Romans 2:17-29

God's Judgment and the Law Continued

¹⁷ But if you call yourself a Jew [being proud of being a member of the chosen] and rely on the law [given to you at Sinai as a “get out of jail free card”] and boast in God [in a monopoly of monotheism] ¹⁸ and know his will [insider information] and approve what is excellent [as you set divine standards], because you are instructed from the law [and you cannot be wrong!]; ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind [the Gentiles], a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children [spiritual babies], having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹ you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? [Paul declares they are smug hypocrites.] While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [You hypocrites!] ²² You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? [You hypocrites!] You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? [You hypocrites!] ²³ You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. [You hypocrites!] ²⁴ For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” [Rabbi Jochanan ben Zakkai, a contemporary of Paul’s, wrote about the increase of murder, adultery, sexual vice, commercial and judicial corruption, bitter sectarian strife, and other evils in his day.]

²⁵ For circumcision [the mark of the covenant promise and membership that demands obedience to the law] indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. [The Jews regarded circumcision as a guarantee of God’s favor, much as some Christians regard baptism today. But circumcision does not exempt one from judgement. Instead, it points out the person who is expected to keep the law fully.]  ²⁶ So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? ²⁷ Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. [The Gentile who pleases God without the distinctive privileges of a Jew, will by example show up the unworthy Jew. Baptized Christians who do not follow Jesus may believe in Jesus but do not believe Jesus!] ²⁸ For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹ But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. [What does it mean to be a true Jew? First, to be a true Jew, who might be a Gentile ethnically and by birth, is not something outward and visible—circumcision—but inward and invisible. For true circumcision is, secondly, in the heart, not the flesh. Third, it is effected by the Spirit, not the law. And fourth, it wins God’s approval rather than human approval.]

[The Jews derived their name from Judah, which means “praise.” Jacob said of the birth of his son, “This time I will praise the Lord.” On his deathbed Jacob said, “Judah, your brothers shall praise you.” F.F. Bruce sums up the thought of verses 17-29: “The word ‘Jew’ means ‘praise’ and the true Jew is the man whose life is praiseworthy by God’s standards, whose heart is pure in God’s sight, whose circumcision is the inward circumcision of the heart. He is the true Jew, I say—the truly praiseworthy man—and his praise is not a matter of human applause, but of divine approval.”]