Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 12, 13 and 14

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Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 12, 13 and 14

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               Chapter 12. The Transformed life

A Magnificent Chapter. In tone, it reminds us of. Jesus Sermon
on the Mount. Paul invariably closed any theological discussion
with an earnest exhortation to a Christian Manner of Life. And
so here. In previous chapters he has been insisting that our
standing before God depends wholly on the Mercy of Christ, and
not on our "own Good Works. Here he is equally insistent that
that Mercy, which so graciously Forgives, is the very thing that
supplies us with a« powerful and irresistible Urge to Good Works,
and Transforms our Whole Outlook on Life.

Humility of Spirit, 3-8.‘This is specially for Church Leaders.
So often position of Leadership, which should make us Humble,
puffs us up. And so often a person with a certain Talent is
inclined to disparage the value óf different Talents possessed by
others. See more fully on I Cor 12-14.

Heavenly  Qualities,  9-21.  Brotherly  Love. Hatred  of  Evil,
specially within ourselves. Diligence. Joyfulness, Patience. Prayer-
fullness. Hospitality. Sympathy. Concern for that which is Honor—
able. Peaceable. Without Resentment.

            Chapter 13. Obedience Io Civil Law

Civil Governments are ordained of. God, 1, even though often
run by evil. men„to restrain the criminal elements of human
society. Christians should be law-abîding citizens of the Govern-
ment under which they live, in all their attitudes and relations
of life, governing themselves by the principles of the' Golden
Rule, 8-10, making special effort to be Honorable in all things,
and always Considerate of others.

Approaching Dawn, 11-14. The Night is Far' Spent, and the Day
is At Hand. This refers to Individuals who have been Christians
for some time, or to the Christian Era "moving on toward its
consummation, or» both. The Lord’s Coming in Glory, or our
Going to Him, in Death.

              Chapter 14. Judging One Another

In such things as the eating of Meats and the observing of
Days; The Meats referred to, though it is not so specified, must
be Meat that had been offered in sacrifice to Idols, see on I Cor 8.

As for Days, reference must be to Jewish insistence that Gen
tiles observe the Sabbath and other Jewish Festival Days. The
Lord’s Day, first day of the week, was the Christian’s Day. If,
in addition, a Gentile Christian wanted to .observe  a Jewish
Sabbath, it was his privilege. But he must not insist on others,
doing it.

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Romans 12 New International Version (NIV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Footnotes:
Romans 12:6 Or the
Romans 12:8 Or to provide for others
Romans 12:16 Or willing to do menial work
Romans 12:19 Deut. 32:35
Romans 12:20 Prov. 25:21,22

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Romans 13 New International Version (NIV)

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love Fulfills the Law

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

The Day Is Near

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[c]

Footnotes:
Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
Romans 13:14 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

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Romans 14 New International Version (NIV)

The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[b]

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.[c]

Footnotes:
Romans 14:10 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verses 13, 15 and 21.
Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
Romans 14:23 Some manuscripts place 16:25-27 here; others after 15:33.

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New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

END

Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 6, 7 and 8

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Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 6, 7 and 8

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       Chapter 6. What Motive, then to Right Living?

If we are no longer under the Law, and Christ Forgives our
Sins, then why not continue to Sin? Keep on Sinning, and Christ
keep on Forgiving.

Paul answers that such'a thing is unthinkable. Christ died to
Save us from our Sins. His Forgiveness is for the purpose of
making us Hate our Sins.

We cannot be servants of Sin, and servants of Christ. We must
choose one or the other. It is not possible to please Christ. and
continue at the same time to live in Sin."

This does not mean that we can entirely overcome All our
Sins, and place ourselves beyond the need of His Mercy. But it
does mean that there are two essentially different Ways of Life:
the Way of Christ and the Way of Sin. In heart we belong to
one or the other, but not both.

Christ, the perfect embodiment of the Law of God, furnishes
us with the Motive, and supplies us with the Power, to struggle
on“ unto the attainment for ourselves of' that Perfect Holiness
which, by His Grace, ultimately shall be ours.



                   Chapter 7. Why the Law?

If we are no longed under the Law, why then was the Law
given? It was not given  as a scheme of Salvation,  but as a
preparatory measure, to educate Man‘ to see his Need of a Sav-
iour: to make us know the difference between Right and Wrong.
Not until we realize our Helplessness is there desire for, and
appreciation of, a Saviour.

Struggle between our Carnal and Spiritual Natures, 14-25. We
wonder if this is a picture of Paul’s own inner struggle.

