Circumcision of the Heart

11/24/2010

Thoughts on Romans 2:26-29
Additional thoughts on this section, from what I wrote previously, lead me into pondering a bit more on paedobaptism because Baptists do not see any real connection between circumcision in the old dispensation and baptism in the new dispensation. Yes baptism has taken the place of circumcision, but with the change of dispensations a break has been made and the promises of God in the old have allegedly fallen into disrepute. So what they would like us to accept is that the two dispensations are distinctly different from one another with two distinctly separate promises. But certainly, because of these verses, we see that circumcision has a spiritual component to it as it was meant to even in the old dispensation. Jeremiah 4:4 says to "circumcise the foreskin of your heart" because Israel had become uncircumcised even though they were circumcised in the flesh (Jeremiah 9:25-26). The old dispensation is not physical primarily, whereas the new is spiritual. There is an intricate connection; an intricate association showing uniformity between the old and the new. So circumcision has a spiritual component to it and Paul draws this out here.

We have a couple of important elements in this passage that we need to talk about. First, we have the obvious comparison going on between circumcision and uncircumcison. Next we have law keepers verses law breakers. Then we have physical and spiritual; Jew and Gentile and last; outward and inward. So putting them all together we get Paul's defense of the gentile who is part of the uncircumcised lot. Circumcision or uncircumcision is not the important point, obeying the law is and this is connected to the inward condition of man, not the mere outward assent of an external show hiding what is really dead inside. The logic goes both ways. Whether a man is circumcised or not is beside the point if he keeps the law. But then Paul concludes his thoughts by drawing out the fact that keeping the law is not merely following the letter of the law, which was the practice of the Pharisees. Truly following the law goes beyond a mere outward display of knowledgeable reiteration of what the law says. The problem is, is that the Pharisees failed to understand what the law meant on a much deeper level. The law is perfect and to obey it rightly speaks to the inability of man to follow it in the way it was meant to be obeyed. It is the internal condition of man that the law addresses ultimately. For the scripture, in taking pains to demonstrate proper sacrificial worship towards a holy, awesome God puts it all aside, so to speak, to say, "Obedience is better than sacrifice" and the blood of animals is not enough to take away sin. These speak to the internal state of affairs of mankind. Jesus himself reveals the hypocrisy of the Pharisees when he shows that it is not by following the letter of the law that they receive the praises of God, but by being clean on the inside. He calls them "white washed tombs full of dead men's bone". Jesus is showing the value of consistency and showing that in order to be truly clean on the outside one must begin by being clean on the inside. The egg is still rotten even though the shell remains intact, clean, white and whole. Obeying the letter of the law hides the true condition of the man. He is pretending to be what he is not. This is what being a hypocrite means. Why Jesus and his followers are hated is that we point out to the world the proper order - straighten out the internal affairs then good things will flow out naturally. The outer man will be taken care of without a thought. The exterior will be cleansed if the internal is purified. This is an impossible task for man and the Pharisees knew it. It is far easier to put a band aid on than to treat the deeper issues remaining in hiding. Jesus forces us to deal with the deeper issues when we would rather play pretend. The deeper issues go beyond our strength to deal with because they involve deeply ingrained habits, beliefs and cultural pressures to conform to cultural expectations. These we adopt sometimes without thinking on questions of right or wrong. It takes the power of God to transcend these and others like them. This is Paul's meaning, "by the Spirit". The matters of the heart can only be dealt with by the Spirit of God.

So circumcision of the heart is by the Spirit of God and not by following the letter of the law. This point is driven over and over again throughout the old dispensation. Circumcision is done with the hands to signify that one belongs to God. Similarly, baptism is done with the hands to signify that one belongs to God. Circumcision obviously did not certify that a person was saved but that person was still included in the covenant of God until they broke it by their disobedience. Similarly, baptism also does not certify that a person is saved but that person is still included in the covenant of God until they break it by their disobedience. Neither one, in either dispensation, gives man the right or the knowledge to determine who will fall from grace. Both are done in infancy (by the Presbyterians those who believe in paedobaptism in the new dispensation) and so require faith on our part that they will not fall from grace which God graciously imparted to them by including them within His covenant given to them by the faith of their parents. this is all very academic but oh so wonderful indeed!

-Joe