Romans 2:18 · Bible study
Romans 2:18 Commentary: Knowing God's Will
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul exposes the pride behind knowing God's will and testing what is excellent. Does our knowledge lead to humility?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul catalogs the Jew's claimed privileges, knowing God's will, discerning what is excellent, being instructed in the law, all true in themselves, but used here to expose the gap between knowledge and conduct.
- Key words: δοκιμαζεις (to test/approve), διαφεροντα (things that differ/excel), κατηχουμενος (being catechized/instructed).
- Main debate: Whether the verse describes genuine approval of good (moral stance) or intellectual skill at distinguishing (casuistic ability).
- Theological theme: Knowledge of Scripture without corresponding obedience is not only insufficient but becomes an occasion for pride and hypocrisy.
- Best use: As a mirror for anyone who studies God's word, does my knowledge lead to humility and obedience, or to self-congratulation and judgment of others?
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;
WEB World English Bible 2000
know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
KJV King James Version 1769
And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and knowest the will, and discerningly approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And knowest his will and approvest the more profitable things, being instructed by the law:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y sabes su voluntad, y apruebas lo mejor, instruído por la ley;
conheces a vontade dele , e aprovas as melhores coisas, por seres instruído na lei;
qui connais sa volonté, qui apprécies la différence des choses, étant instruit par la loi;
und weißt seinen Willen; und weil du aus dem Gesetz unterrichtet bist, prüfest du, was das Beste zu tun sei,
En gij weet Zijn wil, en beproeft de dingen, die daarvan verschillen, zijnde onderwezen uit de wet;
e conosci la sua volontà, e discerni la differenza delle cose essendo ammaestrato dalla legge,
I znasz wolę jego i rozeznajesz rzeczy różne od niej, wyćwiczony będąc z zakonu;
и знаешь волю Его, и разумеешь лучшее, научаясь из закона,
既從 律法 中受了教訓，就 曉得 神的旨意，也能分別是非（或譯：也喜愛 那美好的事）；
And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 2:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that in Romans 2:18 Paul lists the privileges the Jewish person claims. They know God's will, they can test or approve what excels, and this skill comes from being taught the law from childhood. Clarke notes the word κατηχουμενος points to formal catechetical instruction, received from infancy. Calvin draws a critical distinction: approval can be purely a judgment of the mind, not a choice of the heart. The Jew can distinguish good from evil without loving the good. Barnes and Vincent prefer to translate δοκιμαζεις as 'test' and διαφεροντα as 'things that differ', the Jew prides himself on subtle casuistry, sorting commands and distinctions. But the surrounding verses (21, 24) show Paul using these claims as the setup for a devastating critique. The consensus is ironic: the verse sounds like praise, but Paul is building a trap.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Approve things excellent: Reads δοκιμαζεις as 'approve' (moral embrace) and διαφεροντα as 'excellent'; emphasized by Calvin, Clarke, Matthew Henry; supported by the broader context of moral failure.
- Test things that differ: Reads δοκιμαζεις as 'test/discern' and διαφεροντα as 'differing things'; preferred by Barnes, Cambridge, Gill, Vincent; supported by the semantic range and by Philippians 1:10.
What is clear: The Jew possesses a genuine knowledge of God's will through the law, but this knowledge becomes an occasion for pride rather than humility when not accompanied by obedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Translation of δοκιμαζεις and διαφεροντα | The lexical range of δοκιμαζω includes 'test, examine, approve'; διαφερω can mean 'differ' or 'excel'. Both interpretations are grammatically possible. | Some interpreters (Calvin, Clarke, Matthew Henry) read it as 'approve the things that are more excellent', emphasizing moral approval. Others (Barnes, Cambridge, Gill, Vincent) read it as 'test the things that differ', focusing on the Jew's skill in casuistic discrimination. The difference affects whether Paul is describing an internal moral stance or an intellectual ability to distinguish. |
| Sincerity of Jewish privilege | All agree the Jews genuinely possessed the law and could discern God's will from it. | Calvin and Gill argue the knowledge was merely intellectual, not heartfelt. Others (Barnes, Cambridge) see the Jew taking genuine pride in this ability, even if it did not produce obedience. Paul's tone is ironic but the privileges are real. |
| Role of the law in justification | The law itself is holy and good, but hearing it does not save. | Protestant tradition (Calvin, Barnes, Gill) sees this as a classic distinction between knowledge and saving faith. Catholic tradition also distinguishes between knowing God's commands and being justified by grace through faith, while emphasizing that the law, when obeyed in grace, prepares for justification. |
| Catechetical instruction | The term κατηχουμενος indicates systematic teaching, usually from childhood. | Clarke notes this could be formal catechism, but the context is specifically 'out of the law' (the Mosaic Law). Some see a broader sense of any instruction in God's word, though the immediate reference to the law grounds it in the Torah. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Romans 2:18 falls within a section (2:17, 29) where Paul directly addresses Jewish pride in possessing the law. Judaism in the first century understood the law as a unique gift, setting Israel apart from surrounding nations. As Deuteronomy 4:8 declares:
"What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?"
— Deuteronomy 4:8 (WEB)
Knowing God's will meant having access to revealed commandments that the pagan world lacked. The Greek verb κατηχουμενος (being instructed) had a technical sense: it described systematic oral teaching, later called catechesis. Jewish boys learned the law from infancy in home and synagogue. Paul's phrase 'being instructed out of the law' suggests that every claim to knowledge and discernment flows from this source.
