Judge not
Yeshua (Jesus) in His Sermon on the Mount, made it a point to encourage His followers to not judge one another.
- MATTHEW 7:1-5 NRSV Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbors eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.
We should note here that it was ok for them to go ahead and work to remove the speck out of their brother's eye once they had first gotten rid of the log that was in their own eye. Evidently, Yeshua wasn't forbidding them from judging all together, but rather He was only denouncing them judging hypocritically.
We can have confidence that this is what He intended, because a short time later in the same chapter of MATTHEW Yeshua instructed them to beware of false prophets (15). He revealed to them that the way they were going to know whether or not the prophets were false was by their fruits (16). Of course this would require them to observe the prophets actions and then measure them so as to determine if their fruits were good or evil, thorns or thistles. This is in essence exactly what it means to judge.
Apparently Yeshua was not instructing His listeners to never judge, but rather they were not to judge hypocritically. They were not to try to remove a splinter from their brother's eye when all along they had a log in their own eye. He even said as much in a later discourse.
- JOHN 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Thus, He evidently expected them to judge, but their judgment would need to be a righteous judgment. How can one exist in society if he never judges anything? To live and work and love we must be able to judge. Yeshua had already expounded upon this a little earlier.
- JOHN 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
So if one if judging righteously, if he is judging according to the will of GOD, then his judgement is allowed. But if he is judging unrighteously, if he is judging hypocritically, then he is wrong. Another important passage dealing with judging is in Paul's epistle to the Romans.
- ROMANS 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Paul was evidently reproving them for judging others while being guilty themselves of the vey same sins. But to what sin was he alluding? What were these same things of which he wrote? We have been taught that he was accusing them of all or at least some of the sins which he had just alluded to in the verses which had immediately proceeded this one (1:22-32), but that then makes this passage very confusing. Are we to accept the idea that some of Paul's readers, those in the fellowships in Rome, were even then haters of GOD (1:30) and worthy of death (1:32)?
To sort this out we must first consider the overall purpose of ROMANS. As was touched upon in previous Study (No Condemnation), ROMANS was not, as many suppose and teach, the foundational epistle for the early Church. It was not where Paul was laying the groundwork for his doctrine, reproof and correction.
Rather, the epistle of ROMANS was sent to a Church which had probably been founded long before (ACTS 2:10), but now they had evidently moved away from the truth into varying and contentious and divisive sects. Briefly summarizing what was put forth in that Study, the epistle addressed three different Christian groups; first there were the liberated Gentile converts, secondly there was the religiously devout Jews, and thirdly those who wavered between the other two groups. In the epistle they were called the strong in faith (15:1), the weak in faith (14:1-2), and the doubters (14:23).
The strong in faith were for the most part Gentiles who as pagans or proselytes had converted to Christianity. They had previously been the vessels of wrath (9:22), a foolish nation (10:19), separated from the love of GOD, but now they had been grafted into the spiritual olive tree (11:17) to partake with the Jewish believers of the goodness of GOD. But evidently, since the time of their salvation many had become proud and boastful over their Jewish brethren. We can have confidence that this is so because Paul admonished them to "boast not" (11:18) and "be not high-minded" (11:20), lest they be cut off from the grace of GOD (11:22).
They had been boasting against and even despising those whom Paul called the weak in faith (14:3). These were termed weak because they zealously held on to the Mosaic Law (10:2-3). These believed that one could only be saved if he had observed circumcision and an assortment of the other commandments. As such, they themselves were openly disparaging the Gentile believers because they had discarded the Law, who in turn freely ridiculed them because they held fast to the oracles of GOD (3:2).
But just like the Gentile believers, the religious Jews were also boasting; not because they were Christians but rather because they were devoted to the Mosaic Law (2:17). They viewed themselves as "guides to the blind" and "lights to those which were in darkness" (2:19), instructors of the foolish and teachers of babes (2:20).
All of this has been succinctly set forth by Paul S. Minear in his work, The Obedience of Faith from which we quote below.
