01.7.1. Gods Just Judgment On Depraved Jews Gentiles
Chapter 7i - GOD’S JUST JUDGMENT ON DEPRAVED JEWS AND GENTILES - Romans 3:1-18
Beginning with Romans 3:1-31, Paul asked two questions but discussed one of them: “What then is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the profit of the circumcision? Much in every way. For in the first place because they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2 -translation). God has given us His written revelation through the Jews, for which we shall be eternally grateful. The incarnate Word is the Christian’s power. The written word is the believer’s authority. To question Scripture as being God’s word is a denial of authority. The incarnate Word has declared the Father in His word (John 1:18). He told the mind of God. The incarnate Word declared the power of God in His works, the love of God in His compassion, the grace of God in His actions, the holiness of God in His character, the righteousness of God in His death, and the energy of God in His resurrection. The altitude of Scripture shows its Divine origin. Who can scale the heights of this mountain? The blessings show its Divine bounty. Its claims speak of Divine authority. Its diction declares its Divine Speaker. Its freshness tells out its Divine Author. Its order speaks of a Divine plan. Its questions speak of the Divine Convictor. Its wisdom displays the Divine Teacher.
Every time the expression “it is written” is found, it is perfect active indicative of grapho, signifying that it stands permanently written. Pertaining to sin, it stands permanently written that none is righteous (Romans 3:10). Pertaining to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it stands permanently written that He came to do the Father’s will (Hebrews 10:7). Pertaining to salvation, it stands permanently written that those bringing the gospel of peace are blessed (Romans 10:15). Pertaining to sanctification, it stands permanently written that Christians should be holy (1 Peter 1:16). Pertaining to judgment, it stands permanently written that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (1 Corinthians 1:19). The attitude of both the Jews and the believers toward the word of God should be to view it with meekness (James 1:21), let it dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16), keep it tenaciously by guarding it with our lives (John 17:6), continue in it untiringly (John 8:31), live it out faithfully (2 Corinthians 3:2-3), hold it forth boldly (Php 2:16), and meditate on it prayerfully (Psalms 1:2). What advantage the Jews had in the word of God having been committed to them!