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CIRCUMCISION: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
(v. 1:16) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.'
(v. 2:6) God will give to each person according to what he has done.
(v. 2:7) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life
(v. 2:8) But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
(v. 2:9) There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;
(v. 2:10) but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 2:11) For God does not show favoritism.
(v. 2:12) All who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who sin under the Law will be 0judged by the Law.
(v. 2:13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous.
(v. 2:14) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature things required by the Law, they are a Law for themselves, even though they do not have the Law,
(v. 2:15) since they show that the requirements of the Law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)"
(v. 2:16) This will take place on the day when God will judge man's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
(v. 2:17) Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship to God;
(v. 2:18) if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the Law;
(v. 2:19) if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
(v. 2:20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth -
(v. 2:21) you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
(v. 2:22) You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
(v. 2:23) You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?
(v. 2:24) As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'
(v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised."
(v. 1:16) "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.' ... (v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised." =
(v. 1) '''The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave you country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.'
(v. 2) 'I [God] will make you [Abram] into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
[God's promise to Abraham to make him into a great nation and to be a blessing was a promise which was not fulfilled in Abraham's physical lifetime. It could only be fulfilled if Abraham is resurrected and permitted into the kingdom of God living eternally so as to continue to experience seeing his uncountable offspring and actually be a blessing to people of all nations as he lived on in the eternal kingdom of God]:
(v. 3) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'
(v. 4) So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
(v. 5) He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
(v. 6) Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
(v. 7) The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your seed I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.'''
"To your Seed I will give this land." =
Paul further defines the meaning of the word "Seed" in Gen 12:7, 13:15 & 24:7 as Jesus Christ Himself:
"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ."
ii) God Promises Eternal Life To Abram
"and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." =
God is promising Abram that even after he dies, all peoples - all nations - from now on will be blessed "through" him. This is saying that through Abram's procreation - which has not had one child born to him yet - the nations of the world will be forever blessed. Abram soon thereafter understood this as the ultimate blessing - eternal life in the kingdom of God through his seed, a Savior, (Who is Jesus Christ):
[Jesus said]:"Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad."
Abram could not be a blessing to the nations of the world unless God was going to bring a Savior from Abram's line to provide for the sins of the world, so when Abram followed God's instructions indicated in Gen 12:1 by leaving his home, his business, the highly developed civilization in Ur and even his people including his family and set out to an unknown, wilderness land, [remember that Abraham was a wealthy man, (v 5)], this was tantamount to expressing his faith in God's promises of future blessing for himself and the nations of the world through a coming Savior. Therefore, Abram's believing in God's promises of the future would include his personal salvation. Abram would be justified, i.e., become a born again man upon his trusting in God's provision of a future Savior through his line which Scripture records occurred later on when God reiterated His promise to Abram in Gen 15:1-6.
At that time Abram would trust in God's promises, which is tantamount to trusting in God's promise of the blessing of salvation through a coming Man, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God then would credit Abraham with His divine righteousness unto eternal life. For God promised that Abraham would find that the number of his offspring would be beyond counting and only through Abraham's seeing the kingdom of God, i.e., having eternal life, could God fulfill this promise to bless Abram by seeing his countless offspring in the kingdom.
2) God Repeats His Promise To Abram
(v. 14) "And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, 'Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
(v. 15) for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your Seed [Jesus Christ, (Gal 3:16)] forever."
3) Abram Believes In God's Promise And God Credits It To Abram As Righteousness Unto Eternal Life
(v. 1:16) "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.' "
Notice that being declared by God as having a righteousness from Him is unto salvation unto eternal life. The righteousness which Abram received when he believed in God's plan for him confirmed God's promise of eternal life.
(v. 1) "After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
'Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.'
(v. 2) But Abram said, 'O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?'
(v. 3) And Abram said, 'You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.'
(v. 4) Then the word of the Lord came to him: 'This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.'
