For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Parallel translations
- WEB For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh;
- BSB A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.
- NKJV For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
- NASB For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
- NLT For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A true Jew is not merely one outwardly, nor is true circumcision merely external in the flesh. God's people are defined inwardly, not just by outward marks.
Overview
Paul redefines what it means to belong to God's people. Mere outward Jewish identity and physical circumcision do not constitute the real thing. This challenges any reliance on ethnicity or ritual and points to a deeper, spiritual reality. It prepares for the climactic statement of v.29 about the circumcision of the heart.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Gal 6:15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
- Matt 3:9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
- Rom 9:6–8Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
- Rev 2:9I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
- Isa 48:1–2Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
- Rom 4:10–12How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
- Hos 1:6–9And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
- John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
- Rom 2:17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
- Ps 73:1Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
- John 8:37–39I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
- 1 Pet 3:21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
- Jer 9:26Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
- Isa 1:9–15Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 2:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.