Lessons #81 and 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New American Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
+ 4. Text is based on 1984 edition of the NIV +
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
True Jew defined by inward circumcision (Rom 2:25-29)
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
Let me refresh your mind that we had indicated that Romans 2:25-29 is concerned with Apostle Paul’s definition of a true Jew by true circumcision. We stated that the apostle’s message to Jews especially those in Rome is that A true Jew is one with inward circumcision evidenced in obedience to the law and not one with outward circumcision accompanied by disobedience to the law. Consequently, we derived the message that is applicable to us from the original message which is that A true Christian is the person that has been regenerated as evident in obedience to God’s word and not one that has undergone water baptism accompanied by disobedience to God’s word. We also asserted that in verse 25, the apostle gave an evaluation of circumcision. In verses 26-27, he classified the uncircumcised that keeps the law. Finally, he defined a true Jew based on the true circumcision as he described in verses 28-29. Our last study focused on the apostle’s classification of those who are not physically circumcised but obey God’s law. First, he classified them as circumcised in the sense of true circumcision. Second, he classified them as judges of those who are physically circumcised but failed to keep the law. So, our study this morning is concerned with how the apostle defined a true Jew based on true circumcision.
The apostle indicates that he was concerned with an explanation that helps in defining a true Jew because the second word he used in the Greek of Romans 2:28 is a Greek conjunction (gar) that has several usages. For example, it can be used as a marker of inference with the meaning “so, then” or it can be used as a marker of explanation with the meaning “for, you see.” It may mean “yes, indeed” especially in replies to confirm what has been asked about. In our verse, it is used as a marker of an explanation in a negative form of one that is not a Jew and so should be translated “for” although the NIV did not translate it, but majority of our English versions did in that they began verse 28 with the word “for.”
We said that the apostle used the word “for” in a negative explanation because the apostle used a Greek particle (ou) we stated in previous studies is an objective negative, denying the reality of alleged fact fully and absolutely in contrast to another Greek negative (mē) that is a subjective negative, implying a conditional and hypothetical negation. Thus, the apostle provides strongly an explanation of one that cannot be considered a true Jew.
The apostle’s explanation is that a person could not solely be defined as a Jew primarily because of an outward circumcision and observance of rituals associated with Jews in the ancient world. Thus, the apostle writes in Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly. The word “man” or “person” in the NIV2011 is not in the Greek. Literally, the Greek reads not the (one) in (what is) visible is (a) Jew. This is because the word “outwardly” of the NIV is how the translators rendered a Greek phrase that literally reads in the visible. The literal word “visible” is translated from a Greek adjective (phaneros) that as an adjective pertains to being evident so as to be readily known so may mean “clear” as Apostle Paul used it to describe the fact that his imprisonment because of the gospel of Christ is clear to all those in the palace guard (either in Rome or the residence of provincial governor outside Rome) as we read in Philippians 1:13:
As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
As a noun, the word refers to that which is exposed to general view or knowledge, that is, “(in) the open, public notice” so that the word is translated as a verb “be disclosed” or “become evident” in reporting the Lord Jesus’ teaching about the fact that nothing that is secret that will not become evident or revealed in Luke 8:17:
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
In our passage of Romans 2:28, because the word is used with a definite article means “that which is exposed to general view or knowledge” and so means “the open, public notice.”
