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romans Chapters 1 - 5.

1. THE COURT HOUSE OF GOD …….
 Here we see GOD’S WRATH, 
His condemnation and the miracle of Justification is explained.

                                        
            romans CHAPTER TWO….

NOTE:

The first verses of chapter two are often used to teach the false doctrine that the Church of God must not judge heresy or apostate teachers and groups.

The idea about judging in this instance being wrong, and being “intolerant” in so doing is then foisted upon the unwary.

But, the first discussion in Romans chapter two, 2:1-16,  is about hypocrisy, about judging others when the person is doing the same thing themselves (see below).  The Bible clearly teaches that the Church of God must judge false doctrine and teachers, it is a part of the duty of the Church.

 These passages on judging are informative: 

Matthew 7:1,2  about hypocrites;
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

John 7:24 about not judging by appearances, but being a righteous judge;
24 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 about Christians judging those who are in assemblies;
11“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  12. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?  13. But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. ”

1 Corinthians 6:2-5 about judging believers, not going to secular courts with problems.
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? “ 

We have the right and duty to expose and judge false teachers

Matt. 3:7; 
7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” 

Matt. 23:23-24; 
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  [Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. “ 

Rev. 2:14,15. “Mark” them, to take note and reveal them. 
“14. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.  15. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” 

Romans 16:17; 
17. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”

Titus 1:13; 
13. “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;” 

Titus 1:9; 
9. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” 

Ephesians 5:11. “Reprove” means census, condemn, find fault, rebuke and refute. We are to reject the heretic against God’s Truth after the first and second admonition – 
11. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].” 

Titus 3:10. 
10. “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Is God teaching us intolerance? Or righteous action?” 

cf. attached article “Is it right to Judge”…..

THE COURT ROOM OF THE LORD. 

The last verses of chapter one lead straight into chapter two.

We have seen in Romans 1 that people in the world of sinners, across the board, are filled with unrighteous acts, even though what is clearly seen about God is all around them in nature. The unrighteous acts are outlined for us in 1:29-32. People actually know the seriousness of these crimes against GOD, but continue in them.

There is a jury evaluating them, made up of: 

THE LAW OF GOD (2:12) and the DEEDS OF HUMAN BEINGS (2:6).

WHAT IS PEOPLE’S DEFENSE?  

We see it being set forth in chapter one and two. Let’s look at this defense: 

***The heathen, or pagan. (1:18-32).

Their plea is “I should be acquitted on the grounds of ignorance.”

God says: “ALL men have the witness of nature and their own conscience.”

This is shown in the Bible in other passages. See Isaiah 40:26; 

Psalm 8:3; 3
3. ”When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Psalm 19:1-3;
1.  “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2.  “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.”
3.  “[There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.”

Acts 14:17;
17 “Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Acts 17:29;
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

God will never pour out His wrath on those who have no light at all!!! 

***The hypocrite (2:1-16). 

Their plea is “I should be acquitted on the grounds of comparing me with other people. And I am not as bad as a pagan out in the jungle!”
God says: “You do the same awful things that everyone does who is an unconverted sinner, you are just a bit more refined than the heathen.” (11 Samuel Chapters 11;12). 

God knows all about we sinners, and we cannot fool Him. He knows our very thoughts and words (Psalm 139:1,2,4, 23, 24). And He knows the past, present and future of our lives (Acts 15:18). 

The foolish despise God’s mercy and desire to see them saved! (2:4). People can assume that their morality will save them from judgment by God. But with God there is no escape this way (Hebrews 2:3). 

***The Hebrew, the Jew. This can stand for any who are religious, and defend themselves by this, and demand that they should be acquitted. See these people in 2:17-3:8. The Hebrew, or religious person, says, “I should be acquitted because I go to church, teach the Bible and know God’s Law.” The plea is turned down for God says in Romans and elsewhere, “You do not (and  indeed cannot) practice what you preach!” 

In Romans 2 God shows how religion and Judaism cannot save anyone. For the Jew, the religious man of Jesus’ day,  law cannot save him, his circumcision cannot save him and his birth cannot save him. NO member of the Jewish race can be saved because he/she is a Jew. Not by PLACE, FACE OR RACE – only by GRACE are we saved. See John 8:39,44. 

The book of Romans, then, in the beginning chapters, is like a court room.  

The Judge Who presiding over events is the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 5:22; Acts 17:31).

The charge is HIGH TREASON against the Creator and Ruler of the Universe (3:23).

The defendants are the pagan person, the hypocrite who says he is moral and the religious person. The indictment against them is seen in chapter one. The verdict against them on the ground of acquittal by means of ignorance, morality or religion is shown in Romans 3:9-20. Then the book of Romans leads into the only way to be saved, as first shown in 1:16,17. FAITH IS THE ACT OF THE HEART. God saves us Himself, as we have faith in His provision, from the Punishment of sin, the Power of sin and will save us one day from the very Presence of sin. 

God’s GRACE is “unmerited favor.” It is the outpouring of God’s love and compassion on the undeserving, which began even before we repented. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. His forgiveness was there for us to receive before we repented, but we could not receive His reconciliation until we repented. Some people say, “if she comes to me and asks for forgiveness, then I will forgive her.” But this is wrong if we are to have the God-kind of love and grace. We must forgive like Him, even before people say they are sorry.

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