Romans 2:18 BSB — MannaFest

Romans 2:18

if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,

KJV

And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;

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Commentary

2 voices

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Romans (1274)

Then when he adds and know his will, he mentions their prerogative in regard to the fruit of the law: first, with respect to the person himself; second, with respect to others, at are confident. In regard to the first he mentions two fruits. The …

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

Origen of Alexandria

COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (253)

"But if you are called a Jew, and rest in the law, and glory in God, and know his will, and approve the more useful things, being instructed by the law, and are confident that you are a guide of the blind, a light of those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having the form of knowledge and of truth in the law. You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

I see the better, but pursue the worse. and it is common for sinners to make that approbation an excuse which is really a very great aggravation of a sinful course. They got this acquaintance with, and affection to, that which is good, but being instructed out of the law, katechoumenos -- being catechised.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Behold--"But if" is, beyond doubt, the true reading here. (It differs but in a single letter from the received reading, and the sense is the same).

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

12 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
γινώσκεις	ginōskeis	know	G1097 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
θέλημα	thelēma	will	G2307 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
δοκιμάζεις	dokimazeis	approve	G1381 →
τὰ	ta	the [things]	G3588 →
διαφέροντα	diapheronta	being superior	G1308 →
κατηχούμενος	katēchoumenos	being instructed	G2727 →
ἐκ	ek	out of	G1537 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
νόμου·	nomou	law;	G3551 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
leads to
- 1 John 4:1
  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Romans 12:2
  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Ephesians 5:10
  Test and prove what pleases the Lord.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
James 4:17
Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
leads to
- John 9:41
  “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
- John 13:17
  If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
- John 15:22
  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
- 2 Peter 2:21
  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.
- Luke 12:47–48
  That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.

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On Romans 2:18

Justification by Faith: the Verdict of the Cross | MannaFest

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The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 names a singular fruit (karpos, not fruits) with nine visible facets. Gifts are distributed; fruit is unified. Every believer bears the whole fruit. The grammar is the theology.

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About Romans

The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Romans: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: Romans 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Romans

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Romans