The sentence of Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly is taken by some commentators as a reference to circumcision because of the context where the apostle had referred severally to circumcision. That notwithstanding, it is probable that the Holy Spirit brought into the mind of the apostle something more than circumcision. We say this because unless a man walks around in the nude there is no way to tell the individual is circumcised so that the apostle when he used the Greek adjective translated “outwardly” in the NIV that we indicated means “that which is exposed to general view or knowledge” would have thought of more than circumcision. Furthermore, circumcision is that which was applied to males. Thus, for the apostle to include women in his argument of what solely does not define a Jew probably he thought of something that is visible or open knowledge that is equally applicable to Jewish women. This being the case, we contend that the Holy Spirit would have brought into the apostle’s mind Jewish practices or customs that were observed by male and females that showed they were Jews. In effect, we are saying that the Holy Spirit brought into the apostle’s mind customs or rituals that were unique to the Jews that Gentiles knew because they are openly practiced by the Jews. We say this because, in the ancient world, the Jewish people stood out because they observed rituals or celebrations that were foreign to Gentiles. It is because of such rituals or celebrations Haman observed that were one of his reasons for labelling the Jews as people with customs that differ from those of the other peoples under the dominion of King Xerxes as we read in Esther 3:8:
Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.
The point we are stressing is that when the apostle wrote the sentence of Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly that the Holy Spirit brought into his mind not only the concept of circumcision that is his major focus but also the other practices that distinguish Jews from Gentiles. This is necessary so the apostle’s declaration would be applicable to female members of the Jewish people.
The added information we supplied means that when the apostle wrote the sentence of Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly that he meant to assert that the claim to be a true Jew could not solely be based on circumcision or other rituals that were associated with the Jews in accordance with the requirements of the Mosaic law. Good examples would be their dietary laws and celebration of the Passover. This assertion of the apostle indicates that there is more to being a true Jew. This assertion of the apostle is applicable to us in keeping with the message of the section that we are considering that is concerned with our declaration of a true Christian. Hence, just as the apostle stated that circumcision or other rituals associated with the Jews do not make a person a true Jew, participation in activities that are associated with Christians will not make a person a Christian. This means that being baptized in the water does not make a person a Christian. Attendance to Christian local churches and even participation in the Lord’s Supper do not make a person a Christian. Anyway, the apostle’s explanation that a person could not solely be defined as a Jew because of an outward circumcision and external rituals is a negative statement as it pertains to defining a true Jew.
We asserted that when the apostle wrote the sentence of Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly that he meant to assert that the claim to be a true Jew could not solely be based on circumcision or other rituals that were associated with the Jews in accordance with the requirements of the Mosaic law. However, the apostle’s focus is on circumcision because of the context. It is for this reason he made further commentary about circumcision. In effect, he asserted that true circumcision is not physical as we read in the last clause of Romans 2:28 nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. Literally, the Greek reads nor (is) circumcision in (what is) visible in flesh.
The word “circumcision” is translated from a Greek noun (peritomē) that refers to the cutting away the foreskin of male children. However, the translators of the NIV translated the word “Jews” four times in the NT. Once the word is translated “Jews” in Colossians 4:11:
Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.
The word Jews of the NIV is literally of the circumcision. The other three times the translators of the NIV used the meaning “Jews” to translate our word are all in the second chapter of Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. For example, we have the translation “Jews” used in Galatians 2:7:
On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.
The sentence Peter had been to the Jews is literally Peter to the circumcision. The believers in the early church in Jerusalem who insisted in the necessity of circumcision for Gentiles were apparently those Apostle Paul referred as “circumcision group” that caused Peter to act hypocritically, as we read in Galatians 2:12:
Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
The circumcision group refers to the group of Jewish Christians who still believed in the necessity of circumcision to become God’s people. To justify this answer, we need to briefly consider the subject of “circumcision.”
Circumcision, as it relates to the Hebrews or the Israelites, goes back to the time of Abraham. To the descendants of Abraham, it was to take place on the eighth day of birth, as stated in Genesis 17:12:
For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.
Since there were others that practiced circumcision, it became uniquely a requirement for the Israelites to do this on the eighth day, as reiterated in Leviticus 12:3:
On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.
By the way, other groups that practiced circumcision are mentioned in Jeremiah 9:25–26:
25 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”
However, in the ancient world, especially in the NT time, circumcision was that which described the Israelites or Jews as exclusive of other people.
