Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: ROMANS #4 - 2:17-3:8)
E. 2:17-3:8 THE JEW: WILL BE JUDGED IN SPITE OF LAW
1. 2:17-29 THE TRUE JEW: IS ONE OF THE HEART
a. 2:17-23 THE PROFESSION OF JEWS: SPOILED BY THEIR PRACTICE
Ei de su IouDAIos [2453]e-po-noMAze[2028], kai e-pa-naPAUe[1879]NOmo, kai kauCHAsai [2744]en TheO,
But if you bear the name of Jew, and rest upon law, and glory in God,
kai giNOskeis to THElema, kai do-kiMAzeis ta di-aPHEron-ta [1308], ka-teCHOUme-nos [2727]ek tou NOmou,
18and know the Will, and approve the excellent things, being instructed out of the law,
PEpoiTHAS [3992]te se-auTON ho-deGON [3595]EInai tuphLON [5185], phos [5457]ton en SKOtei [4655],
19 and are confident thatyou yourself are a guide of theblind, a light of those in darkness,
pai-deuTEN [3810]aPHROnon [878], diDASka-lon [1320]nePIon [3516],
20a corrector of thefoolish, a teacher of babes,
Echon-ta ten MORpho-sin tes GNOse-os kai tes a-leTHEIas en toNOmo;
having in the law the form of the knowledge and of the truth;
ho oun diDASkon HEte-ron, se-auTON ou diDASkeis? ho keRUSson [2784]meKLEPtein [2813], KLEPteis?
21 who teaches therefore another, do you not teach yourself?who preaches not to steal, do you steal?
ho LEgon memoiCHEUein [3431], moiCHEUeis?
22 who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?
ho bde-lusSOme-nos [948]ta EIdo-la [1497], hi-e-ro-suLEIS [2416]? hos en NOmokauHAsai,
who abhor :idols, do you rob temples? 23who glory in law,
diA tes pa-raBAse-os [3847]tou NOmou ton TheON a-tiMAzeis [818]?
through the transgression of the law do you dishonor God?
b. 2:24 For the name of :God is blasphemed among the nations because of you, even as it is written.
To gar Ono-ma tou ThOU di' huMAS blas-pheMEItai [987] en tois ETHne-sin, kaTHOS GEgrap-tai.
c. 2:25 CIRCUMCISION WITHOUT CONSISTENCY IS UNCIRCUMCISION
pe-ri-toME[4061]men gar o-pheLEI [5623], eAN NOmon PRASses:
For circumcision indeed profits, if you be doer of law:
eAN de pa-raBAtes [3848]NOmou es, hepe-ri-toMEsou a-kro-busTIa [203]GEgo-ne.
but if you be transgressor of law, your :circumcision is become uncircumcision.
d. 2:26-27 RIGHTEOUS UNCIRCUMCISION SHALL JUDGE UNRIGHTEOUS CIRCUMCISION
eAN oun hea-kro-busTIa ta di-kaiOma-ta [1345]tou NOmou phuLASse[5442],
If therefore the uncircumcision keep the ordinances of the law,
ouch hea-kro-busTIa auTOU eis pe-ri-toMEN lo-gisTHEse-tai [3049]?
shall not his :uncircumcision be reckoned for circumcision?
kai kriNEI eek PHUse-os [5449]a-kro-busTIa, ton NOmon teLOUsa [5055], se,
27and the uncircumcision by nature, if it fulfil the law, shall judge you,
ton diA GRAMma-tos kai pe-ri-toMES pa-raBAten [3848]NOmou.
who with letter and circumcision are transgressor of law.
e. 2:28-29 TRUE CIRCUMCISION AND A TRUE JEW: IS OF THE HEART
ou gar ho en topha-neRO[5318]IouDAI-OS es-tin, ouDE heen topha-neROen sarKI pe-ri-toME;
For the Jew is not one manifestly, neither is circumcision manifestly in the flesh;
all' ho en tokrupTO[2927]IouDAIos; kai pe-ri-toMEkarDIas, en PNEUma-ti ou GRAMma-ti;
29 but the one in :secret is a Jew; and circumcision isof the heart, in spirit not in letter;
hou ho Epai-nos [1868]ouk ex anTHROpon, all' ek tou TheOU.
whose :praise isnot of men, but of :God.
2. 2:1-4 MAIN ADVANTAGE OF THE JEW: CHANNEL FOR SCRIPTURES
a. 3:1 What the advantage then of the Jew, or what the profit of circumcision?
