Romans Lesson 10 Chapter 2 Part 5

In Vs23-24 Paul made it clear the hypocrisy of the Jews was causing Gentiles to blaspheme the name of God. by saying we do not want any part of the God you tell us we need.

Vs 25-28 Paul gets to the heart of what law the Christian Jews were demanding the Gentile Jews keep. The Jews were telling the Gentiles they had to be circumcised as a token sf their alvation.

Why did the Jews believe this.

Read Genesis 17: 1-27 Is the law of circumcision existed long before thelaw was delivered to Moses.

V5 90 year old Abram's name was changed Abraham for the LORD made him to be a father of many nations. Nothing could stop this from coming to be

V11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

V12-13 Every male child descendant of Abraham had to be circumcised on the eighth day. The servants that Abraham had bought had to be circumcised

V23 every man among Abraham's house was circumcised.

Circumcision was a token or symbol of God's covenant with Abraham it had nothing to do with righteousness of God being accounted to Abraham of any Jer

In Genesis 4:22 the LORD declared the nation of Israel was His firstborn son. The children of Israel believed they were the sons of God.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Gentiles who believed on Jesus (saved) became sons of God. In the eyes of the Jewish Christians if they were sons of God they had to have the token of God's covenant or be circumcised for a token of their covenant with God.

These Jews missed the true meaning for circumcision: that is reminder that LORD will keep his promises to the descendants of Abraham

The mystery of the church age was being made manifest for the first time.

Read Vs 25-27 The Holy Spirit again used question to make the Christian Jews to consider their thinking. They used the fact that the law was delivered to them and their circumcision was the

evidence or token of their stand with God.

*circumcision - Jews

*uncircumcision - Gentiles

V25 - The statement: They only benefit form being a Jew if they keep the law. If they break the law they are no different than the Gentiles.

V26 - Question: Shouldn't by keeping the righteousness of the law a Gentile be counted as a Jew?

V27 - Shouldn't a Gentile who keeps the law isn't be worthy to judge a Jew who breaks the law? (by letter: documented to be a Jew having the token of the covenant)

These questions to do not state there were Gentiles who kept the righteousness of the law. We know there has never been a Jew or Gentile who has kept the righteousness of the law. *Righteousness is spiritual not physical. (Romans 8:10; Galatians 5:5)

*Matthew 5:27-28 keeping the law is not just a physical act it is mental and spiritual

Two thing to remember

1) God uses the physical things in His word to teach spiritual matters

2) Verses 17-29 Paul is addressing the Jewish Christians

Vs28-29 Paul explains the spiritual aspect of the law and being Jews  

Prior to the the teaching of Paul the Jews mainly considered the physical aspect of being a Jew; by letter: their birth was recorded, by token: proven by circumcision. The sad thing was and is today the Jews consider the letter and the token more important that obedience to God's word.

1Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, .  .  . Many of these Jews saw Jesus, some may have witnessed His crucifixion and some my have seen after He rose from the dead. Yjey had the physical signs pointing to believing upon the name of the Son of God.

In Romans 2:28 -29Paul teaches something the vast majority of Jews had missed, God looks upon the heart not the flesh. Jesua did not come to change the flesh of men, He came to change the hearts of men. V28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Much of what the Jews did was to convince other Jews that they were as good or better Jews because of what they did. Remember the prayer Pharisee in Luke 18:11-12 and than the prayer of the publican in Luke 18:13. Consider the response of Jesus in verse 14. Consider the lives of Abraham, David, and Solomon, did they they have the righteousness of God accounted unto then because they lived righteously or because God looked upon their hearts?

John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God must. This verse (John 1:13) be read with John 1:12 to get the true meaning of John 1:12.

Again remember Romans and Paul's other epistles were written in the dawn of the church age which was a mystery (see Romans 16:25; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 1:27). Paul revealing the mystery of the body of Christ to these Jewish Christians. Within the Body of Christ there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile. There is no difference in how a Jew or a Gentile is placed into the body of Christ. (See 1Cointhians 12)

We said the Jews knew the Gentiles who believed on the name of Jesus were made sons of God (from John 1:12.) The Jews understood this as physical Jews (Jews by letter) sons. They did not read the context of V13 they explains not sons by flesh and blood or declared by man but by God who is spirit.  . 

If you stop with verse 2:29 you can understand how the false doctrine of "replacement theology" that is God is done with the physical nation of Israel  and replaced them with the Church. Romans 3:1completely destroys replacement theology