Romans 2:20 kjv
An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Romans 2:20 nkjv
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.
Romans 2:20 niv
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth?
Romans 2:20 esv
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth ?
Romans 2:20 nlt
You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth.
Romans 2 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Law and Knowledge/Truth | ||
| Ps 119:105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. | Law as spiritual illumination |
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… | True knowledge rooted in reverence for God |
| Jer 8:8-9 | ...the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. The wise men are ashamed… | Knowledge of Law can be corrupted/misused |
| Jn 17:17 | Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. | Jesus's word as the ultimate truth |
| 2 Tim 3:7 | ...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. | External learning without spiritual understanding |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… | Lack of true knowledge about God's ways |
| Mal 2:7 | For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge… | Priestly duty to uphold true knowledge |
| Rom 7:7 | ...I would not have known sin except through the law… | Law gives knowledge of sin |
| Hypocrisy/Outward vs. Inward | ||
| Matt 23:24 | You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! | Condemnation of hypocritical teachers |
| Matt 23:27-28 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs… | Outward appearance vs. inward reality |
| Lk 6:39 | Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a ditch? | Parable echoing Rom 2:19-20's implied critique |
| Jn 8:33-47 | ...we have never been enslaved to anyone. ...Whoever is of God hears the words of God. | Claimed freedom based on lineage, not spiritual truth |
| Rom 2:1-3 | Therefore you have no excuse, O man… you practice the very same things. | Judging others while committing same sins |
| Rom 2:23-24 | You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For the name of God is… blasphemed. | Immediate context: dishonoring God through disobedience |
| 1 Tim 1:7 | desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying… | Desire to teach without proper understanding |
| Spiritual Blindness/Light | ||
| Isa 42:7 | ...to open the eyes of the blind… | Prophecy of spiritual light/healing |
| Isa 56:10 | His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge… | Blindness of spiritual leaders |
| Jn 9:39-41 | ...so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. | Jesus confronting the Pharisees' spiritual blindness |
| 2 Cor 3:14-16 | ...their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil… | Veil over understanding of the Law |
| 1 Jn 2:11 | But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness… | Lack of love indicating spiritual darkness |
| True Instruction/Teaching | ||
| Deut 4:5-6 | See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me… | Positive example of divine instruction through law |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Action, not just hearing, is key |
Romans 2 verses
Romans 2 20 Meaning
The verse describes a Jewish person, assumed to be a teacher of the Law, who perceives himself as a supreme guide for those considered spiritually immature or unlearned. This individual confidently presents himself as one possessing the complete embodiment, or perfect outline, of divine knowledge and truth, which he derives from the Mosaic Law. The emphasis is on the self-assurance of possessing religious enlightenment to instruct others.
Romans 2 20 Context
Romans 2:20 is embedded in Paul's critique of the Jewish people (or self-righteous Jews and Jewish-Christians) who relied on their unique possession of the Law as a basis for self-righteousness and judgment of Gentiles. The immediate context, verses 2:17-24, highlights a direct address to "You, a Jew" who prides himself on the Law and yet by his actions dishonors God. Verse 20 specifically details the Jewish person's assumed authority and self-perception: being a guide for others due to their unique access to divine truth. This sets the stage for Paul's scathing challenge in verses 21-23, where he reveals the hypocrisy of such a claim by citing examples of those who teach righteousness yet practice sin. The broader context of Romans 2 argues for God's impartial judgment, applied to both Jews and Gentiles based on deeds, not merely on the possession of the Law or outward markers like circumcision. Paul underscores that genuine obedience and heart transformation are what truly matter before God, effectively dismantling any presumed Jewish privilege based on external factors.
Romans 2 20 Word analysis
- and: Connects this self-description to the previous boasts (boasting in God, knowing His will from the Law, approving what is excellent) and flows into the subsequent exposure of their hypocrisy.
- an instructor (παιδευτὴν - paideutēn): Refers to one who trains, educates, or disciplines children and youth. It implies shaping character through instruction and correction. The Jewish teacher claims responsibility for the moral and spiritual development of the less knowledgeable.
- of the foolish (ἀφρόνων - aphronōn): Describes those lacking sense, wisdom, or moral understanding; spiritually dim-witted or undiscerning. The Jewish teacher claims to illuminate those who are conceptually blind.
- a teacher (διδάσκαλον - didaskalon): A more general term for an instructor or master. It suggests one who imparts systematic knowledge, emphasizing the role of teaching doctrine or precepts. This reinforces the self-assigned authoritative teaching role.
- of children (νηπίων - nēpiōn): Literally "infants" or "little ones"; used metaphorically for the spiritually immature, unsophisticated, or unlearned. This underscores the perceived gap between the teacher's advanced state and the spiritual infancy of those he instructs.
- having (ἔχοντα - echonta): Implies possession or holding, signifying the Jewish teacher's conviction that he has what is needed to teach.
- the form (τὴν μόρφωσιν - tēn morphōsin): Crucial term. It means "outline," "external shape," "pattern," or "blueprint," not the inner substance or living reality itself. It suggests an external presentation or theoretical understanding without genuine, transformative experience. This implies a lack of internal assimilation and spiritual life, pointing to a superficial grasp.
- of knowledge (τῆς γνώσεως - tēs gnōseōs): Refers to intellectual or theoretical understanding, specifically regarding God's revelation and commands in the Law. The teacher possesses information about God and His will.
- and of truth (καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας - kai tēs alētheias): Denotes reality, reliability, and divine truth as contained within God's revelation. This signifies a claim to have an accurate and complete comprehension of spiritual reality.
- Words-group analysis: "having the form of knowledge and of truth": This phrase is highly significant. The term "form" (μόρφωσις) subtly but powerfully highlights Paul's point: while the Jewish teacher possesses the external framework or outline of knowledge and truth found in the Law, he lacks the internalized, Spirit-wrought transformation and genuine adherence to its principles. This is mere theoretical mastery without practical obedience or spiritual vitality, leading to hypocrisy.
Romans 2 20 Bonus section
- This verse serves as a timeless caution against spiritual elitism derived solely from intellectual comprehension of religious doctrine or possession of sacred texts, without the accompanying practice and transformed life.
- The "form" of knowledge without its true substance can create a facade of godliness, leading to self-deception and spiritual pride, ultimately discrediting the very truth one claims to embody and teach.
Romans 2 20 Commentary
Romans 2:20 precisely frames the self-aggrandizement of the Jewish person (or one identifying with this position) who takes pride in merely possessing God's Law. This individual presumes to be a seasoned guide and instructor, deeming others as spiritually uneducated or immature. Their confidence stems from believing they hold the "form" of knowledge and truth, which for them is the complete intellectual and doctrinal grasp of the Law's requirements and God's nature. However, Paul strategically employs "form" (μόρφωσις), hinting that this is an external or superficial grasp rather than an internal, life-changing reality. This critical distinction reveals the very essence of their hypocrisy, for true knowledge and truth demand not just intellectual assent but living obedience and inner transformation, which the Jewish person, despite their boasts, often failed to demonstrate (Rom 2:21-24).