A Study by Scott Sperling   Romans 2:17-24 -  The Lack of Moral Leadership 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.” In the previous section, Paul discussed the principles of God’s righteous judgment: “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” (Rom. 2:12-13). In this section, he continues this thought, with particular emphasis on God’s dealing with the Jews. Paul addresses the Jews directly: “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth — you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (Rom. 2:17-21). The Jews had a special relationship with God. God chose to reveal Himself to the Jews, and God entrusted the Jews with his Law. The Jews took pride in this special relationship. Paul summarizes the advantages that the Jews had: 1. They were called “Jews” (vs. 17). “The name Jew embraces three significations: confession, praise, and thanksgiving; and by these three things that people was distinguished from all other nations. The Jew alone had been chosen as the confessor of God, while all the rest of the world had abjured His service. The Jew alone was appointed to celebrate His praises, while by others He was blasphemed. The Jew alone was appointed to render thanksgiving to God for multiplied benefits received, while others were passed by” [Haldane, 94]. 2. They “rely on the law” (vs. 17). The children of Israel had the great privilege of being those to whom God entrusted with His perfect Law. Reliance on that Law was well and good, as long as their reliance included obedience. The problem is, the Jews relied on the mere possession of the Law. They thought that they were appointed a special place with God because they merely possessed the Law, whether or not they actually obeyed it. “They should rely on the law in living their lives (so Ps 1:2; 19:7-11; 119:9-34). However, it was one thing to center on their need for the law, but quite another to center on their possession of the law. Their reliance was not so much on their walk with God as it was on the law he gave them, and it gave them a false security. Because of this they felt they were justified in the sight of God and would not have to face judgment” [Osbourne]. 3. They “boast in God” (vs 17). It is well and good to “boast in God.” The Lord spoke through Jeremiah: “Let the one who boasts boast about this:that they have the understanding to know me,that I am the Lord” (Jer. 9:24). But this boasting must be done in humility towards God, and not as a basis of contempt  for others. “It is to one’s credit to take pride in a right relationship with God. But here there is an absence of humility that leads them to center on their status rather than on knowing God” [Osbourne]. “To boast or glory in God, or in Christ (see Gal. 6:14), is right, if it proceeds from a sense of our weakness and unworthiness, and a corresponding sense of the goodness of God, as our sure refuge and strength; but it is wrong if it arises from religious bigotry and conceit, which would monopolize the favor of God to the exclusion of others... The false Jewish boasting in God amounted to a boasting in the flesh, against which we are warned, see Gal. 6:18; 2 Cor. 10:15; Phil 3:3” [Lange, 108]. 4. They “know His will” (vs. 18). God, in His grace, gave the children of Israel, not only His Law, but also guidance, through prophecies and revelation, throughout their history. In this, God showed them great favor. “The Jew had many means of knowing the will of God. He had the lively oracles, educated teachers to expound it, with a splendid and divinely appointed public service, full of instruction and solemnity, so that it was nearly impossible to live even a short lifetime in Jewry without acquiring a large amount of religious knowledge” [Plumer, 99]. But again, such knowledge should be received with humility, and not be used as a basis for arrogance and contempt  for others. 5. They “approve of what is superior because they are instructed by the law” (vs. 18). Through the Law, the Jews knew what was “superior” (obedience to the Law), and what was destructive (disobedience to the Law). Non-Jews, being without God’s Law, had no objective standard for what is “superior”. “The Jews knew the will of God, and, knowing that will, they consequently knew what was contrary to it; that is to say, those things which God does not approve, and which He condemns. For the declaration of what God approves includes, in the way of opposition and negation, those things which He does not approve. From this we learn the perfection of the written law, in opposition to unwritten traditions; for nothing more is needed in order to know the will of God, and to discern what contradicts it” [Haldane, 95]. “The Jew had better laws, better songs, better philosophy, better moral lessons, purer worship than any heathen nation” [Plumer, 99]. 