Question 46:
What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
Answer: The
rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.
Romans 2:14-15
We are working our way into a
study of the Ten Commandments. Before we
get to that point, we have first stressed obedience that comes by faith in last
week’s catechism. This week our
catechism looks at the fact that a natural moral law has always existed
transcending the written law.
Paul’s point here in Romans 2 is
not just to point out to the Gentile believers their culpability before
God. His point is that the Jews also
carry a great burden of judgement upon them because they do have the written
law. In the course of this discussion,
he uses the natural law to point out that even the Gentiles will not escape
judgement. The natural law that exists
within the Gentiles will still be a standard of judgement even though they do
not have the written law. Thus, so much
more will the judgement be on the Jews who have the written law. The written law itself does not put the Jews
in a state of grace just because they have it.
They are more favored because the written law is a more tangible
taskmaster than the natural law (Galatians 3:24-25).
Paul begins in Romans 2:1 with
the statement that all men have no excuse of their unrighteousness before
God. The following verses have the theme
of Matthew 7:1-2 that we will be judged with the same measure that we judge
others. The implication of these verses
in Romans 2 is that the Jews were quick to boast and “teach” others the law,
but the real question is: “are we as concerned about our own holiness as we are
about someone else’s.” Romans 2:6 shows
us that God will judge us by our deeds as we saw in Matthew 24:32-45 and
Revelation 20:11-15. The Jews having the
law will have no leg up on the Gentiles “for there is no partiality with God”
(Romans 2:11). Romans 2:12-13 show us
that God’s standard of judgement is not whether or not we hear the
written law, but whether or not we do the law (reference also James 1:22
and John 13:17).
Verse 14 begins to answer the
question that many will have at this point: “Is it not unfair to the Gentiles
that they do not have the law?” Paul
answers by pointing out a natural law that exists in the heart of every
man. He first says that as long as (when
= hotan) the Gentiles do not have the
law (that is the written law) they “by nature do the things in (the written)
law.” The Greek word for nature is phusis meaning the normal nature of
things, what one is born with, or the innate qualities of man. Societies throughout history have done just
that. Even pagan cultures are able to seek
the well being of man and nature and punish evil acts of murder, theft, etc.
(i.e. nations without regard to God’s written law passed judgement upon
Hitler). On a personal basis we see this
to be true. Most all of us were raised
with the law so to speak so this is difficult for us to see. But we do so friends and work associates that
have not had a strong Biblical background who generally seek to do good and
abhor evil. The fact that they have this
natural law within them, they are so judged.
It becomes “a law to themselves.”
In verse 15, Paul characterizes
this inward law in three ways: written in their hearts, in their consciences,
and their thoughts. First, Paul says
that the Gentiles “show the work of the law written in their hearts.” This is not to be taken as a parallel to 2
Corinthians 3:3 where Paul emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit upon the
heart of the believer to have the law written upon their hearts. Paul’s simple point is that what is in the
heart (kardia = seat of man’s mind,
will, emotions, his internal character) of Gentiles will be made manifest in
their own lives (show = endeiknumi =
demonstrate, prove, make manifest, display).
An example is given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:1 where he is rebuking
these Corinthian believers for “glorying” in a member of the assembly who was performing
sexual immorality with his father’s wife.
The relevant comment in verse 1, to paraphrase is that even the Gentiles
know better than to do that (not even named among the Gentiles).
Secondly, we see the conscience
bearing witness in the life of the Gentile to the natural law. Conscience is suneidesis in the Greek meaning man’s ability within his own soul
to distinguish between what is morally good and morally bad. The conscience of the believer also bears
witness (summartureo) of the natural
moral law within. Our conscience even
apart from the written law causes us to sense guilt when we do wrong (or
violate God’s moral law). We see an
example of conscience at work in the life of Felix as Paul ministered the
Gospel to him. We see his reaction in
Acts 24:25 when his conscience produced a fear within him. Sadly, he resisted his conscience and drove
Paul away. The problem with all sinners
apart from Christ is that they continually and perhaps even slowly resist their
consciences and sear them to eventually become numb to the moral law of God and
become violent transgressors of the law (1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Thirdly, we see that their
thoughts accuse or else excuse them.
This speaks to the natural ability of all men to reason (thoughts = logismos = reasoning, judging, deciding)
within their own minds right from wrong.
In reasoning, the Gentile will either decide that his current dilemma
will stand to either prove to be wrong (accuse = kategoreo = to accuse before a judge) or prove to be right (excuse
= apologeomai = to make a right
defense). The problem of course is that
man apart from the grace of God will choose always to do evil (even choosing a
good thing for the wrong motives, Romans 2:16).
Romans 3:11 emphasizes that though we reason will still do not
understand and seek after the righteousness of God (reference all of Romans
3:1-20).
Paul ultimately states our hope
in Romans 2:29. It is not a physical
circumcision that we are need of, but one of the heart. It is not adherence to the letter of the law
outwardly, but to the Spirit of the law working inwardly. It is not to receive our praise from man, but
from God. Whether Jew or Gentile, God
must Himself perform a work of righteousness in our own hearts. Apart from which we are left without excuse
whether we have the written law or not.
1.
You and your children have studied
cultures which did not have the law, but still had laws that reflected God’s
moral law (although not perfectly).
Discuss some of these examples highlighting parallels to God’s moral law
and contradictions to it.
2.
Speak to the conscience of your
children. Talk about how they “feel”
when they do bad (and good). Caution
them not to sear this conscience by ignoring it when faced with a decision to
do evil.
3. Speak
to the decision-making ability of your children. Having the word of God they must (as we must)
make our decisions on the written word of God.
Those yet to be born again will sense at some point a certain
desperation in keeping the law, but speak of God’s grace in the midst of this
desperation.
Day
2:
These verses from Romans hold
forth various interpretive challenges. I
will give by context and cross-reference what I believe to be the best
rendering of these verses. Please feel free
to add to our understanding of these verses this next Lord’s Day. If you perhaps do not understand these verses
well enough to convey them to your children, please contact me and I will be
glad to help.
Paul affirms in Romans 4
(actually going back to Chapter 3:21-26) that our justification before God at
judgement comes by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. In chapter 4, he uses historical references
of Abraham and David to prove his point.
He concludes in 4:14 that it is not the seminal seed of Abraham that
propagates the promises of God, but the Seed Jesus Christ who brings
righteousness of faith (verses that of the law or of the seed of Abraham). In 4:23-24 Paul strengthens even further the
necessity of the work of Christ to justify us before God. Our sin was imputed to Him for whom He
suffered to the death in His body. Also,
His righteousness was imputed to us (an act that was affirmed by the Father in
Christ’s resurrection).
Just a few weeks ago we looked at
the first five verses of Romans five that highlights the benefits we receive by
our justification by faith. In verses
6-11, Paul makes it clear that reconciliation had to take place and it had to
take place by God. We were enemies of
God not desiring reconciliation, but all the while He provided for sinners by
the death of His only Son. In the
passage that contains our focal verses, Paul wants to establish that Adam was
responsible for the sin of the entire world.
This is what he means in verse 12 when he says, “through one man sin
entered the world.” This man of course
was Adam who transgressed the revealed law of God in the Garden (Genesis
3). Sin was carried seminally by Adam to
all subsequent generations. David saw
this to be true of himself in Psalm 51:5 (“in sin my mother conceived
me”). The penalty of this sin, death,
was also passed along to all men because of Adam’s original sin (Romans 6:23a,
Ezekiel 18:4). To jump ahead a little before
we get to our focal verses we see in verses 15-21 that though sin and death
came through one man to all men that through one Man (Jesus Christ) many will
be made to live.
In verse 13 Paul first states
that sin was in the world even before the law (that is the Law of Moses) was
given. This verse appears to be a
contradiction of Romans 4:15, where Paul states “where there is no law there is
no transgression” and in Romans 3:20, where Paul states “for by the law is the
knowledge of sin.” (Also, reference 1
John 3:4.) This is where we must be
careful to stay within the context for the next part of verse 13 explains, “but
sin is not imputed where there is no law.”
Now again this appears to be a further contradiction, but as we will see
actually clarifies Paul’s train of thought here.
Let’s look at some definitions
that may help. Law in the Greek is nomos meaning a law, custom, or command,
but most often in the New Testament refers to the Mosaic Law. The law that Paul is speaking of is clarified
in verse 14 as specific commands as they related to Adam and Moses. Sin is the Greek hamartia meaning to miss the mark, to do what is wrong, to wander
from the path of righteousness. The very
definition of sin implies that some standard must exist in order to be
missed. Imputed in the Greek is ellogeo meaning to reckon, set to one's account,
and lay to one's charge.
In verse 14, Paul mentions the
death that reigned from Adam to Moses specifically because no direct revelation
of the law had been given. Adam was
given one specific command while Moses was given ten basic commands accompanied
by other more specific commands and rituals.
So how can man be culpable of sin without the law? First, we must see that because death (thanatos) reigned (basileuo = to exercise kingly power over) during this time that
some sin must be imputed to them. This
is true, however, Paul is simply stating that God does not hold men accountable
for transgressing laws that they are unaware of.
But as we saw in our first lesson
this week, men become a law to themselves even in the absence of the revealed
law. This is the light of the nature of
men that we studied some months ago.
Romans 1:18-23 is essential to this understanding, “For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
As we saw in our first lesson this week it is this evidence in creation
that bears witness with our hearts, consciences, and thoughts. Many examples exist between Adam and Moses of
the law being made manifest apart from the written or revealed law: Cain’s
murder of Abel (Genesis 4), the people in the time of Noah (Genesis 6:1-8),
Noah’s uncovering (Genesis 9:20-25), Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), Pharaoh
and Sarai (Genesis 12:17-20), the two angels and the men of Sodom (Genesis
19:1-11), Joseph and Poiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:6-12).
Paul then uses Adam in contrast
to Christ to transition this discussion from man’s sin to God’s provision for
it in Christ Jesus. Those who did not
even sin like (homoioma) Adam sinned
having a direct revelation of the law from God.
For transgression a different word is used than harmartia. Transgression in
the Greek is parabasis meaning a
violation, breach, or disregarding of ratified law. The implication is that from Adam to Moses
all died in sin, although they did not violate a specific given command of God.
Paul ends the verse by
characterizing Adam as a type (tupos
= example, impression) of the Christ to come.
As we have already stated, the first Adam brought death to his seed, but
in the second Adam, Jesus Christ many will be made alive.
Discuss the following with your
family:
1.
After Adam the law was not necessary to
produce sin in man and still is not. By
Adam’s original sin all men are born sinners apart from the law. Thus, we sin because we are sinners,
depraved, and hopeless apart from the grace and mercy of God.
2.
Some Bible scholars interpret these
verses in a way to represent them as God’s excusing of the sins of infants who
have yet reached an age to profess Christ.
Though God’s mercy may extend to infants this is not what Paul is
teaching. The context is clear that he
is speaking of all men from Adam to Moses.
It is also not saying that no sin is imputed these men, but as we said
the sin known to them in their hearts, consciences, and thoughts as revealed in
Creation.
Scripture: Romans 2:14; 15; 5:13, 14.