We are quite familiar with this truth: "All situations cannot be reduced to a simple law that is fair to everyone." What is fair and reasonable in New York City with a high human population and few or no wild animals may not be fair or reasonable on a ranch in Montana with a low human population and lots of wild life. When humans reduce human responsibilities to other humans to laws, those who wish to evade responsibility quickly look for "loop holes." Often these people wish to be legal without consideration of being ethical. It is quite possible [sometimes common] for a person to act "legally" but "unethically."
The existence of "the Law" given to Israel (Exodus 20:1-17) created a major problem between Jewish Christians and gentile Christians in the first century. When the church began, it was 100% Jewish in perspective (Acts 2:5, 10). By the close of the first century, there were more gentiles who were Christians than Jews. Jewish Christians like Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Aquila with his wife Priscilla, etc. were the exception and not the common reality. While we gentile Christians of today are familiar with those exceptions, many Jewish Christians regarded such people as traitors who renounced God's focus and interest (consider Acts 21:20-22 -- note the concern of the Jewish church leaders). Not all Jewish people and Jewish Christians regarded the conversion (without the proselytizing process) of gentiles as a desirable thing.
One of the larger objections of Jewish people was this: "The gentiles worshipped idols! They had different moral values! They were never exposed to God's Laws! Without exposure to the Law and indoctrination in correct ways to apply the Law, it is impossible for gentiles to know and possess God's values."
Paul insisted (1) God always intended to save gentiles, and (2) godly motives produce the same godly results as the Law. Faith in God's work in Jesus Christ made both Jews and gentiles Christian people. Godly motives in gentile people produced godly Christians (Romans 2:26-29). Paul's affirmation of # 2 is powerfully seen in today's text.
Even Jesus declared all moral responsibilities would be correctly assumed if the person (1) loved God with all his or her being, and (2) loved people as he or she loved self (Matthew 22:34-40). When the behavior of one who believes in Jesus produces the moral result of the law, the person kept the Law. The motivation to serve God's objectives (1) in the way one lived and (2) the way one treated others equaled (and often surpassed) knowledge.
In today's text, Paul affirmed these things:
1. The responsibility to love other people is an unending responsibility. It is a debt obligation that can never be satisfied, never be voided. Why? The responsibility is not founded on a Law. It is founded on God's behavior in loving us. We are incapable of loving others as much as God loves us. When God's love for us is the standard, the Law will be fulfilled.
2. When we love another person, we will not commit adultery with his wife or with her [consider how acts of adultery would diminish if we regarded adultery as an offense against the person and his spouse]. We will not murder someone we love. We will not steal from someone we love. We will not covet the things that belong to someone we love.
3. Therefore, we will not do something that is evil to someone we love.
4. In that sense, a commitment to loving others results in the moral intent of the Law.
In the context of Paul's emphasis, when a gentile understands and accepts his or her responsibility to love others because of God's love for him or her, his or her behavior produces the moral intent of God's law. In that understanding, it was possible for a gentile to be more faithful to the intent of the Law than was the Jew who placed confidence in knowledge rather than behavior. [God did not expect the devout Jew just to know, "You shall not murder." God expected him or her not to murder.]
Consider the enormous importance placed on the way Christians treat other people. Jesus Christ said the treatment of others was the second most important instruction God gave (Matthew 22:39, 40; Leviticus 19:18). Paul declared it was the debt Christians could never repay. Paul said it fulfilled all moral commitments of the Law thereby making even gentiles acceptable to God.
The way "I" treat "you" has (1) a bearing on our salvation because (2) our love for others demonstrates our respect for God. People are extremely important to God. People can never be unimportant to Christians.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 7