#56. Romans 2:17-18 - Three Ideals

Part II: The Conduct of Humanity

Lo! you are being denominated a Jew, and are resting on law, and are boasting in God, and know the will, and are testing what things are of consequence, being instructed out of the law.

We may now consider three distinct ideals to which the Jew attempts to attain. These three ideals are bookended by the law – their resting on law, and being instructed out of law. The difference between these two phrases is clear in their presentation. In the former, the Jew rests on law. The three following ideals clarify what this entails. It is not a thoughtless rest, but heeding the direction of the law.

Keep in mind, before we begin, that the principles themselves are not wrong, or bad. The argument from Paul is not that these are offensive to God. Instead, he argues that the context in which these principles are assumed is incorrect. The law does not magically enable one to do these things. It vouches for them as righteous, indeed, as we will see! But the law can only demand these things of you – it cannot guide you into righteousness.

Thus the question becomes clear: the Jew, indeed, believes that they boast in God, know the will, and test what is of consequence. But are they actually doing these things? And, given Paul’s argument up until this point (Rom. 1:18-2:16,) is it even possible for man to enact them, even if the law up and tells them, directly, what to do?

This is the question that this article seeks to answer.

Boasting in God

The term “boasting” in Greek is kauchaomai. The term appears six times in Romans. It is often supposed that “boasting” is bad, or wrong, but this is only true of a specific context. When it is not used in conjunction with the Greek word doxa, “glory,” it carries with it this negative assumption, and is translated “boasting.” However, when doxa appears in the verse or passage, kauchaomai is translated as “glorying.” A good example of this is Romans 5:2-3. If you wished to be hyper literal, you could fairly translated Romans 5:2 as “we may be boasting in expectation of the glory of God.” The term loses none of its force – which is to rejoice in something – but is clearly contextualized in every use to be just or unjust.

Indeed, the law rejoices in God. It calls upon its reader to praise Yahweh at every turn. In fact, it’s hard to go two chapters without reading some exhortation to boast in God! From the very first commandment on the stone tablets atop Sinai – that famous charge that Yahweh, their Elohim, was the only One (Ex. 20:3, Deut. 6:4,) to the major prophets who contrasted boasting in wisdom, mastery, or riches with Him (Jer. 9:23-24,) and even in the poetic praises of King David himself, who intelligently labeled Elohim as the Rock of his strength, and his Refuge (Ps. 18:2, 62:7.) It is holy, and just, and good, to boast in God.

Yet keep in mind the fact, here: boast in God – not boast in self. Not put yourself on a pedestal for boasting in God. The two are mutually exclusive. I’m sure many of my readers are well aware that most like to wear God as a badge of honor. “Look at my belief!” they say. “I worked hard to become a better person, and since I attribute this to God, this makes me morally superior!” Such is boasting in the self, no matter how you dress it up. If you say, for example, “I chose to give my life to Christ, and then began working on myself,” you are not boasting in God, but your choices and your works.

And therein lies the sleight. Now, I’m not saying that this verse above immediately claims that the Jews are boasting in themselves. But three verses later, Paul will conclude that the Jews, in reality, are boasting in law (2:21.) In other words, you could fairly replace “God,” here, with “law,” for that is all it is. They believed they had an allotment in the kingdom because of their piety – not because of God. Even one as great as David could not escape this utter failure to righteously follow the law, because of sin working in his body (cf. Ps. 51:4.) The proof is that David is presently dead (Acts 2:27-31.)

The law promised that those who followed it would live (Lev. 18:5.) To this day, only One has accurately fulfilled its demands. On this basis, we can begin to anticipate the dire need for the evangel Paul brings, which concerns this One (Rom. 1:3,) and can actually save (Rom. 1:16.)

Know the Will

The term “know” is epignosis in Greek. Like “boast,” knowledge does not carry with it an inherent “evil.” Knowledge, in our present day (and especially in the churches) is often shunned, on the grounds that “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor. 8:1.) Yet such a verse is ripped out of context, for, if knowledge inherently carried with it a “puffing up,” then Paul would not need to say that “knowledge puffs up.” When you turn to men who dismiss truth on the philosophy that knowledge is detrimental, and provide a verse like Col. 2:3 (“in Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are concealed,”) they suddenly become very quiet – as if they have more pressing matters elsewhere, and have not the time to confront their own ignorance.

