Keeping the Law Romans 2 Presented at the Lighthouse by Garrett O’Hara on 24 January 2014. http://cadencelighthouse.org/ "Always preach in such a way that if the people listening do not come to hate their sin, they will instead hate you." ! ~ Martin Luther This is my first “sermon” as an adult, if you will, so I hope you come away from this thinking the former. LAW Maintains civil order / restrains sin ! Confronts sin; points us to Christ ! Teaches way of righteousness One of the most important points I’ve learned as of late is the distinction between law and gospel. Note that this isn’t OT versus NT. It’s also not just the Pentateuch. In fact, Paul uses the term ‘law’ in various contexts here, but I !want to examine what law means here. !Law does three things, and note that the Reformed and Lutheran versions of this may vary slightly. I’m really giving you the simple version here. Law [read the slide]. When we understand #2, the confrontation of sin and being pointed to Christ, two things happen. One, our faith inevitably produces good works. “I will show you my faith BY my works!” That’s the way of righteousness part. The other thing that happens is we begin to understand more and more how much we need Christ, because the way of righteousness is pretty darn hard, and no man will be justified by the law. In this period of redemptive history, I opine that we will always be bouncing between #2 and #3. This is important because law is distinct from Gospel, and bad theology happens when we confuse the two. Romans 1:18–20 (ESV) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the 19 truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because 20 God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (vv. 21-32) — the sins of Gentiles Therefore… ἀναπολόγητος without apology/defense cf. Romans 1:20 Paul shifts subject from Pagan Gentiles to moralists / Jews. you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. These are singular, not plural. The list of sins in vv. 28-32. So, let’s look at our context. Look in your bibles at Romans 1 starting in verse 16, and you’ll see that Paul mentions the gospel, the good news. The gospel comes in response to what starts in verse 18. [quote] In verses 20-32, which we won’t read in full, Paul goes on to list all kinds of the Gentiles’ sins. The height of this seems to come in verses 29 through 31. “They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless.” Now this letter from Paul, written to the Romans, was intended to be read publicly. Imagine that you’re there at the first public reading of this letter to the Roman church. You hear this list of sins that “they” commit. What’s your first reaction? What’s the reaction of those around you? You could probably imagine that many people are thinking “Yeah! Those Gentiles are such bad sinners!” You might even imagine yourself being among such a crowd. But Paul has bad news for the scoffers here. [Read bottom portion] Note that Paul is speaking in a literary tone called diatribe. It doesn’t necessarily mean rant, but it does mean that Paul in a dialogue with a theoretical opponent, in other words, every individual one of the moralists who began scoffing and judging towards Gentiles as the end of chapter 1 was being read in public. You might recall that quite often in the NT when you see the English word “you,” that might actually indicate the second person plural, which in the American south is more appropriately “y’all.” Not here. Paul speaks singularly. These same things, the list at the end of chapter 1, are the things that the scoffers are doing. Recall Jesus’ standard of OT interpretation. Merely lusting at a fully-clothed woman is adultery. Hating your brother is murder. The very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you Not an opposite marker, rather exposing ridiculousness. will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches ἀγνοέω — same word from which we get agnostic of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of same roots in Greek, but opposites your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Remember that stuff about judging earlier? Similar word. [read verse 2] “Those” here is an impartial term, Jews and Gentiles. And then we see a hypothetical question arises with verse 3. [read verse 3] Then we see this word “or” here. It’s not a choice of answers that Paul is offering, but rather he’s stating the ridiculous conclusion at which one would have to arrive if this scoffer continues to hold this position. [read verse 4] Apparently God isn’t just fluffy bunny slippers in fields of bright, spring flowers. But note that !it’s not just ἀγνοέω, not knowing, that’s blamed here. [read verse 5] Note the contrast here between the scoffer’s judgment and God’s judgment. God’s judgment is righteous. The judge against whom Paul gives his diatribe is not. !Take note also of who is writing this letter. We’ll keep on coming back to this, but he did write to Timothy these words: 1 Timothy 1:12–15 (NET) — 12 I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus.15 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them! My favorite biblical literary device ! cf. Job 34:11; Ps 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Jer 17:10; 32:19; Mt 16:27; 1 Cor 3:8; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 2:23; 20:12; 22:12 6He will render to each one according to his works: 7to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; alt. “those who act from selfish ambition” 8but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, See Romans 1:16! 10but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11For God shows no partiality. What is my biblical favorite literary device? Chiasm, of course! Chi is basically the Greek letter X, so if you imagine the indentation here as the left half of the letter X, you should be able to recognize it. Lines 1 and 6 correspond, !lines 2 and 5 correspond, and lines 3 and 4 correspond. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as !it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.” Job 34:11 For he repays a person for his work, and according to the conduct of a person, ! he causes the consequences to find him. Ps 62:12 and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. ! For you repay men for what they do. Prov 24:12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,” does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? ! Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? Jer 17:10 I, the LORD, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. ! I give them what they deserve based on what they have done. Jer 32:19 You plan great things and you do mighty deeds. You see everything people do. You reward each of them for the way they live and for the things they do. Hearers and doers 12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.