In the previous post, we saw that Paul described how the Jewish leaders viewed themselves, and, previously being one of them, he was spot on in his description. Paul touched on the fact that these leaders knew the law very well, they relied on it. They considered themselves lights in a world of Gentile sinners, they considered themselves influential teachers, guides, and instructors of this law.
Now, in these verses that follow, Paul explains to them that no matter how much we try to convince ourselves that we are able to satisfy God's commands, even the most righteous people fall tragically and horribly short.
you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself
Paul starts by calling them out on the fact that, while boasting in their knowledge of the law, they completely missed what the purpose of the law was. Instead of relying on the law to reveal to them their sinfulness, they used the law as a way to lift themselves up - as a means of salvation.
While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
While some of those being addressed may have actually been thieves behind closed doors, I believe this accusation goes much deeper and addresses the heart. As Christians, we recognize that we are not to steal, and it's fairly easy for most of us to go into a place and not take something without paying for it. However -
Do we steal from God? Do we rob Him of our time? Do we rob Him of our finances, our tithe? Do we rob Him of His glory by trampling His amazing grace?
When we realize that our sinfulness is much deeper than just simple actions, we begin to see that the law addresses things that are much harder to control. Most people can go into a place and not steal, without the power of the Holy Spirit to help them. It is impossible, however, to even begin to address the deep effects of our sin nature without God working, revealing, and empowering us.
You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery
Again, it's fairly easy for most Christians to not commit adultery (although this number sadly seems to be decreasing). When we look at this command from God's perspective, though, we see that adultery is much deeper than relations outside of our earthly marriage. Jesus addressed adultery in Matthew 5:28:
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
We can see here that Jesus was explaining how adultery is even the lustful thoughts of another woman is adultery within the heart in God's eyes. Now, when we apply this to our walk with God, the law begins to reveal a very real issue -
Do we commit adultery on God with things of this world? Do we put things before Him? Do we allow other things to occupy our minds, to guide our decisions? Do we worship earthly or material things (by allowing them to take priority over Him?)
While adultery from an earthly perspective is serious, and can lead to devastating consequences, adultery in our walk with God is much more serious, and much deeper than we can imagine. The Jewish leaders were committing adultery with the law, placing it above their reliance on God. We need to make sure that God is our one and only top priority, in our hearts, minds, and actions.
You who abhor idols, do you rob temples
I'm not sure how this plays out in our lives today, but I read a commentary that explained this may have been referring to some of the Jews in Paul's day who actually were robbing pagan temples and selling off the idols and vessels for personal gain - which was in opposition to God's command in Deuteronomy.
I would appreciate any added insight on Paul's point here!
You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.
After laying out a few ways that Jewish leaders were missing the point of the law, Paul hits them with this very serious accusation. Their very confidence in the law, their reliance on the law to improve their standing with God was a dishonor to Him because they transgressed the law in many ways without even recognizing it.
Not recognizing our sinfulness is a very sad place to be, yet none of us really grasps how perfect God is and how sinful we are in light of His holiness. Therefore, it is crucial that we plead with God to reveal to us the depths and true purpose of His law, and as a result reveal to us our transgressions. He will give us the strength to deal with these things as He reveals them, and will lead us to a closer walk with Him!
The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you
Paul quotes Isaiah 52:5 here. In the Old Testament context, the foreign rulers despised God while His people, the people of Israel, where in bondage. In Romans, Paul explains that by ignoring the commands of God in their own lives while preaching them to others, the Jews were full of hypocrisy. This hypocrisy was blasphemy to God, and sadly these Jews were in opposition to God just as the foreign rulers of the Old Testament were.
Can you imagine how this was taken by the Jewish leaders that would have heard it? In the past verses, back to verse 17, Paul took everything they stood for and described it as a false belief system. This was a very bold and serious accusation, which shows the seriousness of their situation. Paul loved them, and desperately wanted them to see the error of their ways.
We must, in pure love, confront any false teaching and those who hold to it or preach it. We must do this for the good of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for the good of our personal relationship with God, but by far most importantly for God's glory.
I look forward to any added insight on these or any verses!
Next post:1.26.13
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