The Jews’ Need of Salvation (Part 2), The word “salvation” comes from the Greek for “saved.” It is a key part of the story that the Bible tells of God’s plan to deal with sin.
This includes the promise of salvation for all people through Abraham and the redemption of Israel from every form of bondage. But there is a portion of the Jewish people who do not believe.
THE JEWISH ADVANTAGE – ROMANS 3:1-2
In verse 1 of this chapter, Paul answers a typical Jewish objection to his teaching that neither heritage, law, or circumcision will save them from God’s judgment. They accuse him of attacking God’s people and their promises.
So he goes on to answer their question by saying, “What advantage then hath a Jew or what profit is there of circumcision?”
He then points out that the Jews had the greatest advantage when it comes to salvation because they were entrusted with the oracles of God which are a gift of divine revelation.
They were given the word of God to teach the nations about their Creator.
But they were also to teach them to obey the commandments of God. This is why Paul often debated with Jewish rabbis in synagogues around the Roman world.
These arguments are known as diatribes, which were a common method of teaching used in ancient philosophy schools. They were imagined dialogues between Paul and an imaginary opponent or questioner.
The first eight verses of Romans 3 can be interpreted as an “imaginary dialogue” that Paul holds with his Jewish detractors. This was a style of writing that was popular at the time of Paul’s ministry.
ANSWERS TO POSSIBLE OBJECTIONS – ROMANS 3:3-8
In Romans 3:1-8, Paul responds to a number of possible objections that could have been raised by those who opposed his teaching. He does this using a question-and-answer structure that is similar to the way a debate might be conducted.
The first objection Paul addresses is that Israel, the nation of which he was an emissary, had been disobedient to God. The reason for their disobedience was that they had refused to believe in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Israel was no longer a nation of God’s chosen people. Instead, they were a people who deserved to be punished.
Moreover, the apostle quotes a number of Old Testament passages to support his point. These scriptures prove that all men are sinners and fall short of the glory of God, no matter their national identity.
But, it is important to note that these verses are not a proof of universal depravity as the apostle claims they are. Rather, they prove that the Jews, Paul’s own nation, were sinners no less than the Gentiles.
Having answered the first objection, Paul goes on to address a second one. This objection came from Jewish “authorities” who criticized Paul for his teaching that it is good for believers to sin.
JEWS INDICTED AS SINNERS BY SCRIPTURE – ROMANS 3:9-20
“Jews are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). This is a sweeping charge, applied to every person who has ever lived in the history of humanity.
It is an extension of the charge against the pagan Gentiles in Romans 1:28-32 and Romans 2:1-16. It also applies to the pious Jews and Greeks.
The Hebrew word for sin is חטאה (hhatah, Strong’s #2403) and literally means “miss the mark.” It refers to a spiritual death of the soul. A soul is dead spiritually when it has rejected the righteous requirements of a holy God and has embraced the evil way of the world.
In a sense, the entire human race is under sin because of Adam’s original sin. The Bible is full of passages that clearly show the universal depravity and guilt of man, both in Old Testament times and in the present day.
The Jewish people had a great advantage over other nations, in that they were able to access the oracles of God. However, they did not use them to their full potential. In fact, they disobeyed the oracles and neglected their meaning. They became proud of their possession of the oracles and did not give them to others as they should have.
