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Romans 3:20 – Good Deeds

Posted on November 17, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:20

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Truth to Learn

No one can do enough good deeds to be saved.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek word dioti, which is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through” or “by” and hoti, which means “that.” Hence, dioti basically means “through that, because of that, or for this reason.”

The word “deeds” is from ergon which means “a product of labor, a work, or a deed.”

The word translated “flesh” is sarx, which literally means “flesh of a living creature.” It is used here to denote all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

“Justified” is from dikaioō, which means “to declare someone righteous” or “to make someone righteous.”

The phrase “in His sight” is translated from enōpion. This is another compound word. It is made up of en, indicating a static position (in, on, over, etc.) and ops (a derivation of optomai – to see) which refers to “sight” or “eyes.” So, literally this word means “in His sight,” though it is often translated “before Him” or “in His presence.”

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignosis, which means more than simply knowing something. It means “to recognize and understand something.”

Meaning Explained

Remember that whenever we see a “wherefore” or a “therefore” we need to see what it’s there for. In the previous verse we learned that the Law was given so that all those who tried to obey the Law would be found guilty before God without excuse. Therefore, that is, in light of this fact, because of this… “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”

What Paul is saying is that justification before God cannot be obtained by obeying any set of rules no matter who made the rules. Why? Because it is through rules (Law) that we recognize sin and sinfulness.

If you recall the account of the temptation of Adam and Eve, up until God gave them the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were without sin. If they had eaten of the tree before they were told not to, they would not have been sinning; but due to the fact that they had been commanded not to, it suddenly became sinful to do so.

What Paul is telling us in these verses is that we cannot become righteous by following any set of rules, whether God-made or man-made. How then can one become righteous before God? Is it impossible? Paul is going to begin telling us in the next two verses.

Application

Just because we can’t be declared righteous through doing good deeds doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do them. We ought to do them out of obedience and gratitude. In other words, we can’t be saved by doing good deeds, but once we are saved, we should do them because we want to, not because we have to.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 3:4 – God is True

Posted on October 19, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:4

Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged.”

Truth to Learn

God is true and always does what is right.

Behind the Words

“Certainly not!” is translated from the two Greek words mē genoito, which literally mean “may it not have come to pass.” I suppose in today’s vernacular we would say, “No way!” This is an expression used often by Paul when he wants to emphatically say “no!”

The words “let … be” are from the Greek verb ginomai, which is a verb of being, roughly meaning “to come into existence” or simply “to be.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating the force of a command. The way we express this in English is to use the word “let.” The phrase “let God be true” does not mean “allow God to be true” but “God is true!” or even “God is truth!”

Meaning Explained

Paul now answers the second rhetorical question that he posed, “So what if some (many) did not believe in Jesus? Does that mean that God is not faithful in saving His special people (the Jews)?” His answer is, “No way!”

He then enforces what he just said by declaring, “God is true, and every man a liar;” Paul follows with a quote from Psalms.

This Psalm was written in response to God’s judgment David received through Nathan the prophet. David had lusted after Bathsheba, the wife of a man in his army and had committed adultery with her. When David discovered that she was pregnant, he had her husband placed in the most dangerous part of the battle where he was killed. Afterward, David took Bathsheba as his wife.

In his own heart David did not see anything wrong with this. But God did not allow David’s sin to go unnoticed. He sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. In response, David humbled himself before God. He recognized that God is righteous and truthful and he (David) is a liar and a sinner.

Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your sight; that You might be justified when You speak, and be clear when You judge. (Psalms 51:4)

Just like Paul in the current passage, David did not dare call into question God’s truthfulness or His righteousness. Paul’s point is that God is righteous and He always does what is right and true. Therefore, if some of the Jews who had been entrusted with the Holy Writings did not believe and were ultimately judged and condemned by God, then that was the true and righteous thing to do. No one can blame God if He condemns those who do not believe because He is righteous!

There are some who ask, “How can God extend His grace to some and send others to Hell? That’s just not right.” According to Paul, it is right because God always does what is right.

Application

Oh, that we all would recognize the righteousness of our Holy God and the utter wretchedness of our own sins.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 2:12 – With or Without the Law

Posted on September 20, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:12

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law

Truth to Learn

We have all sinned and are unrighteous, deserving of God’s condemnation.

Behind the Words

The expression “without law” is from the Greek word anomōs, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, implying negation and a form of nomos, meaning “law.” Although it can refer to any law in general, in the Biblical text it is almost always a reference to God’s revealed law as contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets.

“Perish” is translated from the Greek word apolountai, which is made up of apo meaning “away from” or “completely” and a form of ollumi, meaning “to destroy.” Hence, “utterly perish” would be a good translation of this word.

Meaning Explained

Paul is now giving further explanation to what he said in the previous verse (Romans 2:11,) the fact that God is not a respecter of persons. And, we saw that verse 11 was an explanation of the repeated phrase, “to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” God will not take into account who our parents or other ancestors are when He judges us. All He will be concerned about is whether we are righteous or not. Also, keep in mind what Paul will tell us later in Romans:

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)

Righteousness, in God’s view, is the characteristic of always doing what is right. Since we don’t always do what is right, we are unrighteous, whether we are Jewish or Gentile. As Paul is talking to the Jewish Christians in Rome, he is telling them that those who have sinned without law will perish without law (because they are unrighteous). He is saying that those who do not have the Law as laid out in the Old Testament will perish (into the lake of fire) without the law.

