Thursday, December 4, 2014

Romans 2:21

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely
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.