JUNE 16 READING…ROMANS 2
Paul begins this portion of this epistle referencing the Jews who because of their Jewish heritage believe that were better than the Gentiles. They would look down on the Gentiles and judge them, their salvation, and their standing with God. Paul told them that their judgment brought condemnation on themselves, why? Because, their judgments were not inline with the Gospel…in other words a judgment not according to God’s eternal truth for all people. Paul said their hearts were hard…and they despise the riches of God’s goodness. This speaks to those even today who falsely teach that the Jewish people have a different way to salvation than do the Gentiles. It also refutes those in today’s churches that require people to return to the Old Testament requirements given to the Jewish nations in order to either be saved, or be right with God.
Paul made it plain that being Jewish did not mean a person was right with God…that the Jews were just as guilty before God as were the Gentiles. The Jews who boast in the law…are the very ones who break the law. Those in today’s church teaching that Christians must keep the Old Testament in order to be right with God, are the descendants of first century false teachers in the church. Though they boast of keeping the law, that very law shows they are guilty of breaking the law. Paul makes it clear the physical circumcision does nothing for someone who cannot keep the law perfectly…which is all of us. Paul tells us that the true circumcision of God is not that of the flesh…but that which is of the heart.
Please share your thoughts on today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READING…ROMANS 3