Romans 2: Larry King interviews the Apostle Paul

Romans 2 

Paul, you have let the Gentiles have it. You have condemned them all under sin’s power and sway by your words and declared them to be under the wrath of God. Now, I am Jewish by birth, though not a practicing Orthodox or Hasidic Jew. Be honest with me. What do you really think about the Jews? Do you agree that we will be found righteous when God judges the world?

Larry, the answer is no. They will not be found righteous.

You have got to be kidding! Paul, how are you defining the judgment of God? What is it like?

Well, Larry, God hates hypocrisy. He has principles of judgment that apply to all men, but I will admit, especially to the Jews.

God’s judgment is according to the truth. This differs greatly from human judgment.

Paul, your Bible says Christians are never to judge. Sounds like you are judging the Jews to me.

Conversely, Larry. The New Testament forbids judging the sins we are practicing in secret in other people, but actually requires Christians and churches to judge sin.

Your God sounds mean to me.

No, God’s long-suffering with sinning people is clear all around us. This gives them a motive and an opportunity to repent. Instead, they are hoarders of wrath.

So, God is going to judge all the Jews together?

No, He will judge them as individuals. And he will judge them by their works.

Now, Paul, you are always saying: grace, grace, grace. Now you are joining all the world religions and cults and admitting salvation is by works?

No, salvation is by grace received through faith, repentance, and surrender. Judgment is by works.

But we are the chosen race. Does that not count for anything, Paul?

Yes, it results in greater responsibility. But God does not show favoritism toward any race. He looks at your heart, your deeds, and your relationship with Him.

What are you saying, Paul?

The judgment of God will fall on both Gentiles and Jews who have not received imputed righteousness from Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Son of God. Having more truth, more light, will make the Jews’ judgment more severe than that of those who did not have access to the Scriptures.

Matthew Henry: “One is not a Christian, that is only one outwardly, nor is baptism valid if it is only outward of the flesh; but he is a Christian, that is one inwardly, and baptism is that of the heart, by the Holy Spirit, and not merely following the written requirement of the ritual. This person’s praise is not of men, but of God because he/she is a genuine believer and a sincere repenter.”

 

Romans 2:1-29: The Hypocrisy and Sinfulness of the Jews

General Principles of God’s Judgment that specifically apply to Jewish sinners (Rom 2:1-16)

I.                  The judgment of people by God is according to the real truth vs. 1-3

A.      Human judgment is biased, inconsistent, and often hypocritical (Matt 7:1-5)

B.     Humans are often blind to their own sin, except in others

C.      Humans will not escape God’s accurate judgment

II.                The timing of the judgment of people by God reveals He is long-suffering and has gracious forbearance vs. 4-5

A.      God’s forbearance is granted to people (He has not judged me yet; I must be excused)

B.     God’s long-suffering kindness is abused by people who refuse to truly repent (They are stockpiling more wrath for the future by their rebellious self-rule. Judgment is in degrees. See Luke 12:45-48; 2 Cor 5:10; 11:15; Matt 16:27; Rom 2:6, 16; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10-12; Deut 28:20; Psa 28:4; Luke 23:41; John 5:29; Gal 5:21; 1 Tim 5:24-25; 2 Tim 4:14)

C.      God’s forbearance and delay of His full wrath is weakness (He must be reluctant to give me my just due; maybe I will get away with it after all)

III.              The final judgment of people by God is individual vs. 6 (each person, not a group)

IV.              The judgment of people by God is according to works vs. 7-8 (This is not salvation by works, but judgment by works. See Psa 62:12; Prov 24:12; Eccl 11:9, 12:14; Isa 59:18; Jer 17:9-10, 21:14, 25:14, 32:19, 50:15; Ezek 24:14, 36:19; Hos 12:2; Matt 16:27, 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 10:42; Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 3:12-15, 4:5, 6:9-11; 2 Cor 5:10, 11:15; Gal 6:7-9; Eph 6:8; 2 Tim 4:14; 2 Thes 1:4-7; 1 Pet 1:17; 1 John 3:7-10; Jude 14-15; Rev 2:23, 11:18, 18:6, 20:12-13, 22:12)

V.                The judgment of people by God is impartial concerning race, family and status vs. 9-11

A.      Judgment for sin will come to everyone who does wrong things (words, thoughts, communications, deeds/actions)

B.     The blessings of God come on everyone who does good (words, thoughts, communications, deeds/actions)

C.      The judgment of God does not have several standards (You do not get a free pass because of who you are, who you know, race, reputation, social status, financial status, age, or any external conditions. It is based on the violations done and with justice and appropriateness. See Deut 1:17, 10:17, 16:19, 32:4; 2Chr 9:17, Acts 10:34; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; Jam 2:9; 1 Pet 1:17)

VI.              The judgment of people by God will come to both those who have been exposed to the written law of God (Jews) and those who have never heard of God’s law (Gentiles)

A.      Those who sin against their conscience and general revelation are still without excuse and will languish under wrath forever even though they never heard God’s instruction in the Bible

B.      Those who have the Hebrew Bible will be judged by their perfect adherence to all that is written in the Scriptures (listening to the Old Testament without loyally obeying it perfectly only increases one’s punishment) Jam 1:23-25. This is also true for make-believers in the church. They have more truth, and thus greater responsibility and greater judgment

C.      Justification, to be declared righteous in God’s courtroom, requires perfect conformity to the Law (moral, civil, and ceremonial). The Jewish remnant realized they could not do this, so they relied on God by faith and received justification based on the perfect obedience and death of God’s Messiah, Yeshu’a

D.     Even the pagans have some of the moral law, especially commands 5-9 written in their hearts and instructing their consciences. A regenerate believer has all the moral laws, including the Ten Commandments, engraved “on” their hearts, Jer 31:33. This law in the heart leaves the pagans even more without excuse along with general revelation and conscience

VII.            The judgment of people by God will include their secret sins and the Messiah Jesus will be their judge vs. 16 (Eccl 12:14; Matt 10:26, 12:37; Mar 4:22; Luke 8:17; 1 Cor 4:5; Acts 17:31, 24:25; 2 Cor 5:10)

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Further evidence of the sinfulness of the Jews (Rom 2:17-29)

I.                  The people claiming to be Jews have God’s special revelation revealed in the Hebrew Bible vs. 17-20

II.                The people claiming to be Jews are questioned and challenged vs.21-23

III.              The people claiming to be Jews are rebuked and instructed vs. 24-29

A.      The name of God is severely dishonored because of the hypocrisy of His people

B.     How are we violating the law of God? We are circumcised! Unless you keep the law perfectly, your circumcision is worthless and is undone as a sign of a covenant relationship

C.      We are the only ones in God’s family, as is shown by the ceremonial law. How can we be excluded? The most important thing is the righteousness of God, not rituals

D.     If the righteous uncircumcised will judge the unrighteous circumcised, then what does it mean to be Jewish? (The English term Jew is from the Hebrew term Yudah = Praise) A true Jew is one who has a circumcised heart. Regeneration followed by conversion from selfishness and sin makes one a son or daughter of God and a worshiper of God. (Deut 10:16, 30:6; Jer 4:4, 9:25-26; Rom 3:30, 4:9-11; 1 Cor 7:18; Gal 2:3, 5:1-13; Eph 2:11, 13-22; Phil 3:2-3; Col 2:11, 3:11; Titus 1:10-11)