For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
Truth to Learn
Christianity is not based on appearance or membership.
Behind the Words
The word translated “outwardly” is phaneros, which is derived from phainō, meaning “to illuminate.” Phaneros refers to, “that which is in the light” or “that which is visibly apparent.” So, a more literal translation could be,
For he is not a Jew who is one in appearance, nor is circumcision that which is visibly apparent in the flesh;
“Flesh” is translated from the Greek word sarx, which refers to “the meat of an animal.” By extension it refers to the human body or the material part of man.
Meaning Explained
In the previous few verses Paul has been pointing out that being Jewish, having the Law, and being circumcised are worthless if you don’t keep the Law. He then pointed out that the Gentiles who keep the righteousness of the Law (through faith) will, in fact, judge the Jews who are trying to be justified by keeping the Law.
Keep in mind that much of the early Christian church was composed of people who were converts from Judaism and who had been convinced, and now believed, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But, they were so heavily steeped in the rules and traditions of Judaism that it was hard for them to separate the legal requirements of the Jewish belief system from the basic tenet of Christianity: faith. It was equally hard for a Jewish Christian to let go of the fact that they didn’t have to be a Jew before they could become a Christian. As Paul has pointed out in the previous verses, being a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob doesn’t guarantee anything with regard to salvation.
He now gets to one of his main points. Being Jewish and having been circumcised are only external and fleshly. They are things that can be proven and can be seen, but they carry no weight in God’s record book. Paul tells us that the evidence of a real Jew (a chosen one of God) is not in the appearance of fleshly external things like circumcision.
There are many people who call themselves Christians today because they belong to a particular church. They think that church membership, being baptized in the church, and having learned the basics of the doctrines of the church mean that they are Christians. There is more to Christianity than church membership, or even calling oneself a Christian. Interestingly enough, there was a national survey in the United States recently in which nearly 80% of the respondents claimed to be Christian, yet less than half of them indicated that they attend church regularly. But then, regular church attendance doesn’t make someone a Christian either.
Only those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay for their sins, and that He rose from the dead are really Christians.
Application
Is your salvation based on the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross as payment for your sins? If not, then you are not really a Christian, even though you may call yourself one.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved