Speaker 1: 0:01

Hello and welcome to the Waking Up To Grace podcast, where we celebrate and explore the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tune in to the Waking Up To Grace podcast on every major platform. You can also listen to our episodes and read our full transcripts at wakinguptogracecom. And now here's Lenny.

Speaker 2: 0:22

Welcome back to the podcast everyone. And now here's Lenny. Welcome back to the podcast everyone. Today I have a loaded message for you guys that's prepared to set the context for our Roman study as we move forward. So buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Speaker 2: 0:35

In Romans, chapter 2, verse 11, paul proclaims that God shows no partiality. I think this statement made by Paul perfectly sums up the picture he's painting for his audience in his argument about the judgment of our Lord. As we read so far, all of mankind will be judged based on what they have done, good and bad. We've also discussed how this ultimately pertains to belief and unbelief. Yahweh has mercy on the faithful when it comes to judging. Does mankind show partiality? We know God shows no partiality, but the same can't be said about mankind from a corporate view. A corporate view meaning mankind as a whole. Paul has given us quite a view of corporate mankind so far in Romans, hasn't he? The worst of the worst when it comes to sin gets placed on corporate mankind. It's not as though we all have these exact attributes, but as a whole. The unfaithful are responsible for all of them, and through Adam, mankind has fallen from grace and stands in opposition to Yahweh. Pagans love to argue that truth is not objective, meaning there's no truth, but rather it is subjective and depends on our opinions. Somehow, if we haven't seen firsthand the damage of this cultural view in America, we must be closing our eyes. A Christian should be above this, but sadly, as humans we tend to adapt to society around us, at least to some extent, unless we're very careful.

Speaker 2: 2:09

I think the first century Jews had a similar struggle. Partiality to their own race as the superior race was a struggle that even Peter seemed to share with his culture, prior to Yahweh waking him up to grace a bit more by sending him to the Gentile Cornelius with the gospel. In Acts 10.43, we read. So Peter opened his mouth and said Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Peter was now beginning to grasp what had clearly not been taught to him by the Jewish leaders of their day that God shows no partiality. We see this declared to the Jews explicitly in Deuteronomy, chapter 10. We read For the Lord, your God, is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty and the awesome God who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you are sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord, your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. It's important to note this circumcision of the heart, as Paul uses this same term, soon in our coming passages.

Speaker 2: 3:36

But Yahweh wanted the Jews to be an example of faith and of faithfulness to the Gentile who wanted to worship Yahweh and turn away from those foreign gods. But from corporate Israel we see partiality to the Jewish race. This was not new to the first century. Think back on Jonah. He was so upset that the Lord made him preach to the Gentiles. He just couldn't get over it. He tried everything in his power to escape it. But Yahweh had another plan in mind, didn't he? So it was with Christ. The Jews did not succeed at being a light to all nations, so Yeshua came and did it for them.

Speaker 2: 4:15

God does not show partiality, and he didn't want his holy people to display partiality either. In Chronicles 19 we read Now, then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you, be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord, our God, or partiality or taking bribes. In the Amalekite, chapter 2, we read but you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

Speaker 2: 4:46

And, as we read, national Israel did in fact show partiality, mark 11 states and they came to Jerusalem and he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple. And he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons, and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them. Is it not written my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. You have made it a den of robbers. This was Christ Yeshua speaking here. Why do you think he was so angry? Was he upset that they were asking too much for the pigeons? Was this about price gouging and corrupt business practices? Well, the truth can be found in the text that Christ Yeshua quotes from Isaiah.

Speaker 2: 5:47

Isaiah 56, 7 says these I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. He's talking about Gentiles. God does not show partiality. The temple was to be a place of worship for all people, all people. But the leaders of Israel didn't seem to mind that the place where the Gentiles were allowed to worship, outside of the inner court, was filled with merchants and money changers. The Jews were robbing the Gentiles of their place to worship. This is what they had stolen. They were to be a light to the Gentiles and this was the respect that they gave them. Christ Yeshua's reaction was just as well as symbolic of what he was about to correct, as Paul also writes in his Romans letter. For, as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, and that's Romans 2.24. Paul's quoting from Isaiah 52 and Ezekiel 36.

Speaker 2: 6:56

When I covered the beginning of Romans, chapter 2, would be a light to those nations and they would soon be filling the temple, courts and synagogues. When I covered the beginning of Romans, chapter 2, I was seeing Paul continuing to direct his conversation at corporate mankind. In coming to this conclusion, I ignored the context of a new chapter beginning. I do this intentionally. It's critical that we realize these verses, chapters and headers did not exist in Paul's letters. Scholars put them there to help us and often they do, but not always.

