The Peril Of Privilege (Rom. 2:17-24)

Romans 2:17 NKJV

Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,

The Peril of Privilege

Romans 2:17-24

  Paul now moves on, in his wide-ranging critique of the human race, from critical moralizers in general (2:1–16), whether Jews or Gentiles, to Jewish people in particular in their self-confidence (2:17–29). Paul moves from heathen - hypocrites - Hebrews

In the first half of the chapter his interlocutor has been a human being (‘O man’, 1, 3, rsv); now in the second half it is a Jew (Now you, if you call yourself a Jew …, 17).

Paul anticipates and responds to Jewish objections to what he has written.

He imagines Jews protesting somewhat as follows: ‘Surely, Paul, you can’t possibly treat us as if we were no different from Gentile outsiders?

Have you forgotten that we have been given both the law (the revelation of God) and circumcision (the sign of the covenant of God)?

Have you overlooked the fact that these three privileges (covenant, circumcision and law) are themselves tokens of the greatest privilege of all, that God chose us to be his special people?

Are you saying that we Jews (who have been uniquely favoured by God’s election) are no better off than the Gentiles?

How can you disregard these peculiar blessings of ours, which distinguish us from the Gentiles and protect us from God’s judgment?’

In reply to such questions Paul writes about the law in verses 17–24 and about circumcision in verses 25–29, and insists that neither guarantees Jewish immunity to divine judgment.

His words are ‘a pricking of the balloon of Jewish pride and presumption’.1

1 John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 90.

1 The Privileges of the Hebrews (2:17-18)

The section begins with five strengths of the Jewish people that they believed gave them special privileges with God.

The list is positive, showing the value of the law in Jewish life. Still, Paul wants his readers to know the Jews ignore the importance of living out the law in their lives.

The list is true on a national level, but individuals would have these privileges only if they were faithful.1

1 Grant R. Osborne, Romans: Verse by Verse, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 68.

A. A Hebrew Birth (17)

They call themselves Jews, which means they have a special relationship with God as the covenant people.

The title “Jew” was originally geographic and spoke of people who lived in the land of Judah, and it became the national name.

As such it came to have religious status as representing the followers of Yahweh. When they call themselves Jews, they claim to be followers of God’s law.

B. A Holy Book (17)

They are those who “rely on the law,” meaning they depend on the law for their religious identity and claim to follow it.

The problem was that they turned it almost into a magic formula for protecting themselves from harm or God’s displeasure.

This is one of the key problems Paul is addressing in this section. The law is not an automatic shield keeping them from wrath or harm.

Their reliance should have been on their walk with God, not on the fact that he had given them the law.

C. An Honorable Pride (17)

They “boast in God,” which again is a good thing on the surface, as Scripture makes evident (Ps 34:2; 44:8; Jer 9:23, 24; Rom 5:11; 1 Cor 1:31).

But too often among the Jews there was a lack of humility that was not pride in God but pride in their status as God’s people.

Some wore their Jewishness as a status symbol, showing off their piety to all around.

D. A Heavenly Wisdom (18)

They claimed to “know his will,” and they did since they had his revealed law to guide them.

God gave them his law to enable them to know what he demanded in daily conduct (Ps 40:8; 143:10; Heb 10:7, 9).

Yet this too became a problem when they relied on their superior knowledge to make them right with God.

Knowledge without obedience is insufficient and leads to hypocrisy and failure.

E. A History of Discernment (18)

To “approve of what is superior” could mean either of two things.

It could be “approve of things that matter,” meaning the ability to distinguish between right and wrong; or it could be “approve of the things that are best” or truly excellent, meaning the ability to make higher moral choices.

The second is preferred, for the Jews claimed to be superior to Gentiles in this area.

This is also supported by the added “because you are instructed by the law,” which is intended for all five but especially relates to the moral side of the law.

The law of Moses was the sole criterion for moral decisions (as it should have been in the old covenant period).

F. A Heritage of Instruction (v 18; See DJ)

2 The Profession of the Hebrews (2:19-20)

In verses 19-20 Paul lists 5 ways the Jews were congratulating themselves.

A. Confident they were guides to the Blind (19)

They believed themselves to be “a guide for the blind,” describing the Jewish mission to the Gentiles.

In Isaiah 42:6–7 God told Israel he had called them to be “a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind,” which according to Isaiah 35:5 would come when he restored the nation and returned the people to himself.

However, in Matthew 15:14 Jesus declared that the Jewish people had failed in this because their leaders had themselves become “blind guides … the blind leading the blind.”

B. Confident they were Lights in the Darkness (19: See DJ)

C. Confident they were Instructors of the Foolish (20)

The Jews considered themselves to be “an instructor of the foolish.” In Galatians 3:24–4:2

Paul called the law itself a pedagogue or guardian, instructing Israel in the ways of God.

The Jews applied it to their relationship with the Gentiles, who were “foolish” because they were ignorant and knew nothing about God or how to relate to him.

The Jews were “professing to be wise but became fools” (Rom. 1:22) Wisdom promoted beyond humility can demote one to a fool.

D. Confident they were teachers of babes (20)

Finally, Jews thought themselves “a teacher of little children.” These last two are virtual synonyms.

The Jewish people looked on themselves as the repository of the knowledge of God and believed that they alone could teach the Gentile “babes” the eternal truths about God.

E. Confident the Law was a form of Knowledge and Truth (20:See DJ)

The basis for all these claims is that they have “in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth.”

The Greeks and Romans may have had incredible philosophical schools (recognized in ancient times by a few Jews like Philo or Josephus), but they had no final truth, for they did not have God’s law to guide them.

Some truth may be found in earthly philosophy or medical and scientific knowledge, but all that has no final heavenly value.

As a result, the Jewish people considered the Gentiles to be spiritual infants who could not grow into adulthood without the Jews to guide and teach them.

3 The Practices of the Hebrews (2:21-23) SEE DJ

A. Question One: Integrity (21)

B. Question Two: Stealing (21)

C. Question Three: Adultery (22)

D. Question Four: Worshiping Idols (22)

E. Question Five: The Law (23)

4 The Powerlessness of the Hebrews (2:24) SEE DJ

Instead of glorifying God among the Gentiles, the Jews were dishonoring God; and Paul quoted Isaiah 52:5 to prove his point.

The pagan Gentiles had daily contact with the Jews in business and other activities, and they were not fooled by the Jews’ devotion to the Law.

The very Law that the Jews claimed to obey only indicted them!1

1 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 520.