Lenten Study - 2012

ISBN 978-1-921460-87-6

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Jesus hope realised Drink afresh from the fountain for thirsty souls in Romans

Peter Brain

Peter Brain has been a Christian since 1964 and a pastor since 1975. He is married to Christine and has been Bishop of Armidale since 2000. Previously he worked in the Sydney, Adelaide and Perth Dioceses. He enjoys woodwork, golf and table tennis.

Jesus - Hope realised

IN Jesus—Hope realised Bishop Peter Brain opens up a book which has been hailed as ‘the precious stone’ of the Bible. In 40 daily readings, and a weekly set of discussion questions, Peter adds clarity to the light of hope believers have in Christ by reflecting on the foundation of Christian faith. The reader is also encouraged to find in Romans a framework by which to understand God’s work in the world, and a fountain which enriches and daily satisfies the needs of a thirsty soul.

STUDIES FOR LENT AND OTHER TIMES

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STUDIES FOR LENT AND OTHER TIMES

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Jesus hope realised

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Drink afresh from the fountain for thirsty souls in Romans

Peter Brain

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Anglican Press Australia An imprint of Anglican Youthworks PO Box A287 Sydney South NSW 1235 Australia

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Phone: (02) 8268 3344 Fax: (02) 8268 3357 Email: sales@youthworks.net Web: www.cepstore.com.au Published October 2011

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Copyright Anglican Youthworks 2011 © Peter Brain

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This book is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism and review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without the express permission of the publisher.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV).

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.

‘New International Version’ and ‘NIV’ are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademarks Office by International Bible Society.

References made to An Australian Prayer Book, with permission of Anglican Press Australia, on behalf of Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Australia, St Andrews House, Sydney Square, NSW 2000. Copyright APA © 1978.

National Library of Australia ISBN: 978-1-921460-87-6 Cover art and typesetting – Rebecca Jee Theological editing – Loren Becroft Managing editor – Natasha Percy

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This book is dedicated to Christine and our children, along with their spouses and children. It is also for the pastors and people of the Armidale Diocese, whose fellowship we have cherished.

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CONTENTS Introduction.........................................................................7

DA ILY IN S IGH T S

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1. God’s gospel (Romans 1:1–7).........................................13 2. God’s servant (Romans 1:8–17).....................................16 3. God’s diagnosis (Romans 1:18–32)................................18 4. God’s loving wrath (Romans 2:1–16).............................21 5. A matter of the heart (Romans 2:17–29).......................23 6. All sinners (Romans 3:1–20).........................................26 7. ‘But now ...’ (Romans 3:21–31)......................................28 8. Faith, not works (Romans 4:1–12).................................31 9. God’s promises (Romans 4:13–25)................................34 10. Justification’s blessings (Romans 5:1–11).......................37 11. Two men (Romans 5:12–21)..........................................40 12. Dead and alive! (Romans 6:1–14)..................................43 13. Two ways (Romans 6:15–23).........................................46 14. Grace prevails (Romans 7:1–6)......................................49 15. The good law (Romans 7:7–13)......................................52 16. The struggle is real (Romans 7:14–25)..........................55 17. No condemnation (Romans 8:1–8)...............................58 18. An obligation (Romans 8:9–17).....................................61 19. Sufferings (Romans 8:18–27)........................................64 20. No separation (Romans 8:28–39).................................67 21. The greatest sorrow (Romans 9:1–18)...........................70 22. God’s mercy (Romans 9:19–32)....................................73 23. Keep on speaking (Romans 10:1–13).............................76 24. Beautiful feet (Romans 10:14–21).................................79 25. Paul’s heartache (Romans 11:1–10)................................82 26. God knows what he’s about (Romans 11:11–24).............85 27. To God be the glory (Romans 11:25–36).......................88 28. Therefore ... (Romans 12:1–2).......................................91 29. One body in Christ (Romans 12:3–8)............................94

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30. You are writing a gospel! (Romans 12:9–21)..................97 31. Christian citizens (Romans 13:1–7)...............................100 32. Keep on loving (Romans 13:8–14).................................103 33. Theology applied (Romans 14:1–12)..............................106 34. Welcome one another (Romans 14:13–23)....................109 35. Opportunities to be Christlike (Romans 15:1–13)..........112 36. Serving grace (Romans 15:14–22).................................114 37. Work to be done (Romans 15:23–33)............................117 38. No lone ranger! (Romans 16:1–16)................................120 39. Forewarned (Romans 16:17–27)....................................123 40. Romans and Easter........................................................126

