The True Jew, and the Advantage of the Jew (Romans 2:28–3:2)

Rom 2:28. For a man is not a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

So then, does being a Jew amount to nothing? Does being circumcised amount to nothing? No; that is not the Apostle’s thought. He wishes to impress upon us that the true Jew is not one who is a Jew outwardly only: the Jews always had and have their own type, so that they can be distinguished at first glance. And true circumcision is not that which is only in the flesh. “He does not reject either the Jew or circumcision, but rejects the one who is not a true Jew and not truly circumcised” (St. John Chrysostom). The Old Testament arrangement of the Church represented a divinely ordained guidance from the external to the internal. It is true that the whole life of a Jew in its outward manifestations was determined by the Law, which contained external ordinances; but not for the purpose of his stopping there alone, but in order to ascend from this external to the internal, having in the external both a reminder, an incentive, and a support for that inner life. This inner life is indicated right here amid the external ordinances. A true Jew was only one who, in the external, also developed within himself the corresponding inner life. Whoever was correct externally but had no inner life was not a true Jew. But this is the same as being a non-Jew—as counterfeit money is not money. This is what St. Paul makes us understand here, clarifying this thought even more fully in the following verse, which is one with the present.

Rom 2:29. But a Jew is one inwardly; and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code; such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

Behold the true Jew! He who in the external also has the internal—that which is secretly built in the spirit and which, being invisible and hidden from people, is always visible and open to God: who not only honors a material temple, but builds himself as a spiritual “temple for God”; who not only brings sacrifices to God from his own possessions, but offers himself in spirit to Him in sacrifice, “living and holy”, ready always to die even for the glory of His name; who not only confesses and sings praise to God with his lips, but has God in his heart as his God, always remembers Him, loves Him and fears to offend Him and always runs to Him alone, putting all his hope in Him; who not only performs outward works of the Law, but also nourishes in his heart feelings and dispositions corresponding to them—is merciful, compassionate, ready for every help to his brother, yielding, patient, faithful in word, chaste not only in body but in sight and heart—and is generally adorned with all virtues in his heart. Behold the true Jew! Accordingly, true circumcision is not only that which is in the flesh, but that which is accomplished when, together with circumcision of the flesh, there is also circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. Holy Moses wrote that God chose the Jews for Himself and placed the seal of this choice upon circumcision; but then he added: “Circumcise your hardened hearts” (Deut. 10:16), thereby elevating circumcision to the fullness of its perfection. — Circumcision of the heart means the cutting away from it of all passions—anger, lust, envy, pride, vanity, avarice, and all their offspring. A circumcised heart is a pure and blameless heart, free from all sin and filled with holy feelings and dispositions. Whoever has such a heart is truly circumcised.

What does this mean: “circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code”? Since the Apostle here contrasts the internal with the external, then: “by the Spirit”—will be: in the spirit,—as in Greek stands: ἐν πνεύματι,—that is, within, hidden from view, the same as: “inwardly. — Not by the written code,” οὐ γράμματι,—not by the letter, not that which the letter of Scripture suggests, which in the Law on circumcision speaks precisely only of circumcision of the flesh; that is, true circumcision is not that which, according to the letter of Scripture, takes place openly in the flesh. But at the same time, it may be understood that the Apostle deliberately added: “by the Spirit,”—giving to understand that true circumcision can be accomplished only by the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament Scripture required with external circumcision also internal circumcision; but since the latter could only be accomplished by the Spirit, and the Old Testament arrangements did not provide the Spirit, through this very fact the Jew should have been disposed—to look forward to a new dispensation in which he could receive the Spirit and through Him be circumcised in heart. Therefore all our commentators say that in the word: “by the Spirit”—the Apostle “makes a path for the Jew toward the Christian way of life and shows the necessity of faith” (St. John Chrysostom). For true circumcision of the heart from sins and sinfulness is accomplished only in believers, and is accomplished by the Spirit. He who is thus circumcised in the heart from all uncleanness is truly a Jew, fulfilling the Law as he should (Oecumenius). This thought accords with the aim of the Apostle, to which he directs his speech, namely—to persuade not only the Gentile but also the Jew of the necessity of special grace of the Spirit from God.

“Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” The Apostle concludes his discourse here, shuts the mouth of the Jew, and humbles his thinking. The Jews outwardly were correct; this correctness they saw in one another, praised one another for it, and based their hopes upon it. By turning their attention from the external to the internal, the Apostle certainly greatly shook this confidence; but when he now placed them before the face of God, this should have burned away in them every proud thought about themselves. However one thinks of oneself, when one places oneself “before God, who examines hearts,” one cannot remain in that same self-conceit. Not only is God a “consuming fire,” but the very thought of God consumes every arrogance. The Jews knew that the one praised is not he whom he himself praises or whom men praise, but the one whom God praises. Having been convinced by the Apostle’s words that before God only that which is internally good is of value, which they could not boast of, they must at the same time have been convinced that they cannot expect approval from God, who sees the secret—in a way that man does not see it. — “Such a man”—whom? The circumcised or the Jew? — Both the Jew and the one with a circumcised heart, and the circumcised heart in the true Jew.

By all that has been said thus far both the Jew, like the Gentile, could not but come to the conviction that he is not only a sinner, but without excuse before God and, as without excuse, has need of a certain way of salvation. Since this is indeed the aim of all the Apostle’s present discourse, it was possible for him then to begin directly to say what is said from verse 21 of chapter 3 onward; that is, to point out directly: behold, here is your way of salvation—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom I preach! God foresaw the extremity in which we all would find ourselves, and has provided for us a way of salvation in His Son made incarnate, who died for us and rose again. And nowhere else but in Him will you find salvation for yourselves.

But the Apostle knew that it would be difficult for the Jew to take such a step toward faith all at once. However much he felt himself to be a sinner, he could not but retain in his mind that he belongs to the people of God and enjoys the divinely ordained service to God; and if he could not but acknowledge that this does not yet lead him to the goal, he could not at the same time avoid perplexing questions: to what purpose then has all this been and is it? Since such perplexity, if not removed, could delay the course of the Jew’s conversion to faith in the Lord or shake the faith of the converted, the Apostle deemed it necessary, before pointing out salvation in the Lord, to dispel it (Rom 3:1–8). Let us note that the Apostle’s thoughts in this section, and especially their relationship, are very difficult to grasp.

Rom 3:1. What then is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

The course of the discourse itself naturally led to such a question. Before the judgment of God the Jew is placed on the same level as the Gentile, so that his circumcision is not circumcision. The Jew, hearing this, could not refrain from the question: how can this be? This is God’s ordinance. We did not devise it; God Himself established it all. God would not have instituted with such insistence that which amounts to nothing. “The Apostle foresaw the objection that would naturally arise and anticipated it. What is this objection? They will say: if in all of this there is no benefit, then to what purpose was the people called and circumcision given?” (St. John Chrysostom).

“What then is the advantage of the Jew? – An advantage”, περισσόν, – something greater, than that of the Gentile, something special, preeminent. Or “by: ‘an advantage of the Jew’ – the Apostle means preference before the Gentiles” (Blessed Theodoret). “The Jew” – the entire Jewish people, chosen from all nations. Chosen and honored by a special covenant: can this be for nothing? And how many mercies, wondrous guidances and deliverances were shown afterwards throughout their entire history? One cannot but see that the Jew stands under special divine protection. Can this also be for nothing? – “Or what is the profit of circumcision?” Circumcision is the door to God’s covenant and its seal. It began before all the Law; and when the Law came, it was established wholly upon circumcision. Of it alone is there mention, as the chief thing. For if it stands, then all the Old Testament service to God stands; if it falls, then all the rest falls. Circumcision brings one into God’s covenant, makes the circumcised one God’s own and a partaker of all God’s promises: how then could circumcision be nothing and have no profit from it?

