Romans 10:2 kjv
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Romans 10:2 nkjv
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Romans 10:2 niv
For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
Romans 10:2 esv
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Romans 10:2 nlt
I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.
Romans 10 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 9:30-32 | What then shall we say? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness... but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained it... because they did not pursue it by faith... | Israel's failure due to pursuing law, not faith. |
| Rom 10:3 | For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. | Their ignorance of God's righteousness. |
| Rom 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | Christ as the culmination of the Law for faith-based righteousness. |
| Phil 3:6 | concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. | Paul's pre-conversion misdirected zeal. |
| Acts 22:3 | "I am indeed a Jew... educated according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today." | Paul's former zeal for Jewish tradition. |
| Isa 1:3 | The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider. | Israel's lack of understanding God. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you... | Spiritual destruction due to rejected knowledge. |
| Jn 17:3 | "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." | True life depends on knowing God and Christ. |
| Eph 1:17-18 | ...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ... may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened... | Prayer for spiritual knowledge/enlightenment. |
| Col 1:9-10 | ...praying that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding... bearing fruit... | Spiritual knowledge leads to righteous living. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Nor let the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me..." | True boasting is in knowing God. |
| Prov 2:6 | For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. | Knowledge comes from the Lord. |
| Mt 15:8-9 | "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." | Sincere but misdirected worship and teaching. |
| Rom 9:6 | But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel. | God's word effective, but true Israel defined by faith. |
| 1 Cor 8:1-2 | Now concerning things offered to idols... Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. | Warning against knowledge without proper foundation (love/truth). |
| 2 Cor 3:14-16 | But their minds were blinded... to this day the same veil remains... Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. | Spiritual blindness preventing true understanding. |
| Isa 6:9-10 | And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'" | Prophecy of Israel's spiritual blindness. |
| Deut 4:6 | Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes... | Knowledge of God's law meant to show wisdom. |
| 2 Pet 1:2-3 | Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him... | Blessings and power through knowing God. |
| Rom 1:28 | And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind... | Consequence of rejecting true knowledge of God. |
| Jn 8:43-47 | "Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are unable to listen to My word... He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” | Inability to understand divine truth. |
| Heb 10:26 | For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins... | Grave implications of rejecting revealed truth. |
Romans 10 verses
Romans 10 2 Meaning
Paul bears witness to the Jewish people's fervent religious devotion, affirming that their intense passion and zeal are indeed directed toward God. However, he crucially points out that this zeal, despite its sincerity and proper object, is tragically misdirected and ultimately fruitless because it is "not according to knowledge." This implies a critical lack of accurate, deep, and transformative understanding of God's revealed will and His pathway to righteousness through faith in Christ.
Romans 10 2 Context
Romans 10 continues Paul’s poignant lament from chapter 9 regarding Israel's spiritual condition. Having established God's faithfulness amidst Israel's unbelief, Paul transitions in chapter 10 to explain why Israel, despite being God's chosen people and having access to His law, failed to attain righteousness. This verse (Rom 10:2) serves as a sympathetic but critical assessment of their core error. Historically, first-century Jewish people held an ardent devotion to God, expressed through meticulous adherence to the Mosaic Law and oral traditions, and a strong sense of national identity as God's chosen. Their zeal was authentic, aimed at honoring God. However, this fervor lacked crucial theological insight. They earnestly sought righteousness, but tragically sought it through human effort and adherence to a legalistic system, unaware of or unwilling to submit to God's divinely provided righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, who was the fulfillment of that Law. This sets the stage for Paul's argument in Rom 10:3-4, contrasting their "own righteousness" with "God's righteousness."
Romans 10 2 Word analysis
- For I bear them record: Paul testifies as an eyewitness and former insider (a zealous Jew himself). The Greek for "bear record" is martyreō, meaning to witness, to give evidence, or testify. This implies a statement based on personal observation and deep understanding, giving weight and authority to his assertion. It shows Paul's empathetic lament, not a harsh judgment, acknowledging their sincerity.
