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In our verse-by-verse study of Romans we are in Rom 2:22; We left off with the fourth question. "you who abhor idols" "abhor" is translated from the present middle participle from "bdelyssomai" that means to create disgust or to be disgusted by a terrible stink. It finally came to mean to detest or to abhor anything, not just an obnoxious odor.
The present tense is a progressive present for a state of persistence. The indirect middle emphasizes the agent as producing the action. The agent is, again, the self-righteous Jew.
The participle is circumstantial. With it is the accusative plural direct object from "eidolon" that is transliterated into the English word "idol." Translation: "you who persistently despise idols."
"do you rob (steal from) temples?" the present active indicative from "hierosyleo" that literally means to means to commit sacrilege. In this case the sacrilege would be to steal from a temple. The present tense is an aoristic present for punctiliar action.
The active voice: self-righteous Jews used the fact that they were guarded by an idol as an excuse to steal from the temple that was also the heathen's bank. These Jews were not above walking into a temple in order to steal. They were distorting the second commandment and using it as an excuse for stealing. Acts 19:37.
Expanded Translation Rom 2:22; "You who say not to fornicate, do you fornicate? you who despise idols, do you rob temples?"
Here we see the inconsistency of self-righteousness. They kept the second commandment not to have idols but they violated the eighth commandment, " not to steal."
Each of these questions is designed in such a way as to bring out a specific point. They normally wouldn't think of stealing but they their used religion to steal using the "Corban" gimmick.
Then they went to the problem of fornication. It was used for the simple reason that they did not overtly commit fornication, but they all did it mentally. This emphasizes that they are distorting these things in their thinking.
The questioning then goes right back to stealing again by picking up with idolatry that they fastidiously avoided in their self-righteousness, except that they would steal from a heathen idol temple.
This is all rationalization. Self-righteous people fantasize or rationalize, depending on how smart they are. They always come up with an image of their own perfection, their own sinlessness, and their own greatness.
They assume that God views them as good people. The rationalization of legalism is incompatible with divine integrity, especially divine justice because it is inconsistent with the fulfillment of God's righteousness.
The worst believers in the world are always self-righteous, and self-righteous believers lead to national apostasy and national apostasy leads to the destruction of the nation. This anticipates the 5th question dealing with the fact that legalism is dishonoring to God and totally incompatible with God's grace policy.
Rom 2:23; starts with question #5.because they had been boasting about their law keeping. "You who boast of the law;" following the anacoluthon the second person singular pronoun is inserted here is "you."
This pronoun is derived from the person and the number of the verb plus the nominative singular of the relative pronoun "hos", translated "who" or "You who." Then the present active indicative of the deponent verb "kauchaomai" that means to boast or brag about.
The present tense is a customary present for what habitually occurs with legalistic arrogant, self-righteous people, believer or unbeliever. In this case we are dealing specifically with the Judaisers who have misinterpreted the law and are using the law to promote themselves.
Remember the purpose of the law is to demote the entire human race; its purpose is not to promote anyone. But they are trying to use it to promote themselves when its purpose is to demote everyone.
We are all demoted; we have all sinned and come short of God's glory. The indicative mood represents the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality so it is a declarative indicative. They are boasting in the law.
With this is the prepositional phrase "en" plus the locative of "nomos," "in the law." "You who keep on boasting in the law." By interpretation this is the legalistic Jew who uses the law as the means of salvation, as described in the book of Galatians.
They contend that they are adjusted to God's justice because they have kept the law perfectly. At the same time they produce a human good that they assume will compare favorably with God's righteousness. Their presumption is blasphemous because it is an attack upon God's perfect integrity.
"through your breaking the law you dishonor God. The preposition "dia" that means "by,"" by means of," or "through" plus the genitive of "parabasis" that means "transgression" or "violation."
Then the objective genitive of "nomos" translated "law." By violation of the law do you dishonor "the God?" We have the present active indicative of "atimadzo," meaning to dishonor and "the God" from "o Theos."
The present tense is a customary present for what occurs when the Jews try to be saved by keeping the law. The active voice: the legalistic, self-righteous Jewish unbeliever produces the action of the verb.
This is an interrogative indicative for the question. Also, the accusative singular direct object of the proper noun "Theos" for "God", with the definite article 'o" because the God is Jesus Christ who they are familiar with.
Expanded Translation Rom 2:23; "You who keep boasting in the law, through violation of the law do you dishonor the God?"
The legalistic Jewish unbeliever has not only dishonored God's integrity by his maladjustment to God's justice at salvation but at the same time he has added insult to his maladjustment by blaspheming, by violating or transgressing the very law he uses as a tool in his attempt to acquire salvation.
