False Security: Knowledge (Part 1)

Romans 2:17-18

¹⁷ Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

(Verse 17b-24) - The second false religious security Paul mentions is knowledge of God’s Law, which in this context represented what we now refer to as the Old Testament. This Law represented not only the Pentateuch, the five books of the Mosaic law but also what were called the writings (Psalms, Proverbs, etc.) and the prophets. This Law encompassed all of God’s revelation until that time: His revelation about His covenants, His blessings, His cursings, His warnings, His promises, His rites and ceremonies, His moral standards, and His teaching about Himself and about man and the plan of redemption.

In regard to the Jews’ knowledge of that divine revelation, the apostle mentions four aspects: what they learned of the Law (vv. 17b-18), what they taught about it (vv. 19-20), what they did in light of it (vv. 21-22), and what they caused by breaking it (vv. 23-24).

What They Learned About The Law

And restest in the law - The word “rest” here is evidently used in the sense of trusting to, or leaning upon. The Jew leaned on, or relied on the Law for acceptance or favor before God; on the fact that he had the Law, and on his obedience to it. It does not mean that he relied on his own works, though that was true, but that he leaned on the fact that he had the Law, and was thus distinguished above others. The Law here means the entire Mosaic economy; or all the rules and regulations which Moses had given. Perhaps also it includes, as it sometimes does, the whole of the Old Testament.

Taken by itself, this statement by Paul might seem to have been a commendation. But as he soon makes clear (see vv. 21-25), it was really a very strong indictment, because the Jews did not live up to or respond properly to the Law they knew so well and praised so highly. Most Jews of that day were proud and self-righteous about their heritage and had come to rely upon their knowledge of the Law and their boasting in God as means of satisfying the Lord. They loved to recite such passages as, “[God] declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation; and as for His ordinances, they have not known them” (Ps. 147:19-20). They really saw their Judaism almost as a sort of religious-historical heritage than they did a living and vibrant relationship with the True and Living God. 

But since they readily saw that it was impossible for anyone to keep all of God’s law perfectly (and this is the primary functions of the Law – revealing sin and showing men their lack before God which functions in the unredeemed as well as in the redeemed), some of the rabbis began teaching that merely learning the facts of the Law was sufficient to please God. They came up with another purpose for the Law that was both unbiblical and inaccurate. Weakening the purpose of the law still further, some taught that the mere possession of it, in the form of written scrolls, was sufficient, reducing the Law to the status of a mere artifact.  Before we judge them too harshly, we need to recognize how much Christianity has gone In for artifacts and icons over the years and simply acknowledge that it an easy mistake, and a natural one to make.

Still others taught that Jews were safe from God’s judgment simply because, as a people, they were the specially chosen recipients and custodians of God’s Law. This is another appeal to heritage.  Because God had chosen and work through Moses, He must be working through me, one of his decedents.  Many Americans have this view, namely that because God worked specially and wonderfully in our Founding Fathers He must still be showing favor to us as their descendants!  We make all of the same mistakes over again!

The Old Testament makes its purpose quite clear, however, and it repeatedly warns against Jews placing their trust in outward ceremonies and objects, even those, such as the priestly sacrifices and the Temple, which God had ordained. Through Jeremiah, the Lord said,

Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the lord, the temple of the Lord.” For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. (Jer. 7:3-7)

In other words, spiritual safety and security was not in the Temple but in God Himself and in faithful obedience to the divine truth and righteousness which His Temple represented.

Makest thy boast in God - Thou dost boast, or glory, that thou hast the knowledge of the true God, while other nations are in darkness. On this account the Jew felt himself far elevated above all other people, and despised them. It was true that they only had the true knowledge of God, and that he had declared himself to be their God, (Deut. 4:7; Ps. 147:19-20); but this was not a ground for boasting, but for gratitude. This passage shows us that it is much more common to boast of privileges than to be thankful for them, and that it is no evidence of piety for a man to boast of his knowledge of God. An humble, ardent thankfulness that we have that knowledge a thankfulness which leads us not to despise others, but to desire that they may have the same privilege - is an evidence of piety.

When ungodly Jews would boast in God it was really a means of boasting in themselves, in the unique privileges and blessings they thought were theirs by right rather than by grace.

Self-righteous, presumptuous Jews were satisfied simply to know His will, without obeying it. This is a reference to the will or commands of God. This knowledge they obtained from the Scriptures; and of course, in this they were distinguished from other nations.  They knew what God required and what He forbade, what He commanded and what He prohibited, what He approved and what He disapproved, what He rewarded and what He punished. They had been apprised of it and were aware of it.  But rather than saving them, that knowledge became a judgment against them, because they refused to live by it and refused to accept the remedy for such failure.

They were also willing to approve the things that are essential.  The word “approved” carried the idea of testing in order to prove the value of something, such as precious metals. The word used here is capable of two interpretations. It may mean either to distinguish, or to approve. The word is properly and usually applied to the process of testing or trying metals by fire. Hence, it comes to be used in a general sense to try or to distinguish anything; to ascertain its nature, quality, etc.; (Luke 12:56). This is probably its meaning here, referring rather to the intellectual process of discriminating, than to the moral process of approving. It could not, perhaps, be said with propriety, at least the scope of the passage does not properly suppose this, that the Jew approved or loved the things of God: but the scope of the passage is, that the Jew valued himself on his knowledge of what was conformable to the will of God; see the notes at Rom. 14.  In other words, the Jews had the means not only to know what was right and wrong but to discern what was the most important part of God’s law.

The things that are more excellent - The word translated here “more excellent” denotes properly the things that differ from others, and then also the things that excel. It has an ambiguity similar to the word translated “approved.” If the interpretation of that word above given is correct, then this word here means those things that differ from others. The reference is to the rites and customs, to the distinctions of meats and days, etc., prescribed by the Law of Moses. The Jew would pride himself on the fact that he had been taught by the Law to make these distinctions, while all the pagan world had been left in ignorance of them. This was one of the advantages on which he valued himself and his religion.

Jews were also continually being instructed out of the Law. That is, in regard to the one God, his will, and the distinguishing rites of his worship.  Being instructed is the term from which catechism is derived. It had the general meaning of oral instruction of any sort but was especially associated with teaching by repetition. Both at home and in the synagogues, Jewish boys in particular were systematically and thoroughly instructed out of the Law. Not only rabbis but also many other Jewish men memorized large portions of the Old Testament, which they often recited in public as a demonstration of piety.

It is ironic that ancient Jews considered wisdom to consist of acting according to the knowledge one had, whereas the ancient Greeks simply equated wisdom with knowledge. By New Testament times, however, many Jews, especially the religious leaders, had, in practice, accepted the Greek view of wisdom. Whether they did so intentionally or not, the consequence was that they felt content with merely knowing God’s law and had little desire or motivation to obey it. They knew much but obeyed little. This is the historic problem with people who are exposed to genuine religion culturally or institutionally, but not personally.  They “know” a lot, but truly submit to and obey very little. 

It is the problem with a “sacramental” approach to Christianity.  It enables people to feel like they have approached God without actually approaching Him.  They are like the people after Moses got the Law – they want him to go into God’s presence, but they are not anxious to go in themselves.  Sacramentalism is a major mistake in Christianity.  The idea that the church acts in some fashion to mediate the grace of God and to dispense it or act as a “go between” in any fashion is a horror to true spirituality and does far more damage spiritually than it does good.  Men are apt enough to remain isolated from the presence of God without their religious system actually encouraging them to do so.

I need to emphasize in my preaching that the presence of god is open and that knowledge, the simple obtaining of knowledge is not sufficient to commend men to God.