THE JEWS AND THE LAW

Romans 2:17-29

Key Verse: 2:29

“No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.”

In the previous passage we learned that God’s standard of judgment is fair and reliable because he will give to each person according to what he or she has done. We don’t know men’s secrets but God knows everything. God will declare righteous those who obey not those who hear the law. Today’s passage reveals that Jews felt okay because they knew the law and had been circumcised. But when they broke the law, they were not okay. Though they received the law from God and became proud to have the law of God, they did not keep the law. They became superficial and hypocritical towards the law. Though they were circumcised as a seal of God’s people, they broke the law and did not live up to God’s expectation. Paul declares that a man is a real Jew if he is one inwardly and circumcision is circumcision of the heart. Let’s examine our inner heart in God’s sight and obey the word of God with repentance through today’s passage. May God bless us to live under the grace of Jesus. I pray that we all may become a new Jew by believing the gospel of Jesus daily and living for his glory.

I. The Jews who broke the law (17-24)

Look at verse 17. “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God;” As a Jew Apostle Paul understood the Jewish problem vividly. We cannot think about the Jews without thinking about the law. The Jews and the law are inseparable. The role of the law is significant in the Jewish life. The Hebrew word for law is “tora” and the Greek word “nomos” which means “teaching, instruction.” The word “law” appears 200 times in the Bible and it signifies the revealed will of God with respect to human conduct. It includes all the divine commands and precepts for regulating man’s moral life without and within. The law of Moses including the Ten Commandments was a divinely instituted rule of life mediated through Moses to govern God’s covenant people. To the Jewish people the law was their way of life instructed by God. The center of the Jewish life was God and the law. Their special relationship with God planted a spiritual pride in them as God’s chosen people. This spiritual privilege did good to them by enabling them to keep their identity though they were scattered all over the world as aliens but at the same time it did a great harm when they refused to share the knowledge of God with the Gentiles. They became useless when they abandoned their mission as God’s people and despised the Gentiles who lived without the law. Paul describes the Jewish pride by using “if conditions” from verses 17-20. The word “if’ is repeated 9 times in this passage. What were their God-given privileges? First, they relied on the law and bragged about their relationship to God. Psalm 119:105-106 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.” The Jews relied on the law because it showed them the right path in their life journey. They loved to follow the law given by God. Psalm 119:113 says, “I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.” Truly, it was their privilege to have the law of the Lord to follow and love. If we live without the law, life can be chaotic and confusing. It is better to have the law to have a peaceful and orderly life. So the Jews were proud to have the law through which they could follow the will of God. They also bragged about their special covenant relationship with God. Exodus 19:5, 6 says, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” What a privilege they have with God. They became God’s treasured possessions only if they obey God’s law and keep his covenant. Wow! This is big. Exodus 4:22 says, “Then say to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son…” Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” In the family the relationship between the father and the firstborn son runs deep and strong. It is almost unbreakable. God called Israel his firstborn son. They were proud of their father and son relationship with God. So they bragged about it again and again. Second, they knew the will of God and had a discernment of what is right and wrong. Look at verse 18. “If you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;” They knew the will of God and approved of doing good things. All these things were possible because they had the words of God. The Bible illuminated their hearts to understand the divine will of God. Third, they were convinced that they were a guide, a light, an instructor, and a teacher. Look at verses 19-20. “If you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth.“ Since they had the embodiment of knowledge and truth, they were convinced that they were leaders for others. They thought they were qualified to guide others and to teach the infants. In another word they regarded the Gentiles as the blind, those who are in the dark, the foolish, and the infants. I think there is an ample reason for them to be proud of. They had zeal for God and divine revelation from God. If I were them, I could be proud of my spiritual heritage. There are many good things we can learn from them. Here Paul listed all their privileges as a Jew. He praised them as the chosen people of God.

