Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 2:27

"and shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?" — Romans 2:27 (ASV)

If the law was the major distinctive of the Jews, a close second was circumcision. As with the law, so with circumcision, the nation was guilty of placing unwarranted confidence in this rite. Many held the view that only circumcised children shared in the world to come. In dividing people into two classes, circumcised and uncircumcised, the Jews were in effect indicating those who were saved and those who were not.

But Paul contends that circumcision and observing the law cannot be separated. If one has the symbol of Judaism and lacks the substance, of what value is the symbol? If a Gentile should show success in observing the law, the lack of circumcision is surely not so important as to discount his spiritual attainment (cf. 2:14). In fact, says Paul, one can go a step further (v.27) and say that the circumcised Jew may find himself on a lower plane than the despised Gentile, because if the latter obeys the law that the former takes for granted, then the Gentile will “condemn” (GK 3212) him. This does not involve the bringing of any charge, but is a specialized use of the word “condemn” to indicate the effect created by one who surpasses another despite his inferior status or limited advantage (cf. Matthew 8:11–12; 12:41).