THE TRUE JEW

THE TRUE JEW “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” (Rom. 2:28-29)

FAITH

In order to understand this passage we must not only have faith, but we must also focus our mental and spiritual energies on this profound subject. Perhaps this could be considered among the “deep things of God” as mentioned in 1 Cor. 2:10. So also the teaching about Melchizedek is hard to explain, especially to those infants in the faith who feed on milk and not meat (Heb.5:7-14). Remember! We are to “grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ” (Eph. 4:15). Remember! “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1 KJV) We can see physical circumcision with human eyes, but we can only see the circumcision of the heart by faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)

To prepare your mind for this adventure, please answer this question. Which is more important, what we can see, or what we cannot see? Here is Paul’s answer: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what we see is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18) The circumcision of the flesh in temporary. The circumcision of the heart is eternal! Eternal life, of course, takes priority over life that is only temporal.

Faith involves an eternal principle. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Heb. 11:3) Faith is more important than circumcision, for Abraham was justified by faith fourteen years before he received the covenant of circumcision. (See Gen. 15:6 and Gen. 17:1-14) Faith is more important than the law for Abraham was justified by faith 430 years before the Law was given (Gal. 3:17).

Abraham’s children help us to understand the difference. The first born son of Abraham was named Ishmael: “So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.” (Gen. 16:15-16). Ishmael helps us to understand the law. Ishmael was born in the “ordinary way” (Galatians 4:21-31). No miracle was associated with his birth. Ishmael had a physical birth like every other child and he and his mother became an allegory of a physical covenant (Gal 4:21-31). Abraham, Ishmael, and every male in his household were all circumcised on the same day (Gen. 17:23). Circumcision was a physical covenant!

Fourteen years later Abraham’s second son was born: “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.” (Gen. 21:1-5) Isaac was not born in the “ordinary way.” Sarah’s womb was dead (Rom. 4:19). She was “barren” (Heb. 11:11). The birth of Isaac required a miracle! Sarah and Isaac

are therefore an allegory of a spiritual covenant! (See also Gal. 4:21-31). Isaac helps us to understand the circumcision of the heart!

THE TRUE SON

Which of these two sons was the “true son”? The answer to this question is very important! God promised Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). Which son would God choose to produce this Seed? Ishmael was the firstborn and had a legal right to inherit Abraham’s wealth. Abraham also wanted him to be the one chosen by God. Abraham pleaded: “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” (Gen. 17:18)

God, however, rejected Ismael. Later we will discover that “Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.” (Gen. 25:5) Ishmael had an “ordinary” birth. He was born after the flesh. That’s why Ismael represents the Old Covenant. Isaac, however, could not be born without a miracle. That’s why he represents the New Covenant! “Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.” (Gen. 17:19-22)

Here are more details about the covenant of circumcision: “Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” (Gen. 17:9-14)

No one can be saved, however, by being physically circumcised! The true circumcision, as our text indicates, is “of the heart, by the Spirit.” The circumcision of the heart involves been “born again”. This, as you know, involves the miraculous intervention of God. “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” (Rom. 4:13-17)

The “true son” of Abraham is therefore not determined by a physical genealogy, but by faith:

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:16-29)

LEARNING FROM HISTORY

• Remember! “Everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4).
• Remember! God gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were (Rom. 4:17)
• Remember! While man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
• Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham, but God chose Isaac to be the ancestor of Jesus (Gen. 17:19).
• Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac, but God chose Jacob to be the ancestor of Jesus (Matt. 1:2) In fact, God actually called Jacob (Israel) His firstborn (Ex. 4:22).
• Jacob had 12 sons but God chose his fourth son, Judah, to be the ancestor of Jesus (Gen. 49:10; Matt. 1:3).
• Judah had twin sons by his daughter in law Tamar. The firstborn son was Zerah. He was identified as the firstborn by a scarlet thread which the midwife tied on his wrist. God, however, chose his brother Perez to be the ancestor of Jesus (Gen. 38:27-30; Matt. 1:3)
• Jacob gave his blessing to Ephraim, even though his brother Manasseh was the firstborn (Gen. 48:12-20).
• Today - “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” (Rom. 2:28-29)
• Today: “in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:216-29)
• Paul explained: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowingChrist Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil. 3:3-11)
• Paul also wrote: “Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:12-16)
• It isn’t necessary for us to “understand” everything that God does, but it is important that we “believe” that what God does is right! We are not saved by our understanding, but by our faith.

