Sorry these are later than usual-- I forgot I had a district meeting from 9 until 11 AM! I am now part of the Ministry Audit team for the Binghamton District-- a tool to help all churches identify where they were, where they are now, and where they want to be in the future. Looking at demographic and financial and current ministry data, we can help churches look to the future and see where they should be going! It looks to be exciting as we work on revitalizing churches!
And now for today's thoughts:
I hope you are ready for some more harsh words from Paul!
Boy, I am so glad I'm not like those people Paul mentioned at the end of chapter 1. I mean, I am such a good and wholesome and upstanding person; I'm a pastor- so righteous and destined for salvation! Highest of moral standards- not like those people!
That's the idea of Paul's first verse in this chapter. He is assuming that people will read chapter 1 and think that they are morally better than everyone else! How many times do we look at others and comment, "I am glad I'm not like them?!" We have a tendency to look at others and not see what we do; we look and find fault- not recognizing our faults. The moralist is just s guilty as the sinner! Paul focuses in on the fact that we will all be judged, and rightly so, by Gold (vv 3-4).
We all do things that we are not proud of. Well, other do things they shouldn't be proud of- certainly not me! ;) I know I have said many times in my life (v 5)- "I need to change. I need to stop doing that. I know what I did is wrong , I will start being better." God continues to look to us for a change, God is leading us to repentance, to be better people. The loving character of God was presented to us at Jesus' first coming; God's righteous judgement will be shown to us at Christ's second coming (v 5).
If someone is genuinely good and upstanding all the time, then they will be rightfully "rewarded" with eternal life. However, we are all guilty of sin and bad. At some time in our life, we will be self-seeking, unrighteous, untruthful...the list could go on! God's wrath will come out to all- Jews first, then the non-Jews (Gentiles) (v 9) because we all fall short of God's perfectness. The Jews- first in line for the Gospel, are also first inline for judgement! Us Gentiles are not exempted though! For God shows no partiality (v 11); we are all in this together! Some ancient rabbis taught that the Jews would be judged by one standard and the gentiles by another- not so! And just because you heard the laws/ commandments doesn't mean your saved (v 13), you have to live by those laws. If you're going to talk the talk, you need to also walk the walk! The Gentiles, even though we don't have the laws (vv 14-15), have a conscious and our hearts (if we are truly living in God) will tell us right from wrong- we don't need the laws to do that. It is the "unwritten law" that goodness is written on our hearts. Our moral compass is what guides us rather than the Levitical and Mosaic laws (as with the Jews).
Paul turns to the Jews, and comes down hard on them (vv 17- 20). The Jews of Paul's time were proud and confident that, because God gave them God's holy laws- that confirmed that they would be provided salvation- as a nation. But, Paul assures them that possession of the law means nothing if you don't follow the laws! Paul makes the big statement (v 21), "You may teach others about the laws- but it means nothing if you don't follow the laws!" God looks at both our actions and our attitudes. I have said several times in sermons, the church (or the congregation) is hypocritical- we call out others for wrong, yet we don't see the wrongs we do. That's where Paul is going here!
Surprise-- we again circle around to the idea of circumcision (vv 25- 29)! The Jews thought that because they were circumcised and shown to be descendants of Abraham- they were justified and saved! And that the Gentiles- because they weren't- were not justified or saved! To Jews, circumcision guaranteed salvation-- they may be punished, but would never be lost.
Circumcision or baptism or any ritual, doesn't save anyone; those actions identify us as a child of God. One commentary says those rituals are like the labels of a can. Does the label match the insides? If there are carrots in the can, putting a label on the outside that says peas doesn't change them. What our outside label says needs to match our inside contents! God require obedience and righteousness!
Some really difficult words for us to hear today! But, there is good coming!!
Enjoy the day- nice and windy and cold and snowy and gray! Possible run at 80 degrees next week though!!
Shalom+
Pastor Paul
Congrats on the Ministry Audit Team.
ReplyDeleteJust a question on your comment on Jesus' resurrection. You said that Jesus' resurrection had no human intervention - but then said that the other people that Jesus resurrected had humnan/divine intervention. Who was the human?
I am a little confused. You are indicating that Paul is saying both the sinner and the moralist is guilty. But in my translation it seems like Paul is saying that the person who condemns a person for doing exactly why they themselves are doing are both guilty and will be judged by God. You won't be found guilty just because you are criticizing but because you are doing it yourself. Vs. 1 says, in my translation, "for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the SAME things." vs. 3 "And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" So it's not the judging but the judging while you are doing the exact same thing? Or is it judging and being a sinner in general? So in my reading it seemed like Paul was saying that Jews will be judged by not living up to the Mosaic Law but Gentiles will be judged by not living up to the Gospel and Jesus' Law because they do not know about the Mosaic Law. Vs 12 in my translation says "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law shall also perish without law; and as many a have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. " The first being Gentiles and the second being Jews. My commentary says "God judges according to the light available to people." Gentiles will not be condemned for not obeying a law they did not possess. Their judgement will be on other grounds. And that even the moral nature of pagans, enlightened by conscience (following the natural law of helping others, caring for the sick and elderly, obeying parents) functioned for them as the Mosaic law did for the Jews - vs. 14. Soooo, I am thinking, that Paul is saying that God judges us on 1) criticizing others for things we do ourselves and 2) doing the opposite of what we know to be right. ?????? Which is a little different then when Paul said in Chapter 1 that not knowing God is no excuse. ???????
