Thursday 08 March 2012
- Bible Book:
- Romans
"All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged under the law." (v. 12)
Background
In the first part of the letter to the Romans, the writer Paulkept the focus primarily on non-Jews. In the passage today hedramatically shifts the focus. It is almost as if he has beengetting his Jewish Christian readers on side, only to turn thetables on them.
The term "sinned" is used for the first time in the letter, and thereaders would have understood this, in the light of the Jewishexperience and scriptures, as acting against God's will. At thesame time the concept of "the law" is introduced. This is ashorthand term for the rules for living given to the Jewish peopleby God, and contained within the Torah (the first five books of theBible). Those who are "apart from the law" are non-Jews; those whoare "under the law" are the Jews.
Paul argues that just to be a 'hearer of the law' (v. 13), in otherwords being Jewish, did not put them in any better position withGod than non-Jews. To be justified is a legal term meaningacquittal; in this context it is to be judged as blameless for anywrongdoing by God. He speaks out against a hypocritical view of theworld where people set themselves up as knowing best and yet do notpractise what they preach. Any outward show of religion must besubstantiated with a life that is changed. Otherwise theconsequence is much worse than no religion at all. Interestingly inverses 21-23 Paul chooses sins that are blatant, ones which any Jewcould be expected to keep. Perhaps in this he is echoing thestandard that Jesus sets in
The quote in verse 24 is from
To Ponder
Can you identify any areas of your life where youare hypocritical? How could you change this and make your heartlife and outward life match?
What actions of yours cause God to be blasphemed?And, again, how might you change this?