17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?
24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. 25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Commentary
Vs. 17-24 And so the Apostle Paul leaves no room for the Jew to have confidence in the Law and boost in God, if they themselves are living contrary to it (19-23). Indeed Paul's point here is to show the Jews that they are in need of the Gospel just as much as the Gentiles, maybe even more so, because of their knowledge of it. For you can be a "religious" person and have a great zeal for the Law, even for God Himself, and yet not know God because you have not come to Him through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus done business with Him about your own sins and transgressions. And so teaching others not to steal is meaningless if you yourself are stealing. Same with committing adultery, or abhorring idols while looting pagan temples etc. Paul's point is that you can make your boast in the Law all day long, but if you yourself are dishonoring God by living contrary to it, then your boosting and confidence is false (vs. 23). And so the Apostle Paul says of his Jewish brethren: For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. vs. 24
Now this scenario is not unique just to "religious" Jews, for "churched people" can likewise become complacent towards their own need for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, by trusting in all the outward ceremonial ritual and works (i.e. communion, baptism etc.) or everything or anything else associated with church activities, rather than first seeing ones own need for repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For these ceremonial things are only given so as to testify to people as already having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that they themselves bring anyone into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And so though the Apostle Paul is addressing his Jewish brethren, also has some very clear implications for our generations as well.
Vs. 25 Having addressed the Jewish person's false confidence in their being God's chosen people, and thus through whom the Law came, that this somehow makes them immune to the judgment of God, if they carry on in their sins and unbelief (consider Matt 21:33-46, vs. 43). The Apostle Paul now addresses another false confidence amongst them that is circumcision. And so Paul begins by saying: "For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision." vs. 25 Now Paul's statement here is that circumcision is indeed profitable for the Jew (not the Gentile, see Acts 15:22-29, vs. 24; 21:17-25, vs. 21-25) if the Jewish person keeps the Law. For that then testifies to their obedience to the Gospel of Christ, if they are keeping it, that is the moral aspects of it (I.e. "love ones neighbor as oneself, which does no harm to ones neighbor, and thus is fulfillment of the Law, see Rom 13:10). However if they are not," then their circumcision becomes uncircumcision, meaning that they are not living in a covenant relationship with God, if they are breaking the Law.
Vs. 26-29 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? vs. 26-27
And so if the Jewish mans confidence is his circumcision, then he is living deceived. For as the Apostle Paul says here, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Law (not the ceremonial rites and rituals, nor the food statutes, but the moral and ethical decrees of God) then will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision. I.e. will not God consider him to be in a right standing with Himself more so than the circumcised man who does not. Now Paul goes even further in his rebuking the Jewish mans judging the Gentiles by saying: "And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?" vs. 27 And so in a twist of irony the once despised Gentile because he obeys God will find himself judging the Jew who does not. For again having a written code and being circumcised is useless if one is a transgressor of the law. For there is no partiality with God, but whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. For that is the universal measure God applies to everyone in every nation, whether they are a Jew or a Gentile (see Acts 10:34-35). Now this principal is not limited to religious Jew whose confidence is essentially in his "pedigree", but is also applicable for everyone one of us who are in the church. Because if your confidence is that you are a church member, or have been baptized, or you belong to a certain denomination or adhere to a certain denominations teachings and traditions, or even that you profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet if your life is being lived no differently then the unregenerate and unbelieving world; or is being lived as lifeless and loveless as the Pharisees then it's time for some serious contemplation about your own standing with God. For it could very well be that you have never come to the place of genuine repentance and faith. Now this I say not to shame you, or condemn you, but to awaken you to your own need for the Lord Jesus Christ so that you might receive Him and what He has done to redeem you, from all your sins and transgressions the moment you believe in Him (Eph. 5:14-18).
For as the Apostle goes onto to say: 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God." Vs. 28-29
And thus not the physically circumcised, who know the letter of the Law are the people of God (i.e. "the Jews"). Rather it is everyone who has been born-again by the Spirit of God, by faith in Lord Jesus Christ's Person, whether they are a Jew or Gentile (see 1 Peter 2:4-10, vs. 9-10). Who thus have their hearts circumcised with the circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). Meaning it is our hearts God has "circumcised", i.e. transformed by His Holy Spirit, something the letter of the Law could never do. For if there was a law that could've given life truly righteousness would've been by the Law (Gal 3:21). And so the Apostle Paul says of us all who have our hope fixed on Christ crucified and risen from dead for our salvation, and not on our doing whatever religious ceremonial rites and rituals that man would have us do (Heb 9:14-15). And so our praise is from God, (who justifies us by His Spirit) not from man who judges us by the flesh.