(v. 5) He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring [lit. your Seed"] be.'
[" 'So shall your offspring ([lit. your Seed") be.' " =
In order for Abram to have countless offspring and be blessed by it in his own life he would have to have eternal life. The next verse indicates that God credited His perfect righteousness to Abram which is to say that Abram was granted entry into the kingdom of heaven, i.e., eternal life when he died]:
(v. 6) Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness."
So God presents a picture to Abraham to affirm His promise of an heir - an actual physical heir who was to come through the loins of Abraham, (Gen 15:4). This picture was 'painted' by God across the star studded night time heavens. An uncountable number of stars were visible to Abraham. God promised that just as the universe contained such an innumerable number of stars, so would be numbered the descendants of Abraham. This picture gave to Abraham the concept of him seeing countless numbers of descendants - a picture of his having eternal life in order for this to be possible. And so, Abraham was promised by God to have an infinite number of descendants evidently over an infinitely long lifetime, i.e., eternal life. When Abraham believed in God's promise of eternal life, God acounted to Abraham His righteousness. That is to say that Abraham was credited with God's perfect righteousness in conjunction with God's promise to Abraham of eternal life which evidently is required in order to have eternal life. This is the definition of justification unto eternal life: to be declared righteous by God. And note that it was received by a moment of faith alone. This cannot be misconstrued to mean that Abraham did or was expected to do anything in order to be perfectly righteous in his lifestyle. There is no stipulation to that effect in the passage.
So Gen 15:5-6 is not just a picture of Abraham's countless descendants living long after he died and had gone into the Lake of Fire. What would be the purpose of that if Abraham would never see them - being condemned to the Lake of Fire? Why would God make such a promise to Abraham if Abraham had no chance of ever seeing them in person, i.e., having eternal life? So this indeed was a picture of God's promise to Abraham of eternal life - eternal life with countless descendants over an eternity of time.
Since a moment of faith in the gospel results in the reception of a righteousness from God and eternal life, (Ro 1:16-17), then Abram's moment of faith in what God promised to him, which resulted in God declaring Abram to have a righteousness from God, similarly provides eternal life for him.
So Abraham was now qualified to have eternal life by being credited by God with the absolutely perfect Righteousness of Jesus Christ as a result of his faith alone in God's plan alone of eternal life. And this eternal life would be through God's promise of providing a physical heir to Abraham whose descendancy would lead to the Messiah/Savior through Whom all the promises would be fulfilled.
(v. 2:25) "Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised." (cont.) =
[Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co, Springfield, Mass, U.S.A., 1980, p. 200 provides an applicable definition for the word 'circumcision']:
"Circumcision... 1 ... a Jewish rite performed on male infants as a sign of inclusion in the Jewish religious community"
(v. 1) "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
(v. 2) I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.'
(v. 3) Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
(v. 4) 'As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
(v. 5) No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
(v. 6) I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
(v. 7) I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
(v. 8) The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.'
(v. 9) Then God said to Abraham, 'As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
(v. 10) This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
(v. 11) You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.
(v. 12) For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring.
(v. 13) Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.
(v. 14) Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
Circumcision is
first mentioned in the Bible as a confirmation of God's everlasting
covenant with Abram to be his God and the God of his descendants; greatly
increase Abram's numbers so that he would be a "father of many
nations" wherein kings will come from his descendants, i.e., implying
an uncountable number; and providing the whole land of Canaan for him and
his descendants as an everlasting possession - all of this implying the
reception of eternal life for Abram, now named Abraham by God which means
'father of many nations'. As a sign of the covenant, Abraham and every
male in his household including his slaves were commanded by God to be
circumcised as an everlasting covenant in their flesh. Those who were not
circumcised were to be 'cut off' from Abraham and his people and thus be
exempt from temporal blessings God might provide for Abraham and his
household. 
"No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God."
