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Romans 10:2-3 - Exposition

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God . For ζῆλον θεοῦ , meaning zeal for God, cf. John 2:17 ; Acts 22:3 ; Galatians 1:14 . The word ζῆλος was commonly used for the religious ardour of the Jews at that time (cf. Acts 21:20 , πάντες ζηλωταὶ τοῦ νόμου ὑπάρχουσι ) , and there was a faction among them called distinctively ζηλωταὶ , to which Simon Zelotes ( Luke 6:15 ; Acts 1:13 ) is supposed to have belonged originally. St. Paul's mention of the religious zeal of the Jews of his day is apposite in this place. In Romans 9:1-5 , where he was about to speak of their rejection from the inheritance of the promises, he appropriately dwelt on their ancient privileges; here, where he has in view their own failure to respond to God's purpose for them, he as appropriately refers to their undoubted zeal, which he regrets should be misdirected. But not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of ( ἀγνοοῦντες , in explanation of οὐ κατ ἐπίγνωσιν preceding ) God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own ( righteousness, repeated here, is ill supported), they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. For the meaning of God's righteousness, opposed to man's own righteousness, see on Romans 3:19 , Romans 3:20 ; also on Romans 1:17 , and Introduction.

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