Then what was their problem? Paul reveals their problem from verses 21-24. Paul indicted the Jews through several questions. “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? “ Paul listed three major crimes they committed –stealing, adultery, and robbing temples. In Jesus’ time many tax collectors stole money from people. Levi, the tax collector was one of them. When he received Jesus’ calling by God’s grace and followed Jesus, he was changed to a new man, Saint Matthew. One time some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him how to divorce their wives, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (Mk. 10:2) Jesus answered in Mk. 10:11, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.” Divorce was common among the Pharisees at that time. They were committing adultery while they taught others not to commit adultery. They enjoyed their title as the teachers of the law but they did not live according to the word of God. Paul rebukes their hypocrisy as God’s chosen people. Though they enjoyed their privilege, they did not take responsibility to practice the law given by God. The gist of Paul’s indictment is that they broke the law they bragged about. They were no different than the Gentiles. The Jews were inviting the wrath of God because they broke the law. One common fact between the Jews and the Gentiles was that both of them broke the law and became the objects of God’s wrath. For example, if you passed the red light and got a traffic ticket, you broke the law. You will be punished whether you knew the law or not. If you say before the judge, “Sorry! I did not know the law,” the judge will not void the ticket. You know there is a saying goes around like this, “Teaching is the best learning.” When we teach others, we learn the most. Shep. David Brogi told me that he learned Romans thoroughly by studying with his sheep. Sometimes his sheep did not show up though he prepared the lesson with his heart and soul. Then he had to prepare the Bible study lesson again in the following week. In the meantime he solved his sin problem he had been struggling for a long time. He taught himself while teaching his sheep. CBF teachers are happy when they watch their little students to learn and grow in the knowledge of God. Of course, it demands commitment and sacrifice. They learn new things each week while teaching little ones. Teaching is a joy because we can learn and grow in the love of God. S. Belssie Chang teaches herself while teaching children. She is popular among her students. But the Jews taught others while failing to teach themselves. Paul pointed out their hypocrisy by saying, “You who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” Jesus rebuked the teachers of the law and the Pharisees in Matt. 23:3-4, “So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” In that passage Jesus called them, “You hypocrites!” (Matt. 23:13). We see the importance of practicing the law when we hear it. John the Baptist was a powerful servant of God because his message and his life were identical. People came out to hear his message. Many fathers used to say to their children, “Do not watch television too much and your brain will be empty.” But they watch television all day long on Saturdays. Then their children will say to them later when they ask them to stop watching television, ‘You watch television and so I will watch it too.” They will not listen to them. Of course, many grownups say to children, “Do what I say and don’t do what I do.” Eventually this kind of teaching does not make sense. Many baby boomers want their children to grow up and become successful men and women. So they gave everything to their children and taught them the right thing to do. But they did not practice what they taught. Many baby boomers divorced their wives and expected their children would not follow them. But they were wrong. Their children followed their examples. One Chinese law official in the Chin dynasty imposed a strict law saying, “If anyone violates this law, there will be a death penalty.” But unfortunately he violated the law he imposed to the people and he became the first one to be executed. The Jews were proud of the law and relied on it and bragged about it but they broke the law. Therefore, Paul revealed their bad influence in verse 24. “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” They made new Gentiles converts stumble from their faith due to their hypocritical religious life. Their double life hindered many Gentiles from being saved. One popular television evangelist committed adultery several years. His double life gave a bad name to all Christians. People said, “Christians are not different. They are hypocrites.” He caused many people to turn away from the Bible study. We give influence to others whether it is good or bad. We should give a positive influence to our sheep by loving Jesus and his word wholeheartedly. How can we apply this passage to us? God called UBF people to shepherd young people. UBF members try to live according to the word of Jesus. We try to eat daily bread daily and pray in the early morning. Sometimes we brag about our special relationship with God in terms of world campus mission. We try to lead sheep to God as their shepherds. Sometimes we are proud of what we are doing. But when we compare our life to the law, we realize that we cannot keep all the law. Under the law we are hopeless sinners. We are no different. We become superficial and hypocritical. We enjoy God’s blessing but neglect the word of God. We have form of worship service but no content. We become habitual old wineskins. Simply we cannot keep the law. Then what shall we do? Should we give up hope of mission and God’s salvation. No. Jesus came into this world to open a new era of grace. When Jesus met all the requirements of law by dying on the cross, he opened the way for us to be right with God. We come to God by the grace of Jesus. We come to God with humble and repentant heart. Then we can be powerful and fruitful once again. We live under the grace of Jesus. As God gave his word to the Jews, so he entrusted his word to us and revealed his divine will to us by calling us from our dark empty life. That’s the reason why we pray that God may use America as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Jesus said in Matt. 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Jesus recognized the role of God’s people as the light of the world. God blessed us to live as Bible teachers and shepherds for many campus students. It is a privilege with a sense of responsibility. Let’s not repeat the Jew’s failure but teach ourselves continually and grow in the grace of Jesus. Let’s live a life worthy of the calling we have received. May the grace of Jesus enable you to carry out God’s mission to the end.

