“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God” (Romans 2:28-29 ESV).
Our text from Romans 2:28-29 helps explain the following directive from Paul the Apostle to the members of the church that met in the ancient city of Corinth…
“Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called” (1 Corinthians 7:18-20).
Paul’s counsel enables us to refocus our attention on the things that really count. For instance, the act of mandating an external requirement for salvation (like circumcision, for instance), is much like the proverbial “slippery slope” when it comes to spiritual matters. Despite our best efforts to merit God’s favor through those efforts, there is always the possibility that we may leave something undone. Such is the nature of salvation by works. In addition to being ineffective, that approach also serves to glorify the person who performs those works as well.
From this perspective, things have remained relatively consistent since Paul first wrote the Epistle to the Romans. For example, many modern-day spiritual traditions teach (or imply) that we can find salvation by following various rules, such as…
- Praying at specified intervals.
- Refraining from eating certain types of food.
- Pursuing various forms of meditation.
- Participating in different types of rituals or ceremonies.
In Paul the Apostle’s era, this approach took several other forms. For instance, some rejected Christ in favor of the Mosaic Law. Others taught that faith in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was insufficient for salvation, and that circumcision was a mandate as well. Then there were those who promoted various forms of mysticism, stoicism, hedonism, or Gnosticism as the path to salvation. In fact, Paul wrote an entire epistle to address some of those errors. We know that epistle today as the Biblical book of Galatians.
Those who subscribe to these views may feel that Jesus’ atoning death on the cross was ineffective or lacking in some way. But if this were true, then it means that Jesus made a grave error when He said from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30).