In the same way that a physically circumcised Jew is not a true Jew [in God's sight] unless he is spiritually circumcised implying that he has expressed the faith of Abraham in God's promise of eternal life and has been declared righteous, so it was with Abraham and his household. Hence physical circumcision is a symbolic representation of the righteousness of God which is received by an individual when he expresses a moment of faith in the gospel of Abraham, the gospel of all mankind.
(v. 2:25) "Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised." (cont.) =
Abraham's circumcision is incorporated into the Mosaic Law as a rule of life for Jews to receive temporal blessings - especially for those who exercised the faith of Abraham in the gospel; and it was a demonstration to the world of the righteousness of God through faith in God's promise to Abraham, the gospel unto eternal life.
(v. 1) '''The LORD said to Moses,
(v. 2) "Say to the Israelites: 'A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.
(v. 3) On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.' " '''
Circumcision became a requirement of the Law of Moses. Male circumcision of the Jew during the Mosaic Law period was performed in order to enter the same Abrahamic covenant blessing - both temporal and eternal based on the same faith of Abraham. So, circumcision enabled the Jewish man, a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to come under all the blessings promised to Abraham and his descendants. For when Abraham believed in God's plan of salvation through Abraham's seed, the gospel, (Gen 15:6; Ro1:16-17), God declared Abraham righteous and later made a covenant with Him with reference to eternal life and temporal blessings for himself and his seed - his progeny.
Even non-Israelite men who wanted to be part of the Israelite people were to be circumcised (Gen 34.21-24).
The rite of circumcision was commanded to be given to a male Jew eight days after physical birth. It is a physical manifestation symbolic of a Jew having a righteousness from God which is actually received if and when, at accountability, he expresses a moment of faith in the gospel which provided Abraham justification unto eternal life when he believed. It is also a male's identification with Israel affording the opportunity to receive blessings under the Covenant of Abraham and the Law of Moses as the individual obeys the Law. Note that many of the temporal blessings under the Law are only available to those who have trusted in God's promise to Abraham, the gospel, for these blessings predicate themselves upon having been declared righteous by God.
"No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God."
In the same way that a physically circumcised Jew is not a true Jew [in God's sight] unless he is spiritually circumcised implying that he has expressed the faith of Abraham in God's promise of eternal life and has been declared righteous, so it was with Abraham and his household. Hence physical circumcision is symbolic of the righteousness of God which is received by an individual when he expresses a moment of faith in God's promise to Abraham, the gospel. Furthermore, it denoted the putting aside of human works in order to qualify for entrance into the Kingdom of God.
Finally, circumcision has a certain temporal value:
While one observes the Law which embodies God's righteousness, circumcision is a testimony to the world that it represents one being an Israelite, one of God's chosen people, a descendant of Abraham, Issac and Jacob who is to represent to the world, God's righteousness.
On the other hand, while a Jew is breaking the Law, he is not representing the righteousness of God which circumcision symbollically and the Law actually stand for. Breaking the Law also puts the Jew outside of receiving temporal blessings of the Law. During that time it is as if one had not been circumcised relative to ones testimony as an Israelite of God's righteousness to the world. Notice that the phrase "you have become as though you had not been circumcised," in the context of its passage in Romans 2:25, does not cancel the reality of the physical circumcision nor the reality of having received a righteousness from God if the Jew had expressed a moment of faith in God's promise to Abraham, the gospel. Breaking the Law causes the circumcised Israelite to not reflect the temporal message of his physical circumcision to the world of his representation of Israel, God's chosen people who are to representt God's righteousness to the world. It is "as though [he] had not been circumcised"
(v. 1:17 NKJV) "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.'... (v. 2:13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous... (v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised." =
Circumcision is symbolically connected with observing the requirements of the Law. The Law is an embodiment of God's righteousness, (v. 2:13). The reception of God's righteousness via human doing, which requires an absolute persistence in doing good, (vv. 2:6-11), has already been implied as impossible via human doing except via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, the gospel, (vv. 1:2-4, 16-17).
