Jul3-9: Jew and Gentile

Teaching Points

1. How does Paul describe the Jews in Chapter 2? 

ANSWER:

• Rom. 2:17-24—Paul describes them as knowing God’s law and truth, teaching it and professing to follow it; but their actions show that they do not follow God’s commands. Thus they blaspheme God’s name because they are misrepresenting God’s character or name.
• Rom. 2:1-10—judging others but needing to judge themselves. 

2. What is the focal point of Chapter 2?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 2:26-29—Those who obey from the heart are the true “Jews” even if they are Gentiles by birth.
• Rom. 2:11—There is no respect of persons with God. 

3. Why does Paul ask, “Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness…?”

ANSWER:

• Rom. 2:5—They were hardened and impenitent.

4. Why does Paul say, “the name of God is blasphemed through you?”

ANSWER:

• Rom. 2:23—They boasted one thing and did another (professed to be Christians were not Christ-like). 

5. What is it that makes us inexcusable?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 2:1—judging others and condemning ourselves because we are doing the very things we judge them for. 

OBSERVATION:

• Paul describes the Jews as hypocrites because they claim to keep God’s laws yet they break them—claiming to be God’s people by living like they are serving Satan.
• Those who truly obey God from the heart are God’s true people.  Profession or birth makes no difference.
• The Jews were dispising God’s goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering by hardening their hearts and not repenting for sin.
• The Jews were blaspheming God’s name by boasting one thing and doing another—hypocrites.
• They were inexcusable because they were judging and condemning others but doing the very same things.

6. What advantage do Jews have over Gentiles?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:1, 2—They were entrusted with God’s oracles (words).

7. Does this advantage make Jews better than Gentiles?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:9—No: all are under sin—all have sinned (3:23).

OBSERVATION:

• The Jews did have an advantage over the Gentiles because they had God’s word.
• This advantage did not make them any better than the Gentiles because all are sinners in need of salvation.

SOP

• … From Paul's day to the present time, God by His Holy Spirit has been calling after the Jew as well as the Gentile. "There is no respect of persons with God," declared Paul. The apostle regarded himself as "debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians," as well as to the Jews; but he never lost sight of the decided advantages possessed by the Jews over others, "chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." "The gospel," he declared, "is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." It is of this gospel of Christ, equally efficacious for Jew and Gentile, that Paul in his epistle to the Romans declared he was not ashamed.  {Acts of the Apostles 380.1} 
• The Gentile world was represented by the leafless, fruitless fig trees. The Gentiles were destitute, as were the Jews, of godliness, but they had not claimed to be in favor with God. They made no boast of exalted spirituality. They were blind in every sense to the ways and works of God, With them the time for figs was not yet. They were still looking forward to a day which would bring them light and hope.  {Signs of the Times, February 15, 1899 par. 8} 
• The Jews as a nation had laid claim to righteousness above every other people, while they stood out in proud defiance of God. As a people they were self-confident, exalted, selfish, and boastful. The barren tree was a fit representation of them. Ambition, and erroneous views in regard to Christ's advent, had deceived the Jewish nation, and when Christ came as the meek and lowly One, they would not receive Him. Israel had perverted the Scriptures, and had taught for doctrine the commandments of men. They made void the law of God through their traditions. That law which they claimed to observe so strictly, they made a yoke of bondage. Satan had put his leaven into the most precious, everlasting truth, to make of none effect God's sacred institution.  {Signs of the Times, February 15, 1899 par. 9} 

CONCLUSION:

• Paul shows that the Jew are hypocrites and are thus blaspheming God and inexcusable because they claim to know and do the truth but they do the same things they judge the Gentiles for and break God’s law.
• Paul Shows that the Jews are despising God’s goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering by their unrepentant, hardened hearts.
• He clearly shows that the Jews do have an advantage in that they know God’s words but they are not better than the Gentiles because both have sinned and need righteousness by faith.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Are you judging others and doing the same things you condemn them for?
• Are you blaspheming God’s name because you profess to be Christians and are not Christ-like?
• Do you have knowledge of truth and yet are rebelling against God?
• Are you realizing that you as an Adventist have an advantage over others that you are held accountable for and that this does not make you any better than others?
• Are you sharing this knowledge of truth with others so that they also have an advantage and more opportunity for salvation?