Be that as it may, the Greek word (peritomē) translated “circumcision” in Romans 2:28 is used in two general ways in the NT. It refers to “circumcision” that is to be understood both literally and figuratively. Literally, it is used in sense of the rite of circumcision, as the word is used by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 7:22:
Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath.
Figuratively, it is used for spiritual circumcision to describe the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in a believer, that is, regeneration, as it is used by Apostle Paul later in Romans 2:29. It is this regeneration or spiritual heart transplant that God promised Israel in Deuteronomy 30:6:
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
Another usage of the Greek word (peritomē) translated “circumcision” is for a person who is circumcised. In this usage, the word is used both literally and figuratively. Literally, the word is used to describe a Jew as beneficiaries of Christ’s incarnation, as in Romans 15:8:
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
The phrase a servant of the Jews is literally a servant of the circumcision. Of course, since the word is used literally for a Jew, it is used to distinguish a Jew from a Gentile, as per the passage we cited previously, that is, Galatians 2:7:
On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.
The phrase to the Gentiles is literally to the uncircumcised while the phrase to the Jews is literally to the circumcised. Apostle Paul was explicit that the term “uncircumcised” is used to describe Gentiles in Ephesians 2:11:
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)—
The Greek word translated “circumcision” is used literally not only for Jews but also for Jews who are believers in Christ or Christians. Hence, the word is used to describe believers who are Jews that accompanied Apostle Peter when he preached the gospel to Cornelius and those assembled with him in his house, as we read in Acts 10:45:
The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
Figuratively, the Greek word (peritomē) translated “circumcision” in Romans 2:28 is used to describe all believers. This is the sense that Apostle Paul used it to describe believers in Christ, Jews and Gentiles, in Philippians 3:3:
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
Our examination of the Greek word (peritomē) translated “circumcision” in Romans 2:28 indicates that it can be used to describe an ethnic Jew as well as believers in Christ whether Jews or Gentiles. Nonetheless, in Romans 2:28, the apostle used it in the sense of “circumcision,” that is, “the act of removing the foreskin of males; especially as an initiatory rite into the people of God under the Mosaic covenant.” This meaning is supported because of the phrase of Romans 2:28 outward and physical or literally visible in flesh. This is because the word “physical” of the NIV is translated from a Greek noun (sarx) with a range of meanings, but we will briefly mention some of these in this study. The word may refer to the material that covers the bones of a human or animal body, hence means “flesh” as it is used for the ritual of circumcision in Galatians 6:13:
Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.
The word may mean “nature” as it is used to describe what will be involved in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping in Galatians 6:8:
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
The word may mean “physical” as it is used to describe Christ’s body in Colossians 1:22:
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
The word may mean “person, human being” as the word is used in the priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus to refer to His authority over humans in John 17:2:
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
The phrase over all people is literally over all flesh. In our passage of Romans 2:28, the word means “flesh”, that is, the material that covers the bones of a human or animal body.” Hence, the apostle when he wrote in Romans 2:28 nor is circumcision merely outward and physical he is saying that true circumcision is not merely that which deals with the cutting off the flesh or the act of removing the foreskin of males. The circumcision that defines a true Jew is more than that. Again, it is important that we recognize that the apostle could not have thought only of male members of the Jewish people but also the female members. This would indicate that he had to define a true Jew in a manner that is applicable to men and women since only Jewish men undergo the rite of circumcision.
Anyway, the apostle had been stating negatively who is not a true Jew, so the question would be, who then is a true Jew? Again, as we have argued, the apostle could not have excluded women as true members of the Jewish people, consequently, he gave an explanation that is applicable to men and women as far as it pertains to being a true Jew. He began his explanation in Romans 2:29 with a Greek particle (alla) that the translators of the NIV rendered “No.” The Greek particle (alla) the apostle used has several usages. For example, in certain clauses it is used to indicate that what precedes it is to be regarded as a settled matter, thus forming a transition to something new and so means “other matter for additional consideration.” In our passage, it is used as a marker of emphatic contrast to what preceded so that the Greek particle may be translated “but.” The apostle signaled that what he was about to assert is contrary to what he has been saying in the previous verse about who is not a true Jew.