Speaker 2: 7:32

There's an objective truth in scripture and we don't always fall in line with that. Our goal as Christians ought to be that our minds are shaped by the scripture and not the other way around. If we catch ourselves shaping scripture around our minds, we should take caution. In our society today and in every generation before us, it seems that the primary goal of the Christian is to win the argument, but when we study the writings of Paul, I see a man who wanted to win over the souls of those who he preached to. I've begun to see his arguments that we tend to see as imaginary opponents, not so much as opposition in Paul's mind, but an opportunity to unite those who were in error with truth. In other words, he was trying to help them, not trying to rub their face in their error, as we see all over the internet and social media going on today, mindlessly attacking one another in order to force submission and shame on those who don't agree with us. As we dive into Paul's argument.

Speaker 2: 8:33

I want you to consider that Paul is having an interlocking conversation with an imaginary objector whose paradigm would have been familiar as the corporate view of the Jews in their day, would have been familiar as the corporate view of the Jews in their day. In other words, paul wanted to engage with that mindset and interlace with it. While he laid out his argument, like an attorney might have, with the utmost of care and detail, from beginning to end. But getting back to our point that God shows no partiality, I changed my mind about who Paul directed the beginning of chapter 2 at. The detail that I overlooked was that he changes from using them, and they in verses 19-32 of chapter 1 to you, beginning in chapter 2. The you represents Paul's imaginary Jewish interlocutors whom he is addressing. He uses a rhetorical device known as diatribe to stage a conversation between himself and the Jewish thought process of their day, which would have been very familiar to them as they experienced it in the synagogues.

Speaker 2: 9:40

Although I can't see any major significance in the difference here, in understanding whether I was right or wrong, my hermeneutics were off a bit, so I wanted to point that out to you guys. My goal is not to be right about everything so much as it is to be united with the truth. That may sound like double talk, but the mindset of being right all the time is a trap. We must let the Holy Spirit guide us through Scripture. This involves discerning our own ignorance as well as the ignorance of scholars. Truth is all over the place, but we have to sift through error to find it in most cases. This doesn't make truth subjective in any way. Scripture is inspired. Our job is to understand it correctly. Let this be an example that I'm not always right, but I'm humble enough to admit if I see I was wrong. I pray that the Lord continues to humble me but also protects me from falling into error and ignorance. I've come to realize that after this study is over, I could practically go right back around and do it again, while continuing to gain spiritual insight. I couldn't be more grateful for those in my circles who encourage me and help me to shape my paradigm around truth. I'm assembling all kinds of excellent resources to have at my disposal as we go along as well. So be prepared If you're liking our study so far, you won't be let down.

Speaker 2: 10:59

The verse that I'm speaking of at the beginning of the second chapter of Romans reads Therefore, you have no excuse, o man. Every one of you who judges for in passing judgment on another, you condemn yourself because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We see Paul begin his argument using corporate mankind and Adam to build his case. However we look at this verse, whether it describes a man's view of superiority prior to national Israel or the view of a pretentious Jew. What was the purpose of the statement and who was it primarily written to In his letter? Was Paul trying to correct the views of the Christian Jews in Rome or the Christian Gentiles in Rome? Who is he teaching when he says God shows no partiality. If his imaginary conversation takes place with a man with a false Jewish thought process, who is the conversation actually being held for? Who is to benefit from this writing?

Speaker 2: 12:01

In my last several messages we talked about eschatological reasons for Paul making the statement, for the Jew first and also the Greek. Who is the Gentile? Beyond the eschatological reasoning, can you think of another reason that Paul would have made this statement several times? Do you think that Paul's words here are for the Jews or the Gentiles? We see Jewish context emerging here, but who do you think Paul is directing his statement at when he says God shows no partiality?

Speaker 2: 12:31

It would seem, based on historical context, that the church in Rome was largely Gentile. Melissa and I cover these details in message 33 and 34. I believe so far that Paul is establishing neutral ground for both the Jew and the Gentile. But the first question that arises here, based on the context, is why might the predominantly Gentile church in Rome need to be hearing this? Was it because they needed to understand their place in the faith, or is it because they had placed themselves higher than they ought in their own minds? Were the Gentiles being tempted to see themselves as superior to the Jews? Had some of the Gentiles placed themselves in the first position of salvation, so to speak? Was Paul actually writing this to correct a view that some Gentiles were beginning to entertain due to the error and persecution coming from the Christ-rejecting Jews? Is it possible that the Gentiles were beginning to adopt that same superior mindset that they despised in their Christ-rejecting enemies? Was Paul using his Jewish argument to remind Gentiles that God shows no partiality? In most of our theology today, we predominantly see a context established where Paul is constantly standing up to the Jews and defending the Gentiles.

