Was Paul sure that all Jews in Rome were evil? ~ Cross reference of Romans 2:17 to Isaiah 52:1

Paul gives the Jews a good bashing that they being the teachers of the law should obey the law first else G-d will come down on them very hard.

I agree that G-d's expectations of his people is very high just like a parent expects a lot more from a child who has the protentional compared to a child who is not as much gifted. Same way G-d expects his "Light to the nations" to be brighter so the gentiles can come close to the ONE TRUE G-D of the universe.

But the question is, were all the Jews in Rome evil?  Every religion teaches justice, peace & good morals to live by, but you will always find some who are evil. Israel has had its share of bad people in each generation and that is who the prophets were chastising. Paul calling all Jews in Rome as thieves, adulterers, evil people seems to be a bit of a stretch.

That said, let us see how wrong Paul is by quoting Isaiah 52:5. There are tons of passages where a prophet is chastising Israel, but this one is about G-d saying that the gentiles are blaspheming his name.

Fortunately he gets Ezekiel 36:20-22 right. 

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All Greek Text references are from NIV and Tanakh references are from Chabad.

This post is not intended to offend anyone's faith but for those people who are Seeking the truth of THE ONE TRUE G-D of the universe to who we owe all our love, gratitude & devotion.

My encouragement to you is that you read the whole chapter of Tanakh that the Greek text quotes so you get the context and understand what G-d actually said.

G-d Bless and Seek THE Truth.

Romans 2:17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[b]

Isaiah 52:1 Awaken, awaken, put on your strength, O Zion; put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem the Holy City, for no longer shall the uncircumcised or the unclean continue to enter you. 2 Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; free yourself of the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For so said the Lord, "You were sold for naught, and you shall not be redeemed for money." 4 For so said the Lord God, "My people first went down to Egypt to sojourn there, but Assyria oppressed them for nothing." 5 "And now, what have I here," says the Lord, "that My people has been taken for nothing. His rulers boast," says the Lord, "and constantly all day My name is blasphemed.

Ezekiel 36:17 "Son of man! The house of Israel, as long as they lived on their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their misdeeds, like the uncleanness of a woman in the period of her separation was their way before Me. 18 Wherefore I poured My wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. According to their way and their misdeeds did I judge them. 20 And they entered the nations where they came, and they profaned My Holy Name, inasmuch as it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and they have come out of His land.' 21 But I had pity on My Holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had come. 22 Therefore, say to the house of Israel; So says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I do this, O house of Israel, but for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations to which they have come

Isaiah 52

• G-d is speaking through Isaiah about the state his people and tells them to strengthen themselves as G-d will ensure the gentiles do not come close to them anymore. He tells his people that they will get out of the enemies bonds and will no more be subject to the gentiles.
• Isaiah 52:1 Awaken, awaken, put on your strength, O Zion; put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem the Holy City, for no longer shall the uncircumcised or the unclean continue to enter you. 2 Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; free yourself of the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
• G-d says that Israel was sold for nothing and hence will be redeemed for nothing in return to the captors
• Isaiah 52:3 For so said the Lord, "You were sold for naught, and you shall not be redeemed for money."
• G-d says, Egypt enslaved and they had at least fed them during the famine and gave them land to live in, but Assyria took Israel captives and oppressed them for no offense of Israel.
• Isaiah 52:4 For so said the Lord God, "My people first went down to Egypt to sojourn there, but Assyria oppressed them for nothing."
• The verse that Paul cross referenced is about Assyria boasting about their might that even the G-d of Israel could not save them from them. Paul says because the Jews do all evil things like robbery, adulatory etc. G-d's name is blasphemed. Kind of say for a Pharisee of Pharisee to not understand Tanakh don't you think?
• Isaiah 52:5 "And now, what have I here," says the Lord, "that My people has been taken for nothing. His rulers boast," says the Lord, "and constantly all day My name is blasphemed.

Ezekiel 36

• Ezekiel is talking about Israel's sinful ways and how they defiled the land with idolatry and blood shed. Because of these evil deeds G-d scattered them into the gentiles nations so they will repent and turn to G-d  
• Ezekiel 36:17 "Son of man! The house of Israel, as long as they lived on their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their misdeeds, like the uncleanness of a woman in the period of her separation was their way before Me. 18 Wherefore I poured My wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. According to their way and their misdeeds did I judge them.
• G-d says that even after they came into the gentile nations they continued to do evil and thus profaned G-d's name. People who saw their lives were shocked to see that G-d's people would do such evil things.
• Ezekiel 36:20 And they entered the nations where they came, and they profaned My Holy Name, inasmuch as it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and they have come out of His land.' 
• G-d says because his name was being blasphemed he will rescue Israel and bring them back to their land.
• Ezekiel 36:21 But I had pity on My Holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had come. 22 Therefore, say to the house of Israel; So says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I do this, O house of Israel, but for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations to which they have come 23 And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord-is the declaration of the Lord God-when I will be sanctified through you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your land.