- Another term had become polluted in their partisan wrangling: faith. The strong used it as a basis for self-righteousness and boasting; their adversaries measured its existence by observance of diets and days. Each group assumed that it could measure the other's faith, and each was forced by measurements to refuse to associate with the other. They denied Paul's premiss that faith is a matter solely between a man and God (14.22) and therefore a matter not open to social judgment (14.10). But Paul insisted that God alone knows the degree of faith. Here, as everywhere in the letter, Paul repudiated the understanding of faith which was held by the partisans. Yet his conception of faith was such as was to establish common ground with the whole range of believers, from the most scrupulous Jew to the most emancipated Gentile. At the onset he announced his determination to construct his argument on that foundation. He was thankful for faith's presence in the Roman brothers (1.8). He viewed his whole task as an apostle as being designed to produce the obedience of faith (1.5). Therefore he wished to strengthen their faith (1.12). This constellation of convictions is repeated in ch. 14, where God's power is also set over against the prejudices of the antagonists (14.4, 7-9), and where salvation was assured to everyone who had faith, to all who gave thanks to God, who honoured the Lord, whose death and resurrection had (as in 1.3-5) given him power over the dead and the living, over all who 'belong to him' (cf. 1.6 and 14.8). [from page 40-41]
And so in this epistle Paul endeavored to demonstrated to each of them, Jews and Gentiles, that they were measuring each other unjustly. He began by reminding them that they had all been saved by believing the gospel.
- ROMANS 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth [pisteuo]; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith [pistis] to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
To believe is to sow the seeds of faith. The two words, believe and faith are for the most part synonymous. Believe is the verb and faith is the noun. Believing the gospel, believing the words of Christ is how one comes to have faith (10:16-17). And faith is what separates the believer from the unbeliever. According to Paul's passage in this first chapter, faith is what made possible their salvation, and their righteousness and their eternal life.
We should note that the scripture from which Paul quoted here was originally written concerning the exiled Israelites and the predicted overthrow of their Chaldean captors of the first chapter.
- HABAKKUK 2:4 NRSV Look at the proud [the Chaldeans]! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous [the believers] live by their faith.
In the passage from which Paul quoted, it was stated that these unbelievers were proud, just like some of those in Paul's letter to the Romans. Howbeit, the believers had faith, which is well defined as "a steadfast adherence to GOD in true-hearted obedience" (Crawford Howell Toy's Quotations in the New Testament, page 127).
Paul's readers may have noticed the subtle connection of the passage from HABAKKUK with Paul's letter concerning the pride of their own actions. They may have recognized that in HABAKKUK the prideful were to be destroyed while those who had faith were to live. This was the exact and important point which Paul was to make time and again throughout this epistle.
After debunking their false sense of pride by declaring that all were saved by faith, Paul then immediately entered upon a discourse of some very grievous sins which he concluded were deserving of death (1:32). But what was his purpose in so doing? Surely he was not accusing the Roman believers of committing these coarse sins? Surely he was not suggesting that they were ungodly (1:18), having a reprobate mind (1:28), and being without understanding (1:31). It's a strange notion for us to suppose that these believers were living such a sordid and evil life.
Are we to understand that the Roman believers, of whom Paul had just written that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world (1:8), were presently committing these ghastly sins? Was Paul expecting to be comforted by their mutual faith (1:12) if they were currently wicked and covetous, full of envy, murder, and haters of GOD? Not likely.
Rather, we must consider the possibility that he had another motive in view here. Perhaps he was instead reminding them that this is from where they came. This was the lifestyle from which they as Gentiles were rescued by the grace of GOD. This was the depth of depravation to which they had become accustomed, but from which now they were saved, after having believed the gospel.
If this was indeed his intent, then our verse in question takes on a whole new meaning, and then begins to make a lot more sense.
