01.6.8. Gods Just Judgment On Hypocrisy
Chapter 6viii - God’s Just Judgment On Hypocrisy
God’s judgment is just (Romans 2:17-29; Romans 3:1-8). His judgment of hypocrisy is just (Romans 2:17-24). The religious Jews were hypocrites judging others, but they were not judging themselves: “Therefore O man, you are without excuse, everyone who is judging; for that in which you are judging another, you are passing judgment on yourself; for you who judge practice the same things” (Romans 2:1 -translation).
One is hypocritical to judge another prior to judging himself. Although the word “Jew” in Romans 2:17 is singular, Paul was addressing all Jews. The word is used generically. The hypocritical Jews called themselves Jews, comforted themselves in the sphere of the law, and bragged for themselves in God. Their boasting was national assent. Theirs was mechanical reliance in God. Their boasting may be compared with someone boasting of his denominational ties. People hide behind names, creeds, etc., and call themselves this or that when there is no reality.
These hypocritical Jews had permanently convinced themselves to be guides of the blind, a light of the ones in darkness (Romans 2:19). But they based their conviction on what they themselves had done and not on what God had done for them. Such persons are unteachable. They were instructors of foolish ones, teachers of babies, having the form of knowledge and of the truth in the sphere of the law (Romans 2:20). The word for “form” in this verse is from morphosis. It is used only twice in the New Testament. The other place is 2 Timothy 3:5 -“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof....” Hence, their knowledge of the truth in the sphere of the law was in appearance only. In contrast, the regenerated person is not satisfied without hearing the revealed truth that causes him to become established in the faith. This religious nation tried to get others not to do as they did but to do what they said. They taught others but did not teach themselves. They preached that others should not steal but did not know they were stealing in many ways. The same was true of adultery and idolatry (Romans 2:21-22). They should have abhorred the violation of anything sacred. Paul then returned to the way he began his condemnation of these pietists in Romans 2:17. While they were boasting in the sphere of the law, they were dishonoring God through the transgression of the law, because the name of God was blasphemed among the non-Jews through them, as it has been written (Romans 2:23-24).