DID GOD REJECT HIS PEOPLE?

This is the very question asked by Paul: “Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” (Romans 11:1)

Paul then quoted the prophet “Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: ‘Lord, they have killed thy prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’. And what was God’s answer to him? ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ So too at the present time there is a remnant chosen by graced. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:2-6)

Not every child of Israel was a “true Israelite”. Elijah was a “true Israelite.” He did not achieve this honor by a physical relationship but by the fact that he loved God with all of his heart, mind, soul, and spirit.

Paul was also a “true Israelite.” Remember! Paul put no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3). Paul considered all of his earthly credentials as rubbish that he might gain Christ (Phil. 3:8). Paul obtained his relationship with God through his total trust and commitment in Christ!

Please consider that God’s original calling of the Israelites involved their holiness. “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” (Deut. 7:6-9)

This, however, was not a guarantee that all of these chosen people would be saved. When they ceased to be holy, God rejected them! When the people of God rejected Him, He rejected them! “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for

they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:1-13)

Most of the Israelites died in the wilderness! “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” (Numbers 14:26-35)

As we have said, the “true Jew” has always been identified by their heart! Remember! “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7)

THE REMNANT

“Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved.” (Romans 9:27)

God has been consistent throughout all of history. Only a remnant have been saved in every generation! The broad way leads to destruction and many will follow that road. The narrow way leads to life and only a few will find it (Matt. 7:13-14).

The “remnant,” however, was never identified by anything physical, but by “knowing God.” “This is what the Lord says:“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord! (Gen. 6:8). That’s why God used him! Abram believed in the one true God even though he came from a family of idolators (Josh. 24:2) That’s why God used him! During the period of the Judges most people rebelled against God, that’s why God had to raise up Judges to save them from their enemies. As we have mentioned, during the days of Elijah only 7,000 out of the entire nation had not bowed the knee to Baal or kissed his image. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to stand alone for God in Babylon. It was not crowded at the cross of Christ. Only a few had the courage to be with Christ in his hour of need. Paul endured the insults he received for following Christ and wrote: “Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a fool so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” (1 Cor. 3:18-19)

We remind you again that does not change and has always been consistent. The plan of God to defeat the devil was made before the foundation of the world and has not changed. The Scriptures remind us repeatedly that the plan of God is an eternal plan.

Please consider:

• “Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God. So that all nations might believe and obey him – to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Rom. 16:25-27)
• “No, we speak God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” (1 Cor. 2:7)
• “and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:9-11)
• “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:26-27)
• “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)
• God specifically told Abram “all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:3)
• GOD MEANS WHAT HE SAYS AND HIS ETERNAL PLAN HAS NEVER CHANGED!

WE MUST BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN!

Jesus frequently taught by paradoxes:

• You must lose your life to save it (Mark 8:35).
• To be first you must be last (Mark 9:35).l
• To be great you must be a servant (Mark 10:43-44).
• Further, to truly be great you must become like a little child! (Matt. 18:1-4). It is this paradox that we will explore more carefully!

On the one hand salvation seems to be difficult. Jesus said: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter in and will not be able to.” (Lk. 13:24).

Jesus also said: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:28-33)

On the other hand, salvation is so simple that even little children can be saved.

