Articles
Zeal Without Knowledge - Romans 10
Zeal Without Knowledge - Romans 10
"Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:1-3).
Such is a matter of one's salvation. It does matter WHAT one believes. What one believes is dependent upon what one knows. It is not enough to be zealous, but one needs to be zealous for the right things. It is instructive to notice how often Paul used the phrase "Do you not know…?" – cp. Romans 6:3, 16; 7:1; 11:2; 1 Cor. 3:16; 5:6; 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19; 9:13, 24!
Herein lies the tragedy for many of the Jewish people in Paul's day. They not only were religious, they were zealots for their religion (not to be confused with the political group known as Zealots). In particular, these people were zealous for the law of God. As Paul affirmed elsewhere that many of them desired "to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions" (1Tim. 1:7). In their zeal they taught, argued and debated (Acts 15:1-2, 5).
It is a sobering commentary to realize you are old enough to begin seeing the same arguments and issues coming around for the second or third time. Us 'oldsters' often forget that these are new issues to the new generation. We see played out before our eyes the old adage that those who don't know history DO in fact repeat it. They not only repeat it, they do so with the zeal of youth. Instrumental music? Faith only? Baptism only an outward sign? Reorganizing the church? Worldliness in all of its forms? None of this is new. Even the arguments that are used to support such are old.
Without a knowledge of the struggles that have gone before us, people often become extremely zealous for wrong things. There is but one real answer to the problem: teach, teach, and teach some more. By increasing knowledge we can channel zeal to a rightful purpose.
We must also acknowledge that knowledge without zeal results in a lifeless expression of one's religion, better known as 'a dead faith'! Knowledge is NOT the goal. Those who KNOW must rise up in zeal. To be zealous for a good thing is good. In fact Paul instructed us that Christ "gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Tit. 2:14).
Hugh DeLong
