QT 10/24/2024 Rom 2:23-29, Pleasing God, not impressing men

Romans 2:23–29 (ESV) —

23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 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. 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.

 

NOTE: God's name is still be blasphemed by those who boast of their obedience to him. It was true for the Jews as it is for Christians today. Rabbis divorced their wives for the smallest infraction thinking they were justified by God's word. Other Rabbis were too important to be bothered by the poor. As Jesus said, they love to dress in fine robes and take the best seats as social events. Today is not much different, but it occurs in the church. I believe it happens less, because true believers have the Holy Spirit within them and they are convicted of their sin. But sin is deadly and corrupting, and even those with the Spirit have fallen into this shame.

 

We need to seek our praise from God, not from men. Mounce's (1995) comments are useful"

 

The circumcision that counted was a circumcision of the heart (cf. Deut 30:6).142 Real circumcision was the work of the Spirit.143 It did not come through the mechanical observance of the written code.144 Authentic Jewishness was inward and spiritual. Authentic circumcision was the cutting away145 of the old sinful nature. It could be accomplished only by the sanctifying Spirit of God. Those who had experienced it received their praise from God, not from others.146

 

142 The concept of a circumcised heart was well established in Jewish thought (Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4; Ezek 44:9; 1QS 5:5; Jub. 1:23).

 

143 This understands ἐν πνεύματι as a reference to the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor 3:6) rather than one part of a contrast between the spiritual and the literal (as in the RSV). In Col 2:11 Paul compared circumcision by the hands of men and circumcision by Christ. Rom 7:6 contrasts the Spirit and the written code as two ways of serving.

 

144 Older writers often took γράμμα to indicate the literal sense of Scripture and took πνεῦμα as its spiritual sense. In this context γράμμα refers to the law and πνεῦμα to the Spirit.

 

145 περιτομὴ is from περί and τέμνω, “to cut around.”

 

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 102). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I trying to please people or am I trying to please God?
2. Do I even think about what is more important, pleasing others or pleasing God?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see where I am trying to please others or impress others rather than seeking to please you. Show me where my pride has blinded me. Show me where I have fallen. Forgive me and rescue me from the pride of life.