- ROMANS 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
To paraphrase, he in essence would have been asking, "Have you Gentile believers forgotten that it was the goodness of GOD that led you to repentance (2:4)? Have you forgotten that you were saved by the grace of GOD, as were also your Jewish brethren? And yet you are hypocritically judging your brethren for their adherence to the Mosaic Law. Beware, because if your heart remains hard and impenitent, then the righteous judgment of GOD will require HIS wrath (2:5-6).
It's doubtful that Paul would have been chastising his readers in this passage for their "vile affections" (1:26) or for their "reprobate minds" (1:28), or for "being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful" (1:29-31). These were the sins of their former lives. Rather, he was reminding them that they had their own failings to be ashamed of. As such, he was very likely reproving them instead for hypocritically and unrighteously judging their Jewish brethren.
Surely we are not to understand that those who were judging the sinners of the first chapter were themselves guilty of these very sins? But having conveniently forgotten that they themselves were saved by grace, they were now committing the same sin; condemning their Jewish brethren for not being willing to cut themselves loose from the Mosaic Law. These Gentile believers had evidently forgotten that had not GOD freely offered them the gospel to believe, that they themselves would still be wallowing in the filth of their previous lifestyle.
If that was indeed what Paul was intending in this passage, then the "same things" would have been the same hypocritical judgments, the same unjust and unrighteous condemnations, which their Jewish brethren had leveled at them. Both groups, both factions had been ridiculing and despising each other (14:3-9). Each had been accusing and condemning their brethren of being separate from the love of GOD (8:1-6). Each thought themselves to be the ones who were endowed with the truth. But actually, each group was guilty suppressing the truth, which was that they were all saved by the grace of GOD.
In this case, the inexcusable of 2:1 could probably be linked directly back with the without excuse of 1:20. Both renderings in the KJV are from the same Greek word, anapologetos, which incidentally are the only two occurrences of this word in the Christian scriptures (the New Testament). We would then be able to simply pass over the intermediate and parenthetical verses when we read, thus going directly from 1:20 to 2:1.
- ROMANS 1:16-2:1
- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
- For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
- For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
- For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse [anapologetos] . . . .
- Therefore thou art inexcusable [anapologetos], O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Their judgment and condemnation of their brethren was their sin, not the base grovelings of their previous life. They were unjustly judging one another for how they viewed salvation, and in that judgment they were condemning themselves. But the judgement of GOD is according to truth, and he who judges another unrighteously, shall not escape the judgment of GOD (MATTHEW 7:2).
Paul then asked them in verse four, "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" GOD had great patience for you to believe the gospel. HE suffered long your unbelief, and faithfully led you to salvation through HIS goodness. And yet you are freely despising that goodness and contrary to the gospel are casting stones at your jewish brethren.
Then he warns them, stating, "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds". If you insist on this prideful and arrogant behavior, then you will be aptly rewarded at the great judgment day (14:10). That is the unfortunate treasure you are laying up for yourselves (MATTHEW 6:19).
- ROMANS 2:7-11 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God.
You Gentiles may think that you have respect from GOD because you acknowledge Yeshua as Lord and Savior; but if you are hypocritically judging your brethren, then you are thinking carnally, and whosoever is thinking carnally cannot be pleasing to GOD (8:1-8). Instead, you will be judged by your works. For those continually doing good, they will find glory and honor and eternal life. But for those who insist on doing evil, whether Jews or Gentiles, there will be tribulation and anguish.
The context in chapter two was un-righteously judging their brethren. As such, the well doing of 2:7 was no doubt when they ceased from holding hypocritical opinions towards the other believers, while the contentious of 2:8 were those who were stirring up strife by unrighteously judging their brethren. Those who in the second chapter were doing evil were those, Jews and Gentiles, who were causing divisions (16:17) in the Church by unjustly judging their brethren about the means for salvation. The Jewish Christians were saying that one had to hold in high esteem the Mosaic Law while the Gentile believers scoffed at that idea and ridiculed and despised the Jewish believers for their weak adherence to the rules and regulation of that Law.
