Listen to this post NOW on Beyond Everything Radio!

Some people hate it when I say: “Religion got it wrong” or that “Christianity as a world religion should never have existed.” I don’t say such things for shock value, but because I’m convinced of their truth. If these statements are shocking, they are only shocking to a person unfamiliar with the Bible. So many people claim to have faith in God, but actually place their faith in their denomination, or system of belief, but not Christ. This isn’t a new phenomenon. Paul addresses the same concern with the people of Rome as he deconstructs their religious system.

Keep in mind thatJudaism is archetypal for all religions. Paul’s faith in Christ required that he deconstruct his own religion, and that work is the same for all comers. The path to God is paved with the rubble from our tribal religions. Reflecting on our diverse Super Bowl audience, this means that whether one’s religion is Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Scientology, Astrology, Science, Academics, the Arts, Business, or Politics….all institutions which provide people an identity…a name, will require subversion… but not elimination. Remember, the church in Rome had Jews, Gentiles, Greeks and Barbarians. Paul’s trajectory for this letter (2:17-29) is to share how following Christ (virtually) frees us all from institutional overreach and thus enables us to serve such institutions from the right place.

“…you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? (Romans 2:21-22)

Paul is continuing his claim against hypocrisy, false self and now the “religious false self.” Paul is directing his letter toward the Jewish religious mind, but this is more than a jab against Judaism. The evidence is that this assembly (church) was practicing a religion, but it wasn’t Christianity as we know it..it was Judaism, or some pagan worship, or Greek mythology. These verses examine the ineffectiveness of religious obedience as the means being “put right” (righteousness),and reveal that righteousness occurs first inside, before our external displays. Chapter 2 is Paul treating both Jews and Gentiles as religious, not solely the Jews.

“But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” (Romans 2:29)

Religion goes to great lengths to “appear” a certain way. Few religions embody this as much as Judaism, and no one is more of an expert in this than Paul, who had reached the highest ranks as a Jew before encountering the Spirit of Christ. (Philippians 3:4-6)

Paul’s testimony is how Christ following deconstructed his religion. His message to the churches (much of the New Testament) is re-training how we they could deconstruct their religious containers as well.

“You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (v.23-24)

A religion where its followers blaspheme God is a religion that gets it wrong, otherwise Paul would promote religion. We live in a world that is migrating from common world religions unto the atypical forms of Science, Atheism, and Politics and each now blasphemes God, turning faith into a tribal, political, economic, emotional, and social convention. Christianity, as Paul knew it, was not an alternative world religion, nor was he trying to make is such. It was simply, faith in Christ, and the work of the Spirit on the inside of humanity and how that work reshapes everything. Repentance and faith, not religion. Transformation from the inside out, not outside in. The fact so many are offended when I point this out, reveals just how far modern belief has drifted from scripture.

The key theme from Paul’s third portion of chapter two is that this “work in the heart” (inner self) is the same for both the religious and irreligious…an absolute scandal in his day and also in ours. The key to seeing Paul’s message is to first realize our world possesses very few irreligious people. Every tribe looks down on others.

“So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.” (v.26-27) 

Paul goes so far as to say that the real believer is the one who lives according to the law of God that is written on his or her heart, not the person who acts religious. Can you imagine Paul coming to a modern evangelical mega-church and saying: “The Atheist, who doesn’t share your religion, or follow your rules but is merciful toward others, is closer to God than you who make enemies of others.” Can you imagine Paul saying to our scientific community: “The Evangelical knows more about the cosmos than you.”

 “His praise is not from man but from God.” (V.29)

Imagine that…the “unaffiliated” receiving praise from God, in whom they claim not to believe. This is what Paul means that our “true affiliation” (faith) is found inwardly, as a matter of the “inner person” not by way of our tribal rules and alignment.

I’m deliberately pushing on this sore spot in hopes that it will bring to the surface our question of “What’s the point? If you find yourself asking, “Then why not let everyone just do their own thing?” or “What’s the value in all this religious training and talk of God?” or “Doesn’t God look down and see that this group of people is at least trying?” If your mind is going in this direction, then I have done my work of interpreting this letter correctly because Paul faces the same question in chapter three.

Paul’s point is to free us from looking down on anyone, and instead, realize that all people (regardless of their religious frameworks) must change in order for the Gospel to be understood and have power to renew our world. Our world is not less religious now, it has simply changed from traditional religion to political or scientific versions. The same religious heart controls science as it does fundamentalism…both look down on others and assumes their religion is the true one.

Do you see the nuance now? Paul is deconstructing religion. There is no religion that gets it right. It’s not that there is only one real religion that leads to God, its than no religion does.

While the path to God doesn’t require religion, it also doesn’t negate it. In upcoming episodes, we’ll unpack Paul’s alternative.