Romans 2:21-22

you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

(v21-22, NIV)

Aside from pointing out whether they teach themselves, Paul goes into specifics. The Jews are certainly preaching about certain things, so do they practice what they preach? So, if they preach against stealing, do they in fact commit that sin? Paul addresses stealing, adultery and idolatry in these few verses.

What would the Jews say in response? I can imagine that some if not many would simply answer no to all of Paul's questions. They would say that they don't steal, they don't commit adultery and they don't commit idolatry. They preach against these things, so it would be rare or difficult to imagine them admitting to these faults. We see this in our daily lives, people who are not so open or fond of the idea of admitting their own hypocrisy. But this is Paul further pointing out their hypocrisy. They may or may not admit to it; however, God knows. Practice what you preach and many rely on the law and fall into hypocrisy.