Legalistic reversionism rejects salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and substitutes salvation by keeping the law that is salvation by works.
But the self-righteous Jewish unbeliever fails through his human good as well as through his sins to measure up to the very standard he has selected for his salvation.
He selects a standard he can't keep, a standard designed to condemn and kill him. He is trying to obtain life through an instrument of death.
The pro-nomian perverter of the Mosaic Law ends up becoming an antinomian blasphemer of the law. In other words, hypocritical, self-righteous legalism contradicts accurate doctrine.
Pride in the letter of the law is not conformity to the spirit of the law so legalism is a contradiction between principle and function.
Rom 2:24; addresses the reversionistic failure of a priest nation. "For the name of God" the postpositive conjunctive particle "gar," translated "for" that is used to express a self-evident conclusion should be translated in an inferential manner as "Consequently."
Plus the nominative singular subject from "onoma," that means name, title, category, person, reputation, or fame. Here it means "reputation."
Then a possessive genitive singular from "Theos" plus genitive singular definite article "o" modifying the word "God" that is used to reference Jesus Christ as the God.
So far we have "Consequently the reputation of the God." This is a reference to the holiness or integrity of Jesus Christ who is "the God."
"is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you" this actually begins with the words "through you," dia hymas blasphemetai en tois ethnos. So it starts out literally, "because of you." You is referring to the priest nation of Judea.
In this clause the prepositional phrase is first for emphasis, "dia" plus the accusative plural from the personal pronoun "su", "all of you." The pronoun refers to the Jews, self-righteous, arrogant, legalistic, self-righteousness and their maladjustment to God's justice for salvation.
"Consequently, because of you, the reputation of the God is blasphemed," present passive indicative of "blasphemeo," that means to slander when used of people, to blaspheme when used of God.
That is the way it is translated, but it also can mean, "maligned." This is a progressive present tense that denotes the action of the verb in a state of persistence in linear action.
The passive voice tells us that the God's integrity or reputation receives the action of the verb of slander, maligning, or blasphemy from the Gentiles. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of historical reality.
Gentiles were blaspheming the name of God because of the obvious self-righteous hypocrisy and legalism of the Jews at the time. Then the preposition phrase, "en" plus the locative plural of "ethnos, "used for the Gentiles; it also means "nations" or "among the Gentiles."
As individuals, as nations, the Jew as a member of a priest nation was responsible for presenting the gospel to the Gentiles. He was responsible for communicating doctrine and the preservation of the Word. Instead of fulfilling these things as a part of the priest nation he was simply using the Word of God, twisting it and distorting it into a system of self-righteousness as a means of salvation by works.
There is an additional phrase that belongs to this verse and indicates that this verse is quoting Isaiah 52:5-"as it stands written."
As a priest nation Judea in the time of Paul was responsible for the custodianship of the written Word of God, both its composition and its preservation, as well as its communication.
In addition the priest nation of Judea was responsible for evangelization, the inculcation of Bible doctrine, and providing a haven for the Jew during periods of anti-Semitism.
Self-righteous reversionism and legalism of the Judaisers resulted in the distortion of doctrine, therefore the distortion of the representation of God's integrity.
If you distort God's Word you automatically distort how you represent God's integrity.
This distortion was detected by the common sense and discernment of the Gentiles who could discern the self-righteous facade of Judaism and consequently blame God for it.
The Gentiles' blasphemy of God was caused by self-righteous legalism from among religious Jews. The same thing is occurring in the USA today where self-righteous Christians misrepresent God by their legalism and cause unbelievers to blaspheme God.
Instead of attributing such hypocrisy to the failure of the Jews who were maladjusted to God's justice for salvation the Gentiles maligned and slandered God by ascribing to Him the legalistic evil of the Jews.
The failure of the Jews resulted in the administration of the 5th cycle of discipline to Judea, twelve years after Paul wrote this epistle.
The function of the priest nation of Judea passed to her conquerors, the Romans. Imperial Rome became God's first client nation in the Church Age.
"just as it stands written" includes the adverb "kathos," translated "just as" indicating a quotation.
Then the perfect passive indicative from the verb "grapho" translated " it has been written."
The perfect tense is a dramatic perfect, the rhetorical use of the intensive perfect indicating something completed, and the results continue.
The passive voice: the passage quoted from the Old Testament scripture receives the action of the verb, it is permanently a part of God's Word of truth and is therefore an expression of God's integrity.
The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the canon of the Old Testament scripture.
Expanded Translation Rom 2 24; "Consequently the reputation of the God is slandered among the Gentiles because of you, just as it stands written."