Thanks for returning to this series on “Judge Judge Judge” and my feeble attempt to understand a believers responsibility and right to make judgments.
Another purpose of this series hopefully is to understand the believers restriction on judgement.
What can a Christian judge? How is he to judge? What is prohibited in the Christian life to judge. So many questions and concerns.
Our seventh greek word related to judging is…
δικαιοκρισία – dikaiokrisia – righteous judgment
This word is found 1 time in 1 verse within the New Testament. A full listing of all verses may be found below for your self study – ha one verse!
Romans 2:5
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Ok – so this verse is an interesting verse since context lets me think of a couple scenarios.
Let me explain.
The issue in my mind is the identification of the “O man” in verse 1.
Most of my Christian life, I have considered the one Paul refers to as “O man” in Romans 2:1 to be that of the lost person- the one who has no knowledge of God, alienated from God in his works and thoughts.
Consider Paul’s larger context of the book of Roman’s. This is a church that is split down the middle with the Jew and the Gentile being at odds with one another. Consider Chapter 14, for an extended discussion on the two groups and Paul’s concern over their co-existence. The church was experiencing turf wars over food and holidays!
It seems to be a bit of a thing for Paul, a topic that could destroy the work of God, and allow for condemnation to be introduced into the discussion.
Rom 14:20
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.
Rom 14:23
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats,
- Vs 21-23 states
- “They” knew God, but did not honor Him
- Could this be the lost being referred to?
- When did the lost ever know God?
- Could this be the lost being referred to?
- “They” became futile in his thinking
- Could this be the lost being referred to?
- When did the lost “become” futile – they have always lived in futility until salvation is recieved
- Could this be the lost being referred to?
- “Their” foolish heart became darkened
- The heart of the lost is darkened, not became darkened?
- “They” claimed to be wise
- I see this as applicable to the lost. Claiming wisdom seems to be a favorite past time of the lost!
- “They” exchanged the glory of God for images
- This is what got me thinking. When have the “lost” had the glory of God in their possession to exchange? The lost are under condemnation.
- “They” knew God, but did not honor Him
- Vs 24-27 – Paul uses the pronoun “them” through out this passage. Is Paul describing the lost when referring to “them”?
- This is very possible, and yet it could be describing any group of people since the fall also.
- Vs 32 is interesting though
- “They” know God righteous decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die
- Adam performed one act of sin and died. He didn’t practice sin, resulting in death. He experienced death upon his first sin.
- Could the one command “not to eat” be considered God’s righteous decree?
- They give approval to those who practice sin.
- “They” know God righteous decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die
Who is the “they”, the apostle is describing?
Chapter 2 begins with a summary statement about judging. Remember there are no chapter divisions in the original text!
The conclusion of the previous verses is that “they” and “O man”, perform the same sinful actions. So who are the “they”?
Let me ask you a general question. Considering Paul’s audience…
- Who liked to judge others?
- Who knew the judgement of God best?
- Who claimed the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience?
- Who would have the hardest and most impenitent heart in Paul’s thinking?
Check out the following. Paul continues with a passage describing a level playing field. Judgement and glory will not be based on ethnicity! (There may have been some in the church that relied on this thinking!)
The passage describes the factor of judgement as works, not ethnicity.
Rom 2:6 – 11
He will render to each one according to his works:
to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
For God shows no partiality.
As an aside, Jesus and John the Baptist spent oodles of time comparing the dirty gentiles with the self righteous Jews, always lifting those filthy gentiles up, in comparison to the good good Jews.
So, if I am following Paul’s thoughts, “they” are the historic Jewish nation, and “O man” is the Jew in the Roman church.
The Jewish nation knew the righteous decree of God. They exchanged the glory of God for idols. Reread the first chapter, starting in verse 18, and consider.
So why not just say it Paul?
He did a Nathan!
Nathan set King David up by describing an event, and asking for judgement, little knowing that David would be judging himself.
2 Samuel 12:1-7
And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.
Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
David would never have judged himself as harshly as he did that stranger.
The Jewish population within the church, while this passage is being read, are condemning these awful folks, not unlike David, until it is too late and then they realize they are guilty.
Who needed to realize they were sinners like the rest of the church population? Sure they had privilege (chapter 9 – 11) but their heart was in worse shape than their brothers in the Lord.
So long story short, I think “O man” in chapter 2 verse 1 is the Jewish folk in the church, If so, then Paul’s use of the strengthened term for judgement makes sense, since the group that would know the commands, deserved the greatest / most righteous judgement.
Wow – that was a long post.
Judgement shows up a lot in Romans 2, with various Greek words being used. We shall return to this passage in the near future, but for now (or in the near future) when you read Romans, take a fresh look at the first three chapters.
Thanks for joining me in this study. Hope to visit with you in our next post as we look at the Greek term δικαίωμα which is commonly translated righteousness, ordinance, judgment, justification in the New Testament.
Be Blessed.
I look forward to comments and discussion. May the Lord give you an understanding heart and a willing spirit to consider the Bible and all it’s wealth.
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