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 beauty 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 [Israel] 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). Paul leaves us in no doubt that there's no question of "if we sin"; for we are all desperate sinners, Jew and Gentile alike (Rom. 3:23). And our sin really does separate us from God and from His Son; we are "none of His" if we sin (Rom. 8:9- cp. "we are thine"). We are not automatically "His... even if we sin". Paul speaks of how both Jew and Gentile are equally under sin; whereas Wisdom claims that there's a difference: "While therefore thou dost chasten us, thou scourgest our enemies [i.e. the Gentiles] ten thousand times more" (12:22).

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!