- that they have: Emphasizes a present and active possession of this quality.
- a zeal: The Greek word is zēlos, indicating fervent earnestness, passionate ardor, or intense devotion. While zēlos can carry negative connotations (like envy or jealousy), here it refers to an ardent religious devotion and pursuit. It highlights their sincerity and strong desire for God.
- of God: Signifies the object of their zeal. Their passion was directed toward the true God, Yahweh, distinguishing them from idolaters. This makes their subsequent error even more tragic – their zeal was for the right God, but channeled in the wrong way.
- but not according to knowledge: This is the crucial qualification.
- but not: A strong adversative conjunction, contrasting their zeal with what it lacks. The negation "not" (ou) is absolute.
- according to: The Greek preposition kata signifies conformity, standard, or proper alignment. Their zeal was not in alignment with.
- knowledge: The Greek term is epignōsis. This is more than mere factual information (gnōsis). Epignōsis denotes a full, precise, deep, discerning, and personal knowledge – often implying recognition and appropriation. It's an experiential, transforming knowledge, particularly concerning God's redemptive plan and righteousness through Christ. Their zeal lacked this saving, spiritual insight into God's true nature, His demands for righteousness, and His provided solution for sin in Jesus Christ. They possessed an intellectual understanding of the Law, but missed its spiritual intent and ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "I bear them record that they have a zeal of God": This phrase demonstrates Paul's authoritative witness to the Jewish people's genuine religious fervor. He validates their earnestness and the sincerity of their devotion, underscoring that their object of worship is the true God. This affirmation of their commendable qualities makes the following critique even more poignant, establishing empathy rather than outright condemnation.
- "but not according to knowledge": This stark contrasting phrase pinpoints the fatal flaw in their devotion. It highlights that even profound religious fervor, if not grounded in precise, Spirit-given, saving understanding (epignōsis) of God's redemptive truth revealed in Christ, becomes misguided and ineffective. Their zeal lacked a critical understanding of how God intended for humanity to achieve righteousness, leading them down a path of self-effort rather than divine grace.
Romans 10 2 Bonus section
- The irony presented in this verse is profound: Israel's greatest strength (their zeal for God and the Law) inadvertently became a spiritual stumbling block because it lacked the crucial ingredient of true, precise understanding (epignōsis) of God’s redemptive plan.
- This verse acts as a bridge from the discussion of God's sovereign choice in Romans 9 to the clear exposition of humanity's responsibility in accepting or rejecting God's provision for righteousness through faith in Romans 10.
- The concept of "knowledge" here extends beyond mere intellectual assent; it speaks to a transformative understanding that shapes one's path towards salvation. It is knowledge that enables submission to God's will.
- The absence of "knowledge" led to Israel’s inability to grasp that Christ was the fulfillment and end of the Law for righteousness for those who believe (Rom 10:4), ultimately hindering them from embracing the gospel.
Romans 10 2 Commentary
Romans 10:2 serves as a compassionate, yet critical, summary of Israel's spiritual dilemma. Paul, himself a former Pharisee zealous for the Law, identifies deeply with his kinsmen. He attests to their profound and undeniable devotion to God, a commendable quality in itself. This wasn't a superficial piety but an intense passion for divine matters. However, Paul laments that this genuine religious fervor was profoundly flawed: it was not "according to knowledge." This doesn't mean they were completely ignorant of facts, but rather that they lacked a saving, precise, and discerning understanding (epignōsis) of God's true character and His divine provision for righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Their zeal was for God, but tragically, it was pursued through their own methods of attaining righteousness (through legalistic observance), rather than humbly submitting to God’s method of righteousness by grace through faith. This misdirection meant that their diligent religious activity, despite its sincerity, led them away from the very salvation God offered. The verse encapsulates a powerful spiritual warning: sincerity, intensity, and even a right object of worship are insufficient if one’s approach to God is based on human effort and incomplete knowledge, rather than accurate submission to His revealed truth in Christ. This timeless principle reminds us that true worship and righteousness must be informed by deep biblical understanding and spiritual discernment.