Romans 2:27

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? AND SHALL [NOT] UNCIRCUMCISION WHICH IS BY NATURE - or, 'the natural uncircumcision,' IF IT FULFILL THE LAW, JUDGE THEE. If this verse is but a continuation of the question in the preceding verse (which the Greek most naturally suggests, and which several good critics prefer), the whole question will run thus: 'shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision, and the natural uncircumcision, fulfilling the law, judge thee,' etc. But it is fully more agreeable to New Testament usage to regard them (with our version) as two distinct questions, of which the latter is certainly an advance upon the former. WHO BY (OR 'THROUGH') THE LETTER AND CIRCUMCISION DOST TRANSGRESS THE LAW - that is, in spite of those two fences, "the lett...

27._By the letter and circumcision, etc. _A construction (85) which means a literal circumcision. He does not mean that they violated the law, because they had the literal circumcision; but because they continued, though they had the outward rite, to neglect the spiritual worship of God, even piety, justice, judgment, and truth, which are the chief matters of the law. (86) The word γράμμα, letter, has various meanings — 1. What is commonly called letter, the character, Luke 23:38, — 2. What is written, a bond or contract, Luke 16:6; — 3. In the plural, letters, epistles, Acts 28:21; — 4. The written law, as here, and in the plural, the Old Testament Script

25-29 No forms, ordinances, or notions can profit, without regenerating grace, which will always lead to seeking an interest in the righteousness of God by faith. For he is no more a Christian now, than he was really a Jew of old, who is only one outwardly: neither is that baptism, which is outward in the flesh: but he is the real Christian, who is inwardly a true believer, with an obedient faith. And the true baptism is that of the heart, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Ghost; bringing a spiritual frame of mind, and a willing following of truth in its holy ways. Let us pray that we may be made real Christians, not outwardly, but inwardly; in the heart and spirit, not in the letter; baptized, not with water only, but with the Holy Ghost; and let our praise be, not of men, but of God....

Verse 27. _AND SHALL NOT UNCIRCUMCISION, WHICH IS BY NATURE_] And shall not the Gentile, who is εκ φυσεως, according to the _custom of his country_ - who is, _by birth_, not obliged to be circumcised. _IF IT FULFIL THE LAW_] If such a person act according to the spirit and design of the law; _judge_ κρινει _condemn thee_, who, whilst thou dost enjoy the _letter_, the written law, and bearest in thy body the proof of the _circumcision_ which it requires, _dost_ _transgress that law_?...

WHICH IS BY NATURE - Which is the natural state of man; his condition before he is admitted to any of the unique rites of the Jewish religion. IF IT FULFIL THE LAW - If they who are uncircumcised keep the Law. JUDGE THEE - Condemn thee as guilty. As we say, the conduct of such a man condemns us. He acts so much more consistently and uprightly than we do, that we see our guilt. For a similar mode of expression, see Matthew 12:41. WHO BY THE LETTER ... - The translation here is certainly not happily expressed. It is difficult to ascertain its meaning. The evident meaning of the original is, “Shall not a pagan man who has none of your external privileges, if he keeps the law, condemn you who are Jews; who, although you have the le

EXPOSITION ROMANS 2:1 (_b_) _Those who judge others, not excepting the Jews. _Here a new stage of the argument, in proof of the position propounded in Romans 1:18, begins, and is continued to the end of the chapter. The position to be proved is that all mankind is guilty before God (see note on Romans 1:18). So far this has been shown with regard to the mass of the heathen world; its general moral corruption, prevalent and condoned, having been pointed out finally as a glaring proof; the main point of the argument having been to trace this state of things to man's own fault, in that he had refused to retain and act on a knowledge of God originally imparted to him through nature a

AND SHALL NOT UNCIRCUMCISION WHICH IS BY NATURE,.... That is, the Gentiles, who are by nature uncircumcised; for as circumcision was by the command of God, and performed by the art of men, uncircumcision is by nature, and what men naturally have. Now IF IT, such persons, FULFIL THE LAW in Christ, they will JUDGE THEE, the circumcision: and condemn, as Noah condemned the old world, Hebrews 11:7, and the men of Nineveh and the queen of the south will condemn the men of that generation, in which Christ lived, Matthew 12:41. WHO BY THE LETTER AND CIRCUMCISION TRANSGRESS THE LAW; that is, either by the law, which is "the letter", and "by circumcision", or "by circumcision which is in the letter",...

Romans 2:25. _For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision._ Paul is dealing with the Jew, who was apt to think that he must have a preference beyond the Gentiles on account of his circumcision. Romans 2:26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose

UNCIRCUMCISION The uncircumcision, that is, the Gentiles. BREAKING THE LAW SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The Gentile Moralist and Reformer and His Condemnation. (Romans 2:1 .)_ 2. The Two Classes. (Romans 2:7 .) 3. The State of the Jew. (Romans 2:17 .) Romans 2:1 But in the heathen world there were such who gave witness against the immoral condition, the different vices. There were Moralists, Reformers and Philosophers like Socrates, Seneca and others. They judged and condemned certain evils. But God declares that they were not a whit better than the rest. The very things they condemned they were guilty of themselves. One of their own writers declared, “I see the good and approve of it and follow the ev