Hypocrisy: The Transgression Test

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INTRO: We tend to see sin in others more readily than we see it in ourselves. Now, as it has always been, it seems easy to spot sin in others. We are far less inclined to see it in ourselves. We belittle our transgressions and we overestimate the goodness of intentions and the purity of our motives. Also, we’re great at blame-shifting, making excuses. These are symptoms of the common sin problem of self-righteousness. When we see sin in others but not ourselves, we are being duplicitous & hypocritical.

In our passage of emphasis for today, Paul starts dealing more directly with the hypocrisy of the self-righteous. Here he shifts from being indirect back to direct confrontation: those who look on the sins of idolatrous pagans and wag their heads in disgust, without including themselves in God’s just judgment, are hypocrites. - Paul began in chapter two: If you practice the same sins, in any way, will you escape judgment (vv. 1-5)? God is not mocked, but will judge justly and impartially according to each one’s works (vv. 6-11). And all are justly and impartially judged by God according the revelation received, whether they have the Mosaic law of Israel or only the natural law through general revelation (vv. 12-15). In either case, God in his righteousness will judge the secrets of all men by Christ Jesus, the only perfect standard of a righteous man (v. 16).

So now Paul returns to direct confrontation, this time more explicitly targeting Jews who have the great privilege of the Mosaic law in their possession, because of God’s covenant with them as a particular people of his choosing to represent him, and for them to be the vehicle of his future covenant with all mankind through Jesus Christ. The big question is: You have the law, but do you live up to it? You know what is right, but are you doing it?

Romans 2:17–24 ESV

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

The first of two tests of hypocrisy that Paul reveals in Rom 2:17-29 is the transgression test.

You have the law, but do you live up to it? You know what is right, but are you doing it?

You have the law, and know it well enough to teach others about keeping the law, but do you not transgress that very same law?

By drawing our eyes off the sin of others and onto our own sin, Paul demonstrates the futility of self-righteousness, through the example of Jewish failure to truly honor God’s covenant with them by not fully keeping the law.

So too, Paul will continue in vv. 25-29 with a second test of hypocrisy, which I’m calling the sincerity test. The outward sign of circumcision to mark God’s people is insufficient without an inward change of heart. - Honoring God rightly is a matter of obedience from the heart.

With regards to the first hypocrisy test—“What about your own transgression?”—here’s where we’re heading today: [list three parts]

Paul begins…

You have the great blessing of direct revelation from God in your possession… even to the point of knowing enough to teach others. (verses 17-20)

Paul transitions here with “if you call yourself a Jew” or “if you bear the name Jew.” For the first time this hypothetical dialogue partner is described as a Jew. Remember, Paul is employing the rhetorical style of diatribe in numerous places in this letter, where he anticipates the questioning and accusations of a potential opponent, and knocks them down.

But to call yourself a Jew “and rely on the law and boast in God…” these are in fact legitimate privileges, true advantages! They are the great blessing and high calling of being among the people with whom God has covenanted himself. In one breath Paul lists several…

-Covenant Privileges:

Just to able to call yourself a Jew. To be among God’s uniquely chosen nation.

To have the Mosaic law. -Paul says you have the law on which you can rely, rest in, take comfort in. You have direct revelation from God to know what he wants and expects. What a great advantage! - But Paul is also leaning into, with that privilege there is accompanying responsibility to respond to God and behave accordingly… in obedience.

You’re a Jew who has God’s law, and third: you therefore boast in God. Unfortunately Paul is hinting that the privilege of praising God and representing him, which absolutely is a good and positive opportunity, is here being turned into verbally taking pride in relationship to God “because I’m a Jew”… being of Israel, his chosen people. Once again, we shall see that Paul is asking the question, “But is being an Israelite enough, or must a Jew also keep the law? Is outward circumcision enough or must there be corresponding inner change that leads to a relationship of obedience from the heart?”

The covenant privileges of v. 17 lead to v. 18, the very real benefits of exposure to the law God gave to them through Moses.

-Instructed out of the Mosaic Law:

From it Jews can know God’s will (Knowing God’s clear commands), and from it they can test/approve what is excellent (what is surpassing, superior). - But Paul will say later to the believers in the church, that in Christ Jesus, and by the Spirit, we need to be renewing our minds according to the gospel and the law’s reflection of God’s perfect character, and then we will test and approve the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (see Rom 12:2)

But the point here is that they have been given an abundantly plain means to tell right from wrong: “because you are instructed from the law.”