Jesus used the illustration of little children because the apostles were constantly arguing about which of them was the greatest. One such argument occurred after Jesus only took Peter, James, and John with him to the mountain of transfiguration. Their envy of one another was perhaps increased by the fact that Jesus forbade these three from telling what happened on the mountain until after Jesus was raised from the dead (Matt. 17:9) Their jealousy was also stirred up by the fact that the nine others who didn’t get to go to the mountain had just failed to cast out an evil spirit in the valley down below (Mark 9:14-29). Then - “They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:33-37) Matthew said it like this: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:1-4)

One reason why little children find it so easy to receive Christ is that they have not yet been indoctrinated with the value system of this world. A little child, for example, might prefer a little dog to an expensive diamond. A little child might prefer to be with a friend than to have a sack full of money. A little child doesn’t understand the “value” of a bank account until we teach them! That’s the problem! We too often teach our children to love the world while God teaches us to not love the world! The Scriptures are explicit: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Please consider this story about a man who made a lot of money. He had apparently been “well trained” by his parents. He was perhaps the envy of his neighbors and a very rich and probably a very popular man in the community. While he may have been admired by his neighbors, God called him a fool! Please consider: “Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21)

Surveys done by the Barna Research Group indicate that American children ages 5 to 13 have a 32% probability of accepting Christ, but youth or teens aged 14 to 18 have only a 14% probability of doing so. Unbelieving adults age 19 and over have just a 6% probability of becoming Christians. It is probable that these statistics are similar in other countries in the world.

TRAINING OUR CHILDREN STARTS IN THE WOMB

Paul wrote to Timothy: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:14-17)

The versatile Greek language has at least six different words that refer to children in the Bible. They are: huios, teknon, pais, paidion, nepios, and brephros. The word translated as “infant” in our text is “brephos”. Thayer, in his Greek English Lexicon, defines the word as (1) An unborn child, embryo, fetus; (2) A newborn child, infant, babe. The NIV translates this word as “infancy”. Brephos occurs eight times in the N.T. Scriptures. They are listed here for your convenience.

• Luke1:41-“...the babe leaped in her womb...“
• Luke1:44-“...the babe leaped in my womb for joy...“
• Luke 2:12 - “ . . . ye shall fine the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes . . .”
• Luke2:16-“...they came with haste and found...the babe lying in a manger.”
• Luke 18:15 - “ . . . and they brought unto him infants that he would touch them.”
• Acts 7:19 - “ .. . they cast out their young children to the end that they might not live”.
• 1Pet.2:2-“...as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word...”
• 2 Tim. 3:15 - “ . . . from a child thou has known the holy Scriptures . . .”

TIMOTHY ACTUALLY BEGAN LEARNING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES WHILE HE WAS STILL IN THE WOMB! His faith dwelt first in his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice, but ultimately in him (11 Tim. 1:5). These women were obviously his primary teachers. His father was a Greek (Acts 16:1) and apparently did not help Timothy to “know the holy Scriptures”. His mother, and grandmother, however, taught him the holy Scriptures from the time he was a “brephos”. That is, they taught him the Scriptures before he was born, and from the time of his “infancy”. They apparently did precisely what God commanded all of His people to do. They taught Timothy as they were lying down, rising up. Teaching was a part of all their daily activities. Since the Word of God was in their heart they talked about it all the time. Remember! Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Lk. 6:45).

WE CAN BE LIKE TIMOTHY

No! We cannot enter a second time into our mother’s womb to be born (John 3:4). We must, however, be born again! No one can enter into the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

We have physical life because a physical seed was planted in the womb of our earthly mother. Our earthly bodies will grow old and die, that’s why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:50). In order to enjoy “eternal life” we must have an “eternal body”. This can only happen when we are born again of a spiritual seed!

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:6) If you want spiritual life, you must plant a spiritual seed! That’s why Peter wrote: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Pet. 1:23)

Yes! When you are “born again” you can be just like Timothy. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come! All of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5;17-18)

When you are “born again” you will become a “true Jew”. For “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” (Rom. 2:28-29)