But Paul is not praising this knowledge. He is constructing an indictment. The claims in verses 17, 20 sound positive, but verses 21, 24 shatter the facade: 'You who teach another, don't you teach yourself?' The law should produce humility and obedience. Instead, it has become a source of national and religious pride, disconnected from personal holiness. Historical scholarship notes that Jewish writers often used the image of a 'guide of the blind' to describe Israel's role among the nations. Paul does not deny this high calling. He simply charges that the guide has lost the way.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants for Romans 2:18. The manuscript tradition is stable across the major witnesses. The reading of the key words (δοκιμαζεις, διαφεροντα, κατηχουμενος) is not in dispute.
Reception History
This verse has served in Christian teaching as a warning against the gap between knowing God's will and doing it. Throughout the centuries, preachers have used it to call hearers to examine whether their knowledge of Scripture leads to humble obedience or proud comparison. Reformed commentators (Calvin, Gill) saw here a clear demonstration that intellectual knowledge of the law does not justify, it rather exposes sin. Wesleyan interpreters (Clarke) emphasized the privilege of being catechized and the solemn responsibility that such advantage carries. The verse is also often paired with Philippians 1:10 to discuss the positive exercise of spiritual discernment when grounded in love.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- What the Jew Claims, knowledge of God's will, ability to test or approve what is excellent, and instruction from the law.
- Why the Claim Falls Short, intellectual approval without heart obedience. Paul's challenge in v.21, 24: the teacher does not teach himself.
- Where the True Value Lies, knowledge without practice condemns. But the law still points to God's will, and discernment can lead to life when pursued with humility (Phil 1:10).
Five-point outline
- Privilege: knowing God's will directly from His word.
- Discernment: testing what differs or approving what excels.
- Source: instruction from the law, formal catechesis.
- Danger: confidence without consistency (v.19, 20 set against v.21, 24).
- Proper Response: let knowledge lead to obedience, not pride.
Illustration hooks
- A student who memorises every textbook but fails all the tests because they never apply the concepts.
- A churchgoer who can recite doctrine but shows impatience and unkindness at home.
- A person with a Bible app and daily reading plan who uses that knowledge to judge others rather than themselves.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is it wrong to feel proud of knowing the Bible well?”
- “How can I know God's will without turning that knowledge into arrogance?”
- “Paul seems harsh on the Jews, could he be talking to me too?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts the gap between what we know and how we live. The Jews had immense privilege in the law, yet their knowledge did not produce transformation. In what areas of your life is there a gap between knowledge and practice?
Discussion questions
- Read Romans 2:17, 24. What specific claims does the Jewish person make about themselves? (observation)
- The word “approve” (δοκιμαζω) originally meant to test metals. How does that original sense of testing shape your understanding of what the Jew is claiming? (interpretation)
- Why does Paul list these privileges before confronting the Jews' failures? What rhetorical purpose does it serve? (interpretation)
- In verse 21, Paul turns the accusation: “you who teach another, do you not teach yourself?” Where is this hardest to hear in your own life? (application)
- How can we receive instruction from Scripture (catechesis) without becoming proud of our knowledge? (application)
- This passage does not say knowledge is bad. What is the proper relationship between knowing God's will and doing it? (theological)
- The Jewish failure caused God's name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles. When has the church's inconsistency damaged its witness in the world? (application)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 4:8 | What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you today? |
| Nehemiah 9:13 | “You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, |
| Nehemiah 9:14 | and made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them commandments, statutes, and a law, by Moses your servant, |
| Psalms 19:8 | Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. |
| Psalms 119:98 | Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for your commandments are always with me. |
| Psalms 119:100 | I understand more than the aged, because I have kept your precepts. |
| Psalms 119:104 | Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. NUN |
| Psalms 119:105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that knowing God's will through revelation grants the ability to make fine distinctions between right and wrong, virtue and vice. This precise moral discernment, he notes, comes from being catechized in divine truth from childhood, a unique privilege that shapes the whole person.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Paul is not praising the Jew for loving what is morally excellent, but for the ability to distinguish between the different commands of the Law. The Jew's pride was in his intellectual discernment of the distinct customs and rites that set him apart from other nations.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin distinguishes two kinds of approval: one where we choose and embrace what is good, and another where we merely judge good from evil but do not follow it. The Jews, he says, had the second kind from the law, making them skilled at judging others while being hypocritical about their own conduct. He suggests the Greek phrase means distinguishing between things that differ, not simply approving what is excellent.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator draws attention to the original meaning behind the phrase "approvest the things that are more excellent." The better rendering is "assayest, puttest to the test, things which differ," implying a process of discernment. A Jew with God's revelation possessed the very standard for testing questions of right and wrong.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the Jew's knowledge of God's will and ability to judge what is contrary to it come directly from being taught by the Law. Instruction in the Law is the source of that discernment, not any innate wisdom or natural reason.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that knowing God's will and approving what is excellent are worthless without actually doing them. He also points out that this knowledge came from the law, not the gospel, so even the Jews' privileged understanding did not save them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the phrase "approvest the things that are excellent" essentially means testing what differs. The ability to recognize and approve what is truly good flows directly from first learning to distinguish between competing options.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that Paul here applies the general truth about doers of the law being justified specifically to the Jews. Their boasting in God and possession of the law made their disobedience all the more shameful, turning their religious privileges into evidence against them.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that the Greek phrase is better understood as "the things which differ" rather than "the things that are more excellent." This shifts the meaning from approving to testing with careful discrimination. Such discernment, he notes, is grounded in systematic catechetical instruction.