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W EE K LY DI S CU S S ION QUE S T ION S

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Week 1 (Romans 1:1 – 3:20).................................................129 Week 2 (Romans 3:21 – 6:23)..............................................131 Week 3 (Romans 7:1 – 8:39)................................................133 Week 4 (Romans 9:1 – 11:36)...............................................135 Week 5 (Romans 12:1 – 14:12).............................................137 Week 6 (Romans 14:13 – 16:27)...........................................139

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INTRODUCTION on ly

Thumbing through my first Bible I’m reminded that my initial encounter with Romans was at Sunday School in the 1950s, through memory verses from Romans 3:23, 6:23 and 5:8. In the years that have followed it has been my privilege to read, study, listen to sermons, preach and lead studies on this remarkably influential letter from the apostle Paul.

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Its influence on great church leaders (and through them, churches and nations) such as Augustine of Hippo (in 396), Martin Luther (in 1515), John Wesley (in 1738), and Karl Barth (in 1918) has been well documented. The lives of millions of believers have been changed, transformed, nurtured and enriched by this epistle, which has been described as Paul’s ‘magnum opus … the first systematic theology of the Christian faith … the believer’s Constitution … the Christian Magna Carta’1. Its teaching has gripped and encouraged me for the best part of 50 years. To have the opportunity to prepare these studies has been a great joy, which has done nothing to diminish my enthusiasm for both the Apostle Paul and for this part of the Word of God that he has, under the leading of the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father’s generous providence, given to us (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21 and John 16:12–15). Indeed I have been refreshed, once again, by what I’ve read and hope that, under God, my comments will be helpful in accurately capturing the drift of Paul’s teaching. Most importantly, my hope is to help create a thirst in the hearts and minds of those

1. Swindoll, C. Insights on Romans, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, 2010) p.19.

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who use these studies to ‘read, mark, learn and inwardly digest’2 the letter of Romans itself.

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I recall that Augustine called the Bible ‘God’s love letter to (hu)mankind’. There is no doubt in my mind that whilst this is true of the Bible, it is true of Romans in a special way. The German commentator, Spener, expressed his appreciation when he said, ‘If holy Scripture was a ring, and the Epistle to the Romans its precious stone, chapter 8 would be the sparkling point of the jewel.’3 My aim is to whet your appetite to admire this ‘precious stone’ of the Bible and in so doing, to capture afresh its beauty and lustre. This beauty is dependent not upon our own achievements or thoughts, but rather on God’s gracious plan of salvation, accomplished through his Son and graciously applied to us by his Spirit.

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As I write this introduction I have just attended the funeral of a young Christian man. The assurance that he had was derived from and built upon the great truths of ‘justification by faith alone, in Christ alone, through grace alone’ which are at the heart of this great letter and from which flow both our justification (5:1) and ongoing conformity to Christ (sanctification, 12:1–2). Here is the difference between the grace of God found in Biblical Christianity and the self-righteous efforts and despairing quest of other religions or the religiosity of a formal Christianity. J. Graham Miller noted that ‘when spiritual life languishes among the people of God, two parallel processes make this decay evident: lax behaviour and stricter ritual’. A prayerful reading of and meditation on this letter to the Romans accompanied by a humble obedience will go a long way 2. An Australian Prayer Book, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation (Sydney, 1978).

3. Spener, PJ. in Godet, F. Commentary on St Paul’s epistle to the Romans, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, 1969) p.295.

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to keep us from these deadening processes. A quote I have kept from an old Scripture Union tract put it like this: We have been saved from sin’s penalty We are being saved from sin’s power We will be saved from sin’s presence.

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The adage above, which describes firstly justification, then sanctification and finally glorification, helps us to understand both God’s way of salvation and our own identity. Clearly, for the person trusting in Jesus, the assurance that sin’s penalty was borne by Jesus and therefore no longer stands against us, brings great freedom. What’s more, it frees us, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to battle confidently against our sin in the sure knowledge that at our Lord’s return, our sin and its awful consequences will be a thing of the past. Many of these consequences we know only too well: sickness, dislocation of relationships, death, persecution, injustice and environmental degradation.

