“What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2).
One highly effective method of teaching is to intersperse penetrating questions in one’s instruction to help ensure accuracy of comprehension. Jesus was masterful in His use of interrogatives.
After making the case in Romans 1-2 that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin; i.e., in terms of guilt “there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23), Paul asks and answers three objections, expressed in question form:
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“What advantage has the Jew?/What is the profit of circumcision?” (v. 1)
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“Will unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?” (v. 3)
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“Is God unjust to punish those whose unrighteousness was anticipated by Him and was integral in His plan of redemption?” (v. 5)
Paul’s terse response to the first question is that the blessing of being the recipients of God’s inspired word more than adequately provides a lavish bonanza of spiritual riches only experienced by the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How quickly and easily we humans can overlook the immense and obvious blessings of God’s revealed word!
How especially blessed are we who can hold in our hands the entirety of His living oracles—from Genesis to Revelation.
Let us never be guilty of minimizing or failing to acknowledge and appreciate the stupendous blessing of God’s imperishable, unique, supernatural, written revelation.