Those who were "continuing in well doing" (2:7) were those who were "kindly affectioned one to another" (12:10), were "given to hospitality" (12:13), were living peaceably with one another (12:18) and were fulfilling the law by loving each other (13:8-10). But those who were doing evil (2:9) were those who were hypocritically judging their brethren. The evil and the good of the second chapter was concerning un-righteous judgments about how one was to be saved, and not about committing the multitude of sins which were listed in the first chapter.
According to Vine's Dictionary, the definition of the word translated contentious (2:8), is that it
- denotes "ambition, self-seeking, rivalry," self-will being the underlying idea of the word; hence it denotes "party-making." It is derived, not from eris, "strife," but from erithos, "a hireling"; hence the meaning of "seeking to win followers".
Thus we can see that one who is sowing discord among the brethren by throwing out false dispersions to discredit and disrespect others so as to further their own agenda is nicely set in this context. This is in essence suppressing the truth that all believers were saved by faith (1:18).
Next Paul takes aim at his Jewish brethren for likewise hypocritically judging their fellow believers on the other side of the isle.
- ROMANS 2:17-20 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
This sounds like a pretty impressive resume', until we see that Paul is just luring them into his snare. But this was exactly how they thought of themselves, for the most part. They had no time to bother with these Gentile converts, or share fellowship with them, for they, the devout Jews, were HIS people (11:1). Yahweh was their GOD and circumcision was their coveted observance. Unto them were committed the oracles of GOD (3:2). As such, Yeshua was sent unto the Jew, not the Gentile (15:8). They, the Jewish Christians, were the called. They were the chosen nation. They were the true branches, while these Gentiles were only lately grafted into that holy tree (11:18).
And so Paul went about slaying each of their gross misconceptions. Their religion preached that a man should not steal, yet Yeshua accused those in Jerusalem of making the Temple a den of thieves (MATTHEW 21:13). Their religion had said that a man should not commit adultery, yet Yeshua warned them that "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (MATTHEW 5:28). They had made it legal for a man to divorce his wife, yet Yeshua had warned them that "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery" (MATTHEW 19:9).
Your religion abhorrest idols, but don't you yourselves commit sacrilege? Barrett notes that even though the RV has "Dost thou rob temples" here, "the word is conclusively proved by inscriptions and papyri to have a wider meaning", thus he renders it commit sacrilege. Then he further comments on this passage, writing,
- The Jew regards an idol with horror because it claims a devotion to which only the true God is entitled; but when he exalts himself as judge and lord over his fellow-creatures he renders this devotion to- himself!
And this was exactly Paul's important point in his disortation. The Jews, as well as the Gentiles, each thought that they possessed the truth for salvation and for a true and vital relationship with the Heavenly Father; yet both were wholly missing the boat, so to speak. They had completely lost the true scent.
Then Paul removes his mask and exortiates their hypocrisy by declaring, "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you . . . ." (2:24). They had thought that they were teachers, and lights, and guides, but Paul declared that instead they were only hypocrites, suppressing the truth. They loudly boasted of their observance of the Law, yet Yeshua taught that "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven" (MATTHEW 5:19). Then Paul anticipated their protest, "But we are the circumcised!"
- ROMANS 2:24-25 . . . . it is written, For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
This was a body blow from which they would not easily recover. Paul was stripping away all upon which they had built their holy traditions. He was dismantling their entire religious edifice. They were guilty. Un-repentant and un-righteous. According to Paul they were, uncircumcised! Theirs was a hypocrisy in its most brutal form.
That their generation was indeed this evil, was pronounced by Yeshua Himself.
- MATTHEW 23:34-36 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
The Historian Josephus wrote during this first century and also attested to their great sin. He called his own generation the most ungodly of all, and said that earthquake and lightning must have destroyed them if the Romans had not come (page 594, The Life and Work of St. Paul, by F. W. Farrar). And yet to the very end they thought that they were a righteous and holy nation.