6. Because of the special revelation of God to them, they could be “guides”, “instructors”, and “teachers” (vss. 19-20). “The Jew was conscious of his superior light. He knew how debased and ignorant were the nations round about. He was confident that he could tell them many things of the greatest importance to all men” [Plumer, 99]. However, with greater knowledge comes greater responsibility. The sin and disobedience of those who are a “light for those who are in the dark” are magnified, because of the potential to lead others astray. “Because the Jew had such privileges, his sin was all the greater: to belong to the true church, to hold the true doctrine, to be able to expound it to others should make us better men; but when these things are joined with unholiness, they but add to our condemnation” [Schaff, 36]. “It was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, that they did not do as they taught (see Matt. 23:3), but pulled down with their lives, what they built up with their preaching; for who will believe those who do not believe themselves? Examples will govern more than rules. The greatest obstructers of the success of the word, are those whose bad lives contradict their good doctrine” [Henry, 223]. So yes, the Jews had great privileges. But we find that these privileges had no value because of their disobedience to God’s revealed Law: “You then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” (vss. 21-23). The sins noted by Paul here are representative. They sinned against their fellow man (“stealing”), their own bodies (“committing adultery”), and against God (“robbing temples”). Their pride in their special place as God’s chosen people became their downfall, because of the greater responsibility they held by being favored by God. “The sum of the charge here made is that of gross inconsistency between profession and practice, with the aggravation of a wicked life following sufficient knowledge” [Plumer, 100]. As we have all sinned, so the Jew has too sinned. None of us are without the need of Christ. Paul summarizes well the damage done of teachers who do not practice what they preach: “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (vs. 24). “It matters little what a man’s speculative opinions may be; his practice may do far more to disgrace religion, than his profession does to honor it” [Barnes, in Lange’s, 111]. “While they made a boast of the law, they so disregarded its precepts as to lead the heathen to think and speak evil of that God who gave the law, of whose character they judged by the conduct of his people” [Hodge, 63]. We Christians should take special note of this. “Christians should ever remember that they are the epistles of Jesus Christ, known and read of all men; that God is honoured by their holy living, and that his name is blasphemed when they act wickedly” [Hodge, 67-68]. Romans 2:25-29 – True Circumcision 25  Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26  So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27  The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28  A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29  No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. Paul goes on to describe what it truly is to be one of God’s people: “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised” (vs. 25). Circumcision was a rite that physically distinguished the children of Israel from the surrounding nations. Many Jews of the time thought that the mere participation in the rite of circumcision would spare them from any judgment from God [Hodge, 63]. Paul informs them that circumcision does not convey such privileges. Rather, for the Jews, it is merely an outward sign of the covenant between God and them. Just as mere possession of the Law by the Jews will not shield them from judgment, so also mere participation in the rite of circumcision will likewise not convey righteousness upon them. On the contrary, “if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised” (vs. 25). “Now he proceeds to strip them of the last refuge to which they usually betook themselves, their illusive trust in the possession of circumcision. This was so great, that some Jews maintained the opinion that the circumcised need not expect and fear the torments of Gehenna” [Philippi, 95]. “According to the apostle, the true idea of a sacrament is not that it is a mystic rite, possessed of inherent efficacy, or conveying grace as a mere opus operatum; but that it is a seal and sign, designed to confirm our faith in the validity of the covenant to which it is attached; and, from its significant character, to present and illustrate some great spiritual truth” [Hodge, 67]. Circumcision was an outward rite, in which one, by sacrificing the flesh, “consecrated the participant to membership of the people of God.” It was meant to be accompanied “by the inner consecration of moral holiness” [Meyer, 131]. Without the moral holiness, the rite of circumcision becomes worthless, and the circumcision becomes uncircumcision (as the original Greek of vs. 25 states). “By wrong living, circumcision failed of its object and became uncircumcision, or exclusion from sonship with Abraham” [Stifler, 42]. Furthermore, since “God does not show favoritism” (Rom. 2:11), the privileges of the circumcised, can be attained by the uncircumcised: “So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?” (vss. 26). “If the unholy Jew virtually becomes a Gentile (ver. 25), does not the obedient