Paul M. Dohse Sr.

I am pleased that the exodus gang is no longer bewildered by the discussion of law and gospel; obviously, this post has generated 106 comments and counting. The laity has begun dialoging full throttle on this issue, and that is really, really bad news for the New Calvinists—pun intended.

However, I would like to shortly address a hefty question by one of the participants. This question will be addressed in more detail at a later date along with the subject of atonement which we find to be another serious Achilles’ heel for Calvinism—new and old. Here is the question:

Ok, not to throw a monkey wrench into the mix but I would love to hear from folks here what they think this passage is telling us in context of the entire book:

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Especially verse 15!!!

Ok, I have to go meet someone shortly in regard to the facility we will be renting for TANC 2014, but I am compelled to address this question with at least a short volley.

When we get past Calvinist propaganda about the Jewish leadership of that day, and also have a working understanding of justification and sanctification, this passage is fairly easy to understand. The subject is Jewish religious academia as set against the Gentiles Paul is writing to. The Jews are the ones who have the law. The unsaved Gentiles will parish without the law and will be judged by the law written on their hearts. ALL people born into the world have the works of God written on their hearts. Unsaved people who know nothing of the Bible will be judged by that law.

However, the Jews will be judged by both. And, and this is a big AND, the Jewish rendition of the law, especially among the Pharisees, was antinomian in nature. They were experts at relaxing the law. While priding themselves at, “We have the law” and looking up their noses at the Gentiles, the Gentiles were better at following the law written on their own hearts than the Jews were at obeying the law God entrusted them with. The Jews believed, like Calvinists, that the law was the standard for justification/righteousness; therefore, they dumbed it down with their tradition because obviously it can’t be kept perfectly (primarily salvation by circumcision).

But, and this is a big, BUT, what they missed is that when the law is separated from righteousness, the saved person zealously pursues the “law of liberty” in love. So, and this is a big, SO…

For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

The Pharisees were only hearers of the law and not doers, just like the Calvinist prognosticators of gospel contemplationism in our day. A believer will be justified apart from the law because his/her life zealously pursues its truth out of love.

Moreover, the unsaved will be judged by law because they are still under it. The saved will not be judged by the law, their works will be evaluated to determine rewards. The Jews will be judged by both laws; those without the law will be judged for violating their consciences that administer the law written on their hearts.

Gotta go. Sorry for the typos.

paul