“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 praise is not of men, but of God.”
No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God. True Jewishness consists in inward reality (en tōi kryptōi): circumcision of the heart (peritmē kardias) effected by the Spirit (pneuma) rather than the letter (gramma). The Spirit produces what the law cannot. Praise that matters comes not from human approval but from God's commendation. This anticipates Paul's doctrine of justification by faith alone.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!