-We’ll see that the problem Paul is driving at is boasting in this knowledge without truly holding ourselves accountable to it, completely. (v. 23 especially “You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.”) The problem is failing to practice what they preach, to live up to the law they proclaim, and therefore they will face judgment.

But first, he continues… v. 19 - If you are persuaded, convinced of yourself that you are… and he has four things, but they are grouped in interrelated pairs.

-Guides/Lights, Disciplinarians/Teachers:

By them Paul gives two fundamental illustrations of being arrogant about having so much knowledge we can teach what is good to others, while not practicing that good ourselves. The first two metaphors are connected (just as the second two). First, if you’re convinced about yourself that you’re a guide to the blind, a light to those in darkness —> Paul echoes OT Scripture concerning God’s people. Listen to Is 42:6-7.

Isaiah 42:6–7 ESV

6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

The Jews who truly follow God by faith are meant to be a light to the Gentile nations, who provide spiritual sight, to bring them out of their captivity in darkness. - But the question Paul is driving at is this: You who claim to be guides and lights, do you see your sin? Are you living by the sight and light that you teach to others?

So the second pair in v. 20 is “and if you are sure that you yourself… are you an instructor and teacher.” Instructor here in Greek carries the notion of disciplinarian… a disciplinarian of the foolish. The proverbs of Solomon repeatedly emphasize that fools need discipline.

And are you a teacher (one who instructs in skills and knowledge)… a teacher of those who are childlike, simple, immature (those who don’t yet know all that they do not know). They need instruction (teaching), being educated in what is right and trained in the skill to implement it.

Again in this verse, referring to what the Jews have in order to instruct others, we have Paul’s very positive take on the law itself: having in the Mosaic law “the embodiment of knowledge and truth.” Wow. In the law you have the very embodiment of knowledge and truth.

But where is Paul going with this? The real question is “Do you teach yourself?” v. 21

But here’s the question: Do you practice what you preach? Or is it, “Do as I say, not as I do?” (verses 21-22)

In v. 21 Paul transitions to a short list of rhetorical questions, with the first being the overarching question, followed by some specific examples. The first is this:

-You who teach others, do you teach yourself?

Here is the chief issue that reveals hypocrisy. If you say one thing but do another, if you know what is right but do not do it… that is being two faced, it is only wearing a mask of morality. But if like David you should have faith in God and serve him with your heart, you will love God’s law (God’s word) and thirst for it and desire to obey God and live for his glory… and if you should sin, also like David, even dramatically, then you must confess that sin to God and repent of it, turning back in faith to trust in his goodness and mercy to forgive your sin.

But Paul continues from “do you not teach yourself” to a few more examples of hypocrisy that are common problems, that would catch even a great deal of Jews in their sin.

-And while you preach against them, do you steal or commit adultery or rob temples?

Paul’s point is not that every Jewish person is doing all of these things, or even necessarily doing any of them blatantly, but they are representative examples of where God’s law is often being transgressed by those who are rightly declaring that such things are against God’s moral law. And if we proclaim something as an evil against God but do it ourselves, we expose our hypocrisy.

-While you publicly announce/proclaim against stealing, do you steal (to take something that does not belong to you without the owner’s consent).

Even IF they might say they never knowingly take what belongs to another person, what about not giving to God what he has required of them, according to the law? Is that not stealing?

Malachi 3:8–9 ESV

8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

Withholding from God that which he told them to give, he equates to stealing, to robbery. Such would be a likely way that some Jews, if not many, might be be caught in sin.

v. 22 has the examples of adultery and robbing temples.

Now, some might very well be living in adultery while quoting the ten commandments. But also remember, at verse 16 Paul had said that ultimately “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” - Further, God had said through the prophet, in Jeremiah 17:10…

Jeremiah 17:10 ESV

10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

And doesn’t that represent Paul’s exact argument in vv. 6-11 about God’s consistency in his just and impartial judgment?

My point is to say that Paul is deliberately drawing attention to accountability to God for what is in our hearts, for what is done in secret, just as Paul knows that Jesus taught, even using adultery as a specific example.

Matthew 5:27–28 ESV

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Can the self-righteously religious really claim to be without sin… to never steal and to never have lustful thoughts and desires? Paul continues.

-You who hate idols (abhor, detest… finding it offensive, vile, and repugnant)… but do you rob temples? Literally robbing pagan temples is a possibility for Paul’s intent: According to the ESV Study Bible, “Robbing temples was a common crime in the ancient world because temples housed expensive articles that could be sold for profit. Since the law taught that temples were idolatrous and Jews should not be in them or treasuring things from them (see Deut. 7:25–26), the Jewish plundering of pagan temples would involve not just stealing but self-defilement as well.”

Again another possibility is not only robbing pagan temples, but robbing their own temple: In the first century, “The half shekel was used to pay the temple tax, and not paying it may have been considered “robbing” the temple (Rom 2:22).” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

But with these rhetorical questions Paul is driving at boasting in this knowledge of the law without truly holding ourselves accountable to it, completely. So that leads him to this conclusion:

Hypocritically boasting in the law while transgressing it dishonors God… even to the point of causing pagans to revile God. (verses 23-24)

v. 23 might be in the form of a statement or question. (The original does not have punctuation, so we figure it out from context and word order, etc. But whether statement or rhetorical question certainly doesn’t change the meaning here.)

Paul comes pointedly to his point: Whether they desire to admit it or not, these ones who boast in the law are transgressing the law (we say breaking the law) and so dishonor God (to treat shamefully… to bring shame and dishonor upon by failing to respect it as God rightly deserves).

Paul’s point with all these examples of hypocrisy is that such is tantamount to breaking the covenant that God has so graciously invited them into.

-Covenant Breaking:

The problem for the Jew in particular, Paul claims, is that relying on the law (vv. 17-24) and on circumcision (vv. 25-29) themselves (privileges of the covenant) are futile if one fails to be true to them. Those who have the law fail to keep the law; those who are circumcised in the flesh fail to be circumcised in heart. The privileges of God’s covenant will not, by themselves, automatically exempt one from God’s judgment. You must live up to them.

Our sin—all of it—is seen by God and must be accounted for.

So in v. 24 Paul brings them under the judgment of the very word of God, in a repurposed and restructured quote from Isaiah 52:5. The NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible explains:

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as it Unfolds throughout Scripture Chapter 2

Paul quotes from

The hypocrisy of the self-righteous law-possessors leads to the defamation of God’s name among the Gentiles; it causes them to blaspheme/revile/slander his character and reputation. That’s the very opposite of being a guide and light, and instructor and teacher of those who need to know God.

But Paul has made it clear in this part of his argument about our sinfulness and need for a Savior: You have the law, but do you live up to it? You know what is right, but are you doing it?

Along these lines then, I have a couple of overarching things for you to ponder and apply as we draw this to a close for today.

Concluding Application:

-Confession of Transgression (Through Jesus)

First there must be recognition & conviction: Paul is working hard to help us all see our sin for what it is. We do not confess as sin what we do not consider sin. In order to respond in repentance, we must experience conviction of our transgression. (This is a work of the Spirit of God, due to the hardness of our hearts. But what the Spirit uses is the proclamation of truth from his own word.)

Ignorance is not bliss: The word of God reveals truth about us that we do not see on our own, that we are inclined to ignore.

But if by God’s gracious revelation we do not ignore our sin, but instead agree with God, we will confess to God that we have sinned against him. The Apostle John explains that through Christ Jesus…

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How can God forgive us and still be just? That’s where Paul heading in this letter to the Romans! —> All sin. All need the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, to be received by faith. By that faith in God’s grace to save—apart from our own works and instead through the work of Christ—by faith we will stand justified, we will be right with God… which is the single most important thing concerning our own existence and for which we were made: to live in the presence of God, exalting and enjoying him forever.

And finally…

-Do You Teach Yourself?

Jesus explained in his time on earth that those who were presently most informed on the law (the scribes) and most strict about keeping the law (the Pharisees) were guilty of this hypocrisy of not practicing what they preached.

Matthew 23:2–3 ESV

2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

What about us? Do we have the outward forms of conformity without inner transformation that desires to confess sin and walk in humble obedience to God through Jesus Christ.

Do you teach yourself… the gospel of God, the goodness and trustworthiness of God, the faithfulness and steadfast love of God (his personal knowledge of you and care for you)? Do you teach yourself the truth about the deceptive allure and destructiveness of sin, the need to confess and repent of sin, and of the penalty deserved for sin? Do you teach yourself the depth of God’s mercy through the payment of Jesus Christ on a cross, and of Christ’s accomplishment by this work, and of the Lordship of Jesus alone for salvation? And do you teach yourself that salvation has only begun and will be completed by Christ on the last day, and that every day is about submitting to him as his child by faith until he brings us home? Do you teach yourself that we should give our whole lives again and again (everything that we are and have) as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God? Let us be those who proclaim the gospel day by day to everyone, not least of which is to teach God’s gospel of the Lordship of Jesus to ourselves.

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