Romans 2:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After saying, "But if you are a breaker of the law," he added, "your circumcision has become uncircumcision."

Having proved that he is uncircumcised, he finally pronounces judgment upon him without fear.

"If, then, the uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?"

See what the Apostle does. He does not say that uncircumcision surpasses circumcision. That would have been very grievous to his listeners at that time.

Rather, he says that uncircumcision has become circumcision.

Then he considers what circumcision is and what uncircumcision is. He says that circumcision is a good deed, and uncircumcision is an evil deed.

He does not say that uncircumcision surpasses circumcision, for that would be too painful. Instead, he says that it will be counted to him as circumcision. Therefore true circumcision is virtuous activity, just as uncircumcision is wicked activity. Notice that he did not say, “if uncircumcision keeps the law.” He likely anticipated someone’s objection: how can an uncircumcised man keep the law, when the very state of being uncircumcised is a violation of the law? How then did he speak? He said, “the ordinances of the law,” that is, the ordinances by whose fulfillment they think themselves justified. Circumcision was not an action, but a suffering undergone by the one circumcised. Therefore it cannot be called a righteousness of the law. It was given as a sign, so that the Jews would not be confused with the Gentiles.

Thus Gentiles become members of the house of Israel when their uncircumcision is reckoned as circumcision, because they show the righteousness of the law not through circumcision of the flesh, but through the love of the heart. For if the flesh preserves the righteousness of the law, will it not be counted to them as circumcision?

The righteousness of the law is in faith in Christ, as the Apostle says elsewhere: “Christ is the end of the law, unto righteousness for everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4). Therefore it becomes clear that if a Gentile believes in Christ, he becomes a son of Abraham, who is the father of faith (cf. Rom 4:16; Gal 3:7-8).

That is, the law requires deeds. Therefore if you, who are circumcised, have no deeds, while the uncircumcised man has them, is it not just that you be called lawless? And is it not just that he receive your honorable name and no longer be called uncircumcised, as you reproachfully call him, but rather circumcised, since he has circumcised the evil of the soul?

Verses 25-29. Circumcision is profitable.

Having proved the worthlessness of all the Jews' advantages, namely the name, the law, the true calling, and separation from idols, the Apostle touches on the most important one: circumcision.

He seems to anticipate the Jews' objection that they are in covenant with God Himself and have circumcision as proof of this covenant.

Turning their attention to the inward meaning of this sign of the covenant, the Apostle proves that fulfillment of the law is profitable and necessary with it.

Or, as the prophet Jeremiah expressed it (Jer 4:4), he proves the necessity of circumcision of the heart.

If in other places the Apostle proves the complete uselessness of circumcision (1 Cor 7:19; Gal 5:6), he means this in relation to Christianity.

But what is to be said of the sacred Old Testament mystery of circumcision, on which the Jews seem to have placed all their hopes?

It too is useless for them without fulfillment of the law, the Apostle answers.

"Circumcision is profitable if you fulfill the law. But if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision."

And conversely: "If the uncircumcised man keeps the ordinances of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?"

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but he who is one inwardly. And that is true circumcision which is of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter.

His praise is not from men, but from God."

Thus the very advantages of the Jews, which were not acquired by their zeal but are the gift of God, proved not only useless for them. They also served to increase their punishment (Chrysostom).

The advantages in which the Hebrews boasted are of no use when their life contradicts their appointed purpose.

The visible and, at the same time, most deeply mystical sign that the Hebrews belonged to God was circumcision. Yet many remained with this outward appearance and did not fulfill the law with its essential commandments.

The Apostle contrasts such Jews with pagans who live according to the promptings of the natural moral law. In essence, this law contains nothing contrary to the law given to the Jews.

He finds that, in the first case, circumcision is uncircumcision. Thus a Jew by name may be worse in life than a pagan.

The word "uncircumcision" stands in place of "an uncircumcised man."

Having made the significance of circumcision depend on fulfillment of the law, he thereby showed that a Jew who does not fulfill the law has become the same as an uncircumcised man.

Now, from the opposite side, he presents the same thought more impressively. Let us suppose that an uncircumcised man fulfills the law. Then he will become the same as a circumcised man.

The Apostle does not here present an actual fact of an uncircumcised man fulfilling the ordinances of the law. He speaks hypothetically: if it should happen that an uncircumcised man fulfills the law.

This follows directly from the course of his argument. Yet one cannot conclude from this that it actually happened in full.