∼ 1.1 – By the works of the law ∼

What does the expression “by the works of the law” mean? How can Paul say, on the one hand, that only those who do the works of the Law are justified (Rom. 2:13) and that when the uncircumcised observe the righteousness of the Law (do/fulfill the Law), they are circumcised in their hearts and therefore share in the promise (Rom 2:14-29, 6:16-18) with true faith upholding the Law (Rom 3:31b), while on the other hand saying that “by works of the law” no flesh will be justified. Now, Paul does not contradict himself; he teaches that God’s Law/Word must be observed if we want to be justified by God, but in doing so, we must be careful not to believe that we have earned or must earn our justification from God through works. God does not justify by works, although we must repent of evil works and be a good tree that bears good fruit. (Matt. 3:8, 7:17, Luke 3:8) No work that we can do by God’s power can redeem us from death and make amends for our sin before God. Only God can redeem us and take the punishment upon Himself through the sacrifice that Yeshua the Anointed One made.

In the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul also talks about being “out from under the law,” and he writes the following:

In the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans, Paul corrects the idea that justification can be obtained “through works of the law.” (Rom 2:19-22, Gal 2:15-16, 21,3:11, 3:21) He writes that this has never been the function of the Law, but that it was given to reveal what sin is.(Rom 3:20, 7:7) Just as God’s Spirit and His Anointed One convict us of what sin is. (John 7:7, 16:8) God sent the Scriptures, His Spirit, and His Anointed One into the world with the important purpose that we might see what we need to repent of so that He can forgive us. (John 12:40, James 4:8, 1 John 1:7, Psalm 19:8)

Once again, when Paul teaches that only those who do the Law are justified, we must not conclude that we can earn our salvation by doing the Law. That always remains an unearned gift of grace. Something that God gives only on the basis of the sacrifice that Yeshua made. Outside of His blood, there is no forgiveness. Even before Yeshua bore the punishment for the sins of His people, there was no possibility of being justified “by works of the Law” for your former transgressions. (Gal 2:15-16, 21, 3:11, 3:21) The blood of animals could never accomplish that with God. (Heb 10:4) Yeshua also had to die for the sins of Abraham, Isaac, and every person who lived before Him. He is the only way to the Father. (John 14:6) For more information on this, see the study “Justification has never been by merit” included in the book “Galatians as a Sword.” We have been working on “Galatians as a Sword” for some time and hope to offer this book online and publish it in book form in the future.

The phrase “by the works of the law” appears in Romans 3:28 in the context of the question: “Is the God of Abraham the God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles?” This question relates to what Pharisees teach about how Gentile converts can share in Abraham’s promise and the justification of their sins. Within Pharisees’ Judaism, they teach that this requires physically becoming part of God’s chosen people, which includes being physically circumcised if you are male. Therefore, they also require that every male be circumcised for salvation. (Gal 2:3, 6:12, Acts 15:1, Acts 15:5) To get the Jews who hold this idea to think, Paul poses this question and also gives his answer: “Is the God of Abraham the God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also! Because there is one God, who will justify the circumcision through faith and the uncircumcision through faith.” The Jews to whom Paul is writing this understand very well that with the expression “by the works of the law” Paul is also referring to how the Pharisees interpret and apply God’s Law.

If we carefully examine what Paul is trying to do, we can see that he is trying to make his brothers see that they are misusing circumcision. Their demand for physical circumcision is not entirely illogical, given that God, in connection with the promise, had seriously commanded Abraham and his descendants not to neglect circumcision. (Gen. 17:9-14) But Paul argues with his people, and substantiates this in his writing, that in order to partake of the promise, God’s Law/Word does not require that the uncircumcised Gentiles must first be circumcised. However, Paul is not teaching that his people, the descendants of Abraham, should no longer circumcise their children. On the contrary, from what is written in Acts 21:21-24, we can also conclude that Paul absolutely did not teach this, but that it is not true that he would teach that the Jews should no longer circumcise their sons. In addition, we read in Romans 2:25 and 3:1 that Paul teaches that being circumcised/Jewish actually has an advantage over being an uncircumcised foreigner. (Rom 9:4)

