Romans Episode 6

In this episode we cover Romans 2:13-23.

Transcript

(Romans 2:13 [KJV]) (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified

In this next passage of scripture Jesus had just finished telling the people that were listening to Him what happens when the unclean spirit is cast out of a man and a woman makes this remark;

(Luke 11:27-28 [KJV]) And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 

The Word of God us full of such admonition, reminding followers to do more than hear the Word.

Paul tells us in Romans;

(Romans 10:17 [KJV]) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

so indeed hearing is important. Our faith builds from this point of hearing the Word of God, but later on we are told by James;

(James 1:22-25 [KJV]) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

(Romans 2:14-15 [KJV]) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Paul making mention of the law being “written in their hearts here speaking of the gentiles sounds much like a scripture we covered in our Hebrews podcast; (Hebrews 10:16-17 [KJV]) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 

Let’s go ahead and get the scripture the author is making reference to here, it’s (Jeremiah 31:31-33 [KJV]) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Obviously this is being spoken to the descendants of Abraham and we will be covering this in much more detail in chapter 10 of Romans, but for now let’s see what Paul says to the Galatians concerning a very similar topic;

(Galatians 3:26-29 [KJV]) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

We have become the seed of Abraham by faith, not replacing, but being added to the house of Jacob. This does not mean that the descendants of Abraham are saved one way and we are saved a different way. 

(Acts 2:37-39 [KJV]) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

(Ephesians 2:13-14 [KJV]) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Coregh was the name of the wall of partition that kept gentiles from venturing any further than the Court of the Gentiles in The Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus has broken down that middle wall of partition that was once between us, keeping us from coming closer to in worship of God. There is one plan of salvation!

(Romans 2:16 [KJV]) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

If you have listened to this podcast for any amount of time you know I prefer using oneness authors when seeking understanding on a passage, but for this verse I do want to quote the Bible commentator Albert Barnes on Romans 2:16. “In the day- This verse is doubtless to be connected with (Romans 2:12 [KJV]) For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law,

and the intermediate verses are a parenthesis, and it implies that the pagan world, as well as the Jews, will be arraigned at the bar of judgment. At that time God will judge all in righteousness, the Jew by the Law when he had, and the pagan by the Law which he had.

Jesus gives us a glimpse into this judgement in His parable about the servant that didn’t prepare himself even when he know his lord’s will.

(Luke 12:41-48 [KJV]) Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

I understand hell is hell, and I personally have no intention of seeing any of it, but God is just. I won’t pretend to understand exactly how God will do it, but He will not hold you and I to the same standard as He would hold a Chinese peasant that lived in the 12th Century that had never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been given much, and an ability to obtain even more knowledge. I believe we have had more opportunity to learn than any other people in any time in history.

There will be those that are beaten with many stripes and there are those that will be beaten with few.

I am going to use brother Bernard’s book here, his introduction to this passage of scripture from 17-29 and also his not on verse 17.

Romans 2:17-29 deals with the specific case of the Jews. Verses 1-16 build the case against self righteous Jews, then verse 17 actually names them. We can also view verses 1-16 as a statement of principles and verses 17-29 as a specific application. God will judge the Jew according to truth (reality) and according to deeds, not mere profession. God will be impartial; He will not let the sinning Jew escape just because he is a Jew and has the law. God will judge the Jew by the light he has; namely, his obedience to the law. God will uncover the hypocrisy of the self-righteous Jew.

(Romans 2:17 [KJV]) Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God

Brother Bernard’s note on Verse 17; According to the critical text, the opening word is actually “but if” instead of indeed or behold. This section begins by describing the exalted position and great opportunities available to the Jew. It envisions the typical Jew of that day who rejected the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ. Such a Jew has the law and puts his trust in it. He boasts of his position in God.

I want to take what brother Bernard says and actually place it in the text. I’ve never seen this before as many times as I have read it over the years, but this makes so much sense! 

(Romans 2:17-23 [KJV]) But if (behold), thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

This is one of the things that upset Jesus during His bodily ministry on earth. Jesus does not preach against the law of God;

(Matthew 5:17-20 [KJV]) [17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

But this is what Jesus taught against;

(Mark 7:1-13 [KJV]) [1] Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. [2] And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. [3] For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. [4] And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. [5] Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? [6] He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. [7] Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. [8] For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. [9] And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. [10] For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: [11] But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. [12] And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; [13] Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 

The Jews where holding to their traditions OVER the Law of God. They would nit pick the law on minor things. They would be stalwart on holding to their traditional Sabbath laws but then think nothing of bribing a certain apostle to betray his Master to death. Obviously it wasn’t all of the Pharisees. There were good ones among them, but their were enough of the less sincere to rule over sincere members.

(Matthew 23:23-24 [KJV]) [23] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. [24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.