Father God, thank you for this time that we can spend reading and studying your word, in particular today the book of Romans chapter 3.
Romans 3: 1-2
Romans 2 ended with the following verses:
Romans 2:28-29 in the KJB says,
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
In those verses we learned that the Jews are not saved just because they are Jewish or circumcised. In Romans 1 we learned that the Gentiles are under sin and guilty before God. In Romans two we learned that the Jews are also under sin and are guilty before God. In Romans chapter 3, we will learn that the whole world is under sin and is guilty before God.
Romans chapter 3 verses 1-2 continues on from Romans chapter 2 and says, "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?"
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
So the Jewish people did have a bit of an advantage over Gentiles because they were given the Mosaic law and the "Old Testament" and thus should have learned by now the purpose of the law, which is to show us our sin nature and that we cannot keep the law in our flesh.
**Note: Gentiles now, after nearly 2,000 years of us having a complete Bible and the gospel being shared all around the world, should also understand that no one is saved by trying to keep the law, but that we are saved by grace through faith alone PLUS NOTHING. And yet, so many people in Christendom claim that you DO need to keep the law in order to be saved! Religion is religion. The flesh loves religion!**
But back to the Jews, they had both the conscience that is there in us to teach us that we are sinners if we will only realize that we cannot keep the law of our own conscience, and then they also had the "oracles of God", the written word of God, to also teach and show them that they are sinners and cannot keep God's law in the energy of their flesh. Just having God's law didn't make them righteous, but the keeping of the law. But people cannot keep the law in their own strength, so they needed to have faith in God to save them. What actually occurred throughout Israel's history is that most Jews boasted in their supposedly keeping the law (which wasn't true; the Lord said they modified the law) and thus actually became prideful and boasted in themselves and were actually even more sinful!
And even when the Lord Himself was on the earth during his earthly ministry, Israel was still boasting in themselves and their supposed law-keeping and most of them could not even see that their Messiah had come! Not only did they want nothing to do with the Lord, but they actually vehemently opposed him and in their hatred, they crucified him!
Finally, after they stoned Stephen who was full of the Holy Ghost, (they had officially blasphemed the Holy Ghost as a Nation in Acts 7) God put Israel aside temporarily and began a new program with the Gentiles, the dispensation of grace.
So, "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?"
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
Basically the Jews should have learned the lesson of the law.
Homework: Look over this chapter again and notice when Paul uses the helping words "therefore", "But now", etc. These words can help provide clarity in understanding the chapters messages.
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