“Paul’s Indictment of the Jews”

(Romans 2)

I. Introduction.
A. Paul began by introducing himself to the Roman Christians.
1. Considered himself foremost a bondservant of Christ.
a. Some glory in their high position.
b. Paul gloried in his humility – a servant.

2. Secondly, he was called by Christ to be an apostle.

B. He wanted to be faithful to this call, so after a brief introduction concerning

himself, he introduced the Gospel he brought: God’s Gospel.
1. The good news promised years before – since the Fall – by the prophets.
2. Concerning God’s Son, born in the line of David, according to promise,
declared by God to be His Son by resurrection.
3. Concerning God’s promised Messiah who came to save His people.
a. Through this Gospel Paul received grace, and those with him.
b. Through this Gospel Paul received apostleship to go to the Gentiles.
c. Through this Gospel the Roman believers had been called – as we saw, both
on the Day of Pentecost, as well as those converted through their testimony.

C. He then directed his letter to the church – to all beloved of God in Rome, called
saints – gave them the apostolic greeting and blessing from God.
1. Paul expressed his thanks for them, because their faith was strong and lively.
2. He expressed his prayer and desire to see them.
3. But most of all he expressed his hunger to complete that which God had called
him to: to preach the Gospel to those in Rome.
a. Paul had not yet come to them.
b. He wrote them this letter to explain the Gospel: that it is the power of God
for salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.

D. But why did they need salvation? To know, they had to see the problem.
1. Paul indicted the Gentiles in 1:18-32. Natural revelation left them without
excuse.
2. Now in chapter two, he focuses primarily on the Jews.
a. They thought they were safe because they had the covenant of God, the Law
and circumcision.
b. These things actually made them more guilty because they didn’t keep it,
showing that they were really uncircumcised in heart.
c. Chapter two focuses primarily on how the Jews fell short.
d. Let me preview the chapter: Paul makes the following charges against them:
(i) First, they were practicing the sins they condemned in others (vv. 1-3).
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(ii) Second, because of their sin, they were storing up wrath in the day of
God’s judgment (4-8).
(iii) Third, they thought God would be partial to them because they were His
covenant people – but He doesn’t show partiality to any (vv. 9-11).
(iv) Fourth, they were merely hearers and not doers of the Law (vv. 12-16).
(v) Fifth, through breaking the Law they gave the Gentiles an excuse to
blaspheme God (vv. 17-24).
(vi) And last, they might have been circumcised in their flesh, but their
hearts were uncircumcised (vv. 25-29).
(vii) They were relying on their covenant relationship with God – their
membership in the church – for their salvation – rather than on Christ.
(viii) Since this is a very real danger for the church in all ages, you can see
how relevant this passage is today.
(ix) We have counterparts: the Law/Word, read, preached, Bible studies,
prayer meetings, baptism.
(x) But unless we have something more, we won’t be any better off. That
something more must be Christ: faith in Him and His righteousness.

e. Romans appears to have been addressed primarily to the Jewish believers.

(i) To Gentile converts as well; it contains God’s plan to save them.
(ii) But most of his comments are addressed toward Jewish belief, how they
were wrong, and the status of the Jews now in the eyes of God.
(iii) Paul uses Jewish misconceptions to make the Gospel clearer.
(iv) But in doing so, he first shows how all men are condemned outside of
Christ, that the blessing of the Gospel might come to them all.

II. Sermon.
A. This morning, we’ll only look at the first point: the Jews were without excuse
because they were practicing the very sins they were condemning in others (vv. 1-
3).
1. Now Paul’s charge in verses 1-16 certainly applies to everyone who is guilty of
these sins – to both Jews and Gentiles.
a. But it appears to have been directed primarily against the Jews, since they
were quick to judge others guilty and themselves innocent.
b. When Paul addresses them directly in verses 17-29, he will charge them with
exactly the same thing.

2. The “therefore” at the beginning appears to transition us from the Gentiles

having no excuse to the Jews not having one either.
a. Perhaps they weren’t giving hearty approval to those who practiced the sins
listed in 1:29-32, but from the charges Jesus made against them –
whitewashed tombs, serpents, brood of vipers (Matt. 23) – they certainly
seemed to be practicing them.
b. The Jews might have joined Paul in condemning the Gentiles for these sins.
c. But he shows them that they are without excuse, because they do the same.
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3. God is just. He will bring everything into judgment in His time – either in this
life and/or in the life to come.
a. It is God’s nature to punish wickedness.
b. He is infinitely holy. He can’t tolerate sin.
c. Ultimately, every sin is against Him.
d. And so Paul asks, “Do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment
upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will
escape the judgment of God” (v. 3)?
e. Of course they won’t. All who do evil will be punished.
f. Pointing out someone else’s sins won’t absolve you. It only makes you
guiltier because you recognize it as sin.
(i) How many times when you’ve asked your child if he did something
wrong, has he pointed the finger at his brother or sister?
(ii) They think the wrong they suffered excuses their wrong.
(iii) Sometimes we think the same: if others are worse than we are, God will
accept us.
(iv) But everyone must stand before God and answer for their sins – not in
comparison to each other, but to God’s Law.
(v) The fact that there are some worse than us doesn’t matter. God doesn’t
grade on a curve. He requires 100% to achieve heaven.
(vi) The Jews didn’t acknowledge this. They had the Law, they had
circumcision, they recognized sin in others, but they acquitted themselves.
(vii) What they didn’t acknowledge was that this only made them more
culpable in God’s eyes.

III. Application: I would like to apply this in two ways.

A. First, we need to realize that we are guilty – to some degree – of this very thing.
1. Though we are forgiven, we still sin. One of those sins is being judgmental.
2. How often do we condemn others for the very sins we struggle with?
3. We seem to judge on a sliding scale: our sins always look worse on others.
4. Jesus tells us to remove the log from our eye before we remove the splinter from
our brothers (Matt. 7:4-5). We need to deal with our own sin first.
5. If we do, we will be spiritually healthier and will preserve the unity of the body.
6. We need to remember that Jesus obeyed to save us from sin, not to give us an
excuse to disobey – Paul will develop this theme later on.

B. Second, this reminds us God will bring every word, thought and deed to judgment.
1. Only someone who is perfect will be declared not guilty.
2. But this is where the beauty of the Gospel shines forth again.
a. We haven’t kept the Law, but Christ has.
b. He even took the punishment God’s justice demanded for our sins.
c. We must look to Him to have our sins taken away, including the sin of
judgmentalism and hypocrisy.
d. Look to Christ and receive His forgiveness now. Christ is the only One who
is perfect. If you trust Him, you will be saved – your sins removed, His
works given. You must trust Him or stand for your own sins. Amen.