Gentile virtually become a Jew?” [Schaff, 37]. “The one proposition flows from the other; for if circumcision is in itself nothing, its presence cannot protect the guilty; its absence cannot invalidate the claims of the righteous” [Hodge, 64]. Moreover, the righteous Gentile, though not circumcised, in effect condemns the unrighteous Jew: “The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker” (vs. 27). This is an interesting turnabout. This chapter began with Paul speaking directly to those (presumably Jews) who pass judgment on heathen sinners. Here, the uncircumcised who obey the law “condemn” those who routinely pass judgment on others. They “condemn” them, not in the sense that they will be those appointed as judges over them, but in the sense that their righteous behavior would serve as evidence against the disobedient Jews [Mounce, 73-74]. Paul summarizes the principle: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God” (vss. 28-29). “He is not a Jew who is only one outwardly, in dress, in profession, and in subjection to ceremonials, and circumcision is not accomplished with a sharp knife; but he is a Jew who is right within, where only God sees; for circumcision pertains first of all to the heart, a cutting off of man from all evil” [Stifler, 43]. The Old Testament teaches exactly this: “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer” (Deut. 10:16); “Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved” (Jer. 4:14). “The basic contrast [pointed out] in these verses is an inner vs. outer contrast; a contrast between what can be seen with the eye (physical circumcision, Jewish birth) and what only God ultimately sees (the changed heart)” [Moo, 174]. “In other words, the holiness which God approves is in the heart. With him a name is nothing, profession nothing, but the reality is everything... The heart, the spirit, the seat of the principles, affections and motives, is of chief importance. God cares nothing at all for mere show, mere profession, mere rites and appearances as deciding character” [Plumer, 103]. God is not satisfied with mere formalism, with the rote practice of rituals. He wants your religion to reach into and transform the very depths of your being. “Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God” (vs. 29). “This praise is the holy satisfaction of God [His being well-pleased], as He has so often declared it to the righteous in the Scriptures” [Meyer, 136]. Click here to see Bibliography and Suggested Reading              
© 1994-2018, Scott Sperling
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A Study by Scott Sperling   Romans 2:17-24 -  The Lack of Moral Leadership 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.” In the previous section, Paul discussed the principles of God’s righteous judgment: “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” (Rom. 2:12-13). In this section, he continues this thought, with particular emphasis on God’s dealing with the Jews. Paul addresses the Jews directly: “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth — you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (Rom. 2:17-21). The Jews had a special relationship with God. God chose to reveal Himself to the Jews, and God entrusted the Jews with his Law. The Jews took pride in this special relationship. Paul summarizes the advantages that the Jews had: 1. They were called “Jews” (vs. 17). “The name Jew embraces three significations: confession, praise, and thanksgiving; and by these three things that people was distinguished from all other nations. The Jew alone had been chosen as the confessor of God, while all the rest of the world had abjured His service. The Jew alone was appointed to celebrate His praises, while by others He was blasphemed. The Jew alone was appointed to render thanksgiving to God for multiplied benefits received, while others were passed by” [Haldane, 94]. 2. They “rely on the law” (vs. 17). The children of Israel had the great privilege of being those to whom God entrusted with His perfect Law. Reliance on that Law was well and good, as long as their reliance included obedience. The problem is, the Jews relied on the mere possession of the Law. They thought that they were appointed a special place with God because they merely possessed the Law, whether or not they actually obeyed it. “They should rely on the law in living their lives (so Ps 1:2; 19:7-11; 119:9-34). However, it was one thing to center on their need for the law, but quite another to center on their possession of the law. Their reliance was not so much on their walk with God as it was on the law he gave them, and it gave them a false security. Because of this they felt they were justified in the sight of God and would not have to face judgment” [Osbourne]. 