This understanding might also explain for us the apparent contradiction between what Paul wrote in 2:9-10 where he intimated that good works could save you, and then what he later wrote in the next chapter about none being righteous by the deeds of the law (3:20).
In chapter three when Paul quoted the numerous passages from the Jewish Bible (the Old Testament) it was for the purpose of admonishing his Jewish brethren for them thinking that they were better then their fellow Christians who happened to by of Gentile origin.
- ROMANS 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.
He had in the first chapter exposed the many sins from which the Gentile Christians had been rescued, then in the second chapter he admonished the Jewish Christians for the sins which they had committed, and of which they too had been delivered.
- ROMANS 2:17-23 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
- Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
There is perhaps a lesson here for us today. We might in disbelief shake our heads concerning the sins we see all around us, but let s not forget that that is where we came from. Before the gospel, before GOD reached down and touched us, and spoke truth into our ears, we were probably no less guilty then many today.
Then Paul turns his eyes to the Jewish believers, to those individuals who had grown up with the scriptures and maybe had avoided all of the destructive sins which he had just enumerated upon.
....where is boasting then (3:27)
Formally they were They had separated themselves into little units where some were boasting of their faith (3:27; 11:18), while others were condemning and despising their brethren (14:1,3,4). So Paul asked them, "Why
It is nearly impossible for the student to reap the riches of Paul's epistle to the Romans unless he first understands for what purpose was Paul writing. The apostle was not, as many have supposed and taught, setting forth foundational truths for the Christian Church. Rather, he was confronting the previous sin of judging one another. He was beseeching and encouraging them to quit condemning one another for how they chose to live their lives. He was in essence asking, How can you seek to remove the mote in your brother's eye when their is a beam in your own eye?
This message may be as relevant for us today as it was for Paul's readers in the first century. GOD purposefully made us different in countless ways, yet we are commanded to be at peace with one another. Some like country music, some like rock which others like rap. Some enjoy country living while others thrive in the city. Some are Methodist, some Catholics, others atheist and others Muslims or Budists. Some of us like to read, others would rather watch or play sports.
Some prefer fish while others like meat and potatoes. Some are Republicans, others Liberals, others Independents and others Libertarians. It's noteworthy when we consider just how different and diversified we really are. Some love and devote themselves to their pets while others abhor the furry critters. Some are introverts and some are extroverts.
It seems pretty obvious that the Creator bad these distinctions within us. For the simple reason that this age us the opportunity to look past our differences and love and forgive one another.
We must be able to judge. The way is if we judge righteously. If we judge with love.
One of the most central points upon which GOD's message to mankind revolves is what we call the Good News, which is often referred to in the scriptures as The Gospel. The idea of preaching this gospel is derived from the Greek word euangelizo, where its first usage in the Christian scriptures (the New Testament) is most enlightening.
- MATTHEW 11:4-6 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached [euangelizo] to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
John had asked if Yeshua (Jesus) was indeed the one who should come, or were they to still look for another (verse 3)? If we consider something which the apostle Paul had written in his epistle to the Roman believers, then this first usage of euangelizo in MATTHEW becomes quite interesting.
- ROMANS 10:13-16 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel [euangelizo] of peace, and bring glad tidings [euangelizo] of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
Paul is quoting here a couple of passages from ISAIAH, where the prophet saw in Jerusalem's future a day in which it would be announced that the City's days of despair and destruction were coming to an end. He saw many of the captive Israelites returning to the Land of Promise, with their arrival being heralded from hill top to hill top, alerting the inhabitants of Jerusalem of their glorious return. Those were the feet that were bringing glad tidings.
The returning of the exiles was definitely good news. That was certainly the deliverance of which they had longed for, for many years. Howbeit, that was also the message which some of them could not have ever believed would ever happen, not recognizing the willingness or ability of the LORD to bring it to pass. And so Isaiah stated, Who hath believed our report?