In I Cor 4:4 he says He Knew Nothing Against Himself. Yet he must
have felt powerful impulses within his nature against which he
had a continuous desperate struggle. Else he could never have
written  these words. His unspeakable Gratitude  to Christ for
Deliverance from that against which he felt himself powerless
reminds one of Luther‘s Unbounded Joy when he realized all at
once that Christ could do for him what he had vainly struggled
'to do for himself. It is an illustration of the power of the Law
on an earnest soul depressed by inability to live up to it, and
the Relief found in Christ.


               Chapter 8. The law of The Spirit

This is one of the Best Loved Chapters in the Bible *

The Indwelling Spirit, 1-11. In Christ, we not only have our Sins
Forgiven, but there is _also an impartation of a New Life. A New
Birth. Our natural Ще, so to speak, is Impregnated by the Spirit
of God, and a Baby Spirit, a Divine Nature, is born within us,
in a manner somewhat similar to that in which our physical life,
our Adam Nature, was started by our parents our Natural Life
from Adam. A New Divine Life from Christ.

 This is a Reality within ourselves. We may not feel it nor be
 conscious of. it. But it is there. We accept it as a matter of Faith.
There is within ourselves, beyond the realm of our Conscious
Knowledge, a Divine Life, the child of God’s Spirit, under His
loving care, working in stillness, ever unwearied; never ex-
hausted, to gain‚control of our Whole Being, and Transform us
into the Image of. God. This is the Life that Will blossom into
Immortal Glory in the day of Resurrection.

Our Obligation to the Spirit, 12-17. Walking after the Spirit
means that, while depending wholly and implicitly on Christ for
our Salvation, we still struggle to the utmost to Live up to His
Law. Paul is explicitly explicit that the Grace of Christ does not
release us'from doing everything in our_ power to Live Right.
~Walking after the Flesh means giving ourselves to the gratifica—
tion of our Fleshly Desires.

Our body is Flesh. Some Fleshly Desires“ are perfectly natural
and necessary. Some are Wrong. Those that are Wrong we must
abstain from altogether. The others We may enjoy, but be careful
to Keep our Affection Above the Border Line.

Suffering Creation, 18-25. The whole natural creation, including
ourselves, is groaning for a Better Order of Existence, to be
revealed in the day of God‘s-Completed Redemption, when the
Body of This Death, 7:24, shall receive the Freedom of Heaven’s
Glory, now in the various processes of creation. It is a .grand
conception of. the work of Christ.

Intercession of the Spirit, 26-30. Not only is the in-dwelling
Spirit our pledge of Resurrection and Future Glory, but through
His prayers in our behalf we are assured that God will make
Everything that might happen to us Work Together for Our
Good. We may' forget to Pray. The Spirit Never Does. God will
see _us through. Let us never forget to Trust Him.

The Inviolable Love of Christ, 31-39. He pied for us. Has For-
given us. Has given Himself to us in the person of His Spirit.
If we are His, no power ori earth or in heaven or in hell' can
prevent His bringing us to Himself in the Eternal Bosom of God.
This is one.-o£ the most magnificent passages in all the Bible.


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Romans 6 New International Version (NIV)

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes:
Romans 6:6 Or be rendered powerless
Romans 6:23 Or through

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Romans 7 New International Version (NIV)

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[a] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

Footnotes:
Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21
Romans 7:18 Or my flesh
Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh

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Romans 8 New International Version (NIV)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Present Suffering and Future Glory

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes:
Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father
Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For
Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who
Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers


New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959.

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Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

END

Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 3, 4 and 5

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Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 3, 4 and 5

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                            ROMANS

Chapter 3.  Christ The Propitiation for Man's Sin

Why the Jews? 1-20. If Jews, in the. matter of Sinfulness, are
on the. same standing before God as other nations, why then the
necessity of there being a Jewish Nation at all?

The answer; to  be  entrusted with the Oracles of God, and
Pave the Way for the Coming of Christ. Under God, the Hebrew
Nation was founded to serve a special purpose in the working
out of God’s age-long Plan for Human Redemption. But that does
not mean that intrinsically within themselves they are any better
in God's sight than other nations.

One of the purposes of the Law was to make Man understand
that he is a Sinner, 20, in need of a Saviour.

Christ our Propitiation, 21-31. In the Eternal Nature of things,
as Sin is Sin, and Right is Right, and God is Just, there can be
No Mercy apart from Justice. Sin must be Punished. God Himself
took upon Himself the Punishment of Man’s Sin, in the Person
of Christ.

Therefore He can Forgive Man’s Sin, and regard those who, in
gratitude,  accept  the  Saviour’s  Sacrifice.  as  possessed of  the
Saviour’s Own Righteousness.


               Chapter 4. The Case of Abraham

This is taken up because those who were teaching that Gentiles
must become Jewish Proselytes in [made it harder] to be Christians were
basing their  claims for Circumcision  on the Promise made to
Abraham, that it was to his seed; that, if one Was not of the
seed of Abraham by nature, he would have to become so by
Circumcision.  Paul  explains  that  the  Promise  was given  on
Abraham’s Faith,  while he was still Uncircumcised;  and that
Abraham’s Heirs are those Who have the same Faith, rather than
those who are Circumcised. The grand thing in Abraham’s life
was his Faith, Not his Circumcision.