On the other hand, during the times when a Jew observes the Law, he actively participates in the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant and the Law, and represents the righteousness of God in the Law by his actions, all of which are symbolically represented by the Jew's physical circumcisions.
(v. 2:13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous.... (v. 2:23) You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? (v. 2:24) As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.' (v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised." =
Circumcision has certain temporal value as a testimony to the world of what it symbolically represents to the world while a Jew observes the Law, which the Law embodies God's righteousness. Notice that "It is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous" by God, therefore the requirements of the Law must be righteous, (v. 2:13). On the other hand, while a Jew is not obeying the Law he is unrighteous and during that time it is "as though you had not been circumcised" because circumcision is supposed to be a symbol of one of God's chosen people representing God and His righteousness to the world, "for God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you:"
(v. 2:23) You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? (v. 2:24) As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'
peritomE ......men ....gar Ophelei ean ........nomon prassEs .......ean de
Circumcision indeed for .profits ..if ...[the] Law ....you practice if ....but [= but if] [you are a]
..................................................................................V_PAS2S
parabatEs ....nomou .........Es ..........hE peritomE ......sou ..akrobustia ........gegonen
transgressor of [the] Law you are ..the circumcision your .uncircumcision .has become
........................................V_PAS2S ..your circumcision has become uncircumcision,
........................................................."it has become as though you have not been circumcised.
Although the definite article does not appear before "nomon" = law, the particular law in view considering that circumcision and Jews are in view is the Mosaic Law. The two verbs "prassEs" and "Es" are in the subjunctive mood following the conjunction "ean" = "if", signifying a third class "if-then" statement wherein the action is objectively possible, i.e., 'maybe you will break the Law, maybe you won't'. In view then is a temporal condition wherein one who is circumcised may not be observing the Law in a particular segment of time whereupon the conclusion during that time is that "your circumcision has become your uncircumcision", i.e., you have become as though you have not been circumcised.
Since circumcision represents the righteousness of God, then when a Jew who is circumcised is not faithful to the Law for the moment, his lifestyle is not demonstrating the righteousness of God and it is as if he had not been circumcised. The physical circumcision does not disappear with an infraction of the Law, nor does any infraction of the Law negate the righteous standing an individual has before God received when he believed in God's promise to Abraham, the gospel. When a Jew acts for the moment in accordance with the righteousness he has been declared as his possession by keeping the righteous requirements of the Law, he is representative of what that circumcision represents: the righteousness from God.
(v. 1:16) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.'
(v. 2:6) God will give to each person according to what he has done.
(v. 2:7) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life
(v. 2:8) But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
(v. 2:9) There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;
(v. 2:10) but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 2:11) For God does not show favoritism.
(v. 2:12) All who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who sin under the Law will be judged by the Law.
(v. 2:13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous.
(v. 2:14) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature things required by the Law, they are a Law for themselves, even though they do not have the Law,
(v. 2:15) since they show that the requirements of the Law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)
(v. 2:16) This will take place on the day when God will judge man's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
(v. 2:17) Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship to God;
(v. 2:18) if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the Law;
(v. 2:19) if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
(v. 2:20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth -
(v. 2:21) you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
(v. 2:22) You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
(v. 2:23) You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?
(v. 2:24) As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'
(v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
(v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
(v. 2:27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a Lawbreaker."
(v. 2:13) For it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous. (v. 2:14) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature things required by the Law, they are a Law for themselves, even though they do not have the Law, (v. 2:15) since they show that the requirements of the Law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them....(v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. (v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? =
During those times uncircumsized Gentiles are keeping the righteous requirements of the Law, "they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the Law" in the sense of demonstrating behavior that represents the righteousness of God. They are thus regarded as being circumcised in the sense that they represent God and His righteousness which is embodied in the Law. Just as for the Jew, circumcision has temporal value as a testimony to the world of what it symbolically represents while the Jew observes the Law which the Law represents God's righteousness; so while "Those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements" exemplifying for the moment the righteousness of God, "will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised" in the sense of being representative to the world of God's righteousness?