3. They “boast in God” (vs 17). It is well and good to “boast in God.” The Lord spoke through Jeremiah: “Let the one who boasts boast about this:that they have the understanding to know me,that I am the Lord” (Jer. 9:24). But this boasting must be done in humility towards God, and not as a basis of contempt for others. “It is to one’s credit to take pride in a right relationship with God. But here there is an absence of humility that leads them to center on their status rather than on knowing God” [Osbourne]. “To boast or glory in God, or in Christ (see Gal. 6:14), is right, if it proceeds from a sense of our weakness and unworthiness, and a corresponding sense of the goodness of God, as our sure refuge and strength; but it is wrong if it arises from religious bigotry and conceit, which would monopolize the favor of God to the exclusion of others... The false Jewish boasting in God amounted to a boasting in the flesh, against which we are warned, see Gal. 6:18; 2 Cor. 10:15; Phil 3:3” [Lange, 108]. 4. They “know His will” (vs. 18). God, in His grace, gave the children of Israel, not only His Law, but also guidance, through prophecies and revelation, throughout their history. In this, God showed them great favor. “The Jew had many means of knowing the will of God. He had the lively oracles, educated teachers to expound it, with a splendid and divinely appointed public service, full of instruction and solemnity, so that it was nearly impossible to live even a short lifetime in Jewry without acquiring a large amount of religious knowledge” [Plumer, 99]. But again, such knowledge should be received with humility, and not be used as a basis for arrogance and contempt for others. 5. They “approve of what is superior because they are instructed by the law” (vs. 18). Through the Law, the Jews knew what was “superior”  (obedience to the Law), and what was destructive (disobedience to the Law). Non-Jews, being without God’s Law, had no objective standard for what is “superior”. “The Jews knew the will of God, and, knowing that will, they consequently knew what was contrary to it; that is to say, those things which God does not approve, and which He condemns. For the declaration of what God approves includes, in the way of opposition and negation, those things which He does not approve. From this we learn the perfection of the written law, in opposition to unwritten traditions; for nothing more is needed in order to know the will of God, and to discern what contradicts it” [Haldane, 95]. “The Jew had better laws, better songs, better philosophy, better moral lessons, purer worship than any heathen nation” [Plumer, 99]. 6. Because of the special revelation of God to them, they could be “guides”, “instructors”, and “teachers” (vss. 19-20). “The Jew was conscious of his superior light. He knew how debased and ignorant were the nations round about. He was confident that he could tell them many things of the greatest importance to all men” [Plumer, 99]. However, with greater knowledge comes greater responsibility. The sin and disobedience of those who are a “light for those who are in the dark”  are magnified, because of the potential to lead others astray. “Because the Jew had such privileges, his sin was all the greater: to belong to the true church, to hold the true doctrine, to be able to expound it to others should make us better men; but when these things are joined with unholiness, they but add to our condemnation” [Schaff, 36]. “It was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, that they did not do as they taught (see Matt. 23:3), but pulled down with their lives, what they built up with their preaching; for who will believe those who do not believe themselves? Examples will govern more than rules. The greatest obstructers of the success of the word, are those whose bad lives contradict their good doctrine” [Henry, 223]. So yes, the Jews had great privileges. But we find that these privileges had no value because of their disobedience to God’s revealed Law: “You then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” (vss. 21-23). The sins noted by Paul here are representative. They sinned against their fellow man (“stealing”), their own bodies (“committing adultery”), and against God (“robbing temples”). Their pride in their special place as God’s chosen people became their downfall, because of the greater responsibility they held by being favored by God. “The sum of the charge here made is that of gross inconsistency between profession and practice, with the aggravation of a wicked life following sufficient knowledge” [Plumer, 100]. As we have all sinned, so the Jew has too sinned. None of us are without the need of Christ. Paul summarizes well the damage done of teachers who do not practice what they preach: “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (vs. 24). “It matters little what a man’s speculative opinions may be; his practice may do far more to disgrace religion, than his profession does to honor it” [Barnes, in Lange’s, 111]. “While they made a boast of the law, they so disregarded its precepts as to lead the heathen to think and speak evil of that God who gave the law, of whose character they judged by the conduct of his people” [Hodge, 63]. We Christians should take special note of this. “Christians should ever remember that they are the epistles of Jesus Christ, known and read of all men; that God is honoured by their holy living, and that his name is blasphemed when they act wickedly” [Hodge, 67-68]. Romans 2:25-29 – True