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Romans: Man without Excuse: The Circumcision That Counts

This is the last of five articles that examines Romans, Chapter 2, and also provides a summary of what Paul (and by extension – God) was teaching us about the “moral man”, and how he also falls short of God’s standard just as the “pagan man” discussed in Romans, Chapter 1. Those five articles are:

The Certainty of Divine Judgement: vs 1-4
The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate: vs 5-11
The Conscience That Condemns: vs 12-16
The Confidence That Fails: vs 17-24
The Circumcision That Counts: vs 25-29

This month we will look at “The Circumcision That Counts.”

By Way of Review

In Chapter 1, Paul dealt with the “pagan man”, but in Chapter 2, Paul deals with the “moral man” in verses 1-16. You will note that the tone moves from “they” in Chapter 1 to “thou” in Chapter 2 making his arguments more personal to the reader.

Also note that as we examined these two chapters, Paul is arguing that knowledge of God’s law does not provide some blanket protection from sin or judgement. Nor does the lack of knowledge for the pagan man free him from sin and judgement even though he will not be judged or condemned by the Mosaic Law. Consider the morally upright heathen (not a Bible believer or one knowledgeable of the law) whose very behavior indicates that he inherently knows right from wrong and yet a close examination of his life will reveal that even he with his limited moral knowledge can’t remain pure.

We never teach our children to lie, yet they do. They not only lie to hide something they have done, but even try to deny that they are lying. Why? It is because they inherently know that lying is simply wrong? Throughout the world and in every culture, everyone knows about lying. Even headhunter cultures that exalt deceit and lying against another tribe had penalties for those who did so within the tribe to other members.

We also learned that the Jew cannot escape judgement via his greater knowledge of the law, because that greater knowledge places on him a greater burden to keep the law which he cannot. Therefore, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Paul also takes up the subject of divine judgement in Chapter 2 by examining seven principles or elements as to how God handles or performs His judgement. The seven principles that Paul lays out regarding how God deals with judgement were discussed in the previous four articles and are as follows:

1. According to Truth: vs 2-4
2. According to Accumulated Guilt: vs 5
3. According to Works: vs 6-10
4. Without Respect of Persons: vs 11-12
5. According to Actual Obedience – not Knowledge: vs 13-14
6. According to the Secrets of the Heart: vs 16
7. According to One’s Profession (Reality): vs 17-29

Paul finishes his discussion of the “moral man” in Chapter 2 by conferring the importance of spiritual circumcision versus that of physical circumcision as dictated by the Law of Moses. This discussion was aimed at the Jewish believers within the church at Rome (which was composed of both Jew and Gentile believers).

Let’s look, then, at how the circumcision that counts compares to the old Mosaic Law circumcision. In these discussions, Paul will use the words the circumcision and the uncircumcision to refer to those who are either circumcised according to the Law of Moses (primarily professing practicing Jews) or those who are uncircumcised (i.e. Gentiles).

The Circumcision That Counts

Romans 2:25-29:

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Paul has been raising up straw men to be knocked down so that it is clear that no man stands guiltless before a Holy God – indeed, all have sinned. This last section of Romans 2 will now show the failure of the circumcision itself so that he can ask and answer the question found in Chapter 3:1: “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?”

To the Jew, circumcision was proof of their holiness, of their covenant with God Himself. To be uncircumcised was to be lost, unclean, an anathema. Jews would not even eat in the household of an uncircumcised person and had to cleanse themselves if touched by one. Circumcision equates to salvation regardless of their – but wait . . . what is Paul trying to say?

Remember, to the orthodox Jew circumcision was as good as salvation regardless of how they lived. This is like some Christian religions today that claim that church baptism (which equates to becoming a church member) saves you unless you die with a mortal, unconfessed sin on your soul. This is false teaching, and whereas Paul is dealing with Mosaic circumcision versus spiritual circumcision, it applies to church membership as well.

Verse 25 Notes: “For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.”

Paul starts by advancing the premise that circumcision does, indeed, profit or have value, but only to those who keep the law. The Greek word is prasso, which is a primary verb and means to “”practise“, . . . perform repeatedly . . . habitually . . . by implication to execute, accomplish, etc.; . . . commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require” (Strong’s G4238). This is different than other Greek words which are translated “keep” that mean to observe or guard. Here Paul argues that you must obey the law statutes consistently. Obey all the law and your circumcision is a benefit. To “keep“, on the other hand, means to guard or value, but it does not imply perfect obedience or compliance.