Therefore, the apostle defines a true Jew in that he wrote in Romans 2:29 a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly. Again, the word “man” of the NIV84 or “person” of the NIV2011 does not appear in the Greek text but added to make the Greek read smoothly. For literally, the Greek reads the (one) in the secret/hidden (place) (is a) Jew. The literal reading indicates that the word “inwardly” of the NIV is how the translators of the NIV rendered the Greek phrase that literally reads in the secret/hidden. This is because the apostle used a Greek word (kryptos) that as an adjective may mean “hidden, secret,” that is, what pertains to being unknown because of being kept secret as the word is used in the Lord Jesus’ teaching against hypocrisy in Luke 12:2:
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
The word as a noun may mean “hidden entity, something hidden” and so it is used to describe the thoughts of an unbeliever that is revealed during a local church meeting because of the functioning of the gift of prophecy as stated in 1 Corinthians 14:25:
and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
The word has the sense of “inner” in Peter’s instruction to believing ladies as what defines beauty in 1 Peter 3:4:
Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
The phrase inner self is more literally the hidden person of the heart so that our word has the meaning “inner” here in 1 Peter 3:4. That aside, in our passage of Romans 2:29, the word has the meaning of “hidden” so because the Greek used a preposition and a definite article in association with our word, the meaning “inwardly” is appropriate word to render into the English our Greek word and associated Greek phrase.
Apostle Paul’s declaration in the sentence in Romans 2:29 a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly is tantamount to asserting that it is what a person is in the inner being that determines if the individual is a Jew. The apostle later in this epistle conveys that those who are believers in Christ are Abraham’s true descendants because Abraham believed in Christ. The Jews boast of Abraham as their forefather so that a true Jew must be a descendant of Abraham, but no one can be truly a descendant of Abraham without believing in the same Lord Abraham believed. Thus, the apostle is emphatic that unless a person is in the inner being related to Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ, the individual could not claim to be a true Jew. For after all, the apostle later asserted that not everyone that is descended from Israel is an Israelite as stated in Romans 9:6:
It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
Without going into the detail interpretation of this passage at this point, suffice to say, that this assertion of the apostle indicates that there are a natural Israel and a spiritual Israel. The point is that the apostle defined a true Jew as one who is regenerated or the person who believed in the Lord as Abraham did.
There should be no doubt that the apostle meant that a true Jew is one that is regenerated or the person that has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation as Abraham did. We say this because the apostle proceeded with an explanation of what he meant by elaborating on circumcision. Hence, we read in Romans 2:29 and circumcision is circumcision of the heart. The conjunction “and” is translated from a Greek particle (kai) that is often translated “and” in our English versions as a marker of connection between single words or clauses, but the particle has several usages. It may be used as a marker of introduction of a result that comes from what precedes and so may be translate “and then, and so.” It may be used to emphasize a fact as surprising or unexpected or noteworthy, leading to the translation “and yet, and in spite of that, nevertheless.” It may be used as a marker of emphasis where there is a stress on what is said and hence means “indeed, certainly.” It may be used as a marker to indicate an additive relation that is not of equal rank and significance to another clause, in which case, it means “also, likewise.” Still the word may be used as a marker of contrast so that it means “but.” In our passage of Romans 2:29, it is used as a marker of explanation of what preceded its use so that it may be translated “that is” or “namely.” So, the apostle used it to explain further what he meant by asserting that a person is a Jew if that person is one inwardly or in the inner being although he used the word “circumcision” in his explanation, especially, because of the phrase circumcision of the heart.
