Dr. Walter
New Member
I will step you through this one more time. Romans 2:11-16 has reference to THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. Verse 16 actually says "in the day when God shall....judge". Verse 16 precedes and introduces verses 17-18.
Paul pointedly deals with what "the Jew" will "boast" of in the day of judgement. Paul pointedly deals with what the Jew "restest" in on the day of judgement. There is no circular reasoning here, vv. 16-17 are joined at the hip in regard to THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT in regard to the "Jew."
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17 ¶ Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
There is no circular reasoning here. Paul specifically points out what the Jew in the day of judgement will rest in - he will rest "IN THE LAW." There is no circular reasoning here. Paul specifically points out what the Jew in the day of judgement will "boast" in. What he will "boast" in is spelled out in clear explicit language in verse 18:
18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law
The "boast" of the Jew in the day of Judgement is that the Jew know "HIS WILL" - the will of God. Knows the will of God in regard to what?? In regard to what he rests in "THE LAW OF GOD." This is what he is "being INSTRUCTED OUT OF" to know the will of God. No circular reasoning here at all - but plainly stated.
Now, we come to the phrase "approvest THE THINGS that are more excellent." How does the Jew know that these "things" are more excellent? Paul answers it immediately "being instructed out of the law" as to what "things" are "more excellent" or what is the revealed will of God. It is "THESE THINGS" that form the basis of his boast in the day of judgement. It is "THESE THINGS" that he rests upon in the day of judgement. There is no circular reasoning here. It does not take much common sense to know that those "THINGS" which are "HIS WILL" that God APPROVES revealed "OUT OF THE LAW" are what the Jew observes and practices or else he has nothing to REST upon in the day of judgement and nothing to "boast" of in the day of judgement. These are "the deeds" or "the works" approved by the law. No circular reasoning here - JUST COMMON SENSE!
Indeed, in your perverted paraphrase of Pauls' words in Romans 2:17-24 you admit Paul is acknowledging that the jew is here asserting justification by doing the works of the law and I quote:
Listen Mr. Jew – you think that salvation is limited to those who do the works of the Law of Moses.
So, there is no circular reasoning as you admit the truth of my interpetation by your own mouth.
However, your perverted paraphase adds to Paul's words in Romans 2:17-24 something HE NEVER SAID. You add your perverted doctrine to his words. You go on to admit that the Jew failed to observe the works of the law just as Paul states in Romans 3:9-18. You say,
Well, do you even keep the Law of Moses yourself – do you scrupulously neither steal, nor commit adultery, nor worship idols? As I have just said in verses 6 and following, there will indeed be coming works judgement with eternal life at stake, so do not be complacent – if you do not keep the Law, you may well not pass that judgement[/I]
Now this is circular reasoning. You assert a doctrine in verse 6-8 that is the issue of debate between us and then READ IT BACK INTO verses 17-24 as though it has been proved, which it has not, AND reinterpret verses 17-24 to make it fit - THAT IS CIRCULAR REASONING and a CIRCULAR ARGUMENT. You are the one who is guilty, not I.
Indeed, what Pauls says in Romans 3:17-3:8 is that the Jews DISOBEY the law and that is the very cause (Rom. 3:9-18) NO FLESH including JEWISH FLESH can never be justified by the works of the Law or what the law APPROVES to be "HIS WILL" and my friend "bad" works cannot fit that bill.
Your interpretation is based completely upon circular reasoning. Your responses are twisted and based completely upon eisgesis not exegesis and your errors are simply leading to greater and more serious errors.
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Paul pointedly deals with what "the Jew" will "boast" of in the day of judgement. Paul pointedly deals with what the Jew "restest" in on the day of judgement. There is no circular reasoning here, vv. 16-17 are joined at the hip in regard to THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT in regard to the "Jew."
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
17 ¶ Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
There is no circular reasoning here. Paul specifically points out what the Jew in the day of judgement will rest in - he will rest "IN THE LAW." There is no circular reasoning here. Paul specifically points out what the Jew in the day of judgement will "boast" in. What he will "boast" in is spelled out in clear explicit language in verse 18:
18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law
The "boast" of the Jew in the day of Judgement is that the Jew know "HIS WILL" - the will of God. Knows the will of God in regard to what?? In regard to what he rests in "THE LAW OF GOD." This is what he is "being INSTRUCTED OUT OF" to know the will of God. No circular reasoning here at all - but plainly stated.
Now, we come to the phrase "approvest THE THINGS that are more excellent." How does the Jew know that these "things" are more excellent? Paul answers it immediately "being instructed out of the law" as to what "things" are "more excellent" or what is the revealed will of God. It is "THESE THINGS" that form the basis of his boast in the day of judgement. It is "THESE THINGS" that he rests upon in the day of judgement. There is no circular reasoning here. It does not take much common sense to know that those "THINGS" which are "HIS WILL" that God APPROVES revealed "OUT OF THE LAW" are what the Jew observes and practices or else he has nothing to REST upon in the day of judgement and nothing to "boast" of in the day of judgement. These are "the deeds" or "the works" approved by the law. No circular reasoning here - JUST COMMON SENSE!
Indeed, in your perverted paraphrase of Pauls' words in Romans 2:17-24 you admit Paul is acknowledging that the jew is here asserting justification by doing the works of the law and I quote:
Listen Mr. Jew – you think that salvation is limited to those who do the works of the Law of Moses.
So, there is no circular reasoning as you admit the truth of my interpetation by your own mouth.
However, your perverted paraphase adds to Paul's words in Romans 2:17-24 something HE NEVER SAID. You add your perverted doctrine to his words. You go on to admit that the Jew failed to observe the works of the law just as Paul states in Romans 3:9-18. You say,
Well, do you even keep the Law of Moses yourself – do you scrupulously neither steal, nor commit adultery, nor worship idols? As I have just said in verses 6 and following, there will indeed be coming works judgement with eternal life at stake, so do not be complacent – if you do not keep the Law, you may well not pass that judgement[/I]
Now this is circular reasoning. You assert a doctrine in verse 6-8 that is the issue of debate between us and then READ IT BACK INTO verses 17-24 as though it has been proved, which it has not, AND reinterpret verses 17-24 to make it fit - THAT IS CIRCULAR REASONING and a CIRCULAR ARGUMENT. You are the one who is guilty, not I.
Indeed, what Pauls says in Romans 3:17-3:8 is that the Jews DISOBEY the law and that is the very cause (Rom. 3:9-18) NO FLESH including JEWISH FLESH can never be justified by the works of the Law or what the law APPROVES to be "HIS WILL" and my friend "bad" works cannot fit that bill.
Your interpretation is based completely upon circular reasoning. Your responses are twisted and based completely upon eisgesis not exegesis and your errors are simply leading to greater and more serious errors.
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You argument is circular - you have no actual case that the Jew rests in his obedience to the Law as a ladder of good works that leads to ultimate justification. You discount, without actual justification, the possibility that the Jew is resting in the law in the sense of the law being an "ethnic marker" - only Jews "do the works" of the Law.
Now matter how much you "yell" the phrase "being instructed out of the Law" does not change the fact that Paul can be legitimately read as scolding the Jew for his hypocrisy in thinking that he (the Jew) will be justified by being part of the ethnic group that is marked out by the Law of Moses when it turns out that this Jew cannot even keep the Law of Moses.
Bottom line: There is really no argument here that Paul is speaking out against a Jewish belief that "good works save". And in fact, the emphasis on the impartiality of God in respect to the Jew / Gentile split shows that Paul is indeed scolding the Jew for a belief that ethnic privilege saves.
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