Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Romans 2:1-16 -- Presumptuous Righteousness

Just the sound of the word "presumptuous" tells you that something isn't right. To presume is to come to conclusion without adequate evidence, to take liberties with the truth, or to force your own bias on the facts. One who is presumptuous proceeds with their own course of action without consideration of verifiable facts and what the impact his actions will have on others. 

When the Jews read Paul's declaration in Romans 1:18-32, they likely were emboldened, "go get 'em Paul!", confident that "those other people" were deep in sin while their own Jewish people stood high in righteousness.  In 1:18-32, Paul was preaching to “them”.  However, in chapter 2, Paul addresses his words to “you”, his fellow Jewish countrymen (see 2:17), and he is going to make it clear to them that they have been trusting temporary actions with no lasting value to accomplish their righteousness.  They were in reality being presumptuous about God’s offering of His righteousness to the individual, assuming they had some “inside edge” on God’s favor & blessing!

The best way to see what Paul was trying to get across to the Jewish reader in 2:1-16 is to read vv. 17-21... You (Jews) who are so confident... "...do you teach yourself?" He knows (and they know) that they don't apply what they teach in their own lives.

In verses 1-16, Paul establishes the principles of divine judgment that the Jew is condemned along with all the rebellious humanity condemned in chapter 1, but he doesn’t name, he just sets the trap. Then in verses 17-32, the trap snaps shut.  The bottom line: Every individual must either determine to accomplish his own righteousness, or they fall the mercy of God and accept His free gift of salvation through Christ. 

Ø Note that this isn’t the last time in Romans that he turns the microscope on his Jewish brethren – chapters 9-11 are major passage which declares not only the sentence of God on their superficial worship but also their hope of true redemption.


If you compare 1:18-32 and chapter 2, what begins to be evident is that both the heathen and the Jews are both really in the same situation before God:  condemned!  It’s just that each has come up with their own substitution for God’s demand of holiness.

Paul declares in 2:1 that everyone has “no excuse” – what a striking conclusion (the “therefore” links to the previous verses) from the dramatic bad news in chapter 1!  “No excuse” is translating an interesting Greek word – “anapologeitos” – you can see our word “apologetics”, which means a solid, logical case for a taken belief, but then the prefix “ana” negates the word, that is, have no solid case for a belief. 

As the Jewish listener begins to realize that he is included in that “everyone”, he begins to get uncomfortable.  He is guilty of passing judgment but in truth has nothing to stand on himself.  What judgment is he passing?  The condemnation of the heathen of chapter 1 – arms crossed, righteous eyebrows raised, above and apart from those poor sinners.  Paul knew they needed to hear the truth. 

In 2:4, we read that the abundant kindness of God leads to repentance – but the Jews are caught “thinking lightly” about these things.  And Paul proceeds in the next verses to outline the stubbornness of the Jewish faith.  The Jew needs to agree that he is as guilty in his sin as that “poor sinner” out there in the jungle.  The Jew is faced with either accepting the righteousness accomplished in Christ, or standing on the righteousness they hope to accomplish with their works.

ØRead on through 2:1-16 and write down the words Paul uses to describe the Jew’s guilt.
ØTake a few minutes and review 2:18-32 and write down every place where Paul makes his point by asking a question.  You might even try writing down the answer to each question!

Ø  Do you know people today who proudly think they have life by the tail, yet in truth they are hopelessly lost in sin? How do they demonstrate their lost condition? How can you express the hope of Christ to them?












Saturday, March 24, 2012

Romans 1:18-32 God Gave Them Up


Romans 1:18-32 God Gave Them Up

Romans is a letter that was carefully thought through before writing. Other letters from Paul are much more spontaneous, speaking from his passionate heart to minister to his hearers. Philippians is a great example, where he bubbles over with joy for his walk in Christ and the fellowship he relishes with beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. But Romans seems to be one of his most carefully written books.

As we go through Romans, we need to keep in mind that Paul has carefully planned this letter. It is designed to be a thorough, summary of the nature, strength and scope of our Christian faith. What we read is there by design. For instance, as he finishes his opening comments and expresses his life commitment to the Gospel, he anchors his letter in the strategic truth that "the just shall live by faith."

Ø  Check out Galatians 3 10-14 to get some more of Paul’s perspective on this important statement.
In verse 18, Paul proceeds to set the stage for the first major segment of the letter (1:18-3:31) which deals with the utter hopelessness of our lost condition because of our sin.   Look at the dramatic shift from 1:17 to 18!  Faith and Righteousness are the cornerstone of our salvation, now placed up against the wrath of God and ungodliness.  Paul is very effective at getting our attention! 

Ø  Take a few minutes to review 1:18-32 to see the theme Paul sets.

Note in 1:24 that man has been so perverted and obstinate in his rebellion that God… gave them up!  He has turned man loose to chase after to his sinful passions, and the result is that man spirals deeper and deeper into his sinful mind and behavior. 

Ø  Look through the next several verses to find this same phrase "God gave them up" repeated.  Can you see relationship between each of the verses that have this phrase?

So as man has pursued his uncontrolled lusts, from these verses in 1:18-32, what did he do?  He creates idols!  Isn’t that amazing?  He screamed and chaffed at having an obligation to God’s holy principles of living, until God let him go.  And once he was free, what did he do? Create a representation of a greater power for him to somehow worship!  Amazing!

Note the descriptive references to various idols – images of man, birds, beasts, the immoral worship of the body.  Do we have idols today that man worships the same way?

Note then what “comes out” of man as a result – a long list of very bad things!  Do we see these behaviors today in our society?  We certainly do.  And we interact every day with people who are saturated with these behaviors, and they continue to rail against God and carry on in their pleasure.  A very sad picture indeed.