Romans 2:20
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.
Truth to Learn
We have the truth and we are to freely give it away.
Behind the Words
The word translated “instructor” is the Greek word paideutēs, which is the verb form of paidagogos, from which we get our English word “pedagogue” meaning “an instructor.”
“Foolish” is translated from the Greek word aphronos, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “without” and a form of phrēn, which metaphorically refers to “the mind” or “intellect.” Hence, aphronos means “someone without intelligence.”
The word translated “babes” is the Greek word nēpios, which literally means, “someone without words” or “someone who can’t speak.” In Biblical Greek it refers to “a baby.”
“Form” is a translation of morphōsis, which means “an appearance or an impression.” Today, when we see a computer simulation of an image changing gradually into another we say that one image has been “morphed” into the other. The appearance of the first has been changed into the appearance of the other.
Meaning Explained
Paul has been describing the arrogance of the Jewish Christians who believed themselves to be justified in that arrogance since they were Jews, descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; since they had the Law, the Holy Scriptures; and since they could know the will of God and could distinguish the good from the bad through the instruction they had from the Law. Because of all these things, they believed themselves to be spiritual guides to the blind Gentiles, and they believed themselves to have the light of the truth for the world.
In today’s verse Paul is saying that the Jewish Christians in Rome also believed themselves to be instructors and teachers of the unintelligent and the immature. Several verses back Paul said that the Jewish Christians in Rome were arrogant, and he implied that he was going to deal with that pride. Paul is now setting them up for a rude awakening. You see, any devout Jew or Jewish Christian would be nodding in agreement with Paul in these verses because they knew what Paul has been saying is the truth.
Paul now starts to turn the tables on them. In the last part of today’s verse he says that they “have the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law.” It would be clear to Paul’s readers that he was not saying that they possessed knowledge and truth from the Law but that they simply appeared to have them, while in reality they didn’t have them at all.
In the next verse Paul will begin to do a little toe stompin’ as he points out the problem with this Jewish arrogance.
Application
As we have said before, there is no place for arrogance among Christians. We are servants of His Majesty, the King of Kings. Our responsibility is to humbly proclaim His truth to the world. He has entrusted His truth to us, and we are not to hoard it but to freely give it away.
How much of His truth have you given away lately?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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