                  Chapter 5. Christ and Adam

Paul bases the Efficacy of Christ’s Death as an Atonement for
Human Sin on the Unity of the Race in Adam.

How could One die for Many?- One might die as a Substitute
for another One,—same justice in thats But for One to Die for
Millions,—how_ could it be?

Paul’s answer is that Men are not to blame for being Sinners.
They. are born that way, brought into Life without being asked
if they wanted Existence. Just woke up in this World to find
themselves in a Body with a Sinful Nature. But, says Paul, the
Founder of our Race; Adam, did not start with a Sinful Nature.

Paul explains the doctrine of Christ's Atonement for our Sin,
not by setting Him over against each one of us singly, but by
setting Him over against the Head of our Race.

Adam the Natural Head of the Human Race. Christ the Spiritual
Head. What One Head Did, the Other Head Undid. One Man's
Sin brought Death to our race. Therefore One Man's Death is
sufficient to bring Life to'those who will accept it.

&&&

&&&

Romans 3 New International Version (NIV)
God’s Faithfulness
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
    and prevail when you judge.”[a]

5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Footnotes:
Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).


& & &

Romans 4 New International Version (NIV)
Abraham Justified by Faith
4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[a]

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[b]

9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[c] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[d] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Footnotes:
Romans 4:3 Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22
Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1,2
Romans 4:17 Gen. 17:5
Romans 4:18 Gen. 15:5

& & &

Romans 5 New International Version (NIV)
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Footnotes:
Romans 5:1 Many manuscripts let us
Romans 5:2 Or let us
Romans 5:3 Or let us
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959.

& & &

Hugh C. Wood  Atlanta, Georgia

END

Teaching Notes ROMANS Chapters 1 and 2

ROMANS 1

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Paul’s Life Prior to Romans 1

                       Paul's later life

It is generally accepted that Paul was acquitted, about 63 or

64 A D. Whether he went on to Spain, as he had planned, Rom

15:28, is not known. Tradition indicates that he did. But if he

did. he did not remain long. It seems certain that he was

back in Greece and Asia Minor about 65 to 67 AD, in which

period he wrote the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. Then, re-

arrested, he was taken back to Rome, and beheaded about 67 A D.

See further page 528.

                   Summary of Paul's Life

             With Tentative Approximate Dates

Paul first appears as a persecutor of Christians, resolutely deter-

mined to blot out the name of Jesus._No doubt he thought the

Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead was a fixed up story.

Then, on the road to Damascus. as by a stroke from heaven, he

was smitten down. Jesus Himself spoke to him, about 32 AD.

 From that moment he was a Changed Man. With zeal and devo-

tion unparalleled in history, he went up and. down the highways

of the Roman Empire crying out, Jesus Did Rise from the Dead,

It is True, It is True, IT IS TRUE, He is Risen, He is Risen,

HE IS RISEN.

 n Damascus they tried to kill him. He went into Arabia. Then

back to Damascus. Then returned to Jerusalem, about 35 AD.

They tried to kill him. Then he went to Tarsus.

In Antioch, about 42 to 44 A D. Went up to Jerusalem, about 44

A D, with an offering of money for the poor.

 FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY, about 45 to 48 A D. Galatia: Písidian

Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe. Returned to Antioch.

 Conference at Jerusalem about Gentile Circumcision, about

50 A D.

SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY, about 50-53 A D: Greece: Philippi,

Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth: return to Jerusalem,

Antioch.

THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY, about 54-57 AD: Ephesus, Greece.

 To Jerusalem, 58 A D, with great, offering of money.

 In Caesarea, 58-60 A D, a prisoner in the governor’s castle.

?? FOURTH MISSIONARY JOURNEY ??

In Rome, 61-63 A D, a prisoner. Here the book of Acts ends.

 Back in Greece and Asia Minor, about 65-66 A D.

 Beheaded in Rome, about 67 A D.

 His ministry lasted about 35 years. In those 35 years he won

vast multitudes to Christ.

 At times God helped him with Miracles. In almost every city

he was persecuted. Again and again they mobbed him, and tried

to kill him. He was beaten, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, driven

from city to city. On top of all this, his “thorn in’ the flesh”,

II Cor 12. His sufferings are almost unbelievable. He must have

had a constitution like iron. God must have used supernatural

power to keep him alive.

                  

&&&

                           ROMANS

             Fundamental Nature of Christ’s Work

          Basis of Man’s Standing before his Creator

Paul was chosen of God to be the chief expounder of the Gos—

pel to the world, and his Epistle to the Romans is Paul's com—

pletest explanation of his understanding of the Gospel. Coleridge

calls it, “The most profound work in existence."

