Romans 2:17-20
by:
Dan Hill, PhD
Pastor, Southwood Bible Church
7655 South Sheridan Avenue
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74113
E-Mail: hill918@aol.com
INTRODUCTION:
John Wesley speaking of religion in his day said: Sour godliness is the
devil's religion. It does not owe its inception to truly spiritual people.
I suspect that sour godliness oriented among unhappy, semi-religious people
who had just enough religion to make them miserable, but not enough to make
then good.
It was easy to condemn the pagan man of chapter one. By his attitude of
rejection and his actions of sin he clearly condemns himself. The moral
man of chapter two was a bit more difficult to condemn since he appears
to be so good. Yet Paul built a case against him under three points:
1. All men possess the light of creation, 1:20
2. All men have the light of conscience, 2:15
3. Men who reject this light condemn themselves, 2:12
In this case that Paul builds against the moral man he also touched upon
the Jew. The one having the Law. And now he turns to the Jew and begins
to build God's case against them.
This is the third group who has been nodding their heads in agreement to
this point, but now it is there turn.
Romans 2:17,18
But if you bear the name Jew, and rely upon the Law, and boast in God,
and know His will,
And approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,
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While all men have the light of creation and conscience, some, the Jews,
have the light of God's written word.
That they have a possession from God led the Jew into a false sense of confidence,
thinking that all that had been said to this point had no bearing on him
because, after all, he was a Jew.
Paul gives the religious Jew six distinctives:
1. He bears the name Jew: This is a reference to nationality
and citizenship in a nation that belongs to God. Ones who bore this title
were proud of it.
2. Rely upon the Law: They had the OT Law and relied upon it, or more accurately
its Talmudic interpretations, for their social and civil statutes.
3. They boast in God: The word boast actually means to flaunt or brag about
God. The Jews knew God had a relationship to them and they flaunted this
in the face of the Gentiles.
4. They know His will: Interesting, Paul uses a simple form for KNOW. He
does not grant them the recognition that they follow divine will, just know
it.
5. They approve things that are essential: This is the testing or proving
of moral and ethical behavior. Much of the time of the Jewish Rabbis and
scholars was spent considering moral and ethical issues.
6. They were instructed out of the Law: Jews went to Synagogue school and
learned the Scriptures and were taught the doctrines of the Word.
Topic: JEWISH RELIGIOUS SYSTEM
Can you imagine the Jews who listened to Paul read off this list of possessions?
They would smile and nod their heads and say "Oh, that is us, yes we
are truly blessed . . . we are special".
But we have to go back to verse 13 to see the light in which this list is
given . . .
Rom 2:13, For not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers
of the Law will be justified.
AND THAT WILL BE PAUL'S POINT. All the possessions are nothing without putting
them into practice.
Romans 2:19,10
And are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light
to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the
immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth.
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The Confidence of the Religious Jew
The verb CONFIDENT is a perfect tense that describes a present condition
that began at a past point in time. This is an attitude that is fixed, entrenched
in the minds of the Jews.
Then Paul lists four roles of the Jews
1. A Guide to the Blind: In the OT it was the Gentile that was
often seen as being blind. The Jews had the opportunity to be a guide to
them.
But to be a guide to the blind you must be able to see:
Matthew 15:14 Jesus said of the Pharisees: "They are blind guides of
the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a
pit".
2. A Light to those in Darkness: Again, a reference to the Gentiles who
were seen as those who dwelled in darkness. The Jews had the privilege of
being a light to them.
This is in contrast to the blind who have no capacity to see. Here it is
the darkness around them that prevented sight. The Jews considered themselves
to be the light of the world.
3. A Corrector of the Foolish: Not a judge but one who corrects. The word
was used of the trainer-slave, one who came along side and taught, encouraged,
corrected, and was an example.
The word FOOLISH is AFRON and means to be without reason. Hence it takes
one who has reason to correct the one who is without reason.
4. A Teacher of the Immature: DIDASKALOS, one who teaches with a purpose,
with a goal in mind. And that would be to bring from immaturity to maturity.
The word IMMATURE is NAPIOS which means one who is unable to speak, the
Gentiles were viewed by the Jews as having nothing of value to say or contribute.
And all this can be done by what is possessed: Having the Law the embodiment
of knowledge and of the truth.
The OT Law did four things:
1. It kept a lid on the disobedience of the nation of Israel
2. It demonstrated the sinfulness of man
3. It displayed the righteousness of God
4. And it pointed the way to Jesus, the Messiah who would come.
Israel had the Law and they could have used it, but instead they abused
it.
This job description is very good and is the privileged of the believer,
Jews or Christians. But it can also describe the mission of the reformer
who applies these practices to others and not to himself.
And that is the problem that Paul brings up in the next few verses, the
inconsistency of the religious Jew.
Romans 2:21-24 (We will study this in Lesson 11)
"You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?
You who preach that one should not steal, do you steal?
"You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?
You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
"You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor
God?
"For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,
just as it is written (Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20).
PAUL TOLD THEN WHAT THEY HAD, told them the potential of what they could
do in practice, what they should be based upon their position and then hits
them with what they really are.
v 17-20 A nodding of the head
v 21-24 Facing up to what they really are
BUT NOTICE SOMETHING: Paul, who has just talked about judging, does not
judge them. He does not say You are thieves, you are adulterers, you are
blasphemers. Instead, he sets up situations and then asks them questions.
Before we examine these questions (Lesson 11), let us consider our relationship
to what Paul has stated in verses 17 to 20:
1. As Christians, we also have a tremendous position in Christ.
2. We have a name in which is found the very name of our Saviour, Christians.
That title is only found three times in the Bible yet what a title it is.
3. We can boast, properly, in God as our Father.
4. We can, from the Scriptures, know the will of God
5. From the doctrine we have we can proclaim that which is essential and
that which is not
6. We have a local church where we can be instructed out of the Word
7. But what do we do with our position? What do we do with what we possess?
8. Are we guides to the blind? Lights to the world that is in darkness?
Do we train and encourage the foolish? are we teachers of doctrine to the
immature?
9. Too often, in Paul's day and in our day, we have so much by way of possession
and so little by way of practice.
10. Christians today are quick to reform others but very slow to allow God
to reform them. Hence, we fall under the same indictment that Paul is getting
ready to level at the Jews of his day.
End Lesson 10
Grace Notes
Warren Doud
1705 Aggie Lane, Austin, Texas 78757
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