In the Law of Moses, God does not command that a stranger must be circumcised in order to live in the land and among the people. However, the Law of Moses does require that the stranger abide by the Law that God has given to be observed in the land. (Deut. 18:9-14, 16:10-11, 26:1-11, 31:12, Num 15:13-16, Num 19:10, Num 19:22-26, Lev 16:29, Lev 17:12, Lev 18:26, Lev 24:16-22) The Law of Moses is the constitution given by God to Israel. The stranger who wants to live in the land must not be a servant of idols and must serve the God of Abraham in holiness. (Num 15:30-31) This does not refer to the stranger/foreigner who does not want to serve God and does not live among the people.

Now, these two things: that God has obligated Abraham’s descendants to circumcise all their sons and that the uncircumcised stranger may dwell in the Promised Land, are two important testimonies that God gives of one and the same spiritual truth.

• By instructing Abraham’s physical descendants to circumcise all their generations, God wants to convey a spiritual truth throughout all generations: that your heart must be circumcised if you want to share in the promise and be part of God’s people. By physically choosing a people, God tells of His spiritually chosen people, and through physical circumcision He tells of the spiritual circumcision of the heart. Being physically chosen and bearing the sign of circumcision is important and does indeed give an advantage (Rom. 2:25, 3:1, 9:4), but it is a shadow image, a teaching of the spiritual, but not the spiritual reality. If you are circumcised externally in the flesh, that says nothing about whether you are also circumcised in your heart. And that is why Paul also wrote: “He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, that is, one who is circumcised in the heart.” (Rom 2:26-29, 9:6-10) Who then is truly a Jew, who truly has a share in God’s people and the promise according to Paul? … Therefore, circumcision of the heart is essential for salvation, both for Jews and for those who convert from the nations.

• The second witness God gives, by which He testifies that it is all about a circumcised heart, is by allowing the uncircumcised foreigner (who wants to keep His Law) to live among His people as a native citizen, in the land that is part of the promise to Abraham. (Lev 19:33-34a, Isa 56:3) Doesn’t God also reveal how things work spiritually in His kingdom? For is God telling something by promising Abraham the promised land, but not giving it to him and letting him dwell there for a long time as an uncircumcised foreigner? (Gen 15:18) Even before God required Abraham to be circumcised, he had left his country and family and was called a Hebrew. (Gen 14:13) As an uncircumcised man, his אמן (aman – faith / faithfulness) was credited to him as righteousness. (Gen 15:6) In Isaiah 56, God speaks of the foreigner and the eunuch, of these two who are uncircumcised, that they nevertheless share in the promise if they are doers of the Law. By not requiring the uncircumcised foreigner to be circumcised and yet allowing him to live in the promised land, God is telling us from a different perspective that it is a circumcision of the heart, not so much a physical circumcision. Moreover, those who are circumcised in heart will not harden their necks to go against God’s commandments, but will walk in the steps of Abraham and, like David (who was a true son of Abraham), find delight in God’s Law and strive to fulfill it. (Deu 10:16, Rom 2:26-29, 4:12) If God were to say to an uncircumcised man, whose heart is circumcised, “I want you to be circumcised,” he would react like Abraham and be circumcised. (1 Cor 7:19)

Now, Paul does warn against circumcision in Galatians 5:2-4, because it concerns circumcision for the wrong reasons; to be justified by works (according to Pharisaic teaching) apart from the blood of Yeshua. God’s entire Law/Word is good when we apply it as God intended. (2 Tim. 3:16) Misapplying His Law/Word is always wrong. For example, it is wrong to think that anyone outside of the precious blood of His spotless Anointed One, by being circumcised and doing the commandments, has a share in the promise. Doers of the Law are essential to be justified, but no one can earn it. God grants reconciliation and life through the blood of a worthy sacrifice that can truly fulfill God’s justice and pay for the sin debt of His people, redeeming them from the curse.

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