Digression 2: Romans And The Wisdom Of Solomon
Seeing Romans 1-8 is Paul's inspired exposition of the nature of sin and the
Gospel, it's surely surprising that he makes no mention of the words satan or
devil, let alone 'fallen Angel'. He lays the blame for sin quite clearly upon
us and our weakness in the face of internal temptation. And Paul speaks of the
Genesis account of the fall of Adam and Eve as if he accepted it just as it
is written- he makes no attempt to say that the serpent was a Lucifer or fallen
Angel. In fact, closer analysis shows that Paul is consciously rebutting the
contemporary Jewish ideas about these things as found in The Wisdom Of Solomon
and other writings. Wisdom 2:24 claimed: "Through the devil's envy death
entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it".
This is actually the first reference to the idea that a being called 'the devil'
envied Adam and Eve and therefore this brought about their temptation and fall.
Paul rebuts this by saying that "By one man [Adam- not 'the devil'] sin
entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12). This is evidently an allusion by
Paul to this wrong idea- and he corrects it. The allusion becomes all the more
legitimate when we appreciate that actually Paul is alluding to the Wisdom
Of Solomon throughout his letter to the Romans. This book glorified the
Jewish people, making them out to be righteous, blaming sin on the devil and
the Gentiles. By way of allusion to it, Paul shows how the Jews are de-emphasizing
sin, not facing up to the fact that all of humanity are under the curse of sin
and death, and all therefore need salvation in Christ. This same basic emphasis
upon personal responsibility, not blaming others for our sins, not seeing ourselves
as pure and everyone else as the problem, is just as relevant today- surrounded
as we are by false theologies that make us out to be basically pure, shifting
all blame onto a 'devil' of their own fabrication. It should be noted that this
way of alluding to contemporary writings and correcting them is common throughout
Scripture- I've elsewhere given examples of where Jude and Peter do this in
relation to the Book of Enoch, and how Genesis 1-3 does this with the views
of creation and origins which were common at the time the book of Genesis was
compiled.
Allusions From Paul's Letter To The Romans To The Wisdom Of Solomon
The Wisdom Of Solomon |
Romans |
Comment |
Wisdom 4:5 The imperfect branches shall be broken off, their
fruit unprofitable, not ripe to eat, yea, meet for nothing [concerning
the Gentiles and those in Israel who sinned]. |
Rom. 11:17-20 |
Israel as an entire nation were the broken off branches; Gentile
believers through faith in Christ could become ingrafted branches. |
Wisdom 1:13 For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in
the destruction of the living.
|
Rom. 1:32; Romans 5,7 |
Death is "the judgment of God"- death does come from
God. It doesn't come from "the devil". It was God in Genesis
who 'made' death. Death comes from our sin, that's Paul's repeated
message- death isn't something made by the 'devil' just for the
wicked. |
Wisdom 1:14 For he created all things, that they might have their
being: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there
is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon
the earth: [in the context of the earth / land of Israel]
|
Romans 1,5,7 |
Paul makes many allusions to these words. He shows that all humanity,
including Israel, the dwellers upon the earth / land of Israel,
are subject to sin and death. Paul argues against the position that
God made man good but the devil messed things up- rather does he
place the blame upon individual human sin. |
Wisdom 8:20 I was a witty child, and had a good spirit. Yea rather,
being good, I came into a body undefiled. |
Romans 3,7 |
As a result of Adam's sin, our bodies aren't "undefiled"-
we will die, we are born with death sentences in us. "There
is none good" (Rom. 3:12); "in my flesh dwells no good
thing" (Rom. 7:18) |
Wisdom 10:15 She delivered the righteous people and blameless seed
from the nation that oppressed them.
|
Romans 9-11 |
Israel were not blameless; "there is none righteous,
not one" (Rom. 3:10). |
Wisdom 12:10 But executing thy judgments upon them by little and
little, thou gavest them place of repentance
|
Rom 2:4 |
" Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance
and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth
thee to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4). Paul's argument is that it
is God's grace in not immediately punishing us as we deserve which
should lead us to repentance. |
Wisdom 12 raves against the Canaanite nations in the land, saying
how wicked they were and stressing Israel's righteousness- e.g.