(v. 2:14) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature things required by the Law, they are a Law for themselves, even though they do not have the Law, (v. 2:15) since they show that the requirements of the Law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them....(v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. (v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? (v. 2:27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a Lawbreaker." =
During those times uncircumsized Gentiles are keeping the righteous requirements of the Law they will condemn before God the Jew while he is a lawbreaker who claims superiority, having the written code and physical circumcision but acting as if he has not been circumcised.
III) [Ro 1:2-4, 16-17; 2:17-29]:
(v. 2) "The gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures
(v. 3) regarding His Son, Who as to His human nature was a descendant of David,
(v. 4) and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
(v. 1:16) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.'
(v. 2:17) Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship to God;
(v. 2:18) if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the Law;
(v. 2:19) if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
(v. 2:20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and truth -
(v. 2:21) you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
(v. 2:22) You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
(v. 2:23) You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law?
(v. 2:24) As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'
(v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
(v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
(v. 2:27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a Lawbreaker.
(v. 2:28) A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
(v. 2:29) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.
(v. 2:17) "Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship to God. (v. 2:25) Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. (v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? (v. 2:27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a Lawbreaker. (v. 2:28) A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. (v. 2:29) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God" =
In view in verse 2:28 is an outward Jew, i.e., a man who is a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The verse stipulates that an outward, (physical), Jew must be a Jew in another sense: an inward one via circumcision of the heart by the Spirit - by faith in the gospel, not by the Law, in order to be declared a Jew in God's sight. Gentiles and Christians are NOT in view in this verse
This inward qualification is stipulated as a "circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code", i.e., not by human doing. Notice that the context here does not include Gentiles or Christians; for no one in either group can claim to be an "outward" (physical) Jew, nor obligated to observe the Law.
(v. 2) "The gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures (v. 3) regarding His Son, Who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, (v. 4) and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
(v. 1:16) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.'
(v. 2:25) "Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. (v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? (v. 2:27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a Lawbreaker. (v. 2:28) A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. (v. 2:29) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God" (cont.) =
Circumcision
of the heart is stipulated as a circumcision by the Spirit evidently in
the spiritual realm. The word "heart" refers in Scripture to the
center of thinking, the mind
Since circumcision is a removal of something by definition; and the phrase
"by the Spirit" refers to a spiritual condition that is removed,
i.e., that which is removed such that one receives the righteousness from
God, which is accomplished at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone
unto eternal life, (vv. 1:2-4, 16-17), the key theme of this chapter; then
it is evident that what is removed is an individual's accountability for
his sins unto a righteousness from God. Notice that this inward, spiritual
circumcision- removal of accountability for ones sins by the Spirit unto a
righteousness from God is NOT accomplished by the written code, i.e.,
obedience to it, i.e., any human doing.
(v. 2) "The gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures (v. 3) regarding His Son, Who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, (v. 4) and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
(v. 1:16) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (v. 1:17 NKJV) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed [in one to mankind] from faith to faith, [i.e., out of ones belief in the gospel to faithfulness in ones life to that belief] just as it is written: 'The righteous will live [out the length of their lives] by faith.'
(v. 2:25) "Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. (v. 2:26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? (v. 2:27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a Lawbreaker. (v. 2:28) A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. (v. 2:29) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God" =
Such a man's praise of another for being a godly Jew, which implies having an inherent righteousness from God, comes not as a result of human doing, but as a result of the work of God. Human doing via keeping the "written code" did not accomplish becoming a Jew inwardly wherein a righteousness from God is evident in him, rather it came by the "circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit" Hence such praise is from, i.e., sourced in God alone.