Circumcision 25  Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26  So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27  The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28  A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29   No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. Paul goes on to describe what it truly is to be one of God’s people: “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised” (vs. 25). Circumcision was a rite that physically distinguished the children of Israel from the surrounding nations. Many Jews of the time thought that the mere participation in the rite of circumcision would spare them from any judgment from God [Hodge, 63]. Paul informs them that circumcision does not convey such privileges. Rather, for the Jews, it is merely an outward sign of the covenant between God and them. Just as mere possession of the Law by the Jews will not shield them from judgment, so also mere participation in the rite of circumcision will likewise not convey righteousness upon them. On the contrary, “if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised” (vs. 25). “Now he proceeds to strip them of the last refuge to which they usually betook themselves, their illusive trust in the possession of circumcision. This was so great, that some Jews maintained the opinion that the circumcised need not expect and fear the torments of Gehenna” [Philippi, 95]. “According to the apostle, the true idea of a sacrament is not that it is a mystic rite, possessed of inherent efficacy, or conveying grace as a mere opus operatum; but that it is a seal and sign, designed to confirm our faith in the validity of the covenant to which it is attached; and, from its significant character, to present and illustrate some great spiritual truth” [Hodge, 67]. Circumcision was an outward rite, in which one, by sacrificing the flesh, “consecrated the participant to membership of the people of God.” It was meant to be accompanied “by the inner consecration of moral holiness” [Meyer, 131]. Without the moral holiness, the rite of circumcision becomes worthless, and the circumcision becomes uncircumcision (as the original Greek of vs. 25 states). “By wrong living, circumcision failed of its object and became uncircumcision, or exclusion from sonship with Abraham” [Stifler, 42]. Furthermore, since “God does not show favoritism”  (Rom. 2:11), the privileges of the circumcised, can be attained by the uncircumcised: “So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?” (vss. 26). “If the unholy Jew virtually becomes a Gentile (ver. 25), does not the obedient Gentile virtually become a Jew?” [Schaff, 37]. “The one proposition flows from the other; for if circumcision is in itself nothing, its presence cannot protect the guilty; its absence cannot invalidate the claims of the righteous” [Hodge, 64]. Moreover, the righteous Gentile, though not circumcised, in effect condemns the unrighteous Jew: “The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker” (vs. 27). This is an interesting turnabout. This chapter began with Paul speaking directly to those (presumably Jews) who pass judgment on heathen sinners. Here, the uncircumcised who obey the law “condemn” those who routinely pass judgment on others. They “condemn” them, not in the sense that they will be those appointed as judges over them, but in the sense that their righteous behavior would serve as evidence against the disobedient Jews [Mounce, 73-74]. Paul summarizes the principle: “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God” (vss. 28-29). “He is not a Jew who is only one outwardly, in dress, in profession, and in subjection to ceremonials, and circumcision is not accomplished with a sharp knife; but he is a Jew who is right within, where only God sees; for circumcision pertains first of all to the heart, a cutting off of man from all evil” [Stifler, 43]. The Old Testament teaches exactly this: “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer” (Deut. 10:16); “Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved” (Jer. 4:14). “The basic contrast [pointed out] in these verses is an inner vs. outer contrast; a contrast between what can be seen with the eye (physical circumcision, Jewish birth) and what only God ultimately sees (the changed heart)” [Moo, 174]. “In other words, the holiness which God approves is in the heart. With him a name is nothing, profession nothing, but the reality is everything... The heart, the spirit, the seat of the principles, affections and motives, is of chief importance. God cares nothing at all for mere show, mere profession, mere rites and appearances as deciding character” [Plumer, 103]. God is not satisfied with mere formalism, with the rote practice of rituals. He wants your religion to reach into and transform the very depths of your being. “Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God” (vs. 29). “This praise is the holy satisfaction  of God [His being well-pleased], as He has so often declared it to the righteous in the Scriptures” [Meyer, 136]. Click here to see Bibliography and Suggested Reading              
Made with Xara © 1994-2017, Scott Sperling