Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Romans. Tonight is study #25 of Romans 2, and we are going to read Romans 2:2-25:

Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

In our last study, we were looking at verse 2. We saw that God was speaking to those that are called Jews, according to verse 17, and they rest in the Law, and they make their boast (glory) in God. They know God’s will, and they approve of things that are excellent, and they are instructed out of the Law. And they are confident that they are a guide to the blind and a light to them that are in darkness. They believe they are an instructor to the foolish and a teacher of babes, and they have a form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law. But then the Lord began to ask some pointed questions, in Romans 2:21:

Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

The answer to that relates to Jesus’ overturning of the tables of the moneychangers, and He said they had made God’s house, which is a house of prayer, into a “den of thieves.” In the spiritual realm, according to the Gospel, they do steal because they do not teach the truth and the right door to heaven, which is through Christ and the Word of God, but they teach other ways. So they are like thieves and robbers that climb up another way to enter into the house, the kingdom of God. So the answer to those professed Christians and the Jews of old that were not truly saved is that, yes, they do “steal.”

Then it said in Romans 2:2:

Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?..

At the end of our last study, we went to Revelation 2, and we are going to turn there again. The Lord was addressing the church in Thyatira, in verse 18, and then He said to them, in Revelation 2:20:

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

We have to understand that as the Gospel went forth, and when people said they were Christians and they went into the churches, they were professing marriage to Christ and to being part of the bride of Christ, because everyone who becomes saved is made part of the bride. Of course, the professed Christian is simply professing Christ, but they are not truly born again. They were not made a Christian by God, but they entered in the churches and they said they had a marriage relationship to Christ, and in marriage one must be faithful. But when false teachers and emissaries of Satan began to come into the congregations, they allowed it, and they suffered that woman Jezebel to teach. Of course, historically, Jezebel was married to Ahab, and she died and was long gone, but God is using her as a figure of those that are contrary to the truth and hostile toward the true people of God, as Jezebel sought to have Elijah slain. So it is really pointing to people who teach falsely.

And, here, Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess, was allowed “to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” They left their first love, and they went away from the truth, and in doing so, they were engaged in spiritual fornication against the Law of God and against Christ. When people are not actually married to the Lord Jesus through being born again, they remain married to the Law of God. And the Law is the Word, so that is also being married to Christ in a sense, but as they engage in falsehoods, lies, other gospels, and other doctrines, they are committing spiritual fornication and spiritual idolatry. This is in violation to the Law and in violation to their professed marriage to Christ. So God says in Revelation 2:2:

And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Here, the Lord is letting it be known that He gave space to the corporate church to repent, and the space was almost 2,000 years. It was the whole duration of the church age, 1955 years, in which the churches and congregations could have repented and turned to God, and wailed and wept and cried for correction of their doctrines. But they never did. They just continued on with the errors in their confessions and creeds, and their high places became idols. So when the churches followed their confessions and creeds over the Bible and when they taught their people things from their confessions and creeds rather than the things of the Word of God, then they were “eating things sacrificed unto idols.” They were feeding the members of their congregations lies that were like offerings to idols. And God put up with it and put up with it, until that time came on May 21, 1988, the day before Pentecost, when the church age ended. Then God’s wrath came down, and judgment began at the house of God, and it began the Great Tribulation. So God cast “her” (the church that has suffered Jezebel to teach) into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. That took place, and we are well beyond that time now, but that is how we can understand what we are reading in Romans 2, as the Lord is speaking to the “Jew,” which typifies the Christian: “Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?” And although most in the churches would not commit outward physical adultery, they have spiritually committed adultery against the relationship they had with God.

Then God says in Romans 2:2:

… thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

I just referred to that passage in Revelation 2 where it also spoke of idols. The word “sacrilege” is only found here. It is Strong’s #2416. It comes from Strong’s #2417, and that is also used only one time, and it is translated as “robbers of churches” in Acts 19:37. So we can get the context, let us read Acts 19:35-37:

And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

So “robbers of churches” is this related word to “sacrilege,” and “robbers of churches” is a compound word that is made up of the word “temple” and the word “rob.” And the word “rob” is also used in the Apostle Paul’s statement, “I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.” So I am not sure what to make of this, except that God is using it in a negative way in relationship to idols. And since it follows the previous statements: “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?” Then it says, “thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit idolatry?” And I think this would have to carry that same kind of meaning, although it is a little difficult to see with the use of the word “sacrilege.” So those that hate idols (those things carved out of a tree and decked with gold and silver), do they worship idols? And those in the churches would mock the idea that people made idols and worshipped them, but their response would be, “Oh, but not us. Not us! We have become civilized and we are God’s people. We are Christians. We do not worship idols.” Of course, there is a big part of the corporate church that has been apostate for many centuries, and they set up actual physical idols all over the place. There are several denominations that do engage in this type of idolatry, like Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and the Catholic Church, and others that would say they are Christian, but they practice idolatry. They worship saints and set up all kinds of idols, but they do not see it that way. But it does not matter if they see it, or not, because God sees it.

