2025 09 28 the Greatest Gift

By Jeff Ward

Theme and targeted passages

We can receive no greater gift than a relationship with God.

Targeted passages: Romans 5:6-11,18-21

I agree with the opening thesis above. I strongly question whether the targeted passages give us the means to achieve that.

I might have started with something like Isaiah 56.

Keeping the law is impossible - Romans 5:6-8

The quarterly does a wonderful job making something perfectly clear about Romans 5:6-8. On page 46, we find the following commentary:

Paul effectively presented the case that all humans are not right with God… Paul underscored that any attempt to get right with God through keeping the law was useless… Israel finally understood they were helpless to keep the entire law.

I absolutely agree this is what Paul is intending to teach. However, my main authority is Yehovah, not Paul.

Problems:

  • Paul’s famous " there are none righteous" claims
    • Easily disputed in Luke 1:1-6 in which the parents of John the Baptist were righteous.
    • Noah was righteous. Genesis 6:9, Genesis 7:1.
    • Dozens of other examples.
    • Paul misquotes psalms to “prove” this point.
  • Paul says attempts to keep the law are futile
    • Yehovah disagrees. Obedience is essential for a good relationship and blessings. Deuteronomy 30:8-10.
    • Yehovah begs us to choose to obey so we can prosper. Deuteronomy 30:15-19
  • Impossible to keep
    • Yehovah says this is false. It’s NOT TOO HARD and something you CAN DO. Deuteronomy 30:11-14.
    • Yehovah says we have a choice that includes obedience which leads to life. Paul says we don’t have a choice because it was made by Adam and Eve. Deuteronomy 30:19

Paul’s has a plan-B to redemption - Romans 5:9-11

Even though Deuteronomy 30:1-6 plainly specifies repentance and obedience is the path, Paul disputes this saying we can instead be reconciled through the obedience of someone else, namely Jesus. This is in spite of the New Covenant disputing the doctrine of vicarious atonement in Jeremiah 31:30.

Paul’s “good news” - you don’t have to obey, Jesus obeyed for you.

Remember, blood is required

On page 49, we divert back the problematic Hebrews 9:22. The problem is, we do find forgiveness without blood in numerous places. We find it with David forgiven for his sins with Bathsheba. We find it in the recent story of Jesus healing the paralytic.

We are pawns in a celestial game - Romans 5:18-21

From Paul’s point of view, all humans became predisposed to do evil because of the serpent enticing Adam and Eve. Likewise, there is a goalpost of obeying the law. Once a single person kicks the ball through that goalpost one time, then nobody has to play the game any more, and everybody is a winner.

Do you notice there is no action required on your part? You just buy the ticket and take the ride. You didn’t contribute to Adam’s sin, and neither did you contribute anything to your redemption other than just buying the ticket.

The law is to multiply the trespass - Romans 5:20

How dare you Paul, you evil man to imply my God gave his instructions, the ones David called a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path, how dare you accuse he gave us those just to trip us up and make us guilty by no fault of our own!

How dare you imply the precious instructions given by Yehovah to “lead us ot life” are to you reduced to some sort of celestial game in which we were told we could win, but the game was rigged against us.

How dare you suggest my God would lie by saying I could do it when I can’t. How dare you say he put his laws here to frustrate us and cause us to fail!

Paul of Tarsus, you psychopathic wretch, you speak evil of my God. That evil has corrupted millions and crossed centuries, therefore I’ll spend my last breath exposing you and your treachery.