Speaker 2: 13:48

We know that Paul does not allow his Gentile churches to be put under the law. But in other places, such as Romans 7, we see that Paul has a great respect for the law. Would you say that Paul has a law rejecting gospel or a law respecting gospel? When we examine our views in the context of Scripture, do we find a Paul who rebelled against the law or a Paul who preached the Messiah and a salvation by grace through faith alone, while remaining respectful to the law? If we were to understand Paul's writings, wouldn't it help a lot to understand Paul? We should begin by understanding Paul's genuine love for his Jewish brothers.

Speaker 2: 14:43

In Romans 9, we read the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever, amen. Then, romans 10, we read Brothers. My heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved, for I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. I think it's hard to wrap our Gentile minds around this, don't you? But I think it is also, in a sense, an example of the great measure of the Holy Spirit that Paul was given, allowing him to love his enemies.

Speaker 2: 15:35

Paul understood well that some of his Jewish brothers who were opposed to him would receive a change of mind from Yahweh, and the only way that that would happen was through preaching Christ. To them, christ was the end of the law, paul says. This indicates that the whole law was about Christ Yeshua in the first place. This was the knowledge they didn't have. This was their major error. The Jews believed that since they had the law and the prophets that they were automatically holy, having the law made them righteous in their minds, they didn't need to be saved from their sin. That's what their animal sacrifices were for.

Speaker 2: 16:12

Would Paul find a soft spot in the heart of his Jewish brothers by rebelling against the law that they held in the highest of regards? Would Paul's primary goal be to get Jews to stop observing the law or to start believing in Christ Yeshua, their Messiah? Whose work would it actually be to get the Jews to stop observing the law, paul or the Lord? In Matthew 24, we read but he answered them. You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you there will not be left here. One stone upon another will not be thrown down.

Speaker 2: 16:46

Do you think that the apostles gathered that the Lord would be coming to judge Israel and that the result would be the destruction of the temple and the end of the law? In my last several messages, I've highlighted the fact that the apostles all believed that the return of Christ would come in their generation. It would be a return of wrath and judgment, the judgment for the saints resulting in eternal life. It's not surprising that the apostles had a good understanding of eschatology. After all, when Yeshua rose from the dead, he appeared to them and taught them throughout a 40-day period. In Acts 1 we read he presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Do you think you could learn a lot from our Lord if he taught you throughout a forty-day period? I definitely think so. I'd say they had a superior knowledge when it came to the fulfillment of all prophecy, and it wouldn't be much different for Paul.

Speaker 2: 17:46

In Galatians 1.11, we read For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached to me is not man's gospel, for I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Then, right around the corner, in our Roman study, paul considers the final judgment to be part of his gospel. In Romans 2.16, we read On that day when, according to my gospel, god judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. The point I make here is that the apostles would have been awaiting what occurred in AD 70. They knew that the law would come to an end at the final judgment.

Speaker 2: 18:25

Hebrews 8.13 says In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. So if the Lord would be making sure that the observation of the law would come to an end, what would Paul's focus be in teaching his Jewish brothers in the meantime? Would it be to reject the law or to understand the law properly? In Matthew 5.17, christ Yeshua says Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law. Until all is accomplished and when was all accomplished? Luke 21, we read but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has come near, for these are days of vengeance. To fulfill all that is written, all was accomplished in AD 70, when Yeshua had his final judgment day.

Speaker 2: 19:26

So what time frame does that place our Roman's letter? In the New Covenant Age or the Old Covenant Age? Now, this is a concept that we need to allow our paradigms to absorb. We have to let this teaching be pervasive and saturate our understanding in order to have clarity on the covenants. The author of Hebrews certainly understood the covenants when they wrote. In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete, and what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Speaker 2: 19:57

The new covenant age began at Pentecost, when the work of Christ at the cross and resurrection resulted in the believers receiving reconciliation to Yahweh through the Holy Spirit. But, as we see in our Hebrew's letter and the teaching of Christ Yeshua, the law was still being observed. So what can we say about the time frame they were living in when Paul wrote his letter to the Romans? It was a transition period. The new covenant age had begun but was not fully consummated, and the old covenant age was becoming obsolete and would soon vanish. The apostles lived in a transitional period of time. They lived at the end of an age. The New Age had not made its full transition at that time.

Speaker 2: 20:40

On one hand, they were made right with God by the blood of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5.18. All this is from God who, through Christ, reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. And then, on the other hand, they were awaiting redemption Romans 5.9,. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Speaker 2: 21:23

As I explained in message number 60, they awaited redemption. That redemption was eternal life in Christ. Eternal life is being in the presence of God, and that was the whole purpose of the resurrection in AD 70. It was to bring the saints, those still living on earth and those who slept, into the presence of the Lord. Those who slept were the dead In Sheol. The presence of God did not exist. The dead slept apart from the Lord. The living waited for redemption, which was to be brought into the spiritual presence of the Lord, where life exists eternally. Separation from the Lord is death. To be in the presence of the Lord is life. That's why Paul writes For while we were still enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. Much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life? Shall we or have we been? Paul could have said much more. Have we been saved? Yes, he could have, but he rather writes shall we be saved? Paul knew the Holy Spirit was their seal for the day of redemption Ephesians 4.30, but they did not yet identify as redeemed. For them, redemption was near. For us today, redemption is here, this or that.