Ti oun to pe-risSON [4053]tou IouDAIou, etis heoPHElei-a [5622]tes pe-ri-toMES?
b. 3:2 Much every way: for first indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of :God.
poLU kaTA PANta TROpon [5158]: PROton men gar, HOti e-pisTEUthe-san [4100]ta LOgi-a [3051]tou TheOU.
c. 3:3 For what if some disbelieved? shall their :unbelief make void the faithfulnessof :God?
ti gar ei ePIsteSAN [569]ti-nes? mehea-pisTIa auTON ten PIStin tou TheOU ka-tarGEsei [2673]?
d. 3:4 GOD'S PURPOSES CAN PREVAIL THROUGH A FAITHFUL REMNANT
meGEnoi-to: giNEStho, de, ho TheOS a-leTHES, pas de ANthro-pos PSEUstes; kaTHAper GEgrap-tai,
Be it not so: yes, let :God be foundtrue, but every man a liar; as it is written,
HOpos an di-kai-oTHES [1344]en tois LOgois sou, kai niKEseis [3528]en toKRInes-thai se.
That you might be justified in your :words, And might prevail at your judging.
3. 3:5-8 GOD JUDGES THE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS THAT BRINGS FORTH RIGHTEOUSNESS
a. 3:5a But if our :unrighteousness commends God's righteousness, what shall we say?
ei de hea-diKIa heMON TheOU di-kai-oSUnen suNIste-sin [4921], ti eROUmen?
b. 3:5b Is:God unrighteous who visits with :wrath?
meAdi-kos ho TheOS ho e-piPHEron [2018]ten orGEN [3702]?
c. 3:5c (I speak after man's manner.) (kaTA ANthro-pon LEgo.)
d. 3:6 Be it not so: for then how shall :God judge the world?
meGEnoi-to: ePEI pos kriNEI ho TheOS ton KOSmon?
e. 3:7-8 THE DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING GOD'S BASIS OF JUDGMENT
ei de heaLEthei-a tou TheOU en toeMOPSEUSma-ti [5582] e-peRISseu-sen [4052]eis ten DOxan auTOU,
But if the truth of :God by my :lie abounded unto his :glory,
ti Eti ka' 'GOhos ha-mar-toLOS [268]KRIno-mai? kai me(kaTHOS blas-pheMOUme-tha [987],
why am I also still judged as sinner? 8 and why not (as we are slanderously reported,
kai kaTHOS phaSIN [5346]ti-nes heMAS leGEIN [HOti])
and as some affirm that we say [that])
PoiEso-men ta kaKA, HIna ELtheta a-gaTHA? hon to KRIma [2917]ENdiKON [1738]es-tin.
Let us do the evils, that :good may come? whose :condemnation is just.
NOTE: Many non-Jews think that they can reason themselves into being Jews from this passage. Not so. This is notthe thrust of the apostle Paul in this passage! Just let a Gentile go to Israel and claim Israeli citizenship on the basis of his revelation, and see how far he gets! Jews are still Jews, and Gentiles members of their own nation. It is strange how people can jump to conclusions from Paul's writings that are completely unjustified.
Look at 3:5b. This is one of the passages to which Peter quite possibly referred when he said, “And account that the longsuffering of our :Lord is salvation; even as our beloved :brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, wrote you: 16as also in all hisletters, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstedfastwrest, as also the other scriptures, unto their own :destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15-16).
See also 3:4 - The doctrine of the faithful remnant helps us to rightly divide between the words of truth. What sometimes appears as difficult as a general statement, immediately makes sense when we take into consideration the “remnant” teaching.
One man put it this way - As a drop of ocean water has within itself in trace form all the constituent elements of the ocean - soeach verse and passage of Scripture has within itself in trace form all the constituent teachings of Scripture! Each verse mustbe interpreted in the light of all 66 books of the Bible. No part must contradict another.
But that would mean an extraordinary knowledge of the Bible! Precisely. And that is exactly why James said, “Be notmany teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation “ (James 3:1). Teachers, would-be, and so-called teachers will appear one day before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer for their teaching while in the body!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, - If you can keep out of the ministry of teaching without sinning against God - do so! If you must be an elder with a teaching ministry, then by all means prepare adequately for this awesome responsibility!
Isaiah says, To the law and to the testimony (the whole Bible)! If they speak notaccording to this word, surely there is no morning (or light) in them (8:20).
Again Isaiah quotes God in 66:1 - “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembles at my word!”(Isaiah 66:2).
Is thisthe way we feel about God's Word? Is thisthe way we approach it to teach it? Thiswas one of the special verses of Ivan Panin. This is the way heapproached the Word of God. J.A.W.