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So Romans gives us a clear foundation upon which to build our lives, a secure framework by which we can make sense of God’s purposes and the sin we experience within and all around us. Romans is also a fountain from which we can be daily nourished, refreshed and sustained in every step of our discipleship. What the translators said of Scripture in general so long ago (in 1611) remains true for those who come humbly, expectantly and seriously to the text of Romans: If we be ignorant, they will instruct us; if we be out of the way, they will bring us home; if we be out of order, they will reform us; if in heaviness, comfort us; if dull, quicken us; if cold, enflame us.4 4. Translator’s preface to The Holy Bible King James Version, 1611, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, 1982).

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My prayer and purpose in preparing these studies is that you will find much enrichment as you mine the treasures of Romans. I offer you a suggestion, an exhortation and some prayers that might help you as you make Romans your constant companion over the next few weeks. The suggestion is that you take a journal or exercise book in which to make notes on the reflections, answer the discussion questions, turn texts into prayers and record your gleanings for your own and others’ edification. The exhortation is my recount of JA Motyer’s words: ‘The Scriptures neither reveal their directives nor make available their power to the casual, superficial and spasmodic reader’.

And below are the prayers: ‘Almighty and most merciful God, who has given the Bible to be the revelation of your great love for men and women, and of your power and will to save us: grant that our study of it may not be made vain by the callousness or the carelessness of our hearts, but that by it we may be confirmed in penitence, lifted to hope, made strong for service, and, above all, filled with true knowledge of you and of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.’

George Adam Smith5

Blessed Lord, you have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, encouraged and supported by your Holy Word, we may embrace and always hold fast the joyful hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

5. Smith, GA. in Colquhoun, F. (ed) Parish prayers, Hodder & Stoughton (York, 1967).

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Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent6

‘Make the Book live to me, O Lord Show me Yourself within Your Word, Show me myself and show me my Saviour And make the Book live to me.’

Scripture Union chorus7

I am very grateful to my secretary, Miriam, for her patient typing of my notes, to Natasha Percy for her painstaking work in editing and tracking down quotations, and to my wife Christine, who wrote most of the study questions, made numerous very helpful suggestions and, as she has always done over the past 40 years, gave me much encouragement.

With my warmest greetings as you read, meditate on and pray yourself rich through this wonderful part of God’s word.

In Christ, Armidale June 2011

6. An Australian Prayer Book, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation (Sydney, 1978).

7. Hudson Pope, R. Children’s Special Service Mission choruses, Scripture Union (1959).

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Some helpful books

Paul W. Barnett, Romans (Focus on the Bible series) Christian Focus (Fearn, 2003) FF. Bruce, Romans (Tyndale Commentary Series) InterVarsity Press (Leicester, 1963)

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David Seccombe, Dust to destiny (Reading the Bible Today series) Aquila Press (South Sydney, 1996) John RW. Stott, The message of Romans (The Bible Speaks Today series) InterVarsity Press (Leicester, 1994)

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Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans, Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, 1998)

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Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on Romans (Swindoll’s New Testament Insights) Zondervan (Grand Rapids, 2010)

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DAY 1

God’s gospel Romans 1:1–7 These opening verses of Romans introduce us to the Apostle Paul and many of the great themes he will unpack for us throughout this magnum opus of New Testament letters.

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Paul sees himself first and foremost as a servant of Christ Jesus. He had neither forgotten nor been disobedient to Jesus’ commission when he was so dramatically converted on the Damascus Road and appointed by Jesus to be a ‘servant’ sent to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16–17). There was nothing of Paul’s initiative in this. He was called and set apart by God for this unique and groundbreaking ministry of the gospel. He had received grace from God (Romans 1:5) not so that he could enjoy God’s mercy alone, but so that he could be an apostle (1:1, 5). This apostleship conveyed upon Paul a unique authority in preaching and writing, as well as a commission from God to spread the gospel. Wise Christians will thank God for both and look forward to learning from what he wrote. In this regard he is our apostle. God’s grace to him has been multiplied to many as a result of his obedient response to God’s grace (1:6).

Though he is the apostle to the Gentiles it is no new gospel that he brings, since it is the ‘gospel of God … promised beforehand in the Holy Scriptures’ (1:2). The gospel that was in the Old Testament concealed is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. It only takes Paul two verses to magnify the one he had once rejected. The gospel, that great authoritative announcement from God, is all about ‘Jesus Christ our Lord’ (1:4). He who is described simply as ‘his Son’ has his roots in 13 Lenten Studies 2012.indd 13

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both humanity and Judaism (1:3). As Son of David, he is the real King foreshadowed by David from whose earthly line he took our ‘human nature’. This truth called the incarnation, affirmed by Matthew (1:20–21), Luke (1:35) and John (1:14), is so necessary for our salvation. It is set before us so clearly and confidently in the words ‘and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead…’ (1:4).