Speaker 2: 22:45

It's important to pay attention to the words in our scripture. For example, when Christ Yeshua speaks of the coming judgment, he says in this generation. But today most Christians hear him saying that generation. When he says this generation, it could only mean the one they were living in, not ours. If the saints at the time of Paul's writing were in the presence of Yahweh, what was the point of the resurrection. All kinds of outlandish things can be made up about this, but none of the claims can be supported in scripture. So let's talk about the synagogues and Paul's missionary journeys.

Speaker 2: 23:21

Paul, as well as the other apostles, certainly believed that a final judgment was coming and that the law which continued to be observed by the Jews would soon vanish. The question I want to ask is if the law had not yet vanished during Paul's ministry, how did Paul feel about the law being observed by the Jews who did not yet have faith in the Messiah? How can we apply Paul's statement? God shows no partiality to his present situation at the time of the writing, as Christ himself proclaimed in Matthew 5.17,. So what does this mean for the mostly Gentile Christians that Paul wrote to in Rome? Not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished. So what does this mean for the mostly Gentile Christians that Paul wrote to in Rome? Paul's letter was written before the AD 70 destruction of the temple and the law was still in effect.

Speaker 2: 24:21

Let's consider some key points about the context in which Paul wrote his letter. The work of Christ at the cross and resurrection fulfilled the law for those who believed in him Matthew 5.17. Not an iota, not a dot had passed from the law. Matthew 5.18. What was becoming obsolete and growing old was ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8.13.

Speaker 2: 24:45

We can clearly discern from these points that the believers no longer needed to observe the law. The law was fulfilled in them through Christ Yeshua. This leads us into the following questions. Was it unholy for the Jews who did not yet believe to observe the law? Would it be unholy for a Christian to observe the law in order to win over those who did not yet believe? For a Christian to observe the law in order to win over those who did not yet believe? We know that God shows no partiality, but how could Paul honor this view in his life? How could Paul preach to Jews and Gentiles without showing partiality? A Christian was made holy by the blood of Christ, and non-believing Jews still believe that observing the law was holy and faithful. So would Paul's focus toward non-believing Jews have been rejecting the law or preaching the Messiah?

Speaker 2: 25:34

When we look at the Acts of the Apostles, the book of Acts, we see Paul preaching the Messiah and the fulfillment of the law that came through him. He even faced trouble and persecution for preaching the resurrection of the dead that would soon come through Christ Yeshua. This was a teaching that he proved in the Jewish scriptures, the Tanakh, which we know as our Old Testament. The Apostle's focus seems to have been for those under the law to believe in the Messiah, not for those under the law to reject the law. After all, christ did not reject the law, he fulfilled it. The law would be fully abolished and vanish away when the Lord returned. The final judgment would take care of that. Paul was well aware of this. He didn't need people to reject the law. He wanted them to accept the Christ.

Speaker 2: 26:21

Paul has all kinds of positive things to say about the law in Romans 7, but he also recognized that it was a curse. Not because the law was in some way bad. It was because of mankind and sin that it became a curse. The law, which was holy, caused sin to increase and became utterly sinful Romans 5.20 and Romans 7.13. So if the law was good and holy, according to Romans 7, and mankind was the real problem, then what would Paul's view be on how to handle the situation which they found themselves in in that first century AD?

Speaker 2: 26:56

How would a Jew who loved his Jewish brothers make his approach sharing Christ as Messiah. In 1 Corinthians 9 we read For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all that I might win more of them To the Jews. I became as a Jew in order to win Jews To those under the law. I became as one under the law, though not being myself under the law, that I might win those under the law To those outside the law. I became as one outside of the law, not being outside the law of God, but under the law of Christ, that I might win those outside the law To the weak. I became weak that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some.

Speaker 2: 27:42

So how far would Paul go with this approach, we might ask? I think we should begin with the events leading up to the meeting of the Jerusalem Council and the final decision that was made there among the apostles. In Galatians 2, 1-5, we read I went up because of a revelation and set before them, though privately, before those who seemed influential, the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek, Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom, that Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were attempting to force circumcision on Titus, who was a Greek. Just after this, paul writes of an issue that came from the people of James and he sharply rebukes Peter for sharing in the hypocrisy. This would have been early in terms of the maturity of the apostles and, to be fair to Peter, I think it's very hard for us today to grasp just how deeply woven the observance of law was in the minds of the first century Jewish Christians.

