Romans 2:17 Commentary and Bible Study

So far Paul has reasoned in general terms which apply to both Jews and Gentiles, and has laid the foundation for what he wants to say, but now he specifically addresses the Jews. ‘Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law.’ You put all your confidence in the fact that God has given you the revelation of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch of Moses, and in particular the law of God. Because you have been given it, you presume you belong to God. Also ‘thou … makest thy boast of God’. You Jews – Paul was a Jew himself, he understood how his people thought – put your confidence in this, and for generations you have been telling yourself, ‘The God of Abraham is our God’; you are convinced of it, and it may not be true. There is the long list of things which the Jews gloried in. This was not true of all Jews, but sadly it applied to the majority of them. To be sure, the Jews had some very real advantages over the Gentiles and these were a cause of thanks to God. There were genuine spiritual opportunities. But because they did not see them as opportunities, but rather as marks of superiority in their own right, they made a disastrous error.Where did the Jews go wrong? They claimed special status with God. They rested in the law, which means they thought that, because they had the law, it was a sign of God’s favour towards them. They also believed they succeeded in keeping the law well enough to satisfy God. The law could give him that righteousness which he needed, they thought. They did not say, ‘God has given us this law, and when we look carefully at it, we see that it condemns us. We have not done these things which the law tells us to do, and we have done what it forbids.’ Instead they said, ‘God has given us this law, therefore we must be so very special.’ What a foolish conclusion! Though they boasted in the law, they did not understand how demanding it was, and contented themselves with a very superficial observance of it. The law is a mirror in which men can see their sinfulness, but they used it to boost their self-righteousness.‘You read the law of God, the Old Testament,’ Paul says, ‘and you know so much about God and his ways. Furthermore, you approve the things that are more excellent.’ They approved of God and a religious life. You know the Scriptures, you approve the things that are more excellent, or you try them. You debate and discuss all kinds of theological issues, Paul says to the Jews. And you approve, or you try and judge which is right, which is the most important point of the law, which is the most important duty to keep, and you are so proud of your knowledge being instructed out of the law.