Being Special

Steven’s Scribbles
“Being Special”
Rom. 3:1-4; 9


    On Tuesday nights, the college students are studying Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome. I wanted to share something with everyone we discussed at length last night and give you something to think about for the week. Paul in chapter three is trying to express to the Gentiles and the Jews are equal because they both have sin. He still points out that there was benefit to being a Jew. “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:1-2). However, just a few verses later, Paul states “What then? Are we (the Jews) better than they (the gentiles)? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Rom. 3:9; parentheses added). The Jews weren’t “better than” the gentiles, but they were still special. They had been entrusted with the oracles of God. How might we explain this now? Like the Jews of the Old Testament, the church has now been entrusted with the manifold wisdom of God and has been charged with carrying it to the world (Eph. 3:8-11). So is someone who is raised in church special? Yes, in as much as, like Timothy, they have been taught the sacred scriptures from their youth up (2 Tim. 3:14-17). While this is the case, it does not make someone raised in church “better” than someone who is not. Not only do we need to teach the children, young adults, and the mature adults the word of God, even more we must teach that knowledge alone is not enough. “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). If you were raised in the Lord’s church, count it a blessing. However, we all have the same responsibility. Don’t just be someone who knows God’s word, be someone who does God’s word.
    


In His service,
Steven Hugley