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Both his humanity and divinity are thus affirmed, since a gospel of salvation, a message of grace, must come from God and deal with us humans. The resurrection did not make Jesus divine, rather it was a demonstration of his divinity (hence the word ‘declared’, NIV, ESV and NRSV) by the work of God’s Spirit (8:11) through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. This remarkable gospel of God cries out to be shared and proclaimed.

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It had been declared in Rome, the seat of the emperor. In God’s mercy, men and women had discovered a new Lord, Jesus (1:4), to whom they owed obedience (1:5) since they now belonged to him (1:6). As a consequence they, along with all subsequent generations of Christians, would find great encouragement to know that they were ‘loved by God’ for the express purpose of sharing a new status—‘that of saints’ (1:7).

This word, so rich in meaning, is applied to all believers in Jesus.

It speaks to us of a new status conveyed to us as a result of God’s grace, received by faith. Can any truth be as good as this?

The greeting of 1:7(b) is therefore far more than words – it is also the assurance of God’s favour towards all who have turned to Christ.

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Reflect

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What does it mean to you to be loved by God (1:7)?

In what ways do 1:1–7 help you to know God’s love?

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Day 2

God’s servant Romans 1:8–17

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On any account the apostle Paul was a remarkable servant of Jesus Christ and his people. In these verses we catch his heartbeat. We are able to enter into the mindset that not only changed him but was instrumental, under God, in transforming the world for good and for God.

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He was a man of thankfulness (Romans 1:8). Having heard of the faithfulness of the Roman Christians, he had to thank God. Habitual thankfulness will do so much good in and amongst us as Christians. It kept Paul God-centred (for ultimately, fruitfulness amongst us is God’s work, 1:5, 16) and free from envying others’ work (for Paul did not plant the church in Rome). By telling the Christians that he thanked God for them, he was not flattering them; rather, he was providing a model for them and us. Thankfulness for our fellow Christians will keep us from whingeing, jealousy or taking one another for granted.

Prayerfulness characterised Paul’s ministry (1:9–10).

Intentional and planned prayer for each other (notice ‘constantly … at all times’) is an act of trust in God and love for our fellows. Paul’s love for the Christians in Rome (whom he had not seen) led to a deep longing to see them so that he might encourage them and then receive encouragement from them (1:11–13). The apostle may have been a strong individual but he was no ‘lone ranger’ Christian. What a challenge to us, who so often think of our meeting together in terms of having our needs met. Thankfully it was not so for Paul.

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Obligation featured greatly in Paul’s mindset (1:14–15). He was saved by grace apart from works, that is for sure, but he was saved for works. Indeed grace puts us under obligation to God to share the gospel with others, whether they are like us or not, at home or not. The word ‘obligation’ means that we owe it to God to share his gospel with others.

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Paul’s thankfulness to God, prayerfulness, deep longing to serve and sense of obligation both to God and those who didn’t know the gospel flowed from his conviction about God himself (1:16–17). God has revealed his way of salvation to all people (whether Jews or Gentiles) through the great news (the gospel).

This gospel is powerful since it is backed by God, who uses it to turn sinners back to himself. It does what we cannot do for ourselves, by providing a righteousness from God, which can only be humbly received by faith. This sets before us the emerging theme of Romans that was already there in the Old Testament (verse 17 is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4, written some 500 years previously). Though Jesus is not mentioned here (he was in 1:3) this gospel and this righteousness comes through him. He is the one who lived and died rightly on our behalf. Paul’s fellow apostle Peter put it succinctly when he wrote ‘for Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’ (1 Peter 3:18) and Paul expressed it with great clarity in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Can any news be so great, good and calling out to be urgently shared as this?

Reflect What place do thankfulness, prayer, service and obligation have in your thinking and lifestyle?

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Day 3

God’s diagnosis Romans 1:18–32 When a jeweller displays a gold ring, a sterling silver pendant or a diamond necklace (s)he does so on a dark background in order to highlight its splendour. Having spoken about the splendour of the gospel of God’s righteousness in verses 16–17, Paul now (in Romans 1:18 – 3:23) demonstrates the darkness of the human condition. These verses are remarkably relevant in their diagnosis of humankind in revolt against God and help us to see just why we need saving and from what we have been saved as Christians.

