Romans 2:22
You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Truth to Learn
Practice what you preach (or teach).
Behind the Words
The word translated “adultery” is moicheuō, which is based on moichos, referring to a man who seeks out a female for sex. This is distinctly different from pornē which refers to a woman who sells herself to a man for sexual pleasure.
“Abhor” is translated from bdelussō, which comes from the root bdeō, meaning “to stink.” The word bdelussō means “to turn away from something that stinks” or “to detest something.”
The words, “do you rob temples” come from a single Greek word hierosuleō. This is a compound word made up of hieron, which means “temple” and a form of sulaō, meaning “to rob, to spoil, or to steal.” So, although a literal translation of this word means “you rob temples” it is used to denote someone who uses something that is consecrated to God for his or her own private use.
Meaning Explained
In the previous verse Paul chastened the Jewish Christians in Rome for needing the teaching of the Scriptures just as much as those to whom they were teaching it. In this verse he gets even more personal saying, “You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?”
Though many of the readers of this letter would have said, “No, I don’t commit adultery,” as Christ pointed out in His sermon on the mount,
You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27, 28)
So, even though they may not have committed an act of adultery, in God’s book they were guilty of it even if they had thought lustfully about someone of the opposite sex.
The second part of today’s verse is a little more difficult. It says, “You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” According to the Jewish historian Josephus, it was not uncommon for Jews (and Christians) to destroy or desecrate temples of idolatry and then to plunder some of the riches which had been brought by idol worshippers. Even in Acts, when a couple of Paul’s traveling companions were brought before a crowd in Ephesus, it was said in their defense,
For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. (Acts 19:37)
Paul’s message, continued from the previous verse, is that the Roman Christians were quick to tell others what was wrong, but they were just as quick to do that which they told others not to do. Recall what he said about judging back in verse one? He is saying essentially the same thing here about teaching.
Application
These Roman Christians were apparently fond of saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” However, the proper Christian attitude is, “Learn what is right and wrong by watching me!” I wonder how many of us could say that.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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