Scripture Citations
24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. 25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Commentary
Vs. 17-24 And so the Apostle Paul leaves no room for the Jew to have confidence in the Law and boost in God, if they themselves are living contrary to it (19-23). Indeed Paul's point here is to show the Jews that they are in need of the Gospel just as much as the Gentiles, maybe even more so, because of their knowledge of it. For you can be a "religious" person and have a great zeal for the Law, even for God Himself, and yet not know God because you have not come to Him through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus done business with Him about your own sins and transgressions. And so teaching others not to steal is meaningless if you yourself are stealing. Same with committing adultery, or abhorring idols while looting pagan temples etc. Paul's point is that you can make your boast in the Law all day long, but if you yourself are dishonoring God by living contrary to it, then your boosting and confidence is false (vs. 23). And so the Apostle Paul says of his Jewish brethren: For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. vs. 24
Now this scenario is not unique just to "religious" Jews, for "churched people" can likewise become complacent towards their own need for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, by trusting in all the outward ceremonial ritual and works (i.e. communion, baptism etc.) or everything or anything else associated with church activities, rather than first seeing ones own need for repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For these ceremonial things are only given so as to testify to people as already having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that they themselves bring anyone into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And so though the Apostle Paul is addressing his Jewish brethren, also has some very clear implications for our generations as well.
Vs. 25 Having addressed the Jewish person's false confidence in their being God's chosen people, and thus through whom the Law came, that this somehow makes them immune to the judgment of God, if they carry on in their sins and unbelief (consider Matt 21:33-46, vs. 43). The Apostle Paul now addresses another false confidence amongst them that is circumcision. And so Paul begins by saying: "For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision." vs. 25 Now Paul's statement here is that circumcision is indeed profitable for the Jew (not the Gentile, see Acts 15:22-29, vs. 24; 21:17-25, vs. 21-25) if the Jewish person keeps the Law. For that then testifies to their obedience to the Gospel of Christ, if they are keeping it, that is the moral aspects of it (I.e. "love ones neighbor as oneself, which does no harm to ones neighbor, and thus is fulfillment of the Law, see Rom 13:10). However if they are not," then their circumcision becomes uncircumcision, meaning that they are not living in a covenant relationship with God, if they are breaking the Law.
Vs. 26-29 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? vs. 26-27
And so if the Jewish mans confidence is his circumcision, then he is living deceived. For as the Apostle Paul says here, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Law (not the ceremonial rites and rituals, nor the food statutes, but the moral and ethical decrees of God) then will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision. I.e. will not God consider him to be in a right standing with Himself more so than the circumcised man who does not. Now Paul goes even further in his rebuking the Jewish mans judging the Gentiles by saying: "And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?" vs. 27 And so in a twist of irony the once despised Gentile because he obeys God will find himself judging the Jew who does not. For again having a written code and being circumcised is useless if one is a transgressor of the law. For there is no partiality with God, but whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. For that is the universal measure God applies to everyone in every nation, whether they are a Jew or a Gentile (see Acts 10:34-35). Now this principal is not limited to religious Jew whose confidence is essentially in his "pedigree", but is also applicable for everyone one of us who are in the church. Because if your confidence is that you are a church member, or have been baptized, or you belong to a certain denomination or adhere to a certain denominations teachings and traditions, or even that you profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet if your life is being lived no differently then the unregenerate and unbelieving world; or is being lived as lifeless and loveless as the Pharisees then it's time for some serious contemplation about your own standing with God. For it could very well be that you have never come to the place of genuine repentance and faith. Now this I say not to shame you, or condemn you, but to awaken you to your own need for the Lord Jesus Christ so that you might receive Him and what He has done to redeem you, from all your sins and transgressions the moment you believe in Him (Eph. 5:14-18).
For as the Apostle goes onto to say: 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God." Vs. 28-29
And thus not the physically circumcised, who know the letter of the Law are the people of God (i.e. "the Jews"). Rather it is everyone who has been born-again by the Spirit of God, by faith in Lord Jesus Christ's Person, whether they are a Jew or Gentile (see 1 Peter 2:4-10, vs. 9-10). Who thus have their hearts circumcised with the circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11). Meaning it is our hearts God has "circumcised", i.e. transformed by His Holy Spirit, something the letter of the Law could never do. For if there was a law that could've given life truly righteousness would've been by the Law (Gal 3:21). And so the Apostle Paul says of us all who have our hope fixed on Christ crucified and risen from dead for our salvation, and not on our doing whatever religious ceremonial rites and rituals that man would have us do (Heb 9:14-15). And so our praise is from God, (who justifies us by His Spirit) not from man who judges us by the flesh.
Scripture Citations
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