Speaker 2: 29:08

For those who don't know, circumcision was a requirement for the Jews, the holy people of Yahweh, which set them apart from the world. It was the surgical removal of the foreskin on a man. This surgery was performed at infancy for the Jewish people and was certainly the most avoided requirement by Gentiles who converted to Judaism. It was a huge barrier between Jew and Gentile. Interestingly, there were different views on whether a Gentile needed to be circumcised or not. It was acceptable to much of Jewish thought that Gentiles obey the Noahide laws. The means of Gentiles obtaining salvation was not something overlooked by the Jews, but Gentiles who converted to Judaism were largely accepted in the synagogue by obedience to the Noahide laws. They would not share all the same benefits as those under law, but they were accepted on this basis, according to history.

Speaker 2: 30:02

So let's talk about the Noahide laws. According to gotquestionsorg, the Noahide laws are seven ancient laws that many people view as the basis of civilized society. According to gotquestionsorg, they are also called the Noah-tion laws, the seven laws of Noah, or the seven commands for Noah's sons. The idea of a formal set of laws given to all humanity, all the sons of Noah, comes from the Talmud and is therefore extra-biblical. Some scholars believe the Book of Jubilees contains a possible mention of the Noahide laws, but again, the Book of Jubilees is not inspired scripture. However, the basic seven Noahide laws are based on biblical principles.

Speaker 2: 30:53

Here are the Noahide laws 1. Do not deny God. No idolatry. 2. Do not murder. 3. Do not steal. 4. Do not engage in sexual immorality. 5. Do not blaspheme. 6. Do not eat of a live animal. No eating flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. 7. Establish courts and legal systems to ensure obedience of these laws. According to Jewish tradition, the first six of these seven laws were given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. The sixth law to not eat live animals was extraneous. Given to Adam in the Garden of Eden, the sixth law to not eat live animals was extraneous since Adam did not eat any animals. When God established his covenant with Noah, he added the seventh, and the sixth became applicable. Each of the seven Noahide laws is seen as a summary of more detailed laws, about 211 total.

Speaker 2: 31:47

According to Judaism, a Gentile does not have to follow the Mosaic law. However, all Gentiles are obliged to follow the Noahide laws. The laws given to Noah's children are universally binding. A non-Jew who abides by the Noahide laws is considered a righteous Gentile according to Judaism and will earn a reward in the afterlife. If his obedience is coupled with the knowledge that the laws come from God, a righteous Gentile might also be called a Hasidic Gentile or simply a Noahide. I thought that was a pretty good summary, so I wanted to share it with you guys. Righteous Gentiles were also referred to as God-fearers.

Speaker 2: 32:26

Knowing this information about the belief of the first century Jews, it, it becomes very interesting what was decided at the meeting of the apostles in Jerusalem known as the Jerusalem Council. Interestingly, the names we see standing up here are James and Peter, who were also named by Paul in his letter to Galatia. But this time they come to an agreement and all seem to be satisfied by and benefit from the spiritual gathering. In Acts 15, 19-31 we read, for he has read every Sabbath in the synagogues. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter the brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia greetings.

Speaker 2: 33:38

Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us having come to one accord. It has seemed good to us having come to one accord. It has seemed good to us having come to one accord to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth, for it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood, and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well, farewell. So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch and, having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter and when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

Speaker 2: 34:36

Do these requirements decided by the Council for the Gentile Believers not seem to be derived from the Noahide laws? They most certainly do, in my opinion. But why would these things be required for the Gentile believer If the law was fulfilled in Christ? Why would the Gentiles be required to be acceptable to the Jews in this way? What would make the church come to this conclusion? Was it because God shows no partiality that they wanted to display a sense of unity among the Gentiles and Jews? An immediate question that comes to mind in regards to Paul's views on circumcision in light of this God shows no partiality view is why did Paul circumcise Timothy for the Jews when we see him clearly standing against circumcision in Jerusalem, as recorded in his own letter to the Galatians, did Paul fold under pressure?

Speaker 2: 35:27

In Acts 16.1 we read Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them, for observance, the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers daily.

Speaker 2: 36:04

We see in this text that as Paul and Timothy went through the cities, they delivered the news from their council meeting. This news was that the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised. Why does Paul not follow this new rule after the meeting? Well, there are a couple things we must factor about the situation, making it quite different than what was written to the Galatians and also decided in the Council of Jerusalem. One Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek. Two, the Jews who were in those places, as Luke calls them, were probably not Christians.

Speaker 2: 36:40

Timothy would have been sort of caught in between Jew and Gentile culture, wouldn't you say? It seems Paul wanted him to be seen as a Jew in order to not cause the weak to stumble. By the weak I mean the Jews who did not yet believe in Christ Yeshua as Messiah. How can I conclude that Paul did this for non-believing Jews? And what did the Jews have to do with the first century church? Well, first we need to realize that Gentiles were grafted into a Jewish faith Romans 11.