[Notes from audio sermon by Dr. John Danish, Pastor/Teacher, Audio Tape Number 35, Dated 4-8-01, Col 2:8-15, The Philosophy of Deception, Berean Memorial Church, Irving, Texas]:
Male circumcision under the Mosaic Law way of life - for the Jews to enter the Abrahamic covenant blessing. It was so that that Jewish man and his family would come under all the blessings promised to Abraham and his descendants. It also was to be symbolic of the Jewish man's acceptance of a coming Messiah/Savior through the seed of Abraham. Only when a Jew did accept a coming Messiah to save him to the kingdom was he a true Jewish person which was to be symbolized by the outward rite of male circumcision.
1) [Ro 2:25-29]:
(v. 25) "Circumcision has value if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
(v. 26) If those who are not circumcised keep the Law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
(v. 27) The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the Law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, and are a lawbreaker.
(v. 28) A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
(v. 29) No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. And his praise is not from men but from God."
So a Jew is not really a Jew until he has accepted the Messiah/Savior in order to enter the Kingdom of God - the faith of Abraham. The removal of the part of the physical body for a Jew under the Mosaic Law was symbolic of escaping the slavery of the sin nature through faith in the Messiah/Savior. It denoted the putting aside of human works in order to qualify for entrance into the Kingdom of God.
2) [Compare Col 2:11-13]:
(v. 11) "In Him [Christ, (v. 10)] you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,
(v. 12) having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, Who raised Him from the dead.
(v. 13) When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins"
There is a circumcision that the Christian experiences which is provided by an act of God. It is the circumcision that is provided by Christ and His death on the cross for us. The ritual of male circumcision was the removal of the part of the flesh of the body symbolizing the removal of the domination of the sin nature in the individual. When a Christian experiences regeneration upon trusting alone in Christ alone, the old sin nature's domination is neutralized and spiritual circumcision through Christ takes place.
The unbeliever, Jew or Gentile, is uncircumcised in his flesh. He is a slave to the sin nature.
3) [Col 2:13]:
"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins"
So the unbeliever of any age is spiritually dead & unable to offer God one thing in order to be saved. The Jew under the Mosaic Law therefore cannot offer the circumcision done by human hands. It is the circumcision not done by the hands of men but the circumcision done by Christ with which one can enter the kingdom of God = faith in His death on the cross for the sins of the whole world.
4) [Ro 8:3]:
(v. 3) "For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man [but without a sin nature] to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man,"
So Christ came and He fulfilled the penalty of death that removed the condemnation of breaking the Law. Physical circumcision symbolically points to the removal of the control of the old sin nature over a believer under the Mosaic Law. Spiritual circumcision, through the faith of Abraham places the believer under the Mosaic Law of being under the promise of getting into the kingdom of God. The spiritual circumcision of the Church Age believer is actually being placed into Christ which removes the control of the sin nature.
5) [Phil 3:2-3]:
(v. 2) "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
(v. 3) "For it is we [believers] who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh."
"For" = because, introducing a sentence of strong condemnation of those who demanded physical circumcision in order to be saved.
"We" = we Gentile Christian believers, emphatic due to it's first position in the sentence.
"We are the true circumcision" = we are the true believers - who worship by the Spirit of God.
Abraham was the father of physical circumcision but he was also the father of spiritual circumcision. His physical circumcision did not take him into heaven. His spiritual circumcision in Christ the Messiah did:
a) [Ro 4:9-12]:
(v. 9) "Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
[Notice that Abraham was saved when he believed]
(v. 10) Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
[So the ritual of male circumcision had nothing to do with Abraham's salvation]
(v. 11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
(v. 12) And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised."
Performing physical circumcision in order to be saved actually prevents salvation by the grace of God:
b) [Ro 11:6]:
"And if [salvation is] by grace, then it is no longer by works [such as circumcision]; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
c) [Gal 5:2-4]:
(v. 2) "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be [physically] circumcised [in order to be saved], Christ will be of no value to you at all.
