1. New Testament Exegesis
Looking at Romans 2,3
New Testament Exegesis
Exegesis means explanation or translation

2. New Testament Exegesis
Introduction
In 2:1-16 Paul turns from a general view of depraved Gentile society to the Roman church itself, to people who think themselves moral.
In 2:17-3:8 he examines the claims of self-confident Jews.
In 3:9-20 he considers the whole human race.
New Testament Exegesis

3. 1. God’s judgement is inescapable
2:1-4
Not all are described by chapter 1: what about moral people ?
The tendency to judge (diagnose versus lead to the cure)
The hypocrisy of the double standard
The appeal to God’s character
God’s kindness leads to METANOIA
METANOIA = True Repentance
New Testament Exegesis

4. 2. God’s judgement is righteous
2:5-11
Refusal to repent makes judgement more inescapable
Even though justification is by faith, judgement is by works
Judgement is public
Trouble, distress…or glory and peace?
New Testament Exegesis

5. 3.God’s judgement is impartial
2:12-16
No favouritism between Jew and Gentile
The requirements of the law are written on human hearts
Judged according to the light received
New Testament Exegesis

6. God’s judgement and law
The law is a basis of judgement
The law is a basis of Christian mission!
In evangelism, their conscience is on your side… you can bypass the intellect and arguments and activate the truth they already know
Every society has its codes of ethics.
New Testament Exegesis

7. What about the claims of moral Jews?
The LAW (2:17-24)
CIRCUMCISION (2:25-29)
Jewish objections (3:1-8)
(Is Paul thinking of his own unconverted ideas as a Pharisee?)
“This undermines the covenant”
“This nullifies God’s faithfulness”
“This impugns God’s justice”
New Testament Exegesis

8. New Testament Exegesis
The whole human race
3:9-20
The unrighteousness of the world
The hypocrisy of moralists
The false confidence of Jews
Now…”Are we any better?”
Paul personifies Sin - a tyrant
New Testament Exegesis

9. “The scriptures bear witness…”
Seven OT quotations
The ungodliness of sin
The pervasiveness of sin
The universality of sin
V19 The defendant is speechless against the weight of evidence
New Testament Exegesis

10. New Testament Exegesis
Works of the law?
E.P.Sanders/ JDG Dunn’s “new perspective”: the ritual law as a boundary?
Ziesler’s alternative: “ popular perversion of the law”?
Luther’s thesis (Stott): any kind of self-salvation through works
New Testament Exegesis

11. New Testament Exegesis
Luther
“The principal point of the law…is to make men not better but worse; that is to say: it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace and so come to that Blessed Seed.”
New Testament Exegesis

12. The Law is known by the conscience…
Click to start
Wake-Up Call – from
New Testament Exegesis