The reverse of the perfect-law-abiding life is that of one who cannot obey all the law or cannot obey the law consistently. If a circumcised person breaks the law on any point, his circumcision is counted like a one who is uncircumcised, a heathen, and unclean person, a person outside the covenant. One lie breaks the ninth commandment and, thus, makes a person a law breaker.

Verse 26 Notes: “Therefore if the uncircumcision [i.e. Gentiles] keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision [as if he were a compliant Jew]?”

Now Paul argues that if a circumcised person who breaks the law is as if he was uncircumcised, then an uncircumcised person who (if able) keeps the law, is he not as if he is circumcised?

Remember that we are really talking covenant relationships here and not the actual physical surgical act. Paul is saying that a covenant Jew who sins is in the same state as a lost Gentile or heathen. He is also saying that a Gentile who is righteous in all his acts is as one who is in a covenant relationship with God. Kind of a backdoor to let self-righteous Jews face the truth that Gentiles can, indeed, be saved and have a personal relationship with God.

Although rhetorical in nature, Paul is saying that if a Gentile can keep the righteousness of the law, is he not in standing with God as if he is circumcised and an obedient Jew? This argument shows that circumcision alone cannot and never did save a person. It has value in that it is a symbol of the covenant relationship that a man can have with God, but it is no guarantee of purity in life and entrance into Heaven outside of Christ.

Mark 12:41-44: “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”

Luke 18:9-14:

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Verse 27 Notes: “And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?”

Better take this statement apart phrase by phrase:

- “And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature,”: That is, shall not those who are uncircumcised (like Gentiles) who by natural birth are not circumcised, but have their foreskin.
- “[I]f it fulfill the law“: Back to Paul’s argument that if an uncircumcised person can obey and, thus, fulfill the Mosaic Law even though not a member of the covenant by circumcision . . .
- “[J]udge thee“: Were such a Gentile person to exist, would he not by his righteous living condemn and, therefore, judge the covenant by circumcision person.
- “[W]ho by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?“: Who is a covenant member and who is circumcised as per the law, but who cannot keep the law but transgresses the law.

In other words: “and shall not the uncircumcised condemn you.” “Shall not uncircumcision be taken for circumcision? Yes, verily. The implied answer to Paul’s implied question is it will, indeed, condemn you.

The idea is that the obedient but uncircumcised heathen would be better off. He would stand on higher ground than the disobedient, circumcised Jew. Bringing this truth closer to home, potentially, our way of thinking is to say the unbaptized person who is spiritual (thus, implied saved) shall condemn the baptized believer if the baptized believer does not lead a Christian-spirit-filled life (and, thus, implying perhaps that the baptized believer is actually not saved.)

Matthew 12:41: “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.” (Of course, we know that the majority of the Jews and their leaders did not believe and repent when Jesus preached to them.)

The uncircumcision which is by nature: the sense is, “the uncircumcision which is natural,” and not “which by nature keep the law.” If it fulfill the law: i.e., provided he/she is obedient, and therefore, righteous. Judge thee: by implication, shall condemn you who trust in your circumcision. The judgment is by the context supposed to be a condemnatory one.

Verse 28-29 Notes: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Continuing the argument, Paul states, using other words, that outward circumcision or the cutting of the flesh does not make a spiritual Jew. Here Paul is, in effect, calling a Jew a saved person of covenant relationship. A law breaker is a covenant breaker and has disqualified himself from the covenant and has broken his relationship with God and, therefore, is in peril.

But rather, says Paul, he who is inwardly a keeper of the covenant, though he may not have ever been circumcised, but, instead, is one who has undergone spiritual heart surgery, he it is that is a true Jew (or in other words, in a covenant relationship with God).

“Whose praise is not of men, but of God”, tells me that Paul wanted the reader to know that those who hold circumcision as important and, therefore, judge the man to be in a covenant relationship counts for nothing when we stand before God Himself. But that God’s assessment and judgement of the heart is what counts: He does not judge man by the outward appearance (circumcision being just one outward appearance), but by the heart – the spirit of man.

1 Samuel 16:7: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.“

Some Takeaways for Us as Believers:

1. I am reminded that God looks on the heart and judges accordingly. It is important to guard your heart and keep short accounts with God.

2. God is just and judges justly, and not as man would judge based on what we see on the outside, but by what is actually going on inside a person.

3. Many have fooled themselves into thinking that they are save because they are born into a Christian family, or have joined a certain church, or have been baptized into a certain denomination. But all those outward signs are for naught if that person has not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and entered into a personal relationship with Him.

4. Since none of us can keep (prasso) the law, we need a Savior. We can take solace that Jesus gives us a new heart:

Ezekiel 11:19: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:“

Ezekiel 36:26: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.“

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

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