Romans 2:29
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No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
THE JEW UNDER LIKE CONDEMNATION WITH THE GENTILE. (Rom. 2:1-29) the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance--that is, is designed and adapted to do so.
Open source ↗The scope of the first two chapters of this epistle may be gathered from Rom 3:9, "We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin." This we have proved upon the Gentiles (ch. 1), now in this chapter he proves it upon the Jews, as appears by Rom 2:17, "thou art called a Jew." I. He proves in general that Jews and Gentiles stand upon the same level before the justice of God, to Rom 2:11. II. He shows more particularly what sins the Jews were guilty of, notwithstanding their profession and vain pretensions (Rom 2:17 to the end).
Open source ↗2:29 The letter of the law refers to the law of God written on tablets of stone (see 2 Cor 3:3), while the Spirit now writes his law on people’s hearts (Jer 31:33-34). Outward conformity is thus contrasted with obedience motivated by a change of heart.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
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—
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”
Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.
For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until 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.
but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
The one who is physically uncircumcised yet keeps the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.