Romans 2:25-27

Next to the Mosaic Law, the Jews boasted almost equally in their circumcision. Most of the Jews in Paul’s day believed that God would not permit any observant Jew to enter perdition.

"R. [Rabbi] Levi said; In the Hereafter Abraham will sit at the entrance to Gehenna, and permit no circumcised Israelite to descend therein. What then will he do to those who have sinned very much? He will remove the foreskin from babes who died before circumcision and set it upon them [the sinners], and then let them descend into Gehenna . . ." [Note: Midrash Rabbah, Genesis , 1:409-10. Cf. Genesis Rabbah, trans. Jacob Neusner, 2:182.]

Another rabbinic view was that God will send an angel who stretches the foreskin of great sinners and then they descend into Gehenna. [Note: Midrash Rabbah, Exodus, pp. 234-35.] The Jews felt circumcision guaranteed their acceptance by God, provided they did not sin "very much" (as some Christians believe baptism guarantees salvation). Paul reminded such people that reality is more important than profession and obedience more vital than testimony. Circumcision would not shield them from God’s wrath if they failed to do all He commanded.

". . . in contrast to Jewish teachers, who held that only a radical decision to renounce the covenant invalidated one’s circumcision, Paul argues that simple transgression of the law can have the same effect." [Note: Moo, p. 169.]

"In the Greek this second part of Romans 2:25 is interesting: ’If you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become a foreskin.’" [Note: Witmer, p. 447.]

In our day cans and bottles have labels on them to indicate what is inside. Circumcision was a label and implied that the Jew was obedient to God. However if he was not completely obedient the label was not only worthless but misleading. The contents of the can are more important than the label. Similarly if a Gentile was completely obedient to God the absence of the label of circumcision was not of major consequence. The Jews had put more emphasis on the presence of the label than on the contents of the can. Paul’s point was that disobedience brings condemnation and perfect obedience theoretically brings salvation, regardless of whether one is a Jew or a Gentile.

"Israel’s neighbours for the most part practiced circumcision (the Philistines were a notorious exception); but the circumcision of Israel’s neighbours was not a sign of God’s covenant, as Israelite circumcision was intended to be." [Note: Bruce, p. 89.]

The reference to the "letter" (Romans 2:27) probably means that the Jews had the Law written down.