Apostle Paul drew from the fact that in the OT Scripture circumcision of the heart implies regeneration as may be deduced with what Moses wrote in the passage we cited previously, that is, Deuteronomy 30:6:
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
The idea of God circumcising the hearts of Israel means that He would remove whatever that makes them stubborn and disobedient. In effect, Yahweh will make Israel obedient to Him. This is only possible if the people are regenerated. We are saying that this promise of Yahweh God to Israel certainly is concerned with regeneration. For it is only one that has been regenerated that would be obedient to God. Those He makes willing to do His will, are believers as implied in what the apostle wrote in Philippians 2:13:
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
The fact remains that although in Deuteronomy 30:6, there is no direct statement that implies regeneration but that is what Yahweh God promised to do to Israel as that will make them ready to be obedient to Him. Consequently, when Moses wrote the phrase of Romans 2:29 circumcision of the heart he must have had in mind the idea of regeneration.
The word “heart” is translated from a Greek word (kardia) that may refer to “the center and source of physical life” as what Apostle Paul indicated to the audience in Lystra he preached to, that God satisfied them with food and filled them with joy as recorded in Acts 14:17:
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
The word may refer to heart “as center and source of the whole inner life, with its thinking, feeling, and volition.” Thus, in some contexts, the word means “mind” as it is used to describe where doubts originate or exist in a person when Jesus Christ assured His disciples that His resurrection was for real as narrated in Luke 24:38:
He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
The word may even mean “thoughts” as Apostle Paul used it to assure the Thessalonians that although they were separated by space, they were in his thoughts and that of those in his team as we read in 1 Thessalonians 2:17:
But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.
In our passage of Romans 2:29, the word is used in the sense of “the seat of a person’s thoughts (mind), volition, emotions, and purposes.” Thus, when the apostle wrote of the circumcision of the heart, he was most certainly thinking of the regeneration of the inner being of a person.
To enable us to recognize that the apostle had in mind regeneration when he wrote about circumcision of the heart, he added the phrase of Romans 2:29 by the Spirit. The word “Spirit” is translated from a Greek word (pneuma) that may mean “wind”, as in the description by our Lord Jesus of the one that is born again in John 3:8:
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
The word may mean “breath” as Apostle Paul used it to describe the manner of the destruction of the future lawless one by the Lord Jesus in 2 Thessalonians 2:8:
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
The word may refer to the representative part of human inner life so that it may refer to the source and seat of insight, feeling, and will or as some prefer the “heart.” Thus, the word has the meaning “mind” in Apostle Paul’s description of lack of rest in his spirit because he could not find a member of his missionary team, Titus, as sated in 2 Corinthians 2:13:
I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.
The phrase peace of mind is literally rest in my spirit. The word may mean “spirit” as that which animates or gives life to the body, as the word is used to indicate that without it the body is lifeless in James 2:26:
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
In our passage of Romans 2:29, the word means Spirit as God, that is, the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is certainly the work of the Holy Spirit as taught by the Lord Jesus when He communicated to Nicodemus the necessity of regeneration. Apostle Paul certainly understood that regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit as he implied in what he wrote in Titus 3:5:
he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
The word “rebirth” is translated from a Greek noun (palingenesia) that may mean “rebirth” or “renewal” that refers to what is often described as regeneration or being born again, that is, impartation of a new life to an individual to qualify the person to be a child of God and so belong to God’s kingdom. Anyway, Apostle Paul assigned the circumcision of the heart to the Holy Spirit, implying that Holy Spirit brings about regeneration. Hence, there should be no doubt that the circumcision the apostle had in mind is the work of Holy Spirit, that is, regeneration.
