Paul addresses the Jews in Rome who think they have more of a right to God than Gentiles do. They tell others how to live their lives and how to worship God, thinking they have a special place in God’s eyes because of their adherence to the law and their circumcision. But Paul puts them in their place and basically says, “While you’re teaching everyone else, teach yourself! If you want to brag about keeping the law, you have to keep it all. If you violate one part, you violate it all. Looking down on others just makes you a hypocrite and causes non-believers to blaspheme God.” It still happens today. We don’t have the Law of Moses, but many still create “law” out of New Testament events. They see all scripture as law or a code to follow; think they have it all figured out. For them, circumcision has been replaced by being in the “right church,” and “doing things right.” They find their righteousness in these things. Obedience is important, but it’s not where we find our righteousness. We find our righteousness in Jesus and we obey his words because we want to please him and be like him.
