Romans – The Play Part 1

Gentiles, you may not have known the word ‘law,’ but you know the effects of the law in your hearts. You watch what has happened even in your own bodies when you have broken with your conscience. And whatever your conscience has told you about right and wrong, you’ve seen what has happened when you’ve done right or wrong. Even at this moment, your conscience witnesses against you that you know an act to be evil when you do it. You know when you were doing good. You knew when you were doing evil. Even now, at this very moment, the Lord is revealing your heart. God reads your motives. He reads your conscience. When He determines whether you have done good or not, He knows whether you have done evil or not. And today He acts upon the knowledge, for He has read your heart.”

Now Paul whirled about on his heels, faced with Raspusen head-on again. “The Lord God opened the hearts of every one of you, yes, even you Hebrews. He will discover how your conscience spoke to you when you disobeyed the law. The Lord will let it be known and reveal to everyone here just how righteous your heart has really been. Your Honor, the Gentiles knew. Even as I speak, every Gentile in this vast throng is being accused by his thoughts and by the conscience within him. The heathen have no defense. Your Honor, the Gentiles knew just as the Jews knew. Both heathen and Jew have no defense. Your Honor, here is the indictment that I wish to lay against the heathen. Every Gentile has a conscience. His conscience deep within him declares that he knows what he ought to do, and he did not do it.”

The judge was about to respond to Paul when Raspusen jumped to his feet. Raspusen was outraged. “Paul, you’re mad! Look at those heathen. They’re unclean, uncircumcised. Do you hear me? Uncircumcised? How dare you classify me on the same level with these pagan infidels? I am a circumcised son of Abraham. And that is not all. God sees my circumcision.”

Raspusen was about to say more when Paul took one step toward him and thrust his finger almost in his face. “Raspusen, you’re very proud of your law, are you?” Raspusen started to continue, but Paul took one step toward him and thrust his finger almost into his face, and said, “You’re very proud of your law, are you not, Raspusen? And you’re proud of your circumcision? You brag about your relationship with God. You know him well, you say. You’re superior because you, Raspusen, have been instructed by the law. You’re absolutely convinced that you’re ordained to be a guide to the blind, you Raspusen. See yourself as a light for those who are in darkness. You, Raspusen, are an instructor for the foolish. You, Raspusen, are a teacher for the immature, the model of all propriety.”

The sarcasm in Paul’s voice was growing with every word. “And why are you so wonderful, Raspusen? I will tell you why. Because you have a form of knowledge and a form of truth. Well, Raspusen, if you are so prepared to teach others, if you’re so eager to instruct them in the right ways, how about you teaching all of us? You’re eager to tell the Gentiles not to steal? Have the Jews stolen? You teach the heathen not to commit adultery, but have you been so pure? You say that you hate idolatry, but have you not robbed heathen temples? You, so proud of your law, Raspusen, but every time you break the law, you dishonor your God. I repeat, the name of God is blasphemed among the non-Jews because of your behavior.”

Raspusen roared back, “Stick to the subject, Paul. The subject is circumcision, and I am circumcised.” Paul thundered back, “Circumcision has no value if you do not obey the law. And circumcision only has value if you observe all the law. But learn a little more about the law, Raspusen. If you, arrogant, boastful man, if you ever break the law even once in all your life, then you, Raspusen, you’ve become uncircumcised. In the eyes of God, Raspusen, the foreskin grows back.” Raspusen was trembling with fury. Paul, unquelled, continued, “On the other hand, if a Gentile who has never been circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, in the eyes of God, that Gentile is circumcised. Yes, Raspusen, a Gentile is circumcised if he keeps the requirements of the law. Even with the foreskin and without the knife, if he keeps the law in God’s sight, he’s circumcised. The man who has not been circumcised physically, but obeys the law, that man is going to rise up and condemn you.” Paul’s next words were clearly for Raspusen and for him alone, but he lifted his eyes and spread his arms to take in the entire Hebrew sector.

“Yes, you do have the written code concerning circumcision. Nonetheless, you are lawbreakers. No man is a true Hebrew; he is only a Hebrew outwardly. If you are only circumcised physically, that does not make you a Jew. Judge Raspusen, you claim to be a Jew. Well, you’re only a Jew if you are one inwardly. Today, we’re not dealing with a physical matter. Circumcision is an internal spiritual matter. Physical circumcision is the picture of a spiritual work, a work which takes place deep within the heart. Circumcision is a work done by the Spirit of God alone. True circumcision is not done by the knife of a priest or a rabbi. A man who has been circumcised in his heart is that man who has offered true praise to God. Furthermore, you arrogant, conceited, pompous Pharisee, if there is any praise reserved for that man who glorifies God, that praise will come from God. It will not come from man.”

An electrified silence hung over the entire arena. Paul turned back to the judge. He now spoke in a low, thoughtful voice. “Your Honor, I would like to present my summation.”

The judge said nothing. He sat there pensively staring into vacant space. Unconsciously, he thumped his desk with his forefinger. It was obvious that he was mulling over in his mind just exactly how he was going to rule in this case. “You may proceed, Paul.”

Paul turned, faced the Gentiles, turned again, faced the Jews. Then once more, he faced the judge. “Does the circumcised Jew really have any advantage over a Gentile? Yes. The Jews were given the oracles of God, and that is an advantage. Of course, some Jews do not have any faith in God. But that does not nullify God’s faithfulness. God is true even if every man is a liar.” It was one of their own who said, his name was David, “You, Lord, have proven right in all your words. When you judge, your judgment is fair.” With those words barely out of Paul’s mouth, Raspusen was on his feet.

“You are saying, Paul, that every time God judges us to be sinners, it proves that that gives glory to God. Is this true, Paul? Would it not also be true that if we should go out of here and sin a great deal, then there would be even more praise that God would receive and more glory?” Now Paul was visibly angered. He opened his mouth to respond, but Raspusen continued, “According to your logic, we should keep on sinning. We should sin more and more, so that it will prove God is right among us and therefore give glory to Him.” The entire Jewish section of the stadium, sensing weakness in Paul’s argument, began shouting, “Shall we sin to prove that God is right?” The judge was about to call for order when Paul’s voice rose above the cry of all the Jews.

“Raspusen ben Phineas, I have heard this kind of twisted reasoning on your part before. It is you, not me, who has given this interpretation. Raspusen, you have spread this story before. I do not teach this, and you know it. You started this tale.” There was stunned silence until now. No one was aware that these two men had known one another in the past.