At this point the Jewish believers are likely to get a bit prideful knowing that they do, indeed, have the Law. So Paul drops the other shoe. He tells them that those who have the Law and transgress the Law will be judged through the precepts laid out in the Law. Since there is only one who satisfied all the Law (Jesus Christ, the righteous one), Paul is telling these Jews that they are just as condemned (and unrighteous) as the Gentiles who commit sin apart from the Law.

This particular treatise of Paul’s is going to show that obeying rules and statutes is impossible for sinful man to do whether he is a Jew or a Gentile. He will, in fact, eventually demonstrate to these Roman Christians that all of us are sinners and worthy of death apart from the grace of God. In other words, if God does not get involved in our lives and save us through His grace, we will all justly be sentenced to the lake of fire.

Application

Deep down inside we all know that we are unrighteous in and of ourselves. Thanks be to God that He declares us righteous when we believe the good news about His Son.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 2:3 – The Universal Judge

Posted on September 6, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:3

And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Truth to Learn

God will judge us all.

Behind the Words

The word “practicing” is from prassō. As we learned a few verses back this means, “to perform an action continually, repeatedly, or habitually.” It is expressed here as a present participle indicating current, on-going action.

“Doing” is translated from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make or do.” It is different from prassō in that it implies an occasional action rather than a habitual one. This word, however, is also expressed as a present participle indicating a current, ongoing condition. Hence, it refers to ongoing occasional action.

Meaning Explained

Paul is talking about the tendency for the Roman Christians to be judgmental of the pagan Romans who constantly engage in sinful practices while these mostly Jewish Christians are guilty of committing many of these same sins. He is warning them that God will judge sin and sinfulness no matter whether it is an occasional sin or a habitual sin. To God, sin is sin!

Paul is teaching these Roman Christians (and us as well) about another condition of the human mind. He just showed us that finger pointing is self-condemning because we tend to see in others what we do ourselves. But also, we all have a tendency to excuse our own actions. After all, we know why we do these things, and we can easily excuse them in our own minds. Besides, we don’t do these things very often, and yet we see others doing these things over and over again.

Let’s not miss the point here. It would be easy to read this passage and say, “We shouldn’t care how others live and we certainly shouldn’t be judgmental.” But that’s not what Paul is saying. He’s saying that before we condemn others for their sinful actions, we need to look inwardly and deal with our own sin. Clearly the sin of harlotry is one which is easily condemnable, but when Jesus was confronted by those who wanted to stone a woman (the legal penalty) caught committing this sin, He responded:

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. (John 8:7b)

In other words, our tendency to judge others does not absolve us from guilt and the consequences of our own sin; in fact, it increases our own condemnation.

Paul is going to teach these Christians that it is not important to prove who you are descended from; rather, it is important to demonstrate who has adopted you. That is to say, faith, not heredity nor legal obedience, is the key to salvation and a fulfilled Christian walk with God. We do not, nor did we ever, earn this salvation, either by action or inheritance. It is a gift that flows from the kindness of God. That’s what makes it so precious!

Application

The next time you see someone acting in a way that you know is wrong, remember that God is the Judge of all mankind, and He will execute His judgment according to truth, not according to appearance.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 2:4 – Held For Judgment

Posted on May 7, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:4

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;

Truth to Learn

False teachers, like the angels who sinned, will be judged!

Behind the Words

The word “if” indicates a conditional clause. In Greek there are three (some say four) classes of conditional clauses in Greek. This one is a first class condition. A first class conditional sentence assumes that the premise (protasis) is true for the sake of argument. For this reason, some have proposed that the “if” can be translated as “since.” Whereas this is not always true, , in this case it does give us a better sense of what the Greek is saying.

“Sent them to hell” is translated from the verb tartaroō. This is based on the noun Tartaros, the name of “the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where the gods were punished.”

Meaning Explained

Peter told us in the previous verse that the judgment of false teachers and their destruction will come. He told the early Christians this because, like today, these false teachers seemed to be prospering in spite of their selfish tactics. He now goes on to give us several examples of judgment that have already been performed upon those who thought they were getting away with their rebellion. The first of these examples is in today’s verse, the angels that sinned.

We don’t know exactly what their sin was, although Jude 6 implies that these angels left their original dwelling place and went somewhere they were not supposed to go. Some believe that this is a reference to the angels having come down to earth to cohabitate with human women, but that is really only speculation. What we do know is that they exceeded the bounds that God had set for them and they were punished.

Peter tells us that the angels are incarcerated in Tartarus in chains of darkness (gloomy dungeons) awaiting their judgment. And, by combining this verse with the end of this sentence (in verse nine), we see that Peter is saying, “If God did not spare angels when they sinned … then the Lord knows how to … hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” His point is that judgment will certainly come to these spirit beings just as judgment will come to the false teachers who are selling snake oil to the people.

Since angels are each a separate creation, there can be no substitutionary payment for their sins. We, on the other hand, being procreated beings can, and do, have someone else who paid for our sins. That someone is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who paid with His blood. The Bible tells us that if we do not accept this fact, then we too will be cast into Hell (Hades) to await the Great White Throne judgment where all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity.

Application

What future awaits you? The choice is yours: either the pain and suffering of Hades and the Lake of Fire, or as Peter talked about in the previous chapter:

a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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