Knowledge only puffs up in the idea that it is treated as an end-goal (1 Cor. 8:2 – the following verse, see?) Knowledge, apart from its complement (wisdom) or rooted in love, is indeed fruitless within its keeper. There is good knowledge, for example, along with evil knowledge. It takes a spirit of wisdom to discern the facts (Eph. 1:18,) in order to come to a realization of truth.

The Jew knows the will. As well as boasting in God, the law emphasized this will.

What is the will of God, according to the law? Such has been regarded by modern theology as a confusing mystery, of which we could hardly hope to suppose. But we aren’t here for the theologian persuasion – we are here for answers. And plainly, and simply, God gives the answer to the question in Deuteronomy 6:5, right after emphasizing the national disposition to boast in God. Note the indirect relation to Paul’s present consideration–

Hear, Israel (rest!) Yahweh is our Elohim; Yahweh the only One (boast.) So you will love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul (know) and with all your intensity (test.) These words which I am (instruct)ing you today will come to be in your heart.

The will of God, then, is clear. He seeks for His chosen nation to know Him, glory in Him, and love Him. As David says, this is God “making known” His will to Moses, and His will to the sons of Israel (Ps. 103:7.) The law itself – which demands righteousness – is founded on a master/slave dichotomy. To be subservient to God would be a fulfillment of this will in the law (cf. Ps. 40:8.)

In that, yet again, the law is seen as righteous and just and good – there is hardly a legitimate cry against such a book on this front. But, just as clearly, there is deadly penalty for the one who knows the will of God and does not do it (cf. 1 Kings 18, see King Ahab, and a plethora of other examples.) If there is anything the nation of Israel has shown, it is that mankind cannot always do the will of God. To deny His orders is to stand opposite Him. Yet again, even King David, a man after God’s own heart, calculated a census in defiance of God’s will (2 Sam. 24:1-17.)

What the Jew lacks, however, is the wisdom to discern how the knowledge of the law may be applied to the individual. They function on their own false premises that they can fulfill it (a premise which is revealed as hypocritical when they crucify their Lord in envy.) Thus, even as the corollary to “boasting in God” is “boasting in self,” the corollary to “knowing God’s will” is “yet disregard wisdom.”

Testing what Things are of Consequence

This is the second time we have seen dokimazo, “test,” in Romans. As we discussed in its last appearance, in Rom. 1:28, this word “test” is defined as a carefully formulated opinion by subjecting the senses or mind to impressions. As with “boast” and “know,” the term has a positive correlation in the evangel (Rom. 5:3-4, 12:2.) Each term, then, relates to a specific part of one’s journey – “boasting” in relation to the recognition of God’s complete sovereignty (not out of you,) “knowing” in relation to the realization which occurs in truth (His achievement are we,) and “testing” in relation to the effectual good works which one can perform (being prepared beforehand.)

And, of course, like “boasting in God” and “knowing the will,” “testing what things are of consequence” is yet another entreaty of which the Jews were requested to take part. What is of consequence in the law includes mercy, judgment and faith (Matt. 23:23.) And what is of most consequence in the law is summarized multiple times by Yahweh – that they are to love the Lord their God, and that they are to love their associate as themselves (Lev. 19:18, Deut. 6:5.)

These aspects, though made known clearly and directly to the Jews, are also followed up by complete failure. There are staggering numbers of examples in which the Jew failed to love their God – either implicitly, through disobedience, or explicitly, through willful ignorance and disrespect.

In all three regards, then, we read of the Jews lacking in ability. Their ability to understand was not the problem, but their irreverence was. As said before, law instructs, but it cannot guide. It demands, but it does not lower its standards to be satisfied. The reality of this incongruency will be considered in the following article.

- GerudoKing