These questions could not but arise and trouble the Jew who heard: the outward Jew is not yet the true Jew, and circumcision in the flesh is not yet true circumcision. The truth of this he could not but understand; but he could not escape confusion: what then is a Jew? and what is circumcision? “What then?” – an outcry of the soul seeking clarification of its confusion and peace for its troubled heart. But the answer to this has already been given in the preceding discourse that gave rise to the question. There it is clear what a Jew is and what circumcision is. A Jew is a person precious before God if he fulfills the Law, and circumcision has great power when joined with circumcision of the heart. Every Jew, recognizing that in him there is neither faithful fulfillment of the Law nor circumcision of the heart, must have also recognized that both circumcision and Jewishness in him, for him, lose all their power, and he is left with nothing. It would be natural to ask: what then shall I do? But here the thought is directed toward the Jew and circumcision in general – what are they? – an abstract inquiry into the significance of the Old Testament economy is raised.

The Apostle poses the question from his own side; but it must be supposed that he always heard it from Jews when they were driven by him to the utmost extreme of confessing themselves guilty on all sides and having nothing to lean upon. – What does the Apostle do? In personal conversations, he surely explained at length the significance of the Old Testament economy; he speaks extensively about this later in the present Epistle (Rom. 9:1–11:36). Here a complete discussion of this would have distracted him from his main purpose; therefore he makes only such an indication by means of which every Jew could himself find a full answer to the question that had arisen in him. To say directly that this entire economy was temporary. The time ended, and with it its end. But the Apostle does not say this; instead he points only to the word of God, which itself could lead them to such a conclusion. So too the Saviour directed the Jews to the Scriptures, saying: “search the Scriptures… and it is they that bear witness of Me” (Jn. 5:39).

Rom. 3:2. Much, in every way. First, indeed, that they were entrusted with the words of God.

He speaks as it were: I do not deny the advantages of the Jews who possessed the true divine economy. They are many. I could have mentioned that God, having chosen their ancestors, freed them from the dominion of Egypt, made them renowned (Renowned – here: glorious, known everywhere), performed miracles of every kind, gave them the Law as a help, raised up Prophets. But from all this I set before you one thing alone – that “the words of God were entrusted to them” (Blessed Theodoret).

“First indeed”. This gives the impression that the Apostle intends to enumerate advantages in order and says: πρώτον μεν– and first. But since there is no such enumeration, then: πρώτον μεν– stands here in the sense of: and chiefly, – especially.

“That they were entrusted with the words of God.” “What does this mean: έπιστεύθησαν? Given, entrusted, committed to their care. God recognized the Jews as worthy and therefore entrusted them with the heavenly revelations” (Blessed Theophylact).

“I know that some interpret the word: έπιστεύθησαν– as: by them the words of God were believed – or that: they believed the words of God; but the flow of the discourse does not permit this. The Apostle says that God entrusted His word to them, not that they believed the word” (St. Chrysostom).

Having said this, the Apostle has said all. Let us take these words abstractly, and they will lead to the following thoughts. “It is a high honor that, while other nations had only the natural capacity – to know the truth, the Jews received the Law (the words of God)” (Blessed Theodoret). This advantage consists in the fact that divine revelation communicated to them exact and complete knowledge about all that was necessary, answered all those questions which stand irresistibly in the mind and give it no peace until it finds answers – what God is, what the world is, what man is, how to live and what to expect ahead – answered them and confirmed its answers with divine authority that permitted no wavering or doubt. How priceless such an advantage is, those know and testify by deed who either do not have such support for their convictions, or have fallen away from it. The Gentiles knew much, some from tradition, some from their own inquiry and reasoning; but neither path imparted to their knowledge an unshakeable conviction, and they were carried away by every teaching. – So too this precious advantage – to have God’s revelation in general; but it becomes incomparably higher when one considers the truth that in it were communicated, and are, sure predictions of the coming Saviour of the world into the world – predictions upon which faith in the Saviour must have initially rested, an urgent condition for salvation. Since this salvation was appointed also for the Gentiles, then the good of entrusting the words of God to the Jew was a seed of goods that were to unfold also toward the Gentiles. In this respect even the Gentiles themselves must have recognized the great advantage of the Jew, and they truly did recognize it as soon as they learned of the words of God.