               Date and Occasion of the Epistle

Winter of 57-58 A D. Paul was in Corinth, at the close of. his

Third Missionary Journey, on the eve of his departure to Jeru

salem with the offering of money for the poor saints. 15:22-27.

A woman named Phoebe, of Cenchreae, a suburb of Corinth,

was sailing for Rome, 16:1,2. Paul availed himself of the oppor—

‘tunity to send this letter by her. There was no postal service in

the Roman Empire except for official business. Public Postal

Service as we know it is of modem origin. Then personal letters

had to be carried by friends or chance travelers.

                      Purpose of The Epistle

To let the Roman Christians know that he was on his way to

Rome. Then, too, this was before God had told Paul that He

 would see him to Rome, Acts 23:11. and Paul did not as yet

 feel sure that he would get away from Jerusalem alive, Rom

 15:31: in which case, it seemed proper that he, the Apostle to

 Gentiles, should leave on file, in the Capital of the World. a

 Written explanation of the Nature of the Gospel of Christ.

                       The Church In Rome

 Paul had" not yet been there. He reached Rome three years

 after he wrote this Epistle. The nucleus of the Roman Church

 probably had been formed by the Romans who were at Jeru-

 salem on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:10.

 In the intervening 28 years many Christians, from various parts

 of the East, for one cause or another, had migrated to the

 Capital City, some of them Paul's own converts and intimate

 friends, see Ch 16.

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                  Background of the Epistle

Common Jewish Belief in the Finality of Mosaic Law as the

expression of the Will of God, and of Universal Obligation, and.

Jewish insistence that Gentiles who would be Christians must be

Circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. Thus the question

whether a Gentile could be a Christian without becoming a

Jewish Proselyte was. one of the great problems of the time.

Christianity started as a Jewish Religion, and certain powerful

Jewish leaders were determined it should remain so. Circum—

cision was a physical rite which stood as the initial ceremony in.

Jewish naturalization of Gentiles.

                    Paul’s Main Insistence

 In this Epistle is that Man’s Justification before God rests

fundamentally, not on the Law of Moses, but on the Mercy of

Christ. It is not a matter of Law at all, because Man, on account

of his Sinful Nature, cannot fully live up to God’s Law, which is

an expression of God’s Holiness. But it is wholly because Christ,

out of the Goodness of His Heart, Forgives Men's Sins. In the

last analysis, Man's Standing before God depends, not so much

on what Man has done, or can do, for himself, as on what Christ

has done for him. And therefore Christ is entitled to the Abso-

lute and Whole-Hearted Allegiance and Loyalty and. Devotion

and Obedience of Every Human Being.

CHAPTERS 1 and 2

        Chapters 1,2. Universal Need of The Gospel

Universal Sinfulness of Mankind, 1:1-32. The first sentence is

a long one, 1-7, summarizing Paul's life: Jesus, Foretold in

Prophecy, Risen from the Dead, commissioned Paul to Preach

Him to All Nations.

Paul’s long time desire to come to Rome, 9-15, hindered by

evangelized fields elsewhere, 15:20.

Not ashamed of the Gospel, 16, even in Rome, the gilded and

haughty cesspool of every foul thing. The terrible DepraVity of.

Man, pictured in 18—32, had reached its depths in Rome, specially

the sexual practices of 26,27.

  Jews Included, 2:1—29. Paul’s frightful picture of Man's Sinful-

ness is true of the Jews also, even though they were God's own

nation, for they practice the sins common to mankind.

  Whosoever, 1, includes every one of us. Not that every one

does All the things mentioned in 1:29-31..That is a picture of the

race as a whole. But each one of us is guilty of some of the

things there mentioned.     ”

The Day when God shall Judge the Secrets of Men, 2:16. In

That Day, the test will be, not race, not whether one is a Jew

or a Gentile, but the Inner Nature of the Heart and its attitude

toward the Practices of Life.

                         

&&&

&&&

Romans Chapter 1 New International Version (NIV)

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a] was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[d] that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[f]

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Footnotes:

Romans 1:3 Or who according to the flesh

Romans 1:4 Or was declared with power to be the Son of God

Romans 1:5 Or that is

Romans 1:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 7:1, 4; 8:12, 29; 10:1; 11:25; 12:1; 15:14, 30; 16:14, 17.

Romans 1:17 Or is from faith to faith

Romans 1:17 Hab. 2:4

&&&

Romans Chapter 2 New International Version (NIV)

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[b]

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

Footnotes:

Romans 2:6 Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12

Romans 2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22

Romans 2:27 Or who, by means of a

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959.  

END

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia