Some Key Words (6/19/00-6/20/00)

Advantage (perissos [4053]):

abundant, excellent, extraordinary, prerogative, privilege; exceeding some measure, rank, or need, over and above, more than is necessary, supremely, much more than, more plainly, superior, surpassing, uncommon, more excellent; superior, excessive, preeminent

Entrusted (pisteuo [4100]):

to believe, to give credit to, to have a mental persuasion, to be of opinion, to be entrusted, to believe in Christ; to be persuaded of, to place confidence in, conviction of truth, trust in Jesus or God, acknowledgement of a fact, intellectual faith, to entrust to one, to be entrusted with something; to have faith, credit, entrust

Oracles (logion [3051]):

sentence, declaration, the utterances of the gods, the declaration of God, the historical manifestations of His Word; a brief utterance, a divine oracle, the words of God, the content of the Mosaic law; an utterance

Unbelief (apistia [570]):

faithlessness, uncertainty, distrust, unbelief, lack of acknowledgment, want of confidence, lack of trust in God's promise; faithlessness, unbelief, weakness of faith; disbelief, disobedience

Nullify (katargeo [2673]):

to be extremely idle, to make to cease, more than simple hindering or resting, unfruitful, to make void, do away with, put an end to, a complete non-temporary ceasing; to render idle or inoperative, to cause to have no further efficiency, to deprive of force, influence, or power, to put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish, to cease, pass away, be done away, to be separated from, loosed from anyone, to terminate all intercourse with one; to be or to render entirely idle and useless

Faithfulness (pistis [4102]):

to persuade, being persuaded, faith, belief - implying knowledge, assent, and confidence in divine truth, fidelity, faithfulness, assurance, proof; conviction of the truth, fidelity, the character of one who can be relied on; persuasion, credence, reliance upon Christ, constancy

Unrighteousness (adikia [93]):

not justice, what ought not to be, that which is wrong, injustice, in opposition to truth; unrighteousness of heart and life, a deed violating the law; legal injustice in quality or act, moral wrongfulness of character, life or act

Righteousness (dikaiosune [1343]):

the essence of that which is just, which fulfills the claims of righteous justice - which is God's claims, conformity to higher authority, God's standard; the state of one who is as he ought to be, the condition acceptable to God, the doctrine of attaining to God's approval, integrity, virtue, purity of life, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting, justice, the giving to each his due; equity of character

Inflicts (epiphero [2018]):

to bring upon, bring forward in accusation, to lay upon, inflict, to add to, increase, to put upon, impose; to bear upon, adduce, accuse, inflict

Wrath (orge [3709]):

anger as a state of mind, to desire with grief, the desire to punish those who have hurt by their wrong, the anger or its effect, punishment; anger, temper, agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, indignation, punishment; desire, a reaching forth of the mind, violent passion, ire, justifiable abhorrence

Human (anthropos [44]):

man - as distinct from gods or animals, sinful man, - as opposed to god, 'upward looking'; a human being, a human being - taking note of his weakness, his contemptible and pitiful state; 'man faced', a human being

Terms (kata [2596]):

down from, down upon, motion from a higher to a lower place, upon, through, of, that towards which a thing aims, in respect to, near to, within, during; throughout, according to, along; down in place or time

Judge (krino [2919]):

to divide, separate, make a distinction, decide, try in a judicial manner, pass sentence, give opinion, discern, form an opinion, esteem, determine, condemn, to furnish condemning evidence; to put asunder, pick out, choose, approve, prefer, be of opinion, think, resolve, decree, judge, rule, contend together, dispute, go to law; to distinguish, decide, try, condemn, punish

Lie (pseusma [5582]):

falsehood, lie, breaking faith with God by sinning; a fabrication

Truth (aletheia [225]):

the unveiled reality, the essence, the clear reality before us, truth as opposed to falsehood, or as opposed to types and symbols, integrity; what is true, reality, factual, certain, the truth of God and Christian faith, candor, freedom from affectation or pretence; truth

Abounded (perisseuo [4052]):

to exceed a fixed measure, left over, to be over, remain, to be in abundance, to be great, that which overflows, to one's lot in large measure, to turn out abundantly for, to abound, have in abundance, to be pre-eminent, excel, exceed, to furnish richly, make abundant or excellent; to super-abound in quantity or quality, be in excess, be superfluous, to cause to abound or excel

Glory (doxa [1391]):

reputation, appearance, glory, honor, renown; an opinion, judgement, or view, an estimate concerning someone leading to a good opinion, resulting in praise, honor, and glory, splendor, brightness, magnificence, majesty, a most glorious condition, a most exalted state; very apparent glory

Sinner (hamartolos [268]):

a sinner, a habitual sinner; devoted to sin, preeminently sinful; sinful, a sinner

Evil (kakos [2556]):

wicked, one that is evil, and puts others in trouble, one who retreats in battle, not necessarily malicious but content in corruption; of a bad nature, not as it ought to be, wrong thinking, feeling, and acting, troublesome, injurious, destructive, baneful; worthless, depraved, injurious

Good (agathos [18]):

good and benevolent, profitable, useful; of good constitution or nature, useful, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, honorable; good in any sense

 

Paraphrase: (6/19/00)

