Romans 2:21
21 Thou therefore [oun] which [ho] teachest [didasko] another [heteros], teachest
thou [didasko] not [ou] thyself [seautou]? thou
that preachest [kerusso] a man should [klepto] not [me] steal [klepto], dost thou steal [klepto]? KJV-Interlinear
21 you
then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against
stealing, do you steal? ESV
To offer opinions, when you yourself are disobedient,
when you yourself do not fulfil your responsibilities, when you yourself refuse
or ignore your obligations in life, makes you a thief of truth. Before you can voice your opinion, you must
first be willing to listen and be taught, lest you misrepresent true Christian
principles. And yet most opinionated people
are resistant to being taught as they prefer their own version of whatever it
is that they believe.
Paul states this principle in the form of a question,
so that there is no room for denial.
Thou preachest, refers to any form of opinion or
statement that projects your ideas over those of others.
So, if you have something to say, then you are
preaching.
The real question is, are you stating truth or are you
spreading false or hypocritical ideas?
In other words, if you steal, then do not teach do not
steal and pretend that, that is what you are doing. If you disobey, then do not teach obedience and
pretend that, that is what you are doing.
The same goes with everything in your life.
God mandates that you, as with all of us, are to be
taught through instruction, before we have any form or basis to teach or even
begin to make our opinions known to others.
Unfortunately most Christians do not take the time to
learn, presuming that they know it all already.
Most do not engage in a daily study because it is either inconvenient or
they again presume that they do not need it. Perhaps a day a week or a day a
month or a day a year is quite sufficient, or they simply know everything
through natural means.
And that is the epitome of arrogance and stupidity.
Can an infant immediately after birth, begin
instruction of a college class. No. And most folks would think and know that,
that comment is absurd and obvious.
But the same principle applies to the new Christian,
or even a person who has been a Christian for many years, but has not engaged
in a daily study. No knowledge is no
knowledge regardless of ones age.
And no daily study in the correct environment, the
correct spiritual environment, means no knowledge.
The Bible states emphatically that we are all students
without portfolio, which simply means that none of us have a right to an
opinion until we learn Gods opinion. And
that means that we are to keep our mouths shut and our comments to our self unless
and until we have some actual light inside our little brains.
Again, to offer opinions, when you yourself are
disobedient, when you yourself do not fulfil your responsibilities, when you yourself
refuse or ignore your obligations in life, makes you a thief of truth.
