01.6.9. Gods Just Judgment On Religious Rites

Chapter 6ix - God’s Just Judgment On Religious Rites

God’s judgment against religious rites is just (Romans 2:25-29). The religious rite of circumcision availed the Jews nothing because they were transgressors of the law (Romans 2:25). Circumcision was a seal: “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised...” (Romans 4:11). However, a seal or sign is of no consequence when it has been removed from that which it certifies. The Jews were clinging to the symbol of circumcision in the flesh while knowing nothing about what circumcision symbolized. Likewise, many assembly members claim they have been baptized, are members of a certain denomination, were raised in a certain faith, etc. However, all these things are worthless without one’s having first died with Christ and having been made to walk in newness of life.

Paul spoke hypothetically of the non-Jews by using a subjunctive verb, “may keep” (phulasse, present active subjunctive of phulasso), with a third class condition conjunction, “if” (ean): “Therefore if the uncircumcision may keep the requirements of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be regarded for circumcision?” (Romans 2:26 -translation). The answer to Romans 2:25-26 pertaining to judgment of those practicing religious rites without having been regenerated is recorded in Romans 2:27 -“And shall not the uncircumcision by nature, the one carrying out the law, judge you, the one who through the letter and circumcision is a transgressor of the law?” (translation). The real Jew is described in Romans 2:28-29 -“For the Jew is not one in outward appearance, neither is circumcision outward in the flesh; but the Jew is one in his inmost being, and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter, whose praise is not out of men but out of God” (translation). He is one who has been circumcised in his heart and not merely in his flesh. Paul gave a Divine commentary on this in Galatians 6:12-15 -“As many as are desiring to make good showing in the flesh, they are insisting you to be circumcised, only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For the ones being circumcised are not keeping the law themselves, but they are desiring you to be being circumcised in order that they may glory in your flesh. But may it not happen for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (translation). As the real Jew was not one who was merely outwardly circumcised, the real Christian is not the one who has been baptized as an outward sign; but he is the one who has been quickened by the Holy Spirit of God, thus having been made a new creation in Christ Jesus. The real Jew is described in Romans 9:4-8. There are Jews according to the flesh, and there are Jews according to the Spirit-those who have been regenerated (Romans 11:1-36).