Speaker 2: 37:09

But equally as important, we must come to understand where the early Christians, certainly in the time of a Roman's letter, were often meeting and where Paul always went first and spent much time as he went from town to town with his gospel. Paul always preached at the synagogues. God shows no partiality, and either did Paul. Timothy, who had a Jewish mother, would have been frowned upon in certain Jewish cities for not being circumcised. This would have been no small thing for Timothy to undergo for the sake of his non-believing Jewish brothers. How much more could he show love for his weak and stumbling brothers than to make this sacrifice, despite being free in Christ and not under law. In this context, I see this not at all like backing down. I used to think that maybe they gave in to the pressure of Judaizers, but this was an incredible act of love. They weren't backing down at all, but striving for unity with the stumbling Jews to the best of their ability.

Speaker 2: 38:06

Paul practiced just as he taught In Romans 12.18,. Paul writes If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Paul and Timothy together must have shared the view that Paul expressed in what we read earlier 1 Corinthians 9.20. But prior to the Jerusalem Council, while facing Christian Jews who were imposing the law onto Gentiles, paul had no problem rebuking their views. Who were imposing the law unto Gentiles, paul had no problem rebuking their views. 1 Corinthians 9.21,. So what we see is a Paul that's consistent and true to his views, not a Paul who folded under pressure or compromised his faith. Paul spent much of his time teaching in the synagogues and in order to do so he had to win the respect of the Jews in any way that he could.

Speaker 2: 39:09

Although Paul was accused of rejecting the law by the Christ rejecting Jews in context he was very respectful of the law and, as a result, proved to many that Christ Yeshua was the Messiah King who came from the line of David. The very same point that Christ himself was making in his ministry John 5, 39,. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me. That's Christ Yeshua speaking. This was the point Paul would be making to the Jews. He proved his point by using the law, not by rejecting it and making people upset. It was their error that concluded Paul as a law-rejecting Jew. It was not Paul's paradigm. Their anger was pure error. To be clear, I'm not saying that Paul promoted Christ plus law or Christ plus works. This can be a difficult concept to grasp at first, but I think it makes the most sense when we realize that synagogues would have had a major role in the function of the early church in Rome. When we begin to understand how the synagogues operated and how central they were to the Roman church, our eyes open up to a whole new context.

Speaker 2: 40:18

When reading Paul's writing, let's talk about the self-governing synagogue community. The Jewish synagogues were essentially the center of Jewish culture and the Jews were given incredible privileges by the Roman Empire, allowing them to function quite independently and live in their own ways, set apart from the pagan society around them. About the governing system within the synagogues, george La Piana writes and moral authority over its members, but also a form of civil jurisdiction in regulating contracts and settling disputes, and even a limited criminal jurisdiction, with the power to inflict penalties which were sanctioned by the public authorities. In a word, the Jewish associations taken all together, actually possessed all the essential elements of organization and government pertaining to a city and not merely showed the semblance of such institutions, as was the case with Collegia. This was from his writing. Foreign Groups in Rome During the First Centuries of the Roman Empire, pages 3049-50, george La Piana.

Speaker 2: 41:37

We see that prior to AD 70, the synagogues held meetings for worship on the Sabbath and other holidays. This community worship involved the study of Torah and prayer and could be considered the centerpiece of religious life for the Jews. They read from the scriptures, translated, interpreted, as well as sharing commentary and exhortation. This was something that the whole community could partake in. The community also gathered in synagogues for festivals, meals, education and business. Further discussing this topic, mark Nanos writes the responsibilities of synagogue leaders included both religious and practical matters of administration.

Speaker 2: 42:17

Although each synagogue in Rome was autonomous. They operated under the same structure and associated with the others. The leadership included several positions synagogue ruler over religious activities. A council for general affairs. An archon for non-religious affairs. A secretary and an official for financial responsibilities. They would have handled many financial and ethical issues necessary in the community affairs. A secretary and an official for financial responsibilities. They would have handled many financial and ethical issues necessary in the community affairs. For example, they were responsible to ensure correct behavior among the members, including judgment and discipline. Paul bears witness to this in the early persecution of the way in the Damascus synagogues and in the various floggings and stonings he later underwent for the same reasons at the hands of the Jewish authorities.

Speaker 2: 43:04

One did not simply pass in and out of membership in the synagogue community at will. If one was a member of the community, one was subordinate to the synagogue leader's authority and discipline. If one refused to do so, one was no longer regarded as a member of the community. The leaders also answered to the Roman authorities for the collection and distribution of taxes. In this sense, they served as representatives of the government for the Jewish community. Additional activities under their jurisdiction included schooling of children, providing lodging for travelers and the burial of members.

