Read The Jewish Annotated New Testament Online
Authors: Amy-Jill Levine
CIRCUMCISION AND “WORKS OF LAW” (2.25)
“Circumcision” is a marker in males. For eight-day-old boys born to Jews, it signifies their identity within a Jewish family. For non-Jews, whom Paul is usually discussing when referring to circumcision, it signifies (male) completion of the rite of transformation into Jewish identity, i.e., proselyte conversion. Paul refers to this rite as
ergōn nomou
, which is usually translated “works of law.” Paul uses the phrase to indicate the completion of the “actions” or “rites” involved in this identity transformation process, i.e., “actions/rites according to convention/tradition” or “tradition’s actions/rites” for non-Jews to become Jews. It is this particular matter that Paul disputes with the contrast between faithfulness and works of law, for he upholds that Gentiles who turn to God because of the faithfulness of Christ are to remain non-Israelites, and that is the faithful way to live. In contrast, Paul expects Jews to circumcise their sons as the faithful way to live. Similarly, for Paul, the Torah was given to Israel to guide behavior, to demonstrate the righteousness of God to the nations, but it was not given to the nations. Paul argues from the viewpoint that circumcision is an advantage for (male) Jews, because it marks them as dedicated to God’s righteousness, and thus also they are deeply aware of sin and the need for God’s mercy and forgiveness (cf. 3.1–2,20).
3
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2
Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jews
*
were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3
What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4
By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written,
CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART (2.29)
The idea that Israelites require a circumcision of the heart in addition to that of the body is a longstanding Jewish ideal; see Deut 10.16; 30.6; Jer 4.4; 9.25–26; 38.33; Ezek 44.7 (note also Philo,
Spec. Laws
1.6;
QG
3.46–52). In the case of Jer 9.25–26, it is specifically the Israelites who are punished for not having circumcised hearts. Paul seems to be working with the same distinction here: it is a special Jewish responsibility to live according to the ideals of being circumcised in the body, that is, to be circumcised in the heart and thus focused on walking humbly in accord with God’s will. Such a Jewish person must be intentionally dedicated to righteousness (circumcised heart), and not simply to making an outward show.
GOD IS ONE FOR ALL HUMANITY (3.30)
Paul develops his argument around the oneness of God as upheld in the Shema Israel (“Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one”; Deut 6.4; see Rom 10.12–13), to make this case for the creator God as the only God of all humankind. The point is that God is the God of Israel specifically (the LORD is
our
God), yet not “only” the God of Israel, because if God is God alone (one), then there is no other god for the other nations who turn to God in Christ. Israel’s God is God of both Israel and the members of the other nations who turn to the one God, and Jesus Christ has been faithful to both simultaneously; thus they remain thereafter identified differently as Jews (circumcised), and members of the nations other than Israel (foreskinned). Cf.
Sifre Deut
. 6.4 (piska 31); Rashi on Deut 6.4.
“So that you may be justified in your
words,
and prevail in your judging.”
*
5
But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
6
By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
7
But if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8
And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!
9
What then? Are we any better off?
*
No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin,
10
as it is written:
“There is no one who is righteous, not
even one;
11
there is no one who has
understanding,
there is no one who seeks God.
12
All have turned aside, together they have
become worthless;
there is no one who shows kindness,
there is not even one.”
13
“Their throats are opened graves;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”
14
“Their mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness.”
15
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16
ruin and misery are in their paths,
17
and the way of peace they have not known.”
18
“There is no fear of God before their
eyes.”
19
Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
20
For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21
But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets,
22
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
*
for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
23
since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
24
they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25
whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement
*
by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;
26
it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
*
27
Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith.
28
For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.
29
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30
since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31
Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
4
What then are we to say was gained by
*
Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh?
2
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3
For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
4
Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.
5
But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.
6
So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:
7
“Blessed are those whose iniquities are
forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8
blessed is the one against whom the Lord
will not reckon sin.”
9
Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.”
10
How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
11
He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them,
12
and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14
If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
15
For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us,
17
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18
Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.”
19
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already
*
as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.
20
No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21
being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22
Therefore his faith
*
“was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
23
Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone,
24
but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25
who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.