Steven Carr

Romans 3
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some did not have faith?

'Some did not have faith.'

That is a very calm way of speaking about getting Pilate to kill the Son of God on trumped up charges of blasphemy.

I guess when the US government forces incinerated all those Branch Davidians, the Davidians merely said that the besiegers did not have faith.

'Some did not have faith' is an interesting euphemism for people who plotted to have Jesus killed.

rhutchin

I think "some did not have faith" refers to those Jews who were circumcised but had no belief in God.

Steven Carr

Well, Paul could hardly have been expected to mention how Jews had plotted against the Son of God.

After all, that would be alluding to the earthly history of Jesus, and Paul is not going to do that, is he?

rhutchin

Certainly, context did not require that He go in that direction.

neilgodfrey

Where in the Bible does Paul ever talk about Jews who do not believe in God? He even acknowledges that gentiles believe in God (chapter 1) but complains that they depicted him in anthropomorphic images (it was presumably quite a different thing and quite okay for Jews to describe him anthropomorphically in word pictures -- and even to describe him as a bird with wings.)

If you read chapters one to three (the full context) is not what Paul refers to quite plain? Is it not the slightest bit curious that when summing up the sins of the Jews as a people he can't seem to get past stealing and adultery and has to turn to verses from Psalms to prove his point?

rhutchin

Still, in context, Paul is speaking of those who call themselves Jews when he refers to, ""some did not have faith."

It is not an interesting euphemism for people who plotted to have Jesus as killed alleged in the OP.