Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: October 31, 2004
ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE
Ben Justice
The apostle Paul had a great love for his fellow Jewish kinsmen. He very much desired their spiritual
welfare. He earnestly prayed that they might accept the only hope of their salvation — Jesus Christ. Paul
spoke extensively to this in the book of Romans. He said in Rom. 9:2-3, “That I have great heaviness and
continual sorrow in my heart. (3) For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my
kinsmen according the flesh:” He later said in 10:1, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is,
that they might be saved.” Certainly, we all need to have this attitude. We in no way should want any one to
be lost.
In Rom 10:2, Paul made this statement about his fellow Jews: “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of
God, but not according to knowledge.” This verse provides explanation for what Paul said in v. 1. Realizing
that his fellow kinsmen in the flesh had “a zeal of God” that it would perhaps move them to accept Jesus
Christ as the Messiah and thus be saved.
The word “zeal” is from zelos. Thayer says the word means, “excitement of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit” (#
2205, Pg. 271). The word is translated as “fervent mind” in 2 Cor. 7:7.
Paul, at one time, was one of them of whom he wrote. Paul, as he reflected back on his pre-conversion state,
said, “And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of
the tradition of my fathers” (Gal. 1:14). In Acts 22:3, Paul said, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus,
a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the
law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Paul had passionate zeal in Judaism.
He exhibited this zeal everywhere he went, in persecuting the followers of Christ. He said in Phil. 3:6,
“Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; . . .” However, he said in I Tim. 1:13, that he “did it ignorantly in
unbelief.” Paul could very much relate to his fellow Jews. He, before he learned better, had a zeal of God,
but, like his Jewish counterparts, it was not according to knowledge.
The usual word for “know” or “knowledge” in the NT is ginosko. It simply means to have knowledge. This is
not the word used here in Rom. 10:2. The word used here is epignosis (noun). Vine says, “exact or full
knowledge, . . . expressing a fuller or a full knowledge . . .” (W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of
Old and New Testament Words, Pg. 348). Every time the word is used in the NT, it refers to knowledge of
God. Here is the sense of what Paul was saying: “Yes, you have a zeal of God, but your zeal is not based
upon the full knowledge of God.” In other words, they had not come to know what God required of them.
What was the result of this? Verse 3 explains: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about
to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” “God’s
righteousness” refers to God’s plan for saving men thereby making them “righteous” (see Rom. 1:16-17; Acts
10:34-35). “According to knowledge” (v. 2) is equivalent to “God’s righteousness” (v. 3). These Jews did not
know about God’s plan for making men righteous. As Paul said, they were “ignorant.” As a result of their
ignorance, they went about “to establish their own righteousness.”
Was their zeal a good thing? Yes, and Paul hoped that this would perhaps cause them to realize their lost
condition and thus accept Jesus as the Messiah and be saved (v. 1). However, zeal apart from knowledge is a
bad thing, and it was seen in the lives of these Jews. It is sad when people today operate in the same
fashion. Note the following examples:
1.) Many today have a genuine zeal in worshipping God, but yet, their worship is “vain worship” (Matt. 15:9).
Why? Because it is not according to the knowledge of God’s word. One’s zeal (which is closely connected
with sincerity) does not change wrong worship into right worship (see Acts 17:22-23).
2.) Sometimes, one can see churches having bake sales and car washes to help raise money for the work of
their church. One can also observe the great zeal that some have in doing this. However, it is not according
to knowledge. The only authorized way for the church to raise money to carry out its God-given mission is
through free-will offerings (I Cor. 16:1-2).
3.) It is a real shame that some brethren have denigrated the preaching of the gospel (I Cor. 1:18, 21; Titus 1:
3) and have exchanged it for plays, skits, and all sorts of drama acting. This is seen in VBS. Now, granted,
there are some who are zealous in what they are doing. However, such is nowhere authorized in the NT.
Again, this is a perfect example of zeal without knowledge.
4.) Many times you see this in recent converts. New babes in Christ many times exhibit a great zeal and
who seem to be on fire for the Lord. They are eager to teach others the Bible. Certainly, this is to be
applauded. However, sometimes, they let their zeal outrun their head. There must be a maturation process.
Satan’s forces are powerful, and the most vulnerable are new babes in Christ. When someone comes up out
the watery grave of baptism, Satan is ready and waiting to knock them flat on their back. While we applaud
their zeal, older, more mature and experienced members of the church must help new converts realize that
zeal without knowledge is very dangerous. At the same time, it is often the case that many older members of
the church lose their zeal. Just as zeal without knowledge is not good, so is knowledge without zeal. We
must have both!
Just how dangerous is zeal without knowledge? Consider what happened to the Jews of whom Paul wrote.
Their ignorance of God’s ways resulted in them not submitting to the righteous plan of God. They went about
to establish their own righteousness. The end result is that they were lost, and Paul expressed this. Many
will be lost because of a lack of knowledge of the ways of God. And sadly, more often than not, it seems like
outright willful rejection of the knowledge of God. Hosea, the prophet, expressed it like this: “Hear the word
of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no
truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. . . . My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because
thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, . . .” (Hosea 4:1, 6). It is God’s will that “all men . . . come
unto the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:4).
As was mentioned earlier, zeal and sincerity are closely connected. Most people in the religious world believe
that this is all that matters in religion. Just as long as people are zealous and sincere in their religion, God
accepts it, and they will be saved eternally. However, in Rom. 10:20-21, Paul quoted from the words of Isaiah
to describe the Jewish people of his day — “But Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I (God) was found of them (Israel)
that sought me (God) not; I (God) was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. (21) But to Israel he saith, All
day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Note how Paul described
the Jews of his day: “a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Brethren, their zeal (v. 2) was not enough. Their
zeal did not change their standing before God. It must be zeal coupled with obedience. Back in v. 16, Paul
said, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel.” If a Jew, or anybody, desires to be saved, it will be through
obedience to the gospel of Christ!