Romans Series 5

Josh Owens

Clear Springs Baptist Church

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented 2 months ago

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The Tragedy Of Hypocrisy

Text: Romans 2:17-29

Introduction

Illustration: The story is told about the father of a vacationing family who came across a large sign that read, “Road Closed. Do Not Enter.” The man proceeded around the sign because he was confident it would save them time. His wife was resistant to the adventure, but there was no turning back for this persistent road warrior. After a few miles of successful navigation, he began to boast about his gift of discernment. His proud smile was quickly replaced with humble sweat when the road led to a washed-out bridge. He turned the car around and retraced his tracks to the main road.

While Paul was preaching about the right road to being justified before God, His Jewish brothers where going down the wrong road of which they needed to abandon and get on the right one.

The Jews had three areas of confidence:

The covenant

The law

Circumcision

Hypocrisy of the Jewish Instructors

Paul creates a dialogue with a “hypothetical” Jewish instructor.

VERSE 17

“You call yourself a Jew” (v17)

This name suggested a special status.

Belonging to the people of Israel.

“You rely on the law”

Your confidence is in you possessing the law.

“You boast in God”

This only becomes wrong when the motive is pride in effort to make you appear superior over everyone else.

It becomes more about you than God

VERSE 18

“You say you know God’s will”

The Jews had the amazing privilege of writing and copying God’s Word.

“You appprove the things that are superior”

They were able to apply the law.

Making moral judgments.

“You are instructed from the law”

This is how they knew God’s will.

For them, this began when they were children being taught in the synagogues.

VERSE 19-20

With great privilege comes great responsibility.

Illustration: The New Testament speaks to the older Christian discipling the younger.

Illustration: Are we who are parents or older members within a family held at a higher responsibility to pass on what we have learned?

“guide to the blind”

Because of the privilege, they had the responsibility to guide those who were in darkness, instruct the ignorant and teach the immature.

Isaiah 42:6 “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, And will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, And give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;”

Isaiah 49:6 “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, That thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”

Question: What is the Torah?

Ans — (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible) Torah. Word translated “law” in the OT, derived from the Hebrew verbal root, yarah, which means “to throw” or “to shoot.” The idea behind the word is to inform, instruct, direct, or guide. In Jewish tradition it is most frequently used to designate the text of the first five books of the Bible, also called the Pentateuch. Quite properly, however, the word has a wider meaning, acknowledged by OT usage, which embraces all directive from God.

They were to show the world who God was like!

Without the right “heart” the great privilege would never be connected to God’s intent for them.

Their privileges needs to be connected to saving faith.

VERSES 21-22

Paul is not saying that every Jew is committing these particular sins.

Paul is giving some colorful examples of what is generally true about all Jews being guilty before God.

The law that was written upon their heart was not exercised in their exterior life.

Paul brings up the shameful impact of hypocrisy

VERSES 23-24

Notice how Paul says they dishonor God…

(3rd Edition Lexicon of the N.T.) To deprive someone of honor or respect, to dishonor/shame, an especially grievous offense in the strongly honor-shame oriented Semitic and Gr-Rom. societies

Reference: Mark 12:1-12

Dishonoring God was always what led to their moments of captivity in the Old Testament period.

Question: What does it mean to honor God? A faith driven obedienc.

Paul instructs them on their need of inward transformation

VERSES 25-29

What was the purpose of external circumcision?

Genesis 17:9–14 “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”

It was by no means a lucky charm for the Jew.

It did not provide protection from God’s wrath.

The whole point of circumcision was to point to a needed inward change.

Galatians 6:15 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”

This was not a new concept to the Jew — Deuteronomy 10:16 “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”

Outward circumcision for them is sort of like baptism is for the believer today. It is of no use without a true inward transformation through faith in Jesus.

They were only focused on being a Jew ethnically, not spiritually.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

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