[Romans Study 7-1]
The True Jew And True Circumcision [Romans 2:17-3:8]
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to 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 infants, 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 brag about 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.”
The Jew’s Sin: Our Sin and My Sin
One key to make this Bible study a success is to accept that it designed for me. The Jews in Paul’s letter may be viewed as the Christians of today who know the Word of God, or the ones who have followed along with the Bible study so far and are attracted to knowing more of His truth. Whenever we are taught the Bible we should accept what is taught as something as given for us, and ultimately, for me. As pointed out in the introduction of this study, all stories in the Bible should not be regarded as stories that once happened to somebody a long time ago, but in humility I should open my heart and let the Holy Spirit work within me so that the story of back there and then will be linked to my story of here and now. Only then will the power of the Word be manifested in my life.
Therefore, Paul is now speaking to us, and more importantly, to me.
Do I Steal? A True Meaning Of Tithes
When you consider you superior to others, therefore, teachers of others, because you know the Bible, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? Paul reminds us of God’s word spoken through Malachi: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” (Malachi 3:8) God says that not rendering tithes and offerings is stealing. Tithe means giving God a tenth of all things on Earth. For Gentiles, stealing means only when you take away from others. For Christians, stealing occurs in the withholding of tithes and offerings.
What is the biblical meaning of tithe? Tithe is a beautiful confession of faith that I have gained fruit because of God’s grace and help. The Psalmist said that “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) No matter how hard a farmer may try to plow the field and fertilize, and no matter how perfect the timing of his sowing is, if God does not give the sunlight and rain, he may harvest no fruit. Fruit we reap from any work is because God enables and supports it, not because of our efforts only. Though invisible, we should acknowledge and give thanks to God who works for us. Though we should give all things back to Him, we give a tenth of what we earn as a token of gratitude with praises. Furthermore, we should not only give our materials but also our lives and time holy and distinguished, not stealing from Him. Paul is sharply pointing out this sin of not acknowledging God as the center of our lives.
Do I Commit Adultery? Be Careful With The Eye And The Hand
“You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?” Paul now moves on to the sin of adultery As Jesus taught, adultery is not just something external but internal. “’You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’” (Matthew 5:27-28) Jesus penetrates into the secretive sin inside man’s heart. Sin committed outside the body isn’t only sin but sin inside the heart is actually the origin of that outer sin and is something that God looks at as well. Lust in the heart is indeed the sin of adultery.
Today there are many problems related to adultery. Even if the body is not defiled, the eye is contaminated. Jesus gave us precise warnings of the passageway of sin which starts from eye and leads to hand: “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30) We lose our heart when our eye is lost to ungodly things. Eyes are the window of heart. We ought to be careful not to lose our eyes as a first defense against sin
The sin of adultery is related to love. Paul does not overlook sexual sin in this Epistle because it is a matter of love. The foundation of all things is love. Where does a life come from? It comes from love. However, love is clearly double-sided. It can be the most beautiful thing and yet the most filthy as well. Clean love will give birth to a clean life. Filthy love will give birth a filthy life. The sin of love is the greatest sin because it is directly related to life. We ought to keep our eyes and hands clean to protect our heart and remain pure in our love towards God.
Republished with permission from Dr. Christy Tran, the author of “The Epistle to the Romans: Paul’s Love Letter from God.”