ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
the opening verses of chapter three, with no break in the thought, he asks and answers the questions that would n~ come to the mind of a strict Jew. His first question is significant: "What advantage then hath the Jew?" (3:1 ). And his answer is equally impressive: "Much every way: chiefly. because that unto them were com- mitted the o.racles of God" (3: 2). To the Jew God gave the Old Testament Scriptures; and these Paul calls ''the oracles of God." Advantage? Inestimable advantage! God's Holy Word is a treasure-house in itself-and with the advantage goes a tremendous responsibility! "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (See Heb. 2: 3.) The Gentile needs to remember his debt to the Jew-Christ and. the Bible. And the best way to thank the Jew is to give back to him the Gospel of our Lord and Israel's Messiah. No wonder Satan wants to wipe out the Jew! Paul has already answered the second question raised here; therefore, he simply asks it again: "What profit is there of circumcision?" (3:1 ). We look again at the closing verses of chapter two for the answer: "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is out- ward in the flesh: but he is a Jew. which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (2: 28, 29). The third question is asked in verse 3, and should be read like this: "For what if some did not believe? shall their un- belief make the faithfulness (Revised Version) of God with- out effect?" In other words. the Jew might argue, saying that God promised blessing to Abraham and his seed, and would keep his promise whether- the Jew believed or not. But such reasoning fails to take into consideration the fact that God also promised a curse for disobedience and unbelief, as well as blessing for obedience and faith. The church today, like the Jew of old. has her eyes upon the blessing, and seems to have forgotten the curse. Many like to read about heaven, but close their eyes to the fact of a hell. Yes; God did promise [Page 39
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