The And The Mosaic Law

The Jews viewed the Gentiles as inferior and hopeless in any redeeming qualities. The Jews, seeing themselves as privileged in God’s sight, were unwilling to hear that Paul was preaching to the Jews and Gentiles alike (Romans 1:16-17). Today, racial profiling and bigotry exist to an even greater degree. Each culture, has the belief that their version of the law is correct, so everyone else should align with them. People are separated by cultural differences and are willing to fight for their beliefs. God sent Paul to tell the Gentiles that the good news applied to them also in Romans 1:3-7. Just as the issues in Paul’s day influenced the people then, today’s society is influenced by television, Hollywood, and social media. Man has idols whose culture may or may not be based in the one true God. Godly culture is pushed farther and farther away in lieu of a “me “centered culture. Reality is that sin is sin (Romans 2:12-14).

We can clearly see the culture of that time had completely turned from God even though they knew God. They rejected Him and lived life on their own terms and by their own rules. This is the mindset of our culture today. The early church culture also dealt with a lot of legalism. Some believe to be a Christian one must obey the laws of Moses, which I believe is in error. Our justification is in Christ and not the law. After the cross, the two nations of Jews and Gentiles are now one in Christ. The new covenant is to both the Jews and the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11-22). There is much division in our world because of different worldviews and how one believes. In Romans, Paul teaches us our sanctification and justification is in Christ alone. The mercy and grace of God has been extended to all mankind regardless of race, creed, color or culture. We have a responsibility to share the love of God with all cultures to bring them to a saving knowledge of God’s grace through Christ.

In verse 15, Paul writes, "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners" Paul seems to be telling his gentile reader that the Torah has no bearing on their salvation. I feel that he purposely or inadvertently gives the law merit more merit than intended by suggesting that Jews are not sinners because they received the law. He draws a distinction between himself and "the gentile sinners" yet he is telling his audience that the ways, some of which are still a part of his own way of life, are irrelevant. He seems to almost make a separation of culture and religion. He seems to be saying that the rectitude of the Jews dates from birth, because the Jewish religion is a part of their culture. Peter claims to

Romans 2:14-15, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse

In Romans 3:28-30, Paul explains that people are saved by faith, not by the law. During that time period, it was a big adjustment for Jewish culture that the law was not the main focus anymore. Many Jews were still so focused on the law that it took away from their opportunity to witness to the Gentile cultures around them. Most Jews at this time had beliefs about the gentiles that they were not worthy to be justified, because of their life styles and ideas. The New Testament addresses this and points to the fact that Jesus died for the World and all its cultures.

In essence we are totally indigent within ourselves. As humans we have things wrong with us that we cannot fix on our own, we need Jesus to justify, sanctify, and to glorify us. Paul proclaims that knowledge of the law brings wrath, the Gentiles conversely didn’t have the law. The Jews by Paul’s teaching are under a stronger condemnation because they had the law all along (Romans 4:15). Essentially, the Jews are held to a higher standard than the gentiles. No matter if we are Jew or Gentile, we are all condemned by God the same but held to different standards. Romans 3:20, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” God and sin cannot be together. Rome in Paul’s day and our world today are truthfully no different. We are all sinners and the only way we can be justified is by His grace through the redemption of Jesus (Romans

Paul became an advocate for the inclusion of the Gentiles among the ‘true’ followers of Christianity. Until this moment in history, Jewish Christians believed that non-Jews had to convert to Judaism and follow the law like them, which included many dietary restrictions and circumcision. Gentiles who worship in the synagogue but did not convert were only

The church in Rome, once so prone to lose sight of their high calling in Christ, had developed strength of Christ character. Their words and acts revealed the transforming power of the grace of God. With clearness and power Paul presents the doctrine of justification by Faith in Christ alone. Paul heart’s desire and prayer for his people the Jews were that they might be saved he now sets forth the great principle of the gospel that salvation is only through faith in Christ as Jesus says “if you love me keep my commandments”. Therefore it is not by works that we are saved nor by relations or titles nor anything but only through Christ who is the “Way the Truth and the Life”.

In the Greek, this word is anarthrous and is thus possibly an intentional grouping of specific Gentiles but not necessarily Christian Gentiles. Augustine, Luther, Konig, Jewett, and Cranfield all held that Paul was referring Gentile Christians in this verse. Moo, Dunn, Fitzmyer, and Schreiner among others see simply the Gentiles as the referent. What difference in the interpretation of the passage is made in the distinction between Gentiles and Gentiles Christians? Ultimately, determining who Paul is referring to here is not of upmost importance and does not change the fact that God judges all. Interestingly, Achtemeier does not focus on his view of the identity of the referent but instead looks at fuvsei and its impact on the interpretation of the text. Typically, the text is punctuated likewise, “When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires…” Achtemeier as well as Konig, hold the passage to punctuated in this way, “When Gentiles, who do not possess the law instinctively, do what the law requires…” A question concerning the typical translation arises as to whether a Gentile can ‘instinctively’ or ‘by nature’ do what the law requires. This is where Paul uses novmoV in terms of God’s moral standards instead of strictly referring to the Mosaic law. Concerning this, Moo puts it well, “He (Paul) is not saying that they need no law to guide them but that

Paul explains that no one is righteous (Romans 3:10) and goes on to say that no matter who knows the law, they are all condemned (Romans 2:12). In those days the Jews were higher up than the Gentiles and Paul was trying to let them know that they too were condemned no matter how high up they were believed to be. Today, people do not believe in just doing good deeds, they can achieve entrance into heaven. People have strayed from God and think that they are the ultimate being. Atheists are a prime example. They do not believe that God is in existence. They only believe in things they can see and scientific explanations. Some people today identify themselves as the ultimate being. They do not believe in the creator which is

The Torah was provided so that Israel would know how properly worship and serve God. God wanted to make the nation of Israel completely different than the surrounding nations who worshiped demons. The law shows how” through the moral law, man could see God’s holy character as well as his own sinfulness and the infinite gulf that separates God and man.” Bible org” If they faithfully served God he will

Paul makes one thing loud and clear for everyone to understand, all are sinners and in equal need of God’s free gift of grace and salvation. No one is better than another (Romans 3:9-24). This was a point he belabored so much through his writing so much I believe because this was a source of division and problems in the church in Rome. People tried to claim that one might be better than another, but Paul wanted it to be clear to the Romans that they were to understand all are equal; no one should be treated as less than yourself. This is because each one of them deserved a death that they were saved from undeservedly by Jesus. He also wanted it to be very clear that we are not adequate to be the judge of anyone else for we are guilty of the same things and will be judged by God for them

In Romans 7:7-25 we see Paul’s conviction of the law and learning how to live a sanctified life where he claims that the law is not evil but it is present to show sins existence in our life.

Paul was not fighting against the Law of Moses – he knew the law, and that obeying the commandments would lead to happiness. But he also knew that Christ had come to fulfil the law as messiah, and to reconcile the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). He did not interpose rejection of the law, but was polemical of Jewish Christians excluding Gentiles on grounds such as circumcision. As he was later to say of the event, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

In the reading on Paul’s take on the law it talks about a consistency within his view of the law being that no one, Jew or Gentile, can live up to the law, only Jesus can. We would never be able to live up to the law even without the traditional “eating of the fruit” fall of man, somehow we would have messed it up and needed a savior, that savior being found in Jesus.