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Romans 2:22
ESV You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
NIV You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
NASB You who say that one is not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who loathe idols, do you rob temples?
CSB You who say, "You must not commit adultery"—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?
NLT You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?
KJV Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
NKJV You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

What does Romans 2:22 mean?

Paul is addressing Jewish people in this section, especially those who believed that being under the law of Moses, given to them by God, meant that they would not be judged by God for their personal sinfulness.

Paul has shown that, though these religious Jews hold the law as their sacred and special connection to God, they do not keep it. He has asked a series of rhetorical questions. Now he adds to them: Do you commit adultery, though you teach others from the law that nobody should do that? Do you rob temples, though you say that you hate idols?

Both of these questions imply a positive answer. It is not clear what Paul means by "robbing temples," but his point is that the Jewish people were themselves breaking the law in various ways. Any honest assessment of our own lives reveals that we can't perfectly keep to any moral code (Romans 3:10). Why would devout Jews think they were exempt from God's wrath if they did not keep the law He gave to them? Why would any self-righteous person actually think God would ignore their sin?

Paul will go on to show that nobody can keep the law perfectly, which means that everyone is guilty of breaking God's law and earning God's wrath.
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