(v. 3) Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole Law [perfectly].
(v. 4) You who are trying to be justified by law [rules] have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."
["fallen from grace" = you have departed from trusting alone in God's grace to save you and reverted into legalism. Although one is eternally saved once they do trust alone in Christ alone, one can fall from that understanding and strive to be saved by keeping some kind of rules]
5 cont.) [Phil 3:2-3 cont.]:
(v. 2) "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
(v. 3) "For it is we [believers] who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh."
"and who put no confidence in the flesh" = since we have the true circumcision of Christ which we receive at salvation, we Christians are to worship on the basis of Church Age true doctrine as separated from Old Testament Judaism, in the Spirit of God, and we glory in Christ Jesus the One Who treated us in grace. And in opposition to all that, we are to put no confidence in the flesh, i.e., the sin nature.
"we are to put no confidence in the flesh" = perfect tense = an attitude of mind that is taken in the past, with a completed action such that it it to go on forever: we are never to put confidence in the flesh.
Yet sad to say, that's what most individuals, even Christians do: they put their confidence in their sin natures, their feelings, human viewpoint, what people think, what their families have taught them, what society at large believes some worldly objective or opinion, or personal pride ambition.
IV) [Ro 3:1; 4:6-12]:
(v. 3:1 NAS) "Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
(v. 4:6 NAS) Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
(v. 4:7 NAS) 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered.
(v. 4:8 NAS) Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account.'
(v. 4:9 NAS) Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.'
(v. 4:10 NAS) How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
(v. 4:11 NAS) and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised that righteousness might be reckoned to them,
(v. 4:12 NAS) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised."
OBSERVATIONS
A) THE BLESSING OF BEING JUSTIFIED, I.E., RECKONED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD APART FROM ANY RULES OF HUMAN DOING IS INVESTIGATED RELATIVE TO WHAT ADVANTAGE THERE IS IN BEING A JEW AND WHETHER THIS BLESSING IS UPON THE UNCIRCUMCISED, (GENTILES) AS WELL. THE ANSWER IS GIVEN VIA AN EXAMINATION OF ABRAHAM'S JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD APART FROM LAW, (ANY HUMAN DOING)
(v. 4:6 NAS) "Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: (v. 4:7 NAS) 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. (v. 4:8 NAS) Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account.' (v. 4:9 NAS) Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.' =
Note that the Greek phrase "Ou gar dia nomou", literally, "not for through law", rendered in the NAS, "For not through law" omits the definite article with law, hence we have a quality of law rather than a specific law in view. So any kind of rules governing human behavior is in view, which includes the Mosaic Law.
Paul continues to answer the question posed in v. 3:1, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?" His focus is on whether the blessing of being justified before God apart from works is only for the circumcised [Jews] or also for the uncircumcised [Gentiles]. The answer is given via an examination of Abraham's justification before God by faith with a notable absence of the word or concept of 'works'.
B) ABRAHAM IS THE FATHER - THE PRIMARY EXAMPLE - TO THE CIRCUMCISED (JEWS) AND UNCIRCUMCISED (GENTILES - THE REST OF HUMANITY) SO THAT THEY MIGHT CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN WHAT HE BELIEVED - THE GOSPEL - SO THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS MIGHT BE RECKONED TO ONE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE.
(v. 4:9 NAS) "Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.' (v. 4:10 NAS) How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; (v. 4:11 NAS) and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised that righteousness might be reckoned to them, (v. 4:12 NAS) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised." =
It is discovered that when Abraham believed in God's plan of salvation, his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness unto eternal life while he was still uncircumcised - like the Gentiles were. After being declared righteous before God unto eternal life, Abraham was circumcised, which circumcision is stipulated as a sign and a seal of the righteousness of the faith with which he had been reckoned while uncircumcised. A seal represents a guarantee of the righteousness unto eternal life. Abraham's circumcision is also declared to be a sign of God's promise of eternal life to others who choose to express the same faith in the gospel as Father Abraham did - Jew and Gentile alike. Hence, Abraham is declared the father of all who believe, Jew and Gentile.