Voltaire remarked that ‘God made man in His own image and ever since, we have more than reciprocated’8 (by making God in our image). This is without doubt true and goes to the heart of our sin (3:23). Paul in verses 18–32 shows us just how serious this inversion of reality is. Creation itself carries God’s fingerprints all over it (1:18–20). It is plainly a work of God, not ourselves. Just as it is obvious that my watch, car, computer and power drill were firstly designed and then made in a factory, so too the design of this world points us to a divine creator. Such a designer creator renders us without excuse before God if we ignore him as creator (Psalm 19:1–6 and Job 38–40 argue in much the same vein). This folly has dreadful consequences (Romans 1:21–32). The first is starkly presented in verse 18 as ‘the wrath of God’. God’s wrath is not fitful or capricious, as 8. Voltaire in BrainyQuote http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/ voltaire_3.html viewed September 8, 2011.

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wrath so often is in us, but is rather his settled attitude toward sin and the sinner. It is the flipside of God’s love whereby he gives an unrepentant sinner the privilege of what (s)he asks for.

This wrath is revealed or seen in a number of ways, including: i) A thanklessness for what can be seen of God, which in turn leads to futile thinking and foolishness. Inevitably this leads to idolatry. Mental gods such as fame, food or fashion are evidence of this foolishness (1:21–22), just as much as material idols.

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ii) God’s wrath is not only seen in eternity (6:23) but also in time. Foolish thinking leads inevitably to sexual impurity (1:24). Wrong beliefs inevitably lead to wrong behaviour (1:25).

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It is as if God says, ‘you don’t want to know me or follow my ways’ and he continues (with tears in his eyes), ‘I will leave you to it’. This is the meaning of the terrible phrase, thrice repeated in verses 24, 26 and 28, ‘God gave them over’. iii) The truth of this is easily verifiable (from verses 26–27) where sexual lusts unsatisfied by the godly use of the sexual gift (between a man and a woman who are married to each other considerately) quickly degenerate to samegender sex. The heartache of betrayed relationships and the infections brought about by sexual acts outside of marriage are surely a tragic but unnecessary fulfilment of verse 27. Unnecessary in that Paul’s words here are penned not to condemn but to call us back to God and his ways through repentance and trust in Jesus (remember verses 16–17).

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iv) But sexual sin is not the only outcome of idolatry, and the sins of verses 28–31 could be a summary of every evening news report and morning newspaper. Perhaps the worst of all sin is reserved for verse 32 where unrepentant sinners become (unless converted by the gospel or restrained by the common grace of godly parenting or the law) recruiters for their godless cause. But this is the ultimate folly and evidence of sin and sinfulness. We can be certain that there will be no safety in numbers for the unrepentant, especially when they face God.

Reflect Can you see from these verses why both true knowledge of God and godly living are vital?

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Day 4

God’s loving wrath Romans 2:1–16 The great letter of Romans gives Paul an opportunity to lay out systematically the riches of the gospel. As a self-righteous Jew he had been ‘knocked off his horse’ both literally (Acts 9:1– 31; 22:1–16; 26:9–18) and metaphorically (Philippians 3:1–11).

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His unflattering diagnosis generally of the human condition, and specifically of the heart, in Romans 1:18 – 3:23 was identical to that of his Lord and Saviour (Mark 7:14–23). It was designed not so much to condemn as to convict and therefore to serve as the first step to conversion, forgiveness and joyous new service of Jesus. But perhaps the hardest nuts to crack were not the ‘godless sinners’ of Romans 1:18–32 but the moralists of 2:1–16 and Jews of 2:17–29.

Paul now turns his attention to these two groups.

