Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #5 A Primer on Hypocrisy! Romans 2:17-24

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and are reading chapter 2 each day this week. Here is something that I noticed in reading this chapter:

Just a few observations:

1. Notice the multiple uses of the word IF in this section. Hypocrisy begins when one is not who one claims to be. The conditional statements following each of these IF’s are good: being a Jew, relying on the law and boasting in God, knowing His will and approving of what is superior, being convinced that one is a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, one who has the law (the embodiment of knowledge and truth) . . .

2. The sin of hypocrisy expresses itself when one ceases to self-teach. Teaching others is great. But if one doesn’t educate himself in godliness, then hypocrisy reigns (v. 21).

3. The examples of hypocrisy Paul gives are several: preaching against stealing (but being a thief yourself), saying people shouldn’t commit adultery (but committing adultery yourself), abhoring idols (but robbing temples yourself), boasting in the law (but dishonoring God by breaking the law).

4. The great tragedy of hypocrisy is that causes the name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the hypocrite’s conduct. Is there a greater or more harmful effect than THAT?

Ask yourself — as I have just done — am I being a HYPOCRITE in my life in any way? And if the answer is YES, then immediately repent and plead for God’s help in having your behavior match your beliefs!