Wisdom 12:11 For it was a cursed seed from the beginning; neither
didst thou for fear of any man give them pardon for those things
wherein they sinned. |
Rom. 1,2,9-11 |
Paul uses the very same language about the wickedness of Israel |
Wisdom 12:12 For who shall say, What hast thou done? or who shall
withstand thy judgment? or who shall accuse thee for the nations
that perish, whom thou made? or who shall come to stand against
thee, to be revenged for the unrighteous men? |
Rom. 8:30-39; 9:19 |
Wisdom marvels at how God judged the wicked Canaanites.
But Paul reapplies this language to marvel at God's mercy in saving
the faithful remnant of Israel by grace. Paul's answer to "Who
shall accuse thee [Israel]?" is that only those in Christ have
now no accuser (Rom. 8:34). |
Wisdom 12:13 uses the phrase "condemned at the day of the
righteous judgment of God" about the condemnation of the Canaanite
tribes. |
Rom. 2:5 |
Paul stresses that Israel will be condemned at the "day
of the righteous judgment of God" (Rom. 2:5) |
Wisdom 12:22 Therefore, whereas thou dost chasten us, thou scourgest
our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that, when we judge,
we should carefully think of thy goodness, and when we ourselves
are judged, we should look for mercy.
|
Rom. 2:1-4; 11:28; 14:4
|
Paul says that Israel are the "enemies" (Rom. 11:28);
and that judging is outlawed for those who are themselves sinners.
Paul's case is that we receive mercy at the judgment because we
have shown mercy rather than judgment to others. |
Wisdom 13:1 Surely vain are all men by nature, who are ignorant
of God, and could not out of the good things that are seen know
him that is. |
Romans 1,10 |
Wisdom's implication is that the Gentiles are vain by
nature, but Israel aren't, because they aren't ignorant of God,
and see Him reflected in the "good things" of His creation.
Paul contradicts this. He says that all humanity is "vain...
by nature"; Israel are "ignorant of God" (Rom. 10:3);
and it is believers in Christ who perceive God from the things which
He has made. Indeed, it is Israel who are now "without excuse"
because they refuse to see "the goodness of God" [cp.
"good things"] in the things which He has created (Rom.
1:20-30). |
Wisdom 12:26 But they that would not be reformed by that correction,
wherein he dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God.
Wisdom 12:27 For, look, for what things they grudged, when they
were punished, that is, for them whom they thought to be gods; now
being punished in them, when they saw it, they acknowledged him
to be the true God, whom before they denied to know: and therefore
came extreme damnation upon them. |
Romans 1 |
It is Israel and all who continue in sin who are worthy
of judgment (Rom. 1:32). It was Israel who changed the
true God into what they claimed to be gods (Rom. 1:20-26). |
Wisdom 13:5-8: For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures
proportionably the maker of them is seen. But yet for this they
are the less to be blamed: for they peradventure err, seeking God,
and desirous to find him. For being conversant in his works they
search him diligently, and believe their sight: because the things
are beautiful that are seen. Howbeit neither are they to be pardoned.
|
Romans 1,2 |
It is Gentile Christians who 'found' God (Rom. 10:20). It was
they who were led by the beuaty of God's creation to be obedient
to Him in truth (Rom. 2:14,15). It was Israel who failed to 'clearly
see' the truth of God from the things which He created (Rom. 1:20). |
Wisdom 14:8 But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well
it, as he that made it: he, because he made it; and it, because,
being corruptible, it was called god.
|
Rom. 1:23 |
It was Israel who changed the glory of the true God into images
made by their hands and called them gods (Rom. 1:23) |
Wisdom 14:9 For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike
hateful unto God. |
Rom. 4:5; 5:6 |
Paul argues that Christ died for the ungodly before they knew
Him (Rom. 5:6); God justifies the ungodly not by their works but
by their faith (Rom. 4:5) |
Wisdom 14:31 For it is not the power of them by whom they swear:
but it is the just vengeance of sinners, that punisheth always the
offence of the ungodly.
|
Romans 5 |
Paul argues that the offence of man is met by God's grace in
Christ, and not dealt with by God through taking out vengeance against
sinners. It was the "offence" of Adam which was used by
God's grace to forge a path to human salvation (Rom. 5:15-20). As
"the offence" abounded, so therefore did God's grace (Rom.
