For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul gives the Jewish people full credit for their intense passion for God, but the crucial, easily missed point is that this fervent zeal was not enlightened. Their deep-seated religious ardor, however sincere, was tragically misdirected because it lacked the grounding of true knowledge about God’s righteousness revealed in Christ.
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is reflecting on his deep love and longing for his fellow Israelites to be saved, acknowledging their fervent dedication to God. However, he immediately qualifies this by stating that their passion for God, while genuine, is misguided because it lacks true understanding. This sets up his explanation of how their zeal, misdirected by ignorance, leads them to reject God's righteousness found in Christ.
Paul is about to reveal why Israel missed out on God's plan. Before he does, he shares his deep affection for them. Why is this important?
Paul opens this section with profound empathy. He calls them "brothers" and expresses his "heart's desire and prayer to God for them." This isn't just a formality; it sets the stage for his critique. He's not attacking from the outside but speaking from a place of genuine love and shared heritage. He knows their zeal because he once shared it (Galatians 1:14). This compassion allows his upcoming words to land with more weight, showing that his critique comes from a place of deep care, not condemnation.
Zeal sounds like a good thing, right? But Paul warns that it can be misdirected. What's the difference between good zeal and bad zeal?
Paul credits the Jews with having "a zeal for God." This zeal manifested as passionate devotion to the Law, the traditions, and the preservation of their monotheistic faith. They were fiercely committed, willing to go to great lengths, even to the point of persecuting those they saw as deviating from God's ways.
However, Paul immediately adds, "but not according to knowledge." This is the crucial distinction. Their zeal wasn't informed by a full, accurate understanding of God's ultimate plan. They lacked the knowledge that God's righteousness was now revealed in Jesus Christ. This absence of correct knowledge turned their intense passion into a force that actively opposed God's saving work, leading them to reject the very Messiah they were, in their own way, waiting for.
Ask a follow-up
If zeal needs knowledge, what kind of knowledge are we talking about? And what happens when it's missing?
The "knowledge" Paul refers to isn't just intellectual facts; it's a deep, saving understanding – an 'epignosis' – of God and His righteousness as revealed in Christ. The Jews had a zeal for God, but it was tragically misguided because it lacked this vital understanding.
Understand the original words
zēlos · Greek Noun
A passionate, intense devotion or eagerness; in a religious context, it refers to a fervent desire to serve God, though it does not guarantee the devotion is correctly directed or informed by truth.
epignōsis · Greek Noun
Specifically refers to the discernment of God's revealed truth, particularly the recognition of the Gospel and the proper understanding of how one is made right with God.
dikaiosynē · Greek Noun
Refers to the state of being morally right, justified, and in a right standing before God; it is a gift imputed by God through faith, rather than a quality earned by human behavior.
hypotassō · Greek Verb
To place oneself under the authority or government of another; in a theological context, it is the act of yielding one's self-sufficiency to the sovereign grace and standard of God.
Paul's words here resonate deeply with his own past. He understood the intense, sincere religious fervor of his fellow Jews, having shared it himself, but he also saw how that very zeal, when misdirected by a lack of true knowledge about God's Messiah, led them to actively oppose God's saving work.
c. 20 BC - AD 10
Height of Roman Influence and Jewish Tension
The Roman Empire exerted significant control over Judea, leading to a complex sociopolitical climate. This period saw a rise in messianic expectations and various Jewish movements seeking religious and political autonomy, often fueling intense religious fervor.
c. AD 27-30
Ministry of Jesus
Jesus' teachings and ministry in Judea challenged existing religious norms and authorities, attracting both fervent followers and strong opposition from Jewish leaders.
c. AD 30-36
Early Christian Persecution by Jewish Authorities
Following Jesus' ascension, the early followers of Christ faced intense opposition from some Jewish leaders who viewed their movement as a dangerous heresy and a threat to the established order.
c. AD 34-36— this verse
Saul of Tarsus Persecutes Christians
Saul (later Paul), a zealous Pharisee, actively persecuted the early Christian church, believing he was doing God's service. This experience deeply informed his later understanding of 'zeal not according to knowledge'.
c. AD 40s-60s
Paul's Missionary Journeys and Epistles
Paul's extensive missionary work spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, leading him to write letters to various churches, including Romans, to address theological and practical issues.
This passage highlights how misguided zeal, even to the point of killing believers, can stem from ignorance of God, mirroring the 'zeal for God but not according to knowledge' described in Romans 10:2.
Acts 22:3Paul himself testifies to his own previous 'zeal for God' as a Jewish Pharisee, directly aligning with the description of the Jews' passionate, yet misguided, religious fervor in Romans 10:2.
Philippians 3:5-6Paul details his own strict adherence to the Law and his zealous pursuit of righteousness under that system, which is a concrete example of the kind of 'zeal for God' he's describing in Romans 10:2, before his understanding was corrected by true knowledge.
Matthew 23:15Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their zealous efforts to make converts, yet they make their converts 'twice as much children of hell' due to a lack of true knowledge, illustrating the danger of zeal untempered by genuine understanding.
Romans 1:28This verse describes people who, despite knowing God, did not honor Him or give thanks, leading to a 'futile thinking' and 'darkened understanding,' which is a foundational aspect of the 'not according to knowledge' part of Romans 10:2.
cambridgeRomans 10:2: "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."
2 . For ] The connexion is, that they seem to be, but are not, in the way to salvation; and that this stirs up his affectionate and anxious longing that they may find it. record ] witness; as one who so intimately knows them and their state of conscience and will. zeal of God ] So lit. The genitive implies that the zeal is in close connexion with, and directed towards, Him. So “faith of God” (Gr.…
gillRomans 10:2: "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."
For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God,.... A zeal for God; for the being and unity of God, against the polytheism and idolatry of the Gentiles; for the word of God, the writings of the Old Testament, of which they were zealous defenders and preservers, and which they diligently read and heard explained, and whereby they thought to obtain eternal life; for the law of God, moral and…
Paul gives the Jewish people full credit for their intense passion for God, but the crucial, easily missed point is that this fervent zeal was not enlightened. Their deep-seated religious ardor, however sincere, was tragically misdirected because it lacked the grounding of true knowledge about God’s righteousness revealed in Christ.
Paul is reflecting on his deep love and longing for his fellow Israelites to be saved, acknowledging their fervent dedication to God. However, he immediately qualifies this by stating that their passion for God, while genuine, is misguided because it lacks true understanding. This sets up his explanation of how their zeal, misdirected by ignorance, leads them to reject God's righteousness found in Christ.
Paul is reflecting on his deep love and longing for his fellow Israelites to be saved, acknowledging their fervent dedication to God. However, he immediately qualifies this by stating that their passion for God, while genuine, is misguided because it lacks true understanding. This sets up his explanation of how their zeal, misdirected by ignorance, leads them to reject God's righteousness found in Christ.
"For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness." — Paul gives the Jewish people full credit for their intense passion for God, but the crucial, easily missed point is that this fervent zeal was not enlightened. Their deep-seated religious ardor, ho…
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Last reviewed October 2026