Missions Paul

The more you know the more will be expected of you. That’s what Paul seems to be saying to the Jews in Rome.

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; ¹⁸ if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? ²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2 v 17-24)

If you know God’s will because He has spoken to you.

If you know what is the best and right way to live (a superior way).

If you know how to help other people navigate life leading them through their darkness into the light.

If this is you. If you have the Law of Moses, the special revelation of God ….

If you teach those who do not know what you know (the foolish) and who are like little children with regard the revelation of God. If this is you …

Dash (v20) (wait for effect)

If this is you but you commit things that you know you shouldn’t …

(Paul makes a short list, not necessarily because this is what he has seen physically, in fact he has never been to Rome or met these people so perhaps he is thinking about the issues of the heart. Stealing and adultery being greed and lust is often used in the gospels especially)

… then are you any better than anyone else?

Even though you have a name, have revelation (Torah), have a relationship with God (chosen), know His will, know what is best, know how to help people do life and you teach them, what actual good will this do for you? What benefit do you receive? Nothing.

If you break the law yourself then all you know and all you do is worth nothing.

Being a Jew won’t save you.

Being any kind of religious person won’t save you.

We cannot save ourselves.

The only claim you have is that you have a Saviour called Jesus.

Thank you for reading this would you please help me raise money for an old Bible College friend, I was her Pastor for several years, Ukrainian Svetlana Souzko, currently in Romania with her son having left her family behind in Kyiv.

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Every day I write a short devotional on here and I hope it blesses and encourages. I only use my WordPress account for that reason but please excuse me as I need your help urgently. You are following the Ukraine tragedy. I have a friend who was in Bible College with me and who was then several years a member of my church worship team when I was a Pastor in Dewsbury. She needs help and so does her family and church in Kyiv. Can you please consider giving a donation? I would so appreciate your help. Together we can do something even though we feel helpless.  Please click on the link. 

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That kind of sums up what Paul is trying to say in this letter to the Roman Gentiles and Jews.

Having dwelt on the Gentiles he turns his attention to the Jews and says:

If this is you …

The more you have and the more you know the more is expected of you.

Paul has stated how even those who only have a natural revelation of God (eg they know murder is wrong) will be judged according to what they know. He now turns his attention to the Jew.

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; ¹⁸ if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? ²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2 v 17-24)

If this is you …

You have a name, you are a “Jew” you belong to God who chose you.

If this is you …

You have God’s revelation, “the Law of Moses” which accomplishes God’s purposes and the source of revelation for your prophets.

If this is you …

You have a relationship and so you boast about it telling others of who God is to you.

As a Jew if this is you …

V20 … dash … (waiting – for full impact)

If this is you … but you break the law yourself, therefore dishonour God yourself and therefore blaspheme His name yourself. Where does this leave you?

That is Paul’s point. Everyone needs the Saviour, even the Jew.

This is often asked of those dying around the world without ever knowing the gospel. Do they too get judged? Is that fair? If no one ever tells them about Jesus how can they accept or reject salvation?

Paul speaks into this now:

“If you sin without knowing what you’re doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you’re doing, that’s a different story entirely. Merely hearing God’s law is a waste of your time if you don’t do what he commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God. When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong. Their response to God’s yes and no will become public knowledge on the day God makes his final decision about every man and woman. The Message from God that I proclaim through Jesus Christ takes into account all these differences.” (Romans 2 v 12-16 Msg)

Paul has already said that there is no difference between Gentile and Jew. The Jews sin and are judged according to the revelation they received, the Law from Moses. (The NIV says they are ‘under the law’) The Gentiles sin and are judged according to the revelation they also received (the NIV uses the words ‘apart from the law’). What is that revelation they have received if it isn’t the Law of Moses?