1 If this be so, what remains special to the Jew? What purpose was served by circumcision? 2 Their is much left that is most wonderful. Chief among them is the very fact that they were entrusted to preserve and proclaim the Word of God. 3 But so many chose unbelief! Is it possible that their unbelief could overcome and undo God's works of faithfulness? 4 Not a chance! Surely, God will continue to be seen to be true, even if every man is seen to be a liar. It is written in Scripture, "That You [God] may be just in Your words, and found in the right by any who would judge You." 5 But if His righteousness is more clearly seen when contrasted with our sinfulness, is He not unjust to judge us? (I offer the human view, here.) 6 No way! How would God be able to judge the world, if He Himself were unjust? 7 But if my lying caused God's truth to be the more evident - which is to His glory - why would He still judge me a sinner? 8 And why not promote the idea that we might as well go on in evil doing so that more good may come? Indeed, some make the lying claim that this is exactly the message I bring. God's judgement against them is a just one.

Key Verse: (6/19/00)

3:4 - No matter what questions we may have about it, no matter what excuses we may try and make for ourselves, no matter how little we understand His ways, He is right and just and true.

People Mentioned: (6/20/04)

N/A

Some Parallel Verses (6/20/00-6/21/00)

3:1
3:2

Dt 4:8 - No other nation has anything as righteous as the Law of Moses which was given to Israel. Ps 147:19 - God declared His laws to Israel. Ro 9:4 - The covenants and the Law belong to the Jews. Ac 7:38 - Moses received living oracles from God, and passed them on to Israel.

3:3

Ro 10:16 - Isaiah noted that many did not heed the words of God's oracles. Heb 4:2 - The good news is not truly heard until united with faith in the hearer.

3:4

Lk 20:16 - On hearing the parable of the vineyard, the Jews exclaimed, "May it never be!" Ro 3:31 - This is also Paul's answer to those who think faith has ended the Law completely. Ps 116:11 - In the alarm of affliction, we finally realize that all men are liars, and God remains true. Ps 51:4 - God is justified when He speaks judgement, for all sin is sin against Him.

3:5

Ro 5:8 - God demonstrates His love in the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. 2Co 6:4 - We are to demonstrate by all our actions that we are servants of God, the moreso in afflictions. 2Co 7:11 - Godly sorrow produces an earnest repentance, which in turn demonstrates our innocence. [this is a difficult section.] Ro 6:19 - Paul speaks the viewpoint of man, because his hearers are yet weak in faith. 1Co 9:8 - In discussing apostolic rights, Paul's argument is not strictly man's viewpoint, but the viewpoint of Scripture. 1Co 15:32 - Martyrdom for man's viewpoint is worthless death. Gal 3:15 - The seriousness of the covenants of God are explicable by looking at those covenants that are between men, for even these are not set aside or modified.

3:6

Ro 2:16 - God will judge men through Christ.

3:7

Ro 9:19 - If God's will is insurmountable, then how are we considered in the wrong when we sin? Was it not His will?

3:8

Ro 6:1 - Should we continue to sin so that His grace can be shown?

 

New Thoughts (6/21/00)

(6/19/00) God had faith in Israel to protect and cherish His word!

(6/21/00) Many difficult questions are raised in this section of Scripture, some of which we may never find answered satisfactorily in this life. A few questions we asked in starting to look at the verses: How else has Israel been shown extraordinary, what other privilege have they been given over those of us who have come to God later? We see that they are the only nation that has been so directly watched over by God. Certainly, other nations have laid claim to God's special providence, but I don't think He has shown Himself so undeniably, and so clearly in any other case than Israel's. They also remain the ones through whom all the nations shall be blessed. That is an awesome privilege. And, as Paul notes elsewhere, it is through them that Christ came that all could be saved. This, too, is an awesome privilege.

I also wanted to look inward, and see the ways that I, personally, have been trying to squirm out from under my own just conviction, the ways I have tried to justify my actions. How often have I simply said "I can't help myself?" Or, how often tried to claim that by my wrongdoing, I was easing another's burden? How many ways have I been guilty of declaring Corban things I really was doing simply because I wanted to? Oh, Lord! How I have mangled Your ways for my own ends! How I have polluted the very worship I claim to help lead. Bring me, oh Lord, to the place of truth. Keep me mindful, oh God, that my best excuses remain no excuses at all. Lord, I can't help myself. That's true enough. But, You never expected me to help myself. You expect me to call on You, to allow Your strength to keep me standing firm. Instead, I always seem to give in at the first opportunity. God, bring the change. By Your hand, make of me a pillar of truth. Wash me clean of my besetting sins, oh God: the pride, the lust, the willfulness. God, it's time.

As to the question of providence vs. free will, of how we can be guilty if He controls it all, I don't know that I can ever expect to fully understand. That is a study in itself, and needs to be looked at long and hard in the light of Scripture, and in the light of better minds than mine. In seeking answer, I'll need to be careful to allow all the facets to speak, and not answer myself by reading only to my bias. Lord, I do thank You for Your providence. I thank You that Your hand is active in my life. I thank You that You speak to me even in times that I don't realize it's You. I thank You that - though You have allowed me the freedom to make mistakes - You have always protected me from harm, have always drawn me back. I thank You for the changes I see in myself, for they show me that You are here, that You are real, and that You have called me Your own. And, I see in Your Word that I can rest secure, knowing that You have so called me. Be exalted, Oh God! Help me, even tonight, to come to a higher place of worship, to set myself aside and let You play through.