And so in Paul's day history was almost repeating itself all over again. Now again the good news was being announced to that same fallen nation by a whole new set of preachers. They were heralding the message that GOD was going to redeem (ROMANS 8:23) them and return them to HIS favor. They were being told that if they would only believe the good news, then they too could see that salvation (ROMANS 10:1) which awaited them there in HIS kingdom.
- ISAIAH 52:7-9 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
- Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
In Isaiah's vision the watchmen had been watching. Now they see a multitude of freed captives from Babylon approaching so as to re-populate and rebuild their fallen and beloved City. We can't easily imagine the thrill they must have felt as that reality descended upon them. GOD's blessing was evidently back. Apparently HIS people were once again to be comforted.
But as Isaiah accurately saw (53:1), and as Paul had instinctively recognized (10:16), many would not believe. Many would not believe what Isaiah had seen in Jerusalem's future, neither would many believe what Paul and the other preachers of the gospel had proclaimed in the first century. Instead, they contented themselves with living for the pleasures and treasures which their vaporous life offered.
Some of them had no faith, or at the most a weak faith (4:19-20; 14:1). And so Paul went on to state, as rendered by The New English Bible, "We conclude that faith is awakened by the message, and the message that awakens it comes through the word of Christ" (verse 17). His Sermon on the Mount, His parables and His teaching and preaching, these are the things which awaken faith.
When Yeshua instructed them to lay up treasures in heaven, to be a slave to GOD rather than to mammon, to seek first and foremost the kingdom of GOD, to enter into the narrow way which leads to life, to build your house upon a rock by first hearing and then doing His commandments.
Paul had already noted in this same epistle that the righteous shall live by faith (1:17). Indeed, the very context of the passages we are considering are set about faith, for Paul had just noted in the previous chapter that the righteousness of GOD was only attained by faith, (9:30-32). Then in this very chapter Paul again stated that the righteousness of GOD is solely acquired by believing (10:3-6).
- ROMANS 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
It was the word which they preached! Believing that word, that message, was how they were to acquire the faith which produced righteousness, and then brought salvation. And so, it was imperative that their faith be awakened. It was essential that they begin again hearing the words of Christ so as to obtain and re-awaken their faith.
Some of Paul's readers at Rome had evidently inspected the empty tomb at the Pentecost celebration many years previous (ACTS 2:10). They had seen the grave wrappings still outlining the vanished body of the Lord. They had inspected the massive stone door which had evidently been flung into the distance. They had heard of the numerous stories of those who had witnessed His resurrection and had seen with their own eyes the cloven tongues of fire which descended upon the disciples.
Then they returned home to Rome and elsewhere, to announce to their friends and neighbors what they had witnessed. They recognized that because of the resurrection, all doubt vanished as to whether or not Yeshua was the promised Messiah. They confessed Him as Lord and believed with absolute confidence that GOD had raised Him from the dead (ROMANS 10:9-10).
But now it would seem as if their faith had grown cold, at least for some of them. Evidently they had begun to judge (ROMANS 2:1; 14:3) and condemn one another (ROMANS 8:1) for whether or not they chose to observe the Church traditions.
It is curious that Isaiah started his chapter with a similar exhortation to awaken, saying "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion". Apparently there must be times when the believer must be awakened. At times he must have his faith shook out of its slumber. Is this not the reproof of which Paul elsewhere about?
For Isaiah the good news was about the captive exiles being released and returned to Jerusalem. It was about comforting those who were mourning and giving beauty for ashes. It was about raising up the former desolations and repairing the wasted cities. It was about them becoming Priests of the LORD and being called Ministers of GOD.
For Paul the good news was about Yeshua, having been Himself freed from the grave, was returning to gather together all of the believers into GOD's kingdom in heaven.
The writer of HEBREWS also wrote of this connection between faith and hearing the gospel.
- HEBREWS 4:1-2 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached [euangelizo], as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
And so John the Baptist had asked, Was Yeshua the one to actually announce this good news of GOD's returned blessing upon their Land, or was there still another coming at some future time?