Speaker 2: 43:45

This was taken from his writing, the Mystery of Romans, pages 47 and 49, mark D Nanos. This information sheds a lot of context on the operations within the Jewish synagogues, doesn't it? It is believed by Mark Nanos that the church in Rome was very tied to the synagogues. This Roman church of mostly Gentile Christians would have been learning to behave like Jews in order to participate in their society. Why might they care to do so, we might ask? Well, a few key points we need to consider here would be personal copies of scripture were very rare in those times and the synagogues had access to scripture. The scriptures were being read and taught in the synagogues, and the Christians would have a chance to participate in the commentary.

Speaker 2: 44:26

Gentile Christians were entering into a Jewish faith and learning about a Jewish Messiah, so learning scripture would be vital for their spiritual growth. Despite Paul writing to a predominantly Gentile church, he constantly quoted scripture to prove his case. How would they understand his writing if they didn't understand Jewish scripture? Paul considered the Jews to be brothers. Despite the rejection of Christ, he desired for them to receive the gospel before the end of the age. Preaching in the synagogues would be the only way to reach the elect within the Jewish communities. Reaching in the synagogues would be the only way to reach the elect within the Jewish communities. As we see here, there are a ton of reasons for Gentile Christians to partake in the Jewish community, and this information certainly helps us to better understand the submission to authorities that we see Paul write in about later in chapter 13 of his letter as well. We'll also find that it sheds a whole new light on who the weak and the strong refer to later in the Apostles' Romans letter.

Speaker 2: 45:24

In regards to culture, gentile Christians likely struggled to participate in the pagan societies upon converting to Christianity. Judaism essentially offered them protection, as they had privileges in the synagogue communities in Rome that they would not have otherwise had the synagogue communities in Rome that they would not have otherwise had. Doing business in Gentile communities would have been tied into emperor worship, pagan gods and all kinds of non-Christian practices. A Christian was probably not very highly regarded in pagan communities and would likely find synagogue communities to be a safe haven in comparison. When we discover how deeply woven early Christians would have been into Judaism, it becomes apparent why issues like circumcision were such a hot topic as a necessary initiation for Gentiles in certain Jewish communities. These early Christians were very much part of Jewish culture and being taught about a Jewish Messiah. In order to gain insight into their faith, they had to participate in the Jewish communities. Getting kicked out of the synagogues, which did happen under Christian persecution, would have been far from desirable. It would have been devastating. We often overlook just how tied to the synagogues Paul, our apostle to the Gentiles, actually was.

Speaker 2: 46:36

Paul always went to the Jew first, and also the Greek, just as he preached in his Romans writing. God shows no partiality. Paul was looking for the faithful among all people, not just a certain color or race. We even see Paul making a law-based Jewish vow, recorded by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, acts 18.18,. After this, paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Sancreia he cut off his hair, for he was under a vow. It's worth noting that Luke records Paul making this vow after receiving heavy persecution and physical attacks from the Jews in a synagogue at Corinth. In Acts 18.6,. Paul declared your blood be on your own heads. I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. But then Yahweh came to Paul in a vision and said Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. According to the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible, one normally shaved the head at the completion of a vow in Jerusalem, but Paul may have shaved before a long vow, or perhaps many Diaspora Jews undertook vows without requiring completion in Jerusalem, so we don't seem to know exactly why Paul makes this vow, but it's thought to have been a Nazarite vow.

Speaker 2: 48:06

It's easy enough to find information on Nazarite vows. I found some simple information on gotquestionsorg. In a brief summary of the article we read the vow is a decision individuals who have voluntarily dedicated themselves to God. The vow is a decision, action and desire on the part of people who desire to yield themselves to God completely. By definition, the Hebrew word Nazar simply means to be separated or consecrated. The Nazarite vow, which appears in Numbers 6, 1-21, has five features. Numbers 6, 1 through 21 has five features it is voluntary, can be done by either men or women, has a specific time frame, has specific requirements and restrictions and at its conclusion, a sacrifice is offered. It was also mentioned that, although the vow was usually done by an individual by their own choice, samuel, samson and John the Baptist all received the Nazarite vow from birth. We then see vows being made again later in Acts, in chapter 21.

Speaker 2: 49:08

When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day. Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one, the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry, and when they heard it, they glorified God and they said to him you see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews for those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.

Speaker 2: 49:44

What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do, therefore, what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. Thus, all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality. Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. And then again in the NIV cultural background study Bible, we read Judeans deemed pious those who sponsored Nazarites. By this period, jewish people expected such vows. Bible, we read, offered sacrifices on the seventh day. Scripture did not specify a minimum length for vows, though Jewish tradition in this period normally required at least 30 days.