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These are the kind of people who are quick to pass judgement on others (2:1–4). By judging others’ wrongdoings we do two things: we invite God to judge us in the same way, and we deny the place of God’s kindness. This should cause us to repent and to be generous toward fellow sinners, not excusing their wrongdoing but adopting the attitude ‘there but for the grace of God go I’. This self-righteous attitude is every bit as bad as the godless behaviour of 1:18–32, inviting God’s wrath upon ourselves (2:5). What follows is a clear reminder that there will be a day of God’s judgement (2:6). The basis of his wrath will be ‘according to what [each person] has done’ (2:6). What we believe, as we saw in 1:21–25, is shown by what we do. Our deeds reveal our master. One group of people (2:7) persistently 21 Lenten Studies 2012.indd 21

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seeks to do good, whereas the others seek to serve themselves (2:8). Both will be honoured by God with the fruit of their life’s choices. Those who seek to live for God will be given glory (2:10) and those whose choices were ‘self-seeking’ will know the ‘trouble and distress’ of God’s wrath (2:9). The doctrine of God’s wrath and hell is full of God’s love, whereby God so honours the direction of our choices that he gives us what we ask for.

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But he is so loving that through the Apostle Paul (and his Lord before him) we have passages like this to encourage us to repent and believe the gospel, so that we might enjoy ‘glory, honour and peace’ (2:10) rather than wrath and anger, trouble and distress (2:8–9). There will be no favouritism; both Jews and Gentiles should respond, especially the Jew who has the light of Scripture (for example Psalm 19:7–14). Gentiles will not be judged by the written law but by ‘the law written in their hearts’ (Romans 2:12–16). Once again obedience is the key (2:13). Whilst Paul establishes God’s justice here in judging according to the light that we have, we must not assume too much for these people. We note that in verse 12, Paul speaks of them perishing. Though we should not doubt that there are those who, when condemned by conscience of their sin, do the right thing by putting it right with man and God, the whole burden of Paul’s argument is that these people, as with us, are most unlikely to own and therefore repent of sin. They will only find pardon and assurance when they hear of Jesus and turn to him (2:16).

Reflect Consider God’s kindness to you in enabling you to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Day 5

A matter of the heart Romans 2:17–29

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Behind Paul’s reasoned writing were years of person-toperson debate, argument and painstaking explanation of the gospel. We can imagine mixed audiences of Jews and Gentiles (including serious moralists and careless pagans). One can almost hear the Jews cheering Paul as he shows up the sinfulness of Gentile pagans (Romans 1:18–32) and moralists (2:1–16) alike. But now he turns to his own—fellow Jews, whom he knew so well, from the inside out, so to speak.

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He is prepared to needle them—(and notice the repeated ‘if you call yourself’ and ‘if you rely’ (2:17), ‘if you know his will’ (2:18) and ‘if you are convinced’ (2:19). Add to this the goad, ‘you then who teach others …’, you who preach …’ (2:24), ‘you who say …’, ‘you who abhor …’, ‘you who brag …’ (2:22–23).

Remember his purpose is to help them to see that they too are sinful and need saving through Christ. They stand convicted for a number of reasons: • as Jews, they stand in a special relationship with God (2:17) — this is the meaning of both blessing (1:16 and 2:10) and judgement (2:9) being ‘first for the Jew, then for the Gentile’ • as such they have a responsibility to the Gentiles to show forth and explain God’s grace • but they have failed badly by doing the very things they preached against (2:21–23), and

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• instead of being the blessing they were called to be (Genesis 12:2–3) had become a reason why the Gentiles dishonoured God (Romans 2:24).

Evangelism by attraction followed by explanation was God’s purposeful plan for the Jews. But they mostly failed and this in turn confirmed their sinfulness. Then Paul puts his finger on the problem (2:25–29). The outward sign of circumcision had become more important to them than what it represented. It was to be a reminder that having been called by God, they were to be distinctively different in their behaviour. In this Paul is echoing the psalmist (Psalm 51:16–17), prophets (Jeremiah 4:3– 4) and Jesus himself (Matthew 5:27–28, 43–44; 6:1–18).

The real Jew, says the apostle (Romans 2:28–29) is the one with a circumcised heart. As with the (mostly Jewish) converts at Pentecost, whose hearts were cut by the convicting work of God through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37–39), so too real circumcision is a work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:29). An inward change of heart is required if repentance is to be real and the gospel is to be received. This is why Paul described the gospel as ‘the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes’, for both Jew and Gentile (1:16–17).

The gospel man or woman will be content with God’s praise above that of his/her fellows. And that is enough, for opposition to such a message will undoubtedly come and the praise of man is fickle. God’s praise on the other hand is not only consistent but also full of comfort and strength. The promise of his praise (2:29), along with the sure knowledge that his eyes are open and ears attuned to his children’s circumstances and needs, is a wonderful encouragement.

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Reflect

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Why is it both futile and unnecessary to live for the praise of men and women?

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