There are aspects of the Law that are in every culture of the world eg. Murder is wrong, don’t steal, love etc. No one has to tell them that, they know. Where did that revelation come from? It is woven into the fabric of being a human. With that revelation comes the ability to spot what is wrong in other people, they have a standard. They will be judged according to that standard, that revelation they have received as a human is what they will face God about.

And like the Jew, the revelation itself doesn’t protect, whether it is the full Law of Moses or some aspects inherently built into their understanding, knowing isn’t important and no one will be able to defend themselves before God on the basis of how much they can quote it or some of it. But it is what you do that counts. In fact the more you know the more you realise how difficult it is to do what you know! For the revelation simply reveals how we need God to intervene to help us, we need saving from this revelation for it judges us itself.

He will not get away with it.

Everyone is accountable and the evil aggressor will have to answer to what he has done.

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” (Romans 2 v 6)

Paul probably has one of these verses in mind or all of them:

Proverbs 24:12 “Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”

Psalm 62:12 “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done”

Hosea 12:2 “The Lord … repay him according to his ways.”

That repayment is either in our lifetime but definitely when we stand before Him.

What we do during our lives matters.

How we live today, the choices we make, the responses we give, the deeds we commit, we are accountable for our actions.

Sobering but true.

Ever heard that?

The assumption is if you’re bad you’ll go to hell.

What will happen when Putin stands before God?

Or what about the incredible sacrifice of the Ukrainian solder who yesterday in blowing up the bridge to stop Russian tanks rolling over had to lay down his life for his nation? What happened when he stood before God?

Works are certainly part of our thinking at times when it comes to the judgment of God.

In this next section Paul is speaking about every human being, Jew or Gentile:

“God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.” (Romans 2 v 6-11)

According to what you have done, no favouritism, whoever you are, you will be judged according to how you have lived your life. That’s what Paul seems to be saying.

Here is the standard by which God judges everybody: what you do on earth, good or evil.

Judged by works.

So how do I know I have done enough good works? There comes the Muslim problem!

Is Paul really saying it is about works? If you do evil you will be condemned and if you do good you will have eternal life?

If the letter stopped here then yes I think it does look like that. But Paul is building his case. Soon we will be reading in 3 v 20 that no amount of good works will save you.

No one is good enough to get to heaven.

But this is the gospel that Paul is writing about. We are justified by faith. He makes us good! See you in heaven!

Whether you are a Russian leader thinking you can do anything you want or any other person like him in history; whether you are a Jew who because of being the chosen people can sin like the Gentiles; whether you passionately live out your religion appeasing many gods as you daily worship them; or even perhaps you are a ‘saved’ Christian who knows it is God’s job to forgive you as you live your blasé sinful life; no one is untouchable.

Why doesn’t God take out Putin?

Maybe He will, He can of course. But if that was the way of God then where would He stop? How sure are we that He wouldn’t stop with us?! I don’t think I would be writing this if God dealt with me in justice and with the way my sin deserved.

“So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2 v 3-5)

Kindness, Forbearance and Patience! That’s His approach. Not dragging us by the ear to repentance but leading us. The Message says, “God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.” Isn’t that amazing? And our response?

Stubbornness and Unrepentant: refusing to take His hand, being self-righteous, self-justifying stance about how I live my life. “I do this because of this”.

Paul says to the Jew that they cannot do this anymore. They are storing up wrath against themselves. Even as a chosen people they will be judged.

So this points to the wonderful gospel of a Saviour Jesus who came and touched the world with grace and mercy and who every day reaches out His hand to you and me to walk away from the ways of the world and into the ways of God.

After speaking of ‘they’ and ‘them’ Paul is definitely turning his attention to ‘you’. The ‘you’ is definitely the Jew, in verse 17 we will read, “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God …”

Some of what Paul says can be applied to the religious superiority of certain ‘Christians’ who look out of their church windows at a sinful lost world and carry on singing their hymns of worship thankful that they’re not like them. Paul says you are.

But not everything Paul says can be applied to know-it-all ‘Christians’ and we have to remember the fact that he was speaking to the ‘Jews’.