Speaker 2: 51:06

Ephesus was the chief city of the Roman province of Asia, and some members of the synagogue there had reason to dislike Paul. Larger riots occurred in the temple on a number of occasions and sometimes led to massacres or to thousands being trampled. This is all difficult to understand if we carry the mindset that Paul was anti-law, as most Christians do today, especially as Protestants. Now you may have your guard up right now, thinking what is this guy trying to say? But hear me out, I'm not a Judaizer. If you listen regularly or read my blog posts, you know that I'm not even close to legalism in my teaching. I'm not arguing that Paul was a legalist and condoned observance of the law for righteousness. I don't suggest that Paul believed that he needed to make sacrifices for his sin any longer as a Christian Jew. But I do think Paul saw the law as holy and good. After all, as Christ Yeshua said, the law pointed to him John 5.39. The law did not contain eternal life, but it led to Christ Yeshua in its proper context. The Christ-rejecting Jews were in error and Paul wanted to save as many as he could.

Speaker 2: 52:17

Just as God shows no partiality, paul also lived his life not displaying partiality. After the ascended Christ came to him on the road to Damascus, despite being the apostle to Gentiles, paul continued to love his Jewish brothers as the Lord put on his heart. After all, paul did write that God shows no partiality. Romans 2, 11. As Paul went from town to town with his gospel, the first place he would go was the local Jewish synagogue. Let's look at the multitude of instances. We see this recorded in the book of Acts, acts 13.45,. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly saying and when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. It would be easy to see Paul being completely done with the Jews at this point and moving on to the Gentiles, but, as we'll see, paul continued to do the same thing repeatedly, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.

Speaker 2: 53:40

This Jew-'ll see Paul continued to do the same thing repeatedly, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. This Jew first approach was Paul's way. He writes his reasoning later in Romans, in Romans 11,. Paul writes Now I am speaking to you, gentiles. Inasmuch, then, as I am apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them. Paul wanted to reach the remnant through the diaspora as well as the Gentiles who would believe. The Jews were supposed to be the light to the Gentiles all along, but they failed. Our Jewish Messiah, christ Yeshua, became that light for the Jews, and his light was reaching the Gentiles. Yahweh, through Paul's ministry, was now using the Christian Gentiles to be a light to the Jews. And we see Paul continue from synagogue to synagogue, as recorded by Luke Acts 13.

Speaker 2: 54:31

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga and Pamphylia and John left them and returned to Jerusalem. But they went on from Perga and came to Antioch, in Sidia, and on the Sabbath, and returned to Jerusalem. But they went on from Perga and came to Antioch, in Sidia, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. Acts 14. Now, at Iconium, they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. Acts 17.1. Acts 17.10. By night to Berea, when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now, these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if the things were so. Acts 17, 16.

Speaker 2: 55:31

Now Paul was waiting for them at Athens. His spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons and in the marketplace, every day with those who happened to be there Acts 18.1. After this, paul left Athens and went to Corinth and he found a Jew named Acula, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy, and his wife Priscilla. Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome and he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tent makers by trade and he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Speaker 2: 56:10

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them your blood be on your own heads. I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshipper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.

Speaker 2: 56:36

Crispus, the rue of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul, believed and were baptized Acts 18.19,. And they came to Ephesus and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews Acts 19.8,. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief speaking evil of the way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years. So all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 28.

Speaker 2: 57:21

After three, to see the historical context unfold, do you have a better understanding of what Paul meant when he said God shows no partiality in Romans 2.11? My hope is that this message will shape our paradigm as we move further into our Romans letter and allow us to extract the full depths of truth in the writing that Paul intended for his audience in Rome. It has become clear to me that Paul did not shape his message to better fit the Gentiles, but rather shaped the Gentiles' minds through the Jewish scripture in order for them to fully know their Jewish Messiah. Much error has been recorded in history due to the Gentilization of the church, which happened right after the apostles, beginning with the early church fathers. I've come to realize that we do damage to scripture when we view it through the wrong lens. The writers of our scriptures were Hebrew, other than Luke, who would have had close ties with the Jews. If we're to gain the most from our scripture, we want to understand it the way that the Hebrew author intended it to be understood by their audience. I will make my best attempt at doing so as we go through our Roman study and, of course, we'll never lose sight of who we are in Christ Yeshua.

Speaker 2: 58:45

Thanks to his finished work along the way. In Christ, we have the privilege of learning all about our Lord while resting in his amazing grace. As a Christian, you are a saint, a fully forgiven person. You've been made perfect by the blood of our Lord and your life is as long as forgiven person. You've been made perfect by the blood of our Lord and your life is as long as His. Now You've put on immortality, so let's live like it. Shall we Grace and peace to you and have a great day out there. Talk to you at our next study.

Speaker 1: 59:12

Thank you for listening to the Waking Up to Grace podcast brought to you by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you enjoyed today's episode, we would love to hear from you. You can send encouragement our way right from our episodes and transcripts page or reach Lenny privately from the contact form at wakinguptogracecom.