The Story of God’s Explosive Grace

The Hypocrisy of Religion Exposed Romans

Paul in the first three chapters of Romans is building a case against mankind based on their blindness to personal sin and their obstinate rejection of God’s right of rule over their lives. Paul’s has a three-fold indictment…  Mankind’s depravity  Moralist hypocrisy  Religious hypocrisy

Paul turns from the moralist in general to the religious hypocritical Jew in particular. This was not to conclude that all Jews of that day were the extreme two-faced type but apparently, based on the gospels and this section of Romans, it was a serious issue. Paul first deals with the externals, then the hypocrisy, and finally what true religion consists of.

There is the temptation by religious people to equate the outward marks of their religion with the inwards life changing qualities of one’s soul. The Jews were guilty of this as they based their religious superiority on being God’s chosen people. This confusion was one of the first issues that John the Baptist confronted his Jewish people on as the forerunner of Christ.

7 But when he [John the Baptist] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Matthew 3

 Being a Jew  Having the Law  Circumcision

 Calling themselves a Christian  Going to church  Being baptized

 They embrace the outward trappings of religion to either impress themselves, others, or God.  However, inwardly they give full reign to their selfish (flesh) nature and live a prideful sinful existence rather than a humble obedient walk with God.  The sad news is that most of them don’t even get it. They are self-deceived and blind to what is really going on. That is, the outward only has value if there exists a true relationship to God which is evident through obedience, humility, and love for the Creator.

 The outward indicators to which the hypocritical Jew claimed superiority  Religious hypocrisy exposed and condemned  The inward essence of true religion 25-27

The outward indicators to which the hypocritical Jew claimed superiority 17-20

1. Jewish descent (17a) The Jewish people placed much emphasis on being the children of Abraham. The name “Jew” is derived from the shorten form of Judah. After the Babylon captivity, when it was primarily the tribe of Judah that returned to Israel, the shortened form began to represent the entire nation. 2. Rely on the Law (17b) The Law was that body of divine revelation given exclusively to the Jews which described in detail what God expects from man. This was a sacred privilege to which they had been entrusted (3.2). Unfortunately they used it as a source of pride.

3. Boast in God (17c) On the surface this is a good thing to which many passages testify. Listen to Jeremiah but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. Rather than bragging about financial success, education, career achievements, home, or you fill in the blank. One’s greatest achievement is his or her relationship with God and understanding of His ways. The problem with these specific Jews is that their lives didn’t match their faith.

4. Know His will (18a) If they knew the Law, then it followed they would know God’s will. As we will see, knowing and doing are two different things. 5. Approve essential things (18b) The Jews in question were able to wade through the Law and determine the most critical aspects of the Law which mattered the most.

The claim was made that their enlightenment to God’s ways made them the ideal conduit to share their knowledge with everyone else, both Jew and Gentile alike. 6. Guide to the blind 7. Light to those in darkness 8. Corrector of the foolish 9. Teacher of the immature Unfortunately, Jesus charged them with being “blind guides” (Matthew 23.16,17,19,24,26) and making Gentiles doubly worse off than they were before (15).

Religious hypocrisy exposed and condemned 21-24

A quick survey of verses indicates that Paul is not accusing all Jews of theft, adultery, and stealing idols from temples, but rather a select group. The select group however, was the leadership of Israel, the Pharisees and Sadducees. After the return of Israel to its homeland from Babylon in 586 BC, idolatry had vanished, unfortunately there was a new game in town. Self-righteous Jewish leaders who took advantage of their position, satisfying selfish wants rather than humble service to God, did not provide spiritual care and protection to those they were to serve. To this Jesus delivers eight stirring charges against this leadership.

1. Shut the door in everyone’s face who wanted to enter the kingdom of God. (13) 2. Devoured widow’s houses. (14) 3. Made proselytes twice the son of hell as they themselves. (15) 4. Made up rules of swearing in order to be dishonest. (16-22) 5. Focused on outward religious acts like tithing while ignoring the inward ones of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. (23-24)

6. Focused on ritual but robbed and are full of self-indulgence. (25-26) 7. Appeared outwardly righteous, but inwardly were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (27- 28) 8. They were akin to their ancestors who murdered the prophets and they will do the same in their generation. (29-36)

1. Does not follow his own teaching (21a) 2. You teach not to steal but you steal (21b) 3. You teach not to commit adultery but you commit adultery (22a) 4. You abhor idols but rob temples (22b) 5. You boast in the Law but then you break the Law and as a result dishonor God (23)

God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentile world Just as bad behavior of children brings shame on their parents, so this sinful behavior of the Jews discredited God in the sight of non-Jews.

The inward essence of true religion 25-27

You can just imagine it, a group of Pharisees has formed a committee to challenge what Paul has been saying. “We have been listening to what you have been saying Paul, that we are in no better place than the Gentiles and may be in danger of the wrath of God (6-11). But you of all people Paul are missing one point, we are God’s chosen people and our circumcision proves that we are the heirs to Abraham’s promises. How can you say otherwise Paul?”

Today many people in the Christian world make the same claim about baptism. Often when someone dies suddenly, their religion comes into play. Someone will announce that they are in heaven because they were baptized in the church.

 To God’s chosen people If the God given outward expressions of your faith like circumcision (or, baptism for Christians), are not accompanied by a heart felt desire to please God through obedience, then the outward expressions are null and void.  To the non chosen people Even though you never received affirmation as being the people of God, but you sought God with all your heart and lived with all the light you had been given (1.20, 2.15), this will be counted the same as though you were the children of God and had kept the Law.

 For whatever reason, it is not clear to whom Paul is speaking about in 2.13 and for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Two views…  Paul is making a purely hypothetical point. That is, that if someone was able to qualify as a perfect sinless person, he or she would make it to heaven. But based on Romans 3 this is impossible in all practicality.  The other major option, is that Paul is making reference to the saved. They alone are capable of goodness because of right standing before God and His Spirit indwelling them.

29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2 In the context of this verse, the following words must mean…  Jew – One who is right before God  Circumcision – Spiritual conversion of the heart  Praise from God – Approved and accepted by God

1. Paul’s insistence that no person is justified (right standing before God) because of keeping the Law. 19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3

2. The nature of true circumcision is spiritual not physical… 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. Colossians 2