Paul has made the case of what it means to be "circumcised" and "uncircumcised" - not being physical but of the heart - before in his other letters. And he reiterates that point very well in the ending versuses,
I like your comment that Paul seems to get more press then Jesus and he kindof does. Are Paul's letters still in existence today?
Looking forward to chapter 3 AND warmer weather.
Re: the resurrection question-- Jesus was resurrected by God (Jesus. Holy Spirit). Others (Lazarus) were resurrected by Jesus (that was the "human" I was referencing in the human/divine statement). Does that make sense? Maybe I'm not explaining it right?
DeleteRight- both are guilty- the moralist sees "others" and judges them, yet they do the same things that they are judging others for...sorry I wasn't clear with that either! The moralist goes around calling out the faults of others- yet they (we?) are just as guilty! And judging others in itself is a negative thing.
Correct- the Jews will be judged by the Laws and Gentiles will be judged by their knowledge of the Gospel and not living up to it. We Gentiles cannot be judged guilty of the Jewish laws- since we don't know them, but we can be found guilty for not loving others, etc...We all have morals and we inherently (I think) know right from wrong? Those are the ideas that I have. The pagans didn't "know" God, the Gentiles didn't "know" God, so that isn't an excuse for not following the moral rules. Hope I am making sense? Sorry...
What do you mean= are Paul's letters still in existence today? There are some "paper" originals that are in existence.
Thanks Donna!
Wow Paul is very critical in thi chapter this letter to the romans who he had not even meant I thought was very harsh to the Roman Christians as he didn't even know them. I guess he was saying that were are all human and all sinners whether we are Jews, Gentiles , raised by the law or not, circumcised or not . It makes no difference because God will judge us all by what we have done in our lives. Paul wrote this and i am wondering I know that he was faithful to Jesus after he met Him on the road but Paul was human also he must have done some wrong also even after he found Jesus. Just thinking
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Pastor Paul for joining the ministry audit team
Looking forward to some warmer days.
Yes, Paul is very critical! Not a way to make friends- but the message does get better soon! I think by this time I might have put the book down and forgot about it!
DeleteYes, there is no excuse for doing wrong- and God will call us out for that!
I would bet that even Paul did some wrong things after his meeting with Jesus in the Damascus Road. I can't believe that he was completely sinless?
Thanks Clara!
Unfortunately most of us are judgemental to others. I know it is wrong yet I have found myself doing it and I have really prayed about it. I have struggled with it this past year while we have been divided on for example mask wearing. Recently one of my daughters said how her sister is not judgemental and doesn't gossip. She got emotional and said she is a really good friend. I think both of my daughters are pretty great but that was such a nice thing to say about her sister.
ReplyDeleteGod will judge us but I think sometimes here on earth you may be judged harsher than god.
We all know it is wrong- yet we all do it! And the events of this past year have really put us to task about that too! Hardly a day goes by when I don't question someone's integrity or attitude or something like that! And I know it isn't right!
DeleteIt is good that sisters can be friends. I know our daughters are closer now than they have ever been- and it is good to see!
Thanks Cindy!
It’s probably not good to say this but the more I read the more I’m not that crazy about Paul. Gosh, wasn’t he a person who persecuted Christians? Now he goes in and on about how everyone who judges is going to be punished. Isn’t he judging? I think he is. He keeps trying to tell everyone how they need to be near perfect to be accepted by God but no one who is human is going to be that good.
ReplyDeleteI’m hoping Paul was just having some bad days when he wrote this stuff.
Way to call out Paul, Cathy! He was (and may still be in his current time) one of the most judgmental people! Killing people for their beliefs! That's rough. He did have an experience with Jesus and he did change- but there is still a long list following him!
DeleteThis letter starts our harsh- but it does get better soon!
Thanks Cathy for the honesty!
To me, all of the above comments hit the nail on the head. I don't think I can add any more than what has already been said.
ReplyDeleteI see that along with circumcision, the Law is back. I thought that the Law was the defining principal before Christ, and after He arrived, His teachings replaced the Law. Now I am confused again, but confusion is a normal state of being for me.
As for Paul's harsh words, I feel that they are directed at me as well as everybody else. I have done bad things in my life, but certainly nothing illegal. What I mean is that I have done sinful things in my life and many that I am not proud of. I truly fear the day of judgement. I have joked that , when the time comes, I will be taking the down staircase, but, when I have said that, I have been serious. Maybe I am being too hard on myself. I an always hope that this is the case.
You are right, Jack. For Jews- the law was (and still is) the defining aspect of their theology. Jews of today still follow "the laws" and are still strict about that. However, for Christians (and Jews that are followers of Christ) there is no need to follow "the laws" since Jesus supersedes them.
ReplyDeleteI did feel uncomfortable when I was reading Paul's words because I could identify with many of the "list" that he presented! There is good news coming in the next few chapters though- so hang on to those thoughts. The letter to the Romans is all about justification by faith- a string belief and faith in God will cause us to be right with God. We will be right because that faith and belief causes us to change and transform into more wholesome people- as you stated!
Good thoughts Jack- thanks!