Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 2:29

"but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." — Romans 2:29 (ASV)

That this portion is intended as a conclusion to the discussion of both the law and circumcision is evident, for both are mentioned, though the law is referred to in terms of “letter” (cf. v.27). There was plenty of background for Paul’s appeal for circumcision of the heart (e.g., Dt 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:25–26). A real Jew is one who has circumcision of the heart, accomplished “by the Spirit, not by the written code” (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:6). How striking this is! The law is part of the Scripture that the Spirit has inspired, yet there is no hint here that the true Jew is one in whom the Spirit has made the teaching of the law dynamic. By avoiding any such suggestion, Paul prepares the way for his treatment of the law in ch. 7.

He goes on to note that a Jew transformed by the Spirit would really be living up to the name he bears (“Jew” comes from Judah, meaning “praise”). He would be praiseworthy in the eyes of God, fulfilling what the law requires but cannot produce (cf. 8:3–4). Paul writes, of course, as a Christian, as one who has suffered much for his faith from his countrymen. But the closing verses of the chapter show that for all the bluntness of his references to the Jew he is not motivated by a desire to belittle his nation. Rather, he seeks their highest good (cf. 9:1–3; 10:1).