And God is making the point that those that abhor idols do commit idolatry. And on a spiritual level, the Bible tells us that covetousness is idolatry, so the answer for the unsaved professors that are “Jews” or “Christians” in name only is that they do commit idolatry, because they do the opposite of what God has commanded. While they think they uphold the Law of God on one point, they fail because God’s Law has depths of meaning, even as far as the sin of adultery. Remember the Lord said that anyone that looks upon a woman with lust in his heart has committed adultery with her already.

The Law of God is designed to make the whole world guilty and to find fault. It is designed so that a man or a woman would see their sins and that they are sinners, and that they cannot get right with God through the keeping of the Law. And it is designed to bring them to “the end of the Law,” which is Jesus Christ and His righteousness, but most fail to understand that, and they end up being destroyed, all the while thinking they are servants of God.

Then it goes on to say in Romans 2:23:

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

So this is the point of all the previous statements. Remember we saw that word “boast” back in Romans 2:17:

Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,

And it is a good thing to make your “boast” in God, or to glory in God, as the word “boast” is the word for “glory.” But, here in verse 23, it says, “Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” So they are upholding the Law in that they stand with the Law and they think their righteousness is according to the Law, and by it and through it, but then they break the Law. You know, the Bible tells us that whoever keeps the whole Law but offends in one point, is guilty of all. So the Lord is indicating that this does not work, and it does not fool God. It is not going to gain anyone entrance into the kingdom of heaven if they think they are going to get there by glorying the Law. This is what the Lord says in Ephesians 2:8-9:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

When people are boasting or glorying in the Law, that “work” is a work of the Law, as the Law commands to do this or to do that. If someone thinks they have done it, it is a good work, and God is saying that salvation is not of works lest it led to boasting. And this is the problem that Israel had, historically, and it was the problem that the churches had over the course of the church age. The Apostle Paul was moved by God to write concerning his heritage, in Philippians 3:2-9:

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Here, the Apostle Paul refers to his righteousness in verse 6: “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” So he had done what the leaders of Israel said one must do. He had to be circumcised. He had to be zealous. And in his case, his zealousness involved persecuting the church. Whatever the Pharisees said, he did, and he was blameless in those things. And yet, he was not saved until the Lord Jesus Christ intervened and delivered him from the path he was following, which was trying to get right with God by keeping the Law of God. And that was not going to bring him to heaven, as we saw in Romans 2:23:

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

The word “breaking” means “transgressing.” That word “dishonourest” is a very strong word, if we go to John 8 where Christ is speaking, in John 8:45:

And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

They terribly dishonored Him by saying He had a devil, and these were ones that believed in Him and were following him. And yet, they also dishonored Him.

And, so, too, we see this of the people we are reading about in Romans 2. They followed Christ, and they professed to be Christians and to be of the family of Christ, and they completely identified themselves with the Law of God in all the statements we have seen in this passage. They thought they had the truth, and that through their teaching and preaching, they were the light that brings the Gospel to those in darkness, and they thought they were guides to the blind. They think all these things, but it is not true. God is pressing upon them the reality of the situation, and He is saying, “You boast of the Law, and yet, through the breaking of Law, you dishonor me.”

As I said, this word “dishonour” is a very strong word that is used only a handful of times. We saw it in John 8, but it is the same word used back in Romans 1:24:

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

And it is speaking of all manner of sexual immorality, and those physical acts dishonor God. Here, it said that they dishonor themselves, but that just teaches us how grievous a thing it is that professed Christians that call themselves Jews are breaking the Law and dishonoring God. It brings dishonor to God, and that leads us to
Romans 2:24:

For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

The name of God identifies with God’s Person, His character, and attributes. All that God “is” is involved in His name, and yet, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through those that call themselves Jews. There is no doubt that those in the churches would avoid the light shining upon them by “zeroing in” on verse 17 where God said, “Thou callest thyself a Jew,” and they would respond, “Well, God is just speaking to the (physical) Jews of that day.” But at this point, He had already ended His relationship with Israel. The veil of the temple had been rent in twain, and Jerusalem was no longer the holy city. God had already established the churches, and He was using the “Jew” as a reference to the New Testament churches and congregations. He was pointing to the fact that through their breaking of His Law and their failure to be faithful to keep His commandments and to uphold the truth of the Word of God by proclaiming true doctrine, it had resulted in God’s name being blasphemed among the nations.

The word “blaspheme” is found about 35 times. It is Strong’s #987. It is translated as “speak evil of,” ten times, and that helps us to understand what this word means. It is giving occasion to the enemies of God out in the world, as they see the sins and transgressions of Christians that have taken up the name of God, to blaspheme God. That is what the Lord is revealing in this verse, and it is a very terrible thing that happened throughout the church age, and especially at the end of the church age, as we have witnessed.