II. Circumcision is circumcision of the heart. (25-29)

Circumcision is another problem in this passage. Circumcision is cutting away the foreskin covering the head of the male organ. The ceremony of circumcision began after God had made a covenant with Abraham as a symbol of God’s people. Abraham obeyed God’s command and circumcised himself and all males in his household as a token of his decision of faith and repentance. It was painful procedure. Repentance is painful like circumcision. Through this circumcision Abraham accepted God’s will to make him a father of many nations and he also repented of his complacent life with Ishmael. Through his repentance he became a father of faith. It was not his circumcision but his faith that made him right with God. These days most male babies are circumcised by a doctor for mostly health reasons in the hospital when they are born. When they are circumcised, do they become automatically a Jew. No. The main question in this passage is “Who is a real Jew?” Look at verses 25-27. “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcision. If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirement, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.” What did Paul say here? Circumcision itself has no power to save us from our sins. Some Jews boasted about their circumcision as a ticket for salvation. Paul refuted strongly their false claim..

Then who is a true Jew? Look at verses 28-29. “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” Paul concludes that a true Jew is one who has circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit. A real Jew is not the physical descendants of Abraham but one who repents of his sins and is born again by the Spirit of God. Luke 3:8 says, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” Originally, Abraham was not a Jew but a Chaldean who worshipped idols. He became a Jew when he cut off his old sinful life and believed in God’s promise. In the same way we cannot say, “I have a ticket to heaven because I am a M.K. or a P.K.” But we can be a real Jew when we repent of our sins and come to God by the grace of Jesus. Whenever I introduce my name to someone as Jacob, they say, “Hey, that’s a Jewish name.” Then I used to answer, “That’s right. I am a new Jew by the grace of God.” As we know, S. Bruce Hollinger has a Jewish parent. Can we say, “Yes, he is a real Jew.” S. Bruce became a real Jew when he repented of his old life and accepted the blood of Jesus for his salvation. In the new Testament term circumcision is identical to the baptism. In John 3:5,6 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” We have to be born again of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. A new Jerusalem church was born when three thousand people repented of their sins and were baptized when they were cut to the heart after hearing Peter’s resurrection message in Acts 2:36. When Jesus cut our heart of sin by his blood, we became a real Jew. Circumcision is circumcision of the heart through repentance. When twelve disciples received circumcision of the heart through their repentance, they became a new Jerusalem and a real Jew who changed the world history. This is a revolutionary concept. We can be a real Jew by the grace of Jesus and now we can inherit the kingdom of God and call Abraham our ancestor of faith. We can have names like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, John, Peter, and James. Today, a true Jew is called a Christian. Paul urges all Christians to be circumcised of the heart and receive righteousness comes from God. I pray that we all may repent of our superficial outward life and have inward life by the grace of Jesus. Let’s read the key verse 29.