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? (Romans 2 v 1-3)

To those who have the law of God, the Torah, the moralists, the covenant people of God, Paul has you in mind. Paul will give 3 chapters specifically to the Jew later in this letter (9-11).

He says you people do the same things as the horrible list that he has ended with in chapter 1. But it must be hidden because Paul is convinced they are doing the same thing. I wonder, what are the same sins that God’s people have committed behind their doors as the world has done in the open? Whilst that is not unsurprising, the fact that those same people pass judgment on the world is. Hypocrisy is the sin. The religious superior are experts at accusing what they are weak in because they can easily spot the sin. It takes one to know one. Everyone thinks they are right and have the truth. But only one has it and He is truth. He is the true truth.

Judgment is coming to those who judge from a place of hypocrisy.

We all need the gospel for we are all sinners in some way whether we are a Jew or a Gentile. That is what Paul seems to be saying through his letter to the Christians in Rome. I have been reading these next verses where Paul continues to denounce the Gentile sinful lifestyle of which the Jewish reader would be shouting ‘Amen’ no doubt. But he does so because he is leading very soon to reveal that no one ever finds themselves in the place of superiority to another.

It is a longer passage to read than usual but we do need the context of what Paul is saying. I have also left in the verse numbers.

“They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. ²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1 v 23-32)

As you can see Paul uses repeated phrases:

They exchanged the glory of God, v23. They exchanged the truth of God, v25. They exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones, v26-27.

Therefore God gave them over, v24. God gave them over, v26. He gave them over, v28. Meaning God permitted them to experience the consequences for their decisions.

And what was those consequences?

They are filled with sin (Paul uses different words for sin in v29).

They are full (Paul uses terms to show that the outcome of breaking from God was they broke each other, v29)

If he had stopped there then no doubt many would be saying, “We haven’t exchanged the glory and truth of God; we haven’t committed the sin of idolatry or having unnatural sexual sins.” But in order to encapsulate us all Paul creates a random list which he does in his other letters.

“Have you ever gossiped?”

“Have you ever been arrogant?”

“Have you ever disobeyed your parents?” Who hasn’t done this one?

No one can escape!

Finally, just in case someone manages to wriggle out of being included, Paul says even those who may not have been tempted by certain sins but who have made it easier for people to stay in them or commit them are included in the group of people who have exchanged the glory of God and the truth of God for something far inferior and resulting in great damage. Whenever we move from the Creator to the created for our satisfaction we lose.

This is why we all need the gospel for we all need saving.

They knew God but they became futile.

They claimed to be wise but they became fools.

They exchanged the glory for cheap figurines.

But who are they?

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1: 21-23)

But who are they?

It reads like the Roman Christians are not unaware of who Paul is referring to. The Christian Church in Rome is made up of both Jewish and Gentile converts. Paul, a Jew, is doing what the Jewish writers had always done and that is condemned the Gentile for their actions. It appears that the readers had heard this all before. So why is Paul doing this? Are we not all one in Christ? (Paul believed this) Is he really stirring up trouble needlessly? Where is he going with this? The answer to that is hugely significant especially in the next few verses when he identifies sinful practices. For at the same time that the Gentiles were being condemned the Jews took the opportunity to gloat being the superior people. Paul is leading to his addressing of self-righteousness and that actually the Jew has no advantage over the Gentile at all. They don’t know that yet. But they soon will as they continue in the letter.

So even before we get to the list it is worth reminding ourselves that those people we judge and even condemn for their sinful practices are people who do live futile, foolish lives and who may even worship cheap figurines. However haven’t we? Are we any better? Before we get our placards out to demonstrate ask yourself: have you always glorified God? Do you really know it all? Do people see the glory of God shining through your life? Isn’t the whole of mankind better described as futile, fools and centred on figurines? The gospel never gives anyone at any time the superiority over anyone else. Paul believed we all have sinned …