What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.When the Apostle Paul uses pronouns like “us”, “they”, “them” and “you” it pays to look carefully at the context. More often than not the context shows that he is using first person pronouns to refer to Jews (of which he was one) and second and third person plural pronouns (you or they) refer to Gentiles (that is, non Jewish people).
Romans 3:9
So it is in this text. When Paul asks rhetorically, “Are we better than they?” the context shows us that the “we” refers to Jewish people. He is asking, “Are we, the Jews better than they, the Gentiles?” Equally striking is his use of the word “Greek” to denote Gentiles. In the early chapters of Romans this has been his term of choice to describe all non-Jews (1:16; 2:9,10), but in the same passages, he will also use “Gentiles” showing that the terms are synonymous in his mind (2:14; 2:29).
So, for Paul, “Gentiles” were synonymous with “Greeks” and vice versa. We might ask why he did not use the term “Roman” as the equivalent to “Gentile.” For the age of Classical Greece had long since gone into declension. The Greek empire under Alexander had been dismembered following his death. Rome had long ago taken over as the great universal empire. Paul's world was one in which Rome was at the apex of its power. The Mediterranean was a Roman lake. It was the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate who had crucified our Lord. Every one of the letters Paul wrote was addressed to people or churches in towns ruled by Rome. Paul himself was born a Roman citizen. Turn north, south, east, or west and you were confronted with Rome as the great imperial power.
But everyone of his readers in Rome would have understood why Paul referred to the entire non-Jewish world as the world of Greeks, not Romans.
For Rome was simply Greece Mark II. Everyone knew that. Alexander, not a Greek, but a Macedonian, tutored by Aristotle, had aspired to introduce Greek thought, religion, and philosophy to the entire ancient world. Alexander was the most powerful and effective apostle of classical Greek thought and culture. From Egypt to India; from Asia Minor through the Middle East; from the Dardanelles through to the Pyrenes, he had succeeded. The entire known world had become hellenised. In many ways, Rome had become more Greek than the Greeks themselves.
The Greek language was the lingua franca; the Romans had taken over the Greek pantheon; its philosophical schools were widely studied and read and followed; its art and literature were imitated. The world-view of classical Greece had largely won over the entire known world. Thus, when Paul used the term “Greek” synonymously with “Gentiles” or “hagoyim” or “the nations” everyone would have known exactly what he meant.
The “Greeks” were all Unbelievers in the Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But time and history had moved on. Well, actually, time and history had changed radically in Paul's lifetime. The world would never be the same again. All continuity with the past was radically altered and changed. Paul, and in fact all humanity from his time onward was and is living in the days of our Lord.
The Scriptures make plain to us what the great discontinuities were. Israel of old was rejected as the people through whom God would bless the world; they had proven to be no different from the Gentiles, and were all under sin. God's special covenant was now made with just one Man—the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone was the true Israelite. Israel's final rejection of Messiah, God's anointed One meant they had rejected finally their God. From this time onward, Israelites would only find favour with God if they believed upon Messiah Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came forth to make of Himself a sin offering for the whole world. All men, all nations would now be summoned by God to see, hear, and believe what Christ had done for all who believed. Thus, the distinction between Jew and Greek would be removed. From this time on, it would be replaced by a new distinction: between Christian and non-Christian.
Thirdly, within the Church a new humanity would be created around Christ their Lord. All dividing walls would be broken down. There would no longer be Gentile and Jew, slave or free, rich or poor, Scythian or civilised, Greek or barbarian. There would be one new man united around our Lord.
Fourth, the former Ruler of this world was cast out. The time of his power and authority was over. Christ came forth to redeem every tribe and every nation, to destroy all the works of the Devil. Judgement was upon him and all his works, all his followers and servants and their deeds. Even as the former Ruler was cast out, Christ Himself was installed in his place. All power and authority was given to Him in heaven and on earth. All enemies were to be placed under His feet. The last enemy that would be vanquished would be death itself. As far as the curse were found, His healing reign would extend.
So—and in full consistency with the new human history which had commenced in Paul's life—the date was changed. Time was now to be counted according to the “years of our Lord”. Some mistakenly assume that the term “anno Domini” means “year since the death of our Lord”. This is incorrect. The term means “year of our Lord.” In other words—the year of the reign of our Lord. So, the current date is 2009. We are in the 2009th year of the reign of our Lord. The great discontinuities of history wrought by God and His Son are still ruling over us, controlling and predestinating the life of every person, nation, people group, and empire upon the globe, whether they know it or not, believe it or not, like it or not. These discontinuities comes with a message of warning to all mankind: kiss the feet of the Son while there is still time, before it is too late.
In the eighteenth century in the West a movement called the Enlightenment gained great sway over the minds and hearts of Christian Europe. It has since spread over most of the world. As in Paul's day, we can say with reasonable accuracy that once again the world is divided into Christians and Greeks. The Enlightenment overtly and deliberately sought to recapture and re-present what they saw as the Golden Age of humanity—the age of Classical Greece. They have succeeded.
But it is a retrograde, backward, and primitive step. It vainly flails against the true and certain course of human history—the reign of our Lord over the entire world. The “enlightened” West is thus doomed to failure, defeat, collapse, confusion, and demolition. It is one of the most backward and primitive moves ever attempted by sinful men. It is folly. It pushes a snowball up a hill on a scorching hot day.
Our modern day Greeks are yesterday's ancient men. They are all under sin. They are all under judgement. Their time has passed. Their conspiracy to cast off the Son is futile, desperate, and foolish. Their doom is set and awaits, unless they turn and once again bow before the Son in humble thankfulness and adoration—as, indeed, their fathers did before them.
2009 remains the Year of our Lord; their rebellion is thus misshapen, even monstrous.
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