5:20). |
Wisdom 15:2 For if we sin, we are thine, knowing thy power: but we
will not sin, knowing that we are counted thine.
Wisdom 15:3 For to know thee is perfect righteousness: yea, to know
thy power is the root of immortality. |
Romans 3 |
Paul argues that we all sin- it's not a case of 'we don't
sin, because we are God's people' (Rom. 3:23). And knowledge isn't
the basis for immortality, rather this is the gift of God by grace
(Rom. 6:23) |
Wisdom 15:7 For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every
vessel with much labour for our service: yea, of the same clay he
maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise
also all such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of either
sort, the potter himself is the judge.
|
Rom. 9:21-30 |
Wisdom mocks the potter for making idols- Paul shows
that God is the potter and Israel the clay, and they will be discarded
like an idol. For they became like that which they worshipped. Paul
uses the same language as Wisdom here- he speaks of how
the Divine potter uses "the same clay" to make different
types of vessels. |
Wisdom 15 often laments that the Gentiles worship the created
more than the creator |
Romans 1 and 2 |
Romans 1 and 2 make the point, using this same language, that
Israel as well as the Gentiles are guilty of worshipping the created
more than creator |
Wisdom 18:8 For wherewith thou didst punish our adversaries, by
the same thou didst glorify us, whom thou hadst called.
|
cp. Rom. 8:30 |
The "us" who have been "called" and are to
be "glorified" are those in Christ- not those merely born
Jews. |
Wisdom 18:13 For whereas they would not believe any thing by
reason of the enchantments; upon the destruction of the firstborn,
they acknowledged this people to be the sons of God. |
cp. Rom. 8:14 |
The true "sons of God" are those in Christ, the Son
of God; for not those who merely call themselves "Israel"
are the children of God, as Wisdom wrongly argues (Rom.
9:6) |
As for the ungodly, wrath came upon them without mercy unto the
end: for he knew before what they would do... For the destiny, whereof
they were worthy, drew them unto this end, and made them forget
the things that had already happened, that they might fulfil the
punishment which was wanting to their torments" (Wisdom 19:1,4) |
|
What Wisdom says about the Gentile world and Egypt,
Paul applies to Israel in their sinfulness. And he stresses many
times that the result of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), not "torments"
in the way the Jews understood them. "Wrath... without mercy"
is a phrase Paul uses about the coming condemnation of those Jews
who refused to accept Christ (Rom. 1:18; 2:5,8). Paul uses the idea
of foreknowledge which occurs here in Wisdom, but uses
it in Romans 9 and 11 to show that foreknowledge is part of the
grace of God's predestination of His true people to salvation. It
is the Jews who reject Christ who are "worthy" of death
(Rom. 1:32)- not the Gentile world. No wonder the Jews so hated
Paul! |
Paul's Other Allusions To The Wisdom Of Solomon
Having spoken of how "the destroyer" destroyed the Egyptian firstborn,
Wisdom 18 goes on to speak of how this same "destroyer" tried to kill
Israel in the wilderness, but the evil "destroyer" was stopped by
Moses: "For then the blameless man made haste, and stood forth to defend
them; and bringing the shield of his proper ministry, even prayer, and the propitiation
of incense, set himself against the wrath, and so brought the calamity to an
end, declaring that he was thy servant. So he overcame the destroyer, not with
strength of body, nor force of arms, but with a word subdued him that punished,
alleging the oaths and covenants made with the fathers (Wisdom 18:21,22). Paul
in 1 Cor. 10 alludes to this- showing that "the destroyer" was sent
by God to punish Israel's sins. The author of Wisdom speaks as if "the
destroyer" is some evil being victimizing Israel- and Paul appears to correct
that, showing that it was the same "Destroyer" Angel who protected
Israel in Egypt who later slew the wicked amongst them. Wisdom 19 makes out
that all sins of Israel in the wilderness were committed by Gentiles travelling
with them- but Paul's account of Israel's history in 1 Cor. 10 makes it clear
that Israel sinned and were punished.
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