To further convey that the circumcision of the heart the apostle meant is regeneration, he emphatically stated what it is not. In effect, he indicates that it is not what humans do in accordance with the requirements of the Mosaic law as that is what is meant in the phrase of Romans 2:29 not by the written code. The expression “written code” is translated from a Greek noun (gramma) that may refer to a unit of alphabet so means “letter” as that is the sense Apostle Paul used it to describe how he wrote the closing part of his epistle to Galatians as stated in Galatians 6:11:
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
The phrase large letters refers to large Greek alphabets the apostle used to write the epistle to the Galatians. The Greek word in the plural may refer to “learning” or “knowledge” as in the response of Festus towards Paul’s preaching of God’s word during his defense as we read in Acts 26:24:
At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
The Greek word may mean “writing,” that is, “a relatively long written publication.” So, the word is translated “scriptures” in Paul’s commendation of Timothy’s knowledge of God’s word as stated in 2 Timothy 3:15:
and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
In our passage of Romans 2:29, the word refers to the written Mosaic law. Consequently, Apostle Paul meant that the circumcision he had in mind is not that required of the Jews according to the Mosaic law. In effect, the apostle removed any attempt to misinterpret him by clearly indicating that the circumcision he had in mind is done by the Holy Spirit and so not by humans.
Anyway, anyone who is a true Jew is one that has received the circumcision performed by the Holy Spirit but that is not all that the apostle said about a true Jew. He stated that such a person is recognized or praised by God and not by humans. This he stated first negatively in the clause of Romans 2:29 Such a man’s praise is not from men. Literally, the Greek reads of whom the praise (is) not from people but from God. This is because the expression “man’s” of the NIV84 or “person’s” of the NIV2011 is not in the Greek text but added to make sense the Greek phrase. You see, the word “such” of the NIV is how the translators rendered a Greek relative pronoun (hos) that may be understood as a demonstrative pronoun with the meaning “this” or a relative pronoun with the meaning “who, which, what.” In our verse, it is used as a relative pronoun that refers to the true Jew who is defined as one with true circumcision, that is, one that is regenerated. It is to such a person that something is said about not receiving recognition or praise.
The word “praise” is translated from a Greek noun (epainos) that has two meanings. It can refer to the act of expressing admiration or approval, hence means “praise, approval, recognition” or it may mean “a thing worthy of praise” so it is translated “praiseworthy” in the NIV in the instruction of what believers should focus on in Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
In our passage of Romans 2:29, the word means “praise” as an expression of approval and commendation. The approval or recognition in the sense of praise of a true Jew is not by humans as in the phrase of Romans 2:29 not from men.
The word “men” is translated from a Greek noun (anthrōpos) that means “a human being” without regard to gender, as Apostle Paul used it to describe the fate of evil doers as stated in Romans 2:9:
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; …
The word may mean “man” as male person as the apostle used it to describe Jesus Christ in His humanity in Romans 5:15:
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
The word may mean “self” as it is used in the instruction of Romans 6:6:
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
The phrase old self is literally old man. The word may mean “person” as that is the way the word is used when the concern is to be inclusive of men and women, as in the doctrine of justification by faith Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 2:16:
know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Justification is for both men and women so that the phrase a man is to be understood as “a person,” hence the NRSV simply used the phrase a person. In our passage of Romans 2:29, the word is used in the sense of “person,” that is, “a human being.” Thus, humans are not the ones that would recognize or approve a true Jew. Instead, it is God that would do so as stated in the last phrase of Romans 2:29 but from God. It is probably the case that the apostle was thinking of not just the recognition of a true Jew at the present but also of the praise that God will give to such a person in the future similar to the praise the apostle stated believers would receive in keeping with their activities on this planet as we read in 1 Corinthians 4:5:
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
In any case, the apostle in the two verses we have considered conveyed that a true Jew is not defined by outward circumcision but by inward circumcision and that God and not humans will recognize or praise such a person. Hence, I ask you; does God recognize you as a Christian, that is, a believer in Christ? So, we end with a reminder of the message we have considered which is that A true Christian is the person that has been regenerated as evident in obedience to God’s word and not one that has undergone water baptism accompanied by disobedience to God’s word.
01/16/26 [End of Lessons #81 and 82]