Commentary on "Jew and Gentile"

COLLEEN TINKER

 

Day 7: Friday, July 9, 2010 - Further Study

 

Overview

This lesson consists of Ellen White quotations about Israel’s having lost their knowledge of God and the principles of the Abrahamic covenant. And about the Galatians’ being influenced by false teachers. The lesson ends with discussion questions about how to recognize if one’s lifestyle and standards have become too lax, about how to answer those who say the Ten Commandments are no longer binding, and about how Paul’s fervent, uncompromising stance toward the gospel demonstrates that our that our teachings cannot be compromised in any way.

 

Observations

First, this lesson is the second lesson in a 13-week study on the book of Romans. The title of this week’s lesson, “Jew and Gentile”, leads one to believe the week will cover the second chapter of Romans—a fairly logical assumption given this is the second week of studies. Romans 2 is a discussion of the Jews who have the law and the Gentiles who do not have the law. Paul shows in chapter 2 that Jews and Gentiles are equally guilty. The law did not give the Jews an advantage as far as their righteousness or guilt were concerned. Jews dishonored the law, and Gentiles had no law. At the same time, some Gentiles did live according to the principles of the law, even though they didn’t know the law. Their consciences convicted them of basic morality.

Expecting some treatment of Romans 2, I was startled to see that this lesson had no texts from Romans at all. Almost entirely, this week’s lesson addressed Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council and the heresy of Galatians.

It seemed that the purpose of this week’s lesson was to establish that Gentiles were never exempted from the Decalogue. In spite of the clear words of Scripture, the lesson concluded that both in Acts 15 and in Galatians, the implied intent was that Gentile Christians were exempt from the ceremonial laws of circumcision and sacrificing, washings, and so forth, but they were not exempt from the Decalogue, especially the Sabbath.

Moreover, it is not stated but it is understood that Adventism insists that Gentiles were to honor the laws of clean and unclean foods that were part of the Mosaic “ceremonial” laws.

The discussion questions that ask for members to discuss how to explain tithing, lifestyle, health requirements, and Sabbath-keeping have no real answer. One cannot observe old covenant laws in the new covenant. Even the moral laws of adultery and murder were expanded by Jesus in Matthew 5 through 7 to include sinful desires and thoughts, not merely sinful acts.

The new covenant is completely NEW. One cannot put old wine into new wineskins. The new covenant was ushered in after Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, and poured out the Holy Spirit on believers, indwelling God’s people permanently for the first time since before sin. Jesus’ body opened a new, living way to the Father (Heb. 10:20), and it is possible, on this side of the cross, for believers now to be brought to spiritual life.

This life cannot end, even though our bodies die (Jn. 4:25).

This lesson, designed to prepare members for the rest of Romans, rooting them in the belief that everything they read must be perceived through the lens of adherence to the Decalogue, is deceptive.

The book of Romans is the most comprehensive dissertation of the condition of man, of sin, salvation, of Jesus, and of our new life in the Spirit that the Bible contains. To spend an entire week establishing that the plain words of Acts 15 and the plain words of Galatians don’t actually mean what they say, is a serious disservice to the book of Romans.

I can only conclude that this week’s lesson was intended to obfuscate the real message and power of the gospel as Paul explains it in Romans. This distraction and confusing tapestry of straw-man arguments actually reveals the lesson authors’ and editors’ deep misunderstanding of the gospel.

Today, instead of reading the suggested passages in EGW, read through the six chapters of Galatians. Ask God to teach you what He wants you to know and to give you clarity as you read. God has promised His word will not return to Him void.

 

Summary

1. This week’s lesson is not about Romans, has no texts from Romans, and concentrates on Acts 15 and Galatians in an attempt to explain that Gentiles were never exempted from the Decalogue.
2. There is no way to explain how an Adventist can teach a convert about tithing, diet, and Sabbath-keeping because these things are clearly part of the old, not the new covenant.
3. The new covenant is completely new; old wine cannot be poured into new wineskins.
4. Romans is the most comprehensive dissertation on sin, man, salvation, Jesus, and the new life in the Spirit in the entire Bible.
5. Instead of reading the suggested EGW quotes today, read instead the six chapters of Galatians and ask God to teach you what you need to know.

 

 

Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised July 7, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

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