What does Romans 2:26 mean?
In the previous verse, Paul said a shocking thing. His specific target was devout Jewish people, who lived under the law and thought circumcision would save them from being judged by God for their sin. More generally, Paul speaks to anyone who trusts in their religious rituals or sacraments in order to be made right with God. Paul said that if such a circumcised person breaks the law, circumcision is of no value to him, at all. In fact, he wrote that for law-breakers, circumcision becomes uncircumcision—the ritual itself becomes a form of rebellion when it's not accompanied by obedience!Now Paul goes even further with a teaching sure to infuriate Jewish religious leaders. He writes that the opposite is also true. If a Gentile—an uncircumcised, non-Jewish man—adheres to the principles of the law, his lack of physical circumcision won't prevent him from being regarded by God as one who is circumcised.
Paul is teaching that everything comes down to whether a person keeps God's law or not. This applies whether one is Jewish or Gentile. Later, Paul will demonstrate that nobody is able to keep the law (Romans 3:10). This means that everyone deserves God's angry judgment. Salvation must be found somewhere else, other than in rituals or good works (Romans 3:22–25).
Romans 2:12–29 describes two groups of people, with an emphasis on how their sin relates to their knowledge of God's written Law for the nation of Israel. Here, ''Gentiles'' are those who sin apart from the law, while ''Jews'' are those who sin under the law. Paul shows how, in both cases, God will judge people based on whether they kept the law and were circumcised in their hearts. Even Gentiles who follow the law out of sincerity would be regarded by God as truly Jewish. Meanwhile, God will discount the Jewishness and circumcision of someone under the law who breaks the law and does not have a sincere heart. Paul will show in the following chapter that, in truth, no one can keep the law.
Romans 2 springs a trap on any religious person who read Paul's lists of sins at the end of Romans 1 and thought it wasn't about them. Paul calls them out for making themselves judges when they are also guilty. He shows that God will judge everyone, including those under the law, based on their works. This prefaces this letter's theme of salvation by grace, through faith, rather than by works. Many benefits come with having the law, but only if those under the law keep it. Jewishness—circumcision—must be an inner state, not just an outer one. Paul will show in the following chapter that none of us really meets those conditions.
