"Circumcision of the Heart"
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Summary: In Romans 2:25-29, Paul is teaching us that physical circumcision alone is insignificant, but spiritual circumcision is essential.
What is the significance of a country’s flag?
What is the significance of a country’s flag?
It has significance/meaning beyond the physical aspect.
In this text, Paul addresses the significance/meaning of circumcision - something physical that had lost it’s meaning.
What is circumcision?
What is circumcision?
The sign of the Abrahamic covenant/promise.
God made a promise to Abraham and his decedents (Genesis 12:1–3).
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Occasionally, God reminded Abraham of the promise, and Abraham responded in faith (Genesis 15:6; though at times he did have doubts).
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Years later God again reminded Abraham of the promise and gave him the sign (Genesis 17:11).
You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
The sign was not the promise, but a way to keep (guard, protect, watch, observe, preserve) /remember the promise.
The sign was a symbol/mark pointing to the promise, which was enacted/performed by the recipient.
If you believed the promise, the sign was a significant memorial/motivator (more than physical).
Isreal was prone to forgetfulness, so the Jews of Paul’s day had come to wrongly believe over a long period of time that circumcision itself was a guarantee.
If received or performed IT would protect the Jew from God’s condemnation.
But it was never meant to mean this, so here Paul is addressing that thinking.
So, let’s consider Paul’s argument in this text by way of 3 questions:
What makes circumcision valuable? (v. 25)
Which is better, obedience or circumcision? (vv. 26-27)
Where does true circumcision take place? (vv. 28-29)
What makes circumcision valuable? (v. 25)
What makes circumcision valuable? (v. 25)
Obedience to God’s commands.
“Value” - beneficial or useful, as originally intended.
Not for protection or exemption, but for a sign (memorial/remembrance).
Obedience is evidence of remembrance.
Otherwise, it’s as if you are uncircumcised
Your circumcised state is insignificant as originally intended.
It has no meaning beyond the physical.
So there should be no hope in it alone.
Which is better, obedience or circumcision? (vv. 26-27)
Which is better, obedience or circumcision? (vv. 26-27)
Obedience. Why? Because it is better evidence (v. 26)
“Uncircumcised” refers to a Gentile.
“Keeps” - obeys God’s commands as he knows them
Either hypothetically, because no one can keep (fully) the commands of God.
Or literally, to any degree for any reason (as in the case of a Gentile Christian trying to follow God).
If anyone intends to obey God and does, that says something about them.
“Regarded” - counted or considered
It’s as if they are circumcised, even though they are not.
Just as with the disobedient Jew (v. 25), it is as if they are NOT circumcised, even though they are.
Obedience is the essential evidence/sign, circumcision or no circumcision.
So, it it better to be uncircumcised and obedient, then to be circumcised and disobedient (v. 27).
This is either literally a reference to the final judgment (Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 20:4).
Or an implication of one person’s obedience as evidence against another person’s disobedience (Matthew 12:41–42).
“...the shortcomings of an unworthy Jew will be shown up by the example of a Gentile who, with none of the distinctive Jewish privileges, nevertheless pleases God.” (Bruce, F. F. (1985). Romans: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 6, p. 100). InterVarsity Press.)
Physical circumcision, therefore, is not essential; HOWEVER, there is a TRUE circumcision that is essential.
Where does true circumcision take place? (vv. 28-29)
Where does true circumcision take place? (vv. 28-29)
“Inwardly,” as opposed to “outwardly”...
“Outwardly” (v. 28) - visible/external; more specifically, “in the flesh” (NAS) or physical.
“Inwardly” (v. 29) - invisible/internal; more specifically, “of the heart” or spiritual.
This was how it was always supposed to be (Leviticus 26:41; Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:25–26; Ezekiel 44:7; Acts 7:51). Their heart was always supposed to be in it.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”
So Paul is not necessarily redefining circumcision or what is means to be a Jew; he is applying the heart behind it to all people.
The heart behind/essence of circumcision or being a Jew has always been applicable to all.
You can be a circumcised Jew without being a circumcised Jew.
How? Spiritually by the Spirit (Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:11; Colossians 2:13).
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
“Jew” - title for a TRUE member/recipient of the covenant/promise (2:17; 4:9-12; 9:1-8; Galatians 3:7–9; Galatians 3:28–29).
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
The last phrase of verse 29 further highlights the priority of the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
But it may also be understood as a reference to name-calling.
“The Jews derived their name from their ancestor Judah (Heb. Yĕhûdâ), whose name is associated in the Old Testament with the verb yādâ, ‘praise’; cf. his mother’s words at his birth, ‘This time I will praise the LORD’ (Gen. 29:35), and his father’s deathbed blessing, ‘Judah, your brothers shall praise you’ (Gen. 49:8).” (Bruce, F. F. (1985). Romans: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 6, p. 100). InterVarsity Press.)
And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
Have you been spiritually circumcised?
Have you been spiritually circumcised?
This is essential for being.
This is essential for doing.
Benediction: Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:1–15