[Further
details of when Abraham was declared righteous and the significance of
circumcision ]
Verses 4:11-12 stipulate that the circumcision of Abraham was received after he received the righteousness of faith so that he might be the father, i.e., the primary example to those who are of the faith of Abraham without being circumcised, (Gentiles who are of the faith of Abraham), and also to those who are not only of the circumcision but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham (Jews who are of the faith of Abraham).
So both Jew and Gentile are declared to have righteousness unto eternal life not through law, i.e., human doing, but through the righteousness of faith in which Abraham first believed.
[The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Vol. 10, 1976, Frank E Gaebeliein, Editor, pp. 50]:
"The issue discussed here [in Romans 4:9-12] is the importance of the time of God's declaration of righteousness on behalf of Abraham in relation to the time of his circumcision. By using the term 'blessedness' from the opening of Psalm 32 Paul makes the transition from David back to Abraham. Are the uncircumcised [Gentiles] able to share in this blessedness?... Paul dissents [from the opinion of the Jews that such blessedness was confined to the them], arguing skillfully that the benefit David enjoyed was enjoyed by Abraham, and Abraham received it when he was still uncircumcised! To all intents and purposes, he was like one of the Gentiles. This opens the door to the extension of the blessedness of justification to the Gentiles. Paul is still using the method of analogy regarding logizesthai ('credited'). As Genesis 15:6 had been explained with the aid of Psalm 32:1, 2; now the apostle reverses direction and explains Psalm 32 with the aid of Genesis 15. David, of course, was circumcised, but Abraham was not circumcised at the time of his being credited with righteousness on the basis of faith. According to the record, it was fourteen years later that he received the rite (Gen 17:24-26). Circumcision, then, was really a sign of what he previously had. It was a testimony to justifying faith, not something in which to take any pride."
[Note that Abraham's circumcision occurred after his justification such that all mankind would be in view relative to expressing the faith of Abraham - a fact which evidently was orchestrated by God so that both Jew and Gentile were included in God's provision of justification]
[Expositor's, cont.]:
"It could even be said that the Gentile has first claim on the patriarch, who was just like himself when justified."
C) ABRAHAM'S CIRCUMCISION IS A SIGN, A SEAL - A MARK OF GOD'S ETERNAL SECURITY - OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE FAITH HE EXERCISED IN GOD'S PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE WHICH ETERNAL LIFE IS ETERNALLY SECURE IN ANYONE WHO EXPRESSES THE SAME FAITH THAT ABRAHAM EXPRESSED
(v. 4:9 NAS) "Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.' (v. 4:10 NAS) How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; (v. 4:11 NAS) and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised that righteousness might be reckoned to them, (v. 4:12 NAS) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised." =
Abraham's circumcision is stipulated as a sign, a seal of the righteousness of the faith he excercised in God's promise of eternal life through Abraham's seed, through an Individual, (Jesus Christ) Who would be physically born and bear his sins so that Abraham would have eternal life.
The word rendered sign is from the Greek word "sEmeion", Strongs # 4592.
[Webster's New Intercollegiate Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co., Springfield, Ma, 1980, p. 1071]:
"1 a A motion or gesture by which a thought is expressed or a command or wish made known."
The word rendered seal is from the Greek word "sphragida", Strongs # 4973.
[Websters, cont., p. 1033]:
"1 a. Something that confirms, ratifies, or makes secure. GUARANTEE ASSURANCE"
Hence the motion of circumcision by Abraham was an outward manifestation of the fact that God had promised Abraham eternal life as a result of Abraham's moment of faith in that promise. Notice that the force behind the guarantee of Abraham's justification unto eternal life and anyone who expressed the same faith that Abraham did is not the circumcision itself but God Himself.