Peter Barnes | Romans 2:25-29
SERMON NOTES
TRUE CIRCUMCISION
(Romans 2:25-29)
– there is a Rabbinic saying from about A.D. 300 which declared that ‘At the last Abraham will sit at the entrance to Gehenna and will not let any circumcised man of Israel go down there.’ Israel identified with circumcision (Eph.2:11).
1. Circumcision requires the keeping of the whole law.
– 2:25; Gal.5:3; the law is an entirety (Lev.12:3 and Lev.19:2)
– 2:26 is probably hypothetical; 2:27 is probably a comparative judgment as in Matthew 12:41-42
– circumcision of the heart in Deut.10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4
2. The moral law is greater than the sacrament.
– 2:28-29; see Phil.3:3
– an inward and outward aspect in 1 Peter 3:21
– 1 Cor.7:19 – the commandments no longer include circumcision
– ‘Jew’ means ‘praise’; but from whom? Luke 16:15
3. There are still great privileges in the covenant.
– 3:1-2; see too Ps.147:19-20; Romans 9:4-5
– Paul is driving the sinner to see that there is no refuge except Christ alone.