews’ pride in the Law was ill-founded, for they did not keep the requirements of the Law. They not only failed to live by the Law, they failed to live righteously before the Gentiles
• Romans 2:25-27
• 25 Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision.
  • What is the sign of the Jews covenant relationship with God?
    • Circumcision…It was the concert, physical evidence that they were children of Abraham and were thus protected by the covenant the of God.  In the Jewish mind they could not be treated the same as Gentiles by God because circumcision showed they belonged to God.
  • When does circumcision have value?
    • If you keep the law of the covenant
  • When you break the law what do you become like?
    • Like you are uncircumcised
  • When the non- Jew keeps the law’s requirements what are the regarded as?
    • They are as if they are circumcised
  • If you are a Jew and break the law is circumcision going to save you?
    • Not at all
  • Why might a Jew be condemned by a Gentile?
    • See verse 27 Because they had  the  written law and circumcision but  yet they were still a law breaker
• Romans 2:28-29
• 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.
  • What radical thing is Paul saying here?
    • Physically descending, the physical sign of the covenant are outward what is important was what was on the inside
  • Being a Jew is not based on physical signs but on what?
    • Inwardly
  • Colossians 2:11 11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,
  • From where does their praise come?
    • From God Himself
• TAKE AWAY
  • Can anyone be saved when judged according to the rules of law?
  • If God treats people impartially why did the Jews think that they were special and would be judged differently?
  • What were the Jews chosen for?
    • Not salvation but service preparing a nation and people ready to receive the Messiah
  • If Jews are not special who is?
  • What are we relying on for right standing with God?