Thus the advantage of the Jew is made clear. But, satisfying the Jew, the Apostle did not wish the sense of guilt aroused by the preceding discourse to fade away in him. Therefore he set forth this advantage in such a way that it pointed directly only to God’s favor toward the Jew, and regarding the Jew himself, led him to a thought about responsibility before God by virtue of this very favor. Entrusting the words of God can be counted as an advantage to the Jew personally only if it should appear that he faithfully guards and preserves the treasure entrusted to him; but so, in itself, it is only God’s benefaction, God’s mercy. And clearly, with such a thought in mind, in the Jew there could arise not any self-satisfaction and pride, but rather humble self-condemnation. It is chiefly from this side that St. Chrysostom and our other commentators regard the Apostle’s answer.

But this answer could naturally lead the Jew himself to perceive the merely temporary significance of the Old Testament economy. For if, instead of an abstract representation of the advantage – to have the words of God, we turn our attention to what must have happened in the soul of the Jew when these words were uttered by the Apostle; then we shall see there such a succession of thoughts. – The words were entrusted to us! – Here is God’s word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob about a seed from them that would pour blessing upon all nations. Here is Jacob’s word about the expectation of nations that should come when the ruler departed from the loins of Judah; here is the word of Moses the lawgiver about the coming of another Prophet, whom we must obey; here are innumerable prophetic indications about the coming Ruler and Father of the future age and the establishment of a new law; here are Daniel’s weeks, here is Malachi’s indication about the Angel before the face of the Lord and the coming of the Lord Himself into His Church. All this we see fulfilled before our very eyes. The ruler ceased from Judah, Daniel’s weeks have passed, there was the Forerunner and after him Someone, “a Man mighty in word and deed,” teaching “as one having authority,” greater than the Sabbath and Solomon. – Therefore there is no doubt that the Law has ceased. Behold, a New covenant is proclaimed, spoken of by the Prophets. It is the duty of every true Jew to enter into it, lest he prove to be an opponent of God.

Such a succession of thoughts could be produced by the Apostle’s answer. One can suppose that the Apostle in personal conversations with Jews himself led them through this train of thought before their understanding, and through it acted victoriously upon them. Since some of those to whom the Epistle was written were personally known to the Apostle and knew such a way of his regarding the Old Testament words, it can be supposed that, mentioning this here, the Apostle meant to cause even them to recall, at these words, his conversations and convey to others what this answer about the entrusting to them of God’s words means and to what it should lead the Jew.

The holy Apostle, guided by the Spirit of God, acted here the same way as the Lord, when for the first time He appeared after His resurrection to all the Apostles. The Evangelist writes that the Lord, instead of adducing prophecies about Himself, “opened” the Apostles’ “minds to understand the Scriptures.” And when by this action they perceived in their minds what was written, the Lord only added the conclusion from Himself. “And He said to them: thus it is written and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations” (Lk. 24:46–47). So too the holy Paul, having said that the words of God were entrusted to the Jews, did not undertake to explain to what this led, but left these very words to produce in their souls what was desired to be produced there. It appears that the Apostle already sees all this produced in the minds of the reading Jews. For the following words of the Apostle do not relate directly to the preceding words, but to those thoughts which he sees produced in the minds of the Jews.

The succession of thoughts produced by the Apostle’s answer in the mind of the Jew brings him to the conclusion: thus the Law has ceased; one must accept, without confusion, the New Testament proclaimed by the messengers of God, like the Prophets. But while the Jew’s thoughts were thus being calmed, a new troubling thought arose: how is it that from our people, many and many do not believe the new preaching, and precisely the leaders, who ought to be in the forefront? The Apostle meets this thought and repels it.