Judgment & Standards
ROMANS: THE ROAD NOW TAKEN • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsSermon 7 in Book of Romans series
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Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.
INTRO: 1.18-32=Gentiles…& now, we turn the page [read ] — 2.1-29=Jews (I’m thinking it might be a both and with those majority emphases in each section)
Judgment Standards...
TRUTH not STATUS ()
After hearing from Paul in , a certain segment of the church family might’ve been tempted to gloat…or even be condescending…or judgmental, because—STATUS. But, again we find Truth to be foundational!
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.
What is NOT being said here is “Don’t judge” or “You can’t judge me,” since Paul has just been asserting a judgment (1.18-32) and is doing so in these verses.
Only one judgment is forbidden us…consigning someone to hell.
psa
Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness. In what way then was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised.
IMPARTIALITY not STATUS ()
Chiastic structure...
The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Romans The Impartiality of Divine Judgment (2:6–11)
A God judges everyone fairly (v. 6).
B Those doing good gain eternal life (v. 7).
C Those following evil gain wrath (v. 8).
C´ There will be trouble for those doing evil (v. 9).
B´ Those doing good gain glory (v. 10).
A´ God does not show favoritism (v. 11).
In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
As with the Gospel (), so it is with judgment ().
OBEDIENCE not STATUS ()
Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.
Paul establishes the context for this section in .
CONCL—
the application=Jews are the established, chosen/preferred or insiders & Gentiles are the ne’er-do-wells or outsiders…today that is our Christian traditionalists and non-acculturated new converts
Like Paul’s point—wanna boast? I can play…but why?
I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little. What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly. Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast. For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps you in the face. I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that! But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death. Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands. Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows—was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak. I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses. For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